Browse
Education
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
+2
Call For Papers Ghana Studies Special Issue Ghana’s Long 1970s: Reconsidering the Lost Decade
There has been a surge of scholarly interest in the Ghana of the 1950s and 1960s, under its charismatic independence era leader Kwame Nkrumah. These works tell a new story of that era, focusing on the possibilities of independence by looking anew at Pan-Africanism, socialism, new histories of the Cold War and Black internationalism (Alhman 2017; Getachew 2019; Iandolo 2022; Osei-Opare 2023).
In contrast, Ghana’s 1970s are often reduced to an afterthought. Military coups dominate the narrative. Indeed, the 1970s are a decade characterized by military rule, economic decline, emigration, and hardship (Hutchful 1979; Pellow & Chazan 1986). This hardship is reflected in the relative lack of scholarship on the period. The body of work that does exist tends to reinforce a top-down narrative, with a strong focus on the state. It is only after 1981, when J.J. Rawlings comes to power and stays, that Ghana again attracts significant scholarly interest (Herbst 1993; Nugent 1995; Brydon & Legge 1996).Forty years on, it is high time to return to the 1970s. Inspired by the interest in the Nkrumah years, and motivated by the availability of new archives in Ghana and elsewhere, we invite historians to reconsider the 1970s with us. Building on recent scholarship that begins to probe the 1970s anew (Hart 2016; Murillo 2017; Wiemers 2021), we seek contributions that engage with the following questions:
How might our understanding of this decade change if instead of focusing on disjuncture, we looked for continuity?
How did this period of transition between two defining political regimes (between Nkrumah and Rawlings) shape contemporary Ghana?
How did ordinary Ghanaians navigate this tumultuous decade? What does a focus on everyday lives, rather than a state-centric approach, reveal about these years?
What new methods and sources might we turn to, to recover histories of a decade when state institutions supposedly collapsed?
To what extent can the framing of “Ghana’s long 1970s” (1966–1981) help us reconsider the history of postcolonial Ghana?
We are particularly interested in contributions that de-center political narratives, but are open to a wide array of approaches. We welcome expressions of interest and further conversations regarding potential submissions (write to: claire.nicolas@unil.ch).
Submission Guidelines
Abstracts (200 words) should be submitted to Claire Nicolas (claire.nicolas@unil.ch) and Elisa Prosperetti (elisa.prosperetti@nie.edu.sg) by 1 April 2023.
Contributors will be notified by 15 April 2023.
Full papers (8000 words) are to be received by 15 September 2023.
All articles will undergo peer review. Those accepted for publication will appear in a special issue of Ghana Studies, scheduled for publication in 2024.
About Ghana StudiesGhana Studies is the peer-reviewed journal of the Ghana Studies Association, an international affiliate of the African Studies Association (U.S). Its current editors are Victoria Ellen Smith (University of Bristol) and Nana Yaw Boampong Sapong (University of Ghana). Since its first issue in 1998, the journal has published significant work by leading scholars based in Ghana, the United States, Canada, and Europe. It is published annually by the University of Wisconsin Press.
https://gs.uwpress.org/content/call-papers
About the editors of the special issueClaire Nicolas is a Research Fellow from the Swiss National Science Foundation, at SOAS (University of London). She specializes in the history of sport, citizenship, and gender.Elisa Prosperetti is an Assistant Professor at the National Institute of Education at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. She specializes in the history of education, development, and nation-building.
BibliographyJ. Alhman, Living with Nkrumahism: Nation, State, and Pan-Africanism in Ghana (Athens: Ohio University Press, 2017).L. Brydon and K. Legge, Adjusting Society: The World Bank, the IMF, and Ghana (London: I.B. Tauris Publishers, 1996).A. Getachew, Worldmaking After Empire: The Rise and Fall of Self-Determination (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2019).J. Hart, “‘NIFA NIFA’: Technopolitics, Mobile Workers, and the Ambivalence of Decline in Acheampong's Ghana,” African Economic History, 44 (2016): 181–201.J. Herbst, The Politics of Reform in Ghana, 1982-1991 (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993).E. Hutchful, “A Tale of Two Regimes: Imperialism, the Military and Class in Ghana,” Review of African Political Economy 14 (1979): 36–55.A. Iandolo, Arrested Development: The Soviet Union in Ghana, Guinea, and Mali, 1955–1968 (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2022).B. Murillo, Market Encounters: Consumer Cultures in Twentieth-Century Ghana (Athens: Ohio University Press, 2017).P. Nugent, Big Men, Small Boys, and Politics in Ghana: Power, Ideology, and the Burden of History, 1982-1994 (London: Pinter, 1995).N. Osei-Opare, “Ghana and Nkrumah Revisited: Lenin, State Capitalism, and Black Marxist Orbits,” Comparative Studies in Society and History (2023): 1-23.D. Pellow and N. Chazan, Ghana: Coping with Uncertainty (Boulder: Westview Press, 1986).A. Wiemers, Development and Rural Statecraft in Twentieth-Century Ghana (Athens: Ohio University Press, 2021).
By:
Raquel Acosta
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
+1
Rethinking Language and Literature as Problem-solving Tools in the 21st Century
The literary and linguistic turn in the 21st century cannot be over-emphasized. This is precisely because questions around development continue to resonate with the imperative of taking recourse to language and, of course, the applied dimension of literature to reach out to the billions of the world’s population, in accordance with the implementation and realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Whether we are concerned with these development goals, from contextualized perspectives or globalized dimensions, it has become extremely important to note that, for instance, the very first goal, which is “No Poverty”, cannot be eradicated, or at least brought to the barest minimum, without the facility of language. The linguistic agency should be one that must be contextualized, or localized, so that, in the 21st century, the sort of all-round development at the global level is not achievable when only a few languages are considered to be languages of the world. In other words, it is high time we began to rethink the so-called notion of international languages that have, at their best, been tools of global tyranny. Yet, despite their so-called globalization, development is fundamentally localized to reflect internal dynamics. When contextualized, therefore, we may begin to ask, how do we deploy our diverse languages and literature in Nigeria and Africa to mediate development? How do we make language and languages in Nigeria, and Africa more accessible through improved literacy? What are the benefits that we stand to enjoy when we interact with our African literature, especially in our languages? How do we move beyond the overdependence on international languages, so-called, to begin to explore and utilize all the gains that are inherent in the utilization of our own languages? Development, that is, problem-solving, is fundamentally contextualized, which means that the challenges we face in Africa are not exactly those faced in the other parts of the world. If they, through their languages and literature developed tools for solving their problems, the challenge before us is how do we do the same using our languages and literature in Africa?
This conference, therefore, welcomes submissions that address theoretical and empirical challenges that stand in the way of linguistic and literary deployment of our knowledge systems to mediate development. The turn of applied knowledge to drive development has to begin with addressing the potential of our languages and literature as problem-solving tools.
Sub-themes include, but are not limited to, the following:
Langauge, Literature and Sociolinguistics,
Language, Literaure and Psycholinguistics
Language, Literature and National Development
Language, Literature and Multilingualism
Language, Literature and Media
Language, Literature and Politics
Language, Literature and Educational Development
Language, Literature and Gender Studies
Language, Literature and Medicine
Language, Literature and Conflict Resolution
Language, Literature and Religion
Language, Literature and International Relations
Language, Literature and Bilingualism in French
Language, Literature and French Translation
Language, Literature and Digital Technology in the 21st Century
Language, Literature and Sociability in the 21st Century
Language, Literature and Social Issues in the 21st Century
Language, Literature and Intersectional Perspectives in the 21st Century
Language, Literature and Pragmatics
Language, Literature and Discourse
Language, Literature and Performing Arts
Language, Literature and Economic Development
Language, Literature and Security Studies
Language, Literature and Mass Communication
Language, Literature and Psychology
Abstracts of no more than 250 words should be sent to lculanglitconference@gmail.com . Kindly indicate the sub-theme that your abstract speaks to in your submission. All enquiries should be directed to the LOC members listed below:
Dr Esther Senayon (08135283700); Dr Femi Jolaoso (08024290550), and Mr Olusegun Jegede (08036545183).
Important Dates:
Abstract Submission Deadline: 10th March, 2023
Conference Days : Day 1 (22nd March, 2023) -Opening Ceremony, Keynote and Lead Paper
Presentations, and Plenary Sessions (Hybrid)
Day 2 (23rd March, 2023): Syndicate Sessions and Chat Rooms (Virtual)
Paper Publication Submission Deadline-30th April, 2023
Conference Fees:
Physical
Nigeria-based Scholars=20,000 Naira
Nigeria-based Postgraduate Students=10,000 Naira
Other Africa-based Scholars-100 Dollars
Other Africa-based Postgraduate Students=50 Dollars
Other International Participants=120 Dollars
Conference fees cover lunch and conference materials.
Virtual
Nigeria-based Scholars=15,000 Naira
Nigeria-based Postgraduate Students=7,500Naira
Other Africa-based Scholars-80 Dollars
Other Africa-based Postgraduate Students=30 Dollars
Other International Participants=100 Dollars
Chief Host: Prof. Kabiru Adeyemo, VC, Lead City University, Ibadan
Host: Prof. Donald Odeleye, Dean, Faculty of Arts
Convener: Dr Ufuoma Davies, Head, Department of Languages and Literature
Keynote Speaker-Prof. Aderemi Raji-Oyelade, Professor of English, Africana Literatures and Creative Writing, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Lead Paper Presenters- Stephen Boluwaduro, University of Wisconsin, U.S.A.
-Hauwa Mohammed Sani, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria
Contact Info:
Senayon Olaoluwa
Institute of African Studies
University of Ibadan Nigeria
Contact Email:
samsenayon@gmail.com
By:
Raquel Acosta
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
+1
African Feminisms (Afems) 2023 Call for Presentations
The literary and linguistic turn in the 21st century cannot be over-emphasized. This is precisely because questions around development continue to resonate with the imperative of taking recourse to language and, of course, the applied dimension of literature to reach out to the billions of the world’s population, in accordance with the implementation and realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Whether we are concerned with these development goals, from contextualized perspectives or globalized dimensions, it has become extremely important to note that, for instance, the very first goal, which is “No Poverty”, cannot be eradicated, or at least brought to the barest minimum, without the facility of language. The linguistic agency should be one that must be contextualized, or localized, so that, in the 21st century, the sort of all-round development at the global level is not achievable when only a few languages are considered to be languages of the world. In other words, it is high time we began to rethink the so-called notion of international languages that have, at their best, been tools of global tyranny. Yet, despite their so-called globalization, development is fundamentally localized to reflect internal dynamics. When contextualized, therefore, we may begin to ask, how do we deploy our diverse languages and literature in Nigeria and Africa to mediate development? How do we make language and languages in Nigeria, and Africa more accessible through improved literacy? What are the benefits that we stand to enjoy when we interact with our African literature, especially in our languages? How do we move beyond the overdependence on international languages, so-called, to begin to explore and utilize all the gains that are inherent in the utilization of our own languages? Development, that is, problem-solving, is fundamentally contextualized, which means that the challenges we face in Africa are not exactly those faced in the other parts of the world. If they, through their languages and literature developed tools for solving their problems, the challenge before us is how do we do the same using our languages and literature in Africa?
This conference, therefore, welcomes submissions that address theoretical and empirical challenges that stand in the way of linguistic and literary deployment of our knowledge systems to mediate development. The turn of applied knowledge to drive development has to begin with addressing the potential of our languages and literature as problem-solving tools.
Sub-themes include, but are not limited to, the following:
Langauge, Literature and Sociolinguistics,
Language, Literaure and Psycholinguistics
Language, Literature and National Development
Language, Literature and Multilingualism
Language, Literature and Media
Language, Literature and Politics
Language, Literature and Educational Development
Language, Literature and Gender Studies
Language, Literature and Medicine
Language, Literature and Conflict Resolution
Language, Literature and Religion
Language, Literature and International Relations
Language, Literature and Bilingualism in French
Language, Literature and French Translation
Language, Literature and Digital Technology in the 21st Century
Language, Literature and Sociability in the 21st Century
Language, Literature and Social Issues in the 21st Century
Language, Literature and Intersectional Perspectives in the 21st Century
Language, Literature and Pragmatics
Language, Literature and Discourse
Language, Literature and Performing Arts
Language, Literature and Economic Development
Language, Literature and Security Studies
Language, Literature and Mass Communication
Language, Literature and Psychology
Abstracts of no more than 250 words should be sent to lculanglitconference@gmail.com . Kindly indicate the sub-theme that your abstract speaks to in your submission. All enquiries should be directed to the LOC members listed below:
Dr Esther Senayon (08135283700); Dr Femi Jolaoso (08024290550), and Mr Olusegun Jegede (08036545183).
Important Dates:
Abstract Submission Deadline: 10th March, 2023
Conference Days : Day 1 (22nd March, 2023) -Opening Ceremony, Keynote and Lead Paper
Presentations, and Plenary Sessions (Hybrid)
Day 2 (23rd March, 2023): Syndicate Sessions and Chat Rooms (Virtual)
Paper Publication Submission Deadline-30th April, 2023
Conference Fees:
Physical
Nigeria-based Scholars=20,000 Naira
Nigeria-based Postgraduate Students=10,000 Naira
Other Africa-based Scholars-100 Dollars
Other Africa-based Postgraduate Students=50 Dollars
Other International Participants=120 Dollars
Conference fees cover lunch and conference materials.
Virtual
Nigeria-based Scholars=15,000 Naira
Nigeria-based Postgraduate Students=7,500Naira
Other Africa-based Scholars-80 Dollars
Other Africa-based Postgraduate Students=30 Dollars
Other International Participants=100 Dollars
Chief Host: Prof. Kabiru Adeyemo, VC, Lead City University, Ibadan
Host: Prof. Donald Odeleye, Dean, Faculty of Arts
Convener: Dr Ufuoma Davies, Head, Department of Languages and Literature
Keynote Speaker-Prof. Aderemi Raji-Oyelade, Professor of English, Africana Literatures and Creative Writing, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Lead Paper Presenters- Stephen Boluwaduro, University of Wisconsin, U.S.A.
-Hauwa Mohammed Sani, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria
Contact Info:
Senayon Olaoluwa
Institute of African Studies
University of Ibadan Nigeria
Contact Email:
samsenayon@gmail.com
By:
Raquel Acosta
EDUCATION
Call for Papers: History of Second Language Learning
History of Education Quarterly seeks submissions addressing the 50th anniversary of Congress’s Equal Educational Opportunities Act, signed into law in 1974. In mandating that all schools receiving federal funds accommodate students regardless of English language proficiency, the law established important rights for emerging bilingual students and paved the way for future legislation addressing the needs of linguistically minoritized young people.
The HEQ editors invite submissions that explore the history of education for non-native speakers, including but not limited to:
Early policies addressing instruction in languages other than English
The intersection of race and language in U.S. schools
Activism in defense of the rights of linguistically minoritized students
National and international studies of language politics in state-supported schools
Contestation over the education of undocumented students
Issues of curriculum and instruction as they relate to English language acquisition
To be included in Volume 64 (2024), submissions must be received no later than December 31, 2023. Papers that do not meet the deadline for Volume 64 will still be given careful consideration for future volumes of History of Education Quarterly.
Contact Info:
Kim Tolley
Managing Editor, History of Education Quarterly
Contact Email:
Kimberley_Tolley@uml.edu
URL:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/history-of-education-quarterly
By:
Raquel Acosta
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
+2
Call for Proposals for ASA Annual Meeting CFP
Our 2023 Call for Proposals is open for all submission types!Join the ASA in San Francisco, Nov. 30 – Dec. 2, 2023 for our 66th Annual Meeting. Review our general meeting information and read the full theme statement African Presences: Envisioning Africa in Text and Deed by Claudia Gastrow (University of Johannesburg) and Shobana Shankar (Stony Brook University). Deadline to submit proposals is April 2, 2023 at 11:59 PM Eastern.The submission portal is open to any individual registered for the Annual Meeting. Looking for discounted registration? Renew your annual membership or join the ASA to receive a discount at every tier.
Register and Submit: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/africanstudiesassociation.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a59a520d2255ab32522a2367d&id=2bc0d75234&e=211d84b5d5__;!!HXCxUKc!1uFGEuZ6-StHNTTlTT0dwtf4MPiBBdI1zixJn-SCXOdJ05AhDCRJMOaZpVOi-Xorp2CjfatvFDv1fFdg8wwtRK7OYTo$
By:
Raquel Acosta

CULTURE AND SOCIETY
+1
Call for Papers: Landscapes of Power and Academic Freedom
The deadline to submit articles for this year's Journal of Academic Freedom is just a month away. If you didn't have a chance to read last year's volume, please check out its outstanding selection of articles. Our new call for papers engages with and builds on many of the themes that contributors explored in those articles. Since the volume's publication in November, article web pages have been updated with a new feature that allows for easier online reading, downloading, and printing.
Call for Papers: Landscapes of Power and Academic FreedomThe 2023 issue of the Journal of Academic Freedom seeks original articles that investigate the links between landscapes of social power and the historical development and contemporary status of academic freedom. For over a century, the AAUP has defended the profession against attacks on academic freedom and has faced many powerful adversaries in the process, yet it has also found and cultivated allies. Preserving academic freedom for a free society entails understanding those who would dismantle or undermine it as well as those who will coalesce in its defense.
Within the United States and internationally, we have witnessed the deleterious effects that authoritarian governments, unchecked corporate interests, reactionary movements, and partisan politics have on academic freedom. Indeed, we could cite a wide range of impacts, from tenure denial, dismissal, and (self-)censorship to imprisonment, political exile, and “brain drain.” What can we learn about academic freedom and its contemporary precarity by exposing the forces of power that mobilize against it?
We invite consideration of how academic freedom serves as a touchstone for democracy and the ways that the death of academic freedom signals the atrophy of more inclusive and democratized landscapes of power. What is the relationship between democratic societies and the flourishing of academia and academic freedom within them? What kind of society would powerful forces working against academia and academic freedom usher forth if they had their way? History and comparative international studies give us some clues about a range of possible futures we can envision for academic freedom. Potential topics and questions that prospective authors might explore for volume 14 include the following:
The relative autonomy of the knowledge sector within which the academy is situated. How do academic labor movements, professional associations, and wider social movements and coalitions support academic freedom and resist economic, partisan, and state intrusions that limit this autonomy? How can we acknowledge and strengthen landscapes of power—both within the profession and in the wider society—that bolster and protect academic freedom?
Comparative histories and current examples of academic censorship. How do past and present attempts at thought control, political and religious interference in curricula, and other threats to academic freedom erode civil society and its democratic processes?
Liberal arts programs and colleges and the utilitarian ethos. Are the liberal arts and the transformative critical thinking paradigms they promote being targeted by specific political or economic groups? What are the agendas behind such attacks? Is the ongoing transformation of liberal arts colleges and departments across the United States and elsewhere into “career-ready” degrees and institutions the result of market-driven forces or an ideological effort to straitjacket knowledge production? What is the current and potential impact of challenges to the liberal arts on academic freedom and shared governance? And what is the impact on the larger experiment of democracy?
Resisting structures of discipline and coercion in the academic profession. How can educators counteract the routinized behavior imposed by standardized testing in K–12 and higher education and expectations for education as the recitation of established truths? And how can they harness the revolutionary potential of debate and critical thinking and nurture competing narratives, discoveries, or conceptual frameworks to challenge received forms of knowledge?
External agendas or powerful interests in conflict with academic standards. We encourage investigations and analyses that dissect the often-hidden motives and interests of powerful actors. In many instances, these motives may be economic, ideological and partisan, or morally coercive. The attacks on climate scientists, for example, often trace back to powerful economic interests in the fossil-fuel sector but have strong partisan and ideological allies. Contemporary attacks on research and teaching about racism have complex power structures and interests behind them. Are public universities bound by private donor interests and their private corporate or ideological agendas? How does this increasing tendency toward “philanthropy” as a way to support higher education threaten the status of public universities and their foundational mandate to serve democracy and the common good?
Submissions of 2,000–6,000 words (including any notes and references) are due by March 20, 2023. Complete submission guidelines and instructions, our editorial policy, and links to past volumes of the journal are available at https://www.aaup.org/CFP.
By:
Raquel Acosta

EDUCATION
Support for Summer Language Study
Indiana University is accepting applications for fellowships and scholarships to support study in its intensive online program in Swahili in the summer of 2023.
The program provides 20 online classroom hours a week and regular co-curricular activities. For details visit http://languageworkshop.iu.edu/swahili.
All participants pay in-state tuition and earn 6-8 credits.
Scholarship and fellowship programs are available.
Visit http://languageworkshop.indiana.edu/swahili for details and application forms.
Application deadline: February 3, 2023.
Questions? Write to us at languageworkshop@indiana.edu or visit Virtual Office Hours Tuesdays and Fridays from 1-2 pm eastern at: http://iu.zoom.us/my/languageworkshop.
By:
Raquel Acosta
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
+2
CFP: French Colonial Historical Society Annual Meeting in Martinique
The 47th annual meeting of the French Colonial Historical Society (FCHS) will take place at the Université des Antilles in Martinique, May 4-6, 2023. We welcome panels and papers related to this year's theme, "The Color of Slavery: Construction and Deconstruction of a Colonial System." This includes contributions on the racial legacies of slavery in French colonial and post-colonial societies in the Caribbean, the Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean. We also solicit proposals that address any aspect of French colonial history.
Individual or panel propsals will be accepted between September 30 and November 15, 2022. Please send proposals to frenchcolonial2023@gmail.com.
Please see the FCHS English CFP for more details related to the conference, submissions, and grant opportunities.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Le 47e congrès annuel de la Société d'Histoire Coloniale Française (SHCF) se tiendra du 4 au 6 mai 2023 à l'Université des Antilles, pôle Martinique. Sous le titre « La couleur de l'esclavage : construction et déconstruction d'un système colonial », le congrès 2023 envisagera les espaces concernés par le commerce négrier, d'une Caraïbe étendue de la Louisiane aux Guyanes à un océan Indien étiré de Madagascar aux comptoirs des Indes orientales. Le thème de cette année permettra de considérer des sujets associés à l'esclavage, à ses héritages et à la colonisation des mondes atlantiques et indiens. Cependant, comme tous les ans, les propositions de communiation sur d'autres aspects de l'histoire coloniale française pourront également être pris en considération.
Les propositions pour des ateliers complets ou des communications individuelles seront acceptées entre le 30 septembre et le 15 novembre 2022. Veuillez envoyer votre proposition de communication ou d'atelier au comité scientifique par courriel à l'adresse suivante: frenchcolonial2023@gmail.com
Veuillez consulter Appel SHCF français pour plus de détails sur le congrès, le processus de soumission, et des opportunités de candidater pour nos bourses.
By:
Raquel Acosta
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
+2
Call for Paper: Using ICTs to Preserve African Indigenous Knowledge Management Systems
Using ICTs to Preserve African Indigenous Knowledge Management SystemsGuest edited by Dr. Simon-Peter Kafui Aheto
Over the years, Africa has evolved in its preservation of indigenous knowledge management systems through oral history, semiotics, traditional codes and arguably, less to do with modern digital technologies. The risk of progressive loss or extinction of some sustainable practices, courtesy our indigenous knowledge management that hitherto supported sectors on education, agriculture, vocation, commerce, governance, environment, security, climate, economy, food security, health and public order is clear. It is obvious that an open discourse and action on the preservation of Africa indigenous knowledge management systems cannot wait further. Africa has expressed its preservation through myths, storytelling, adinkra symbols, use of amulets, concoction use, rules on natural resources such as gold and diamond. Indigenous technologies were used to manage forests, water bodies and food security in Africa better than today.
One may argue that current depletion of resources may be due to population explosion, economic situations and sophistication in technology. However, the question still remains that how did Africa manage its governance, security and health systems without the sophistication of technology at the time? It is obvious that some lessons could be learnt. How has Africa developed and preserved its numerous languages over thousands of years without digitization? Through modernization, patents have been taken for granted for indigenous cultural practices in agriculture and the use of symbols such as the adinkra, beads and craft works.
Countries are beginning to preserve their indigenous knowledge. One such example is South Africa. Since 2006, the country adopted a policy framework on the promotion and protection of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in South Africa. Through the Ulwazi Programme, several documentations on South African indigenous culture, local history like celebration of the rite of passage specific to Durban is being preserved via online media.
The preservation of African indigenous knowledge management systems can be achieved through consciousness and proactiveness via dynamic legal frameworks and policy formulation with regard to data protection and research. There is no doubt that ICTs could be used to achieve the preservation of African indigenous knowledge management systems. This call therefore invites concepts and original research works on the preservation of African indigenous knowledge management systems using ICTs.
Submissions may cover the following areas:
The concept of African indigenous knowledge management systems
How African indigenous knowledge management systems can be promoted via ICTs
Case studies on African indigenous knowledge management systems via ICTs
Software applications that can support on African indigenous knowledge in archiving
Deadline for Abstract Submission: December 15, 2022Full paper is due by March 31, 2023
Direct all inquiries and submit abstracts and full papers to Dr. Simon-Peter Kafui Aheto at saheto@ug.edu.gh
More about Using ICTs to Preserve African Indigenous Knowledge issue
By:
Raquel Acosta
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
+1
Call for Papers: Nokoko special issue
CFP: Nokoko special issue
African Futures: Ambiguities, contentions, and connections in African speculative fiction and beyond
The terms used to describe uniquely African or diasporic literatures of the future are contested. In her article, The Speculative Turn in African Literature (2019), Michelle Louise Clark considers science fiction to have poorly served those who have felt excluded from the genre, yet terms likeAfrofuturism are hardly universally applicable either. New categories to describe African diaspora literature have been created, rejected, taken up or defended in both academic and more open literary spaces: In her 2019 essays titled “Africanfuturism defined”, Nnedi Okorafor’s creation ofthe term Africanfuturism makes a clear distinction between sci-fi and speculative fiction written from a continental vs. diasporic point of view. Yet Sean Guynes (2021) points out that Afrofuturism does not necessarily hold water for Caribbean and South America writers, or for Africans in the European diaspora. Clark (2019) identifies still other, more contextually-anchored categories including Black Speculative Arts Movement, Black Quantum Futurism, Afrofuturismo, Afrofuturista, Astro-Blackness, and Afro-Surrealism, to name but a few.
Clark (2019) further notes that science fiction and speculative writing are longstanding features of African writing and cultural production. However, as Guynes (2021) points out, recent discussions around categorization, genre and labels have produced a wealth of new approaches, theories, andexplorations into African futurity in literature. Futurity itself remains up for debate. Scholars like Amir Eshel, author of Futurity: Contemporary Literature and the Quest for the Past (2013) have used the term to describe a general literary turn towards imagined futures and to describe “the potential of literature to widen the language and to expand the pool of idioms we employ in making sense of what has occurred while imagining whom we may become.” Likewise, Guynes (2021) identifies futurity as engaging with a text or practice that draws upon the present to explore the possible nature of one’s subjectivity in the future. Though definitions differ, debates over the concept share a belief that in the here and now, futurity offers imaginative space towards new tomorrows.
The vast array of possibilities and discussions bring to mind an island emerging from the ocean, with a yet unknown geography encircled by bubbling and raucous waters. We are at a unique moment in the history of African science and speculative fiction, one that defies narrow canonization, embraces the ambiguities of the moment and acknowledges difference as a concept worthy of exploration. What is clear, is that these emerging genres do not pretend to weave new realities without context, history or cultural politics. Nnedi Okorafor (2019), makes this clear in her definition of Africanfuturism, a point of view that “will tend to naturally have mystical elements (drawn or grown from actual African cultural beliefs/world views, not something merely made up).” As Nwankwo and Egbunike write in their introduction to ALT 39’s issue on Speculativeand Science Fiction, works by authors who are less-well known internationally, and written in African languages, are being recognized as inspiration for contextual, grounded and nevertheless speculative works by their contemporaries and their literary successors. Lastly, the possibilities of African science and speculative fiction extend beyond literature. Music, photography, film, dance, and the fine arts have all been influenced by the debates around afro/africanfuturism and no doubt are fomenting their own terms and philosophies to best articulate their visions.
The goal of this special issue of Nokoko is to explore the still unfolding discussions around African science and speculative writing and fantasy. The special issue also seeks to examine where futurism rears its head in disciplines beyond Literature. We welcome:• articles that examine contemporary works of science and speculative fiction• articles that examine diasporic debates around science and speculative fiction• articles that trace the history of futurity or future thinking in an artistic practice or artist’s trajectory on the continent or in the diaspora• articles that explore the relationship between African spirituality and science and speculative fiction or arts creation• articles that explore language debates and the speculative turn• articles that examine non-literary yet cultural phenomena that are impacted by or are impacting concepts of futurity• articles that examine the role of technology, information networks and bio-tech in African science and speculative fiction• articles that explore taxonomical debates in African science and speculative fiction• articles that explore the connections between contemporary science and speculative fiction and Africa’s rich oral narrative heritage and its association with myth and fantasy.
Abstracts of 300 words due by November 21, 2022. Scholars whose abstracts are approved by the editors will be required to submit papers that critically engage with any number of these issues. Submissions should be no longer than 8,000 words. We also welcome shorter contributions, such as poetry, art, short fiction and creative nonfiction, as well as photo essays. Articles should follow Nokoko’s https://ojs.library.carleton.ca/index.php/nokoko/information/authors We encourage potential authors to discuss articles in progress if they seek advice on preparing a successful submission. Please contact us if you wish to propose a particular book for review(s) and we will assist in finding a review copy. Book reviews have a 1,000-word limit, although extended book reviews of two or more books may be longer (see, for example, the extended review by Heffernan in Issue 7). We also continue to accept articles outside this theme-specific area.
Submission Deadlines: Draft paper due by April 1, 2023, to be submitted through Nokoko portal at https://ojs.library.carleton.ca/index.php/nokoko/about/submissions or by email to: nokoko@cunet.carleton.ca
For clarification on any part of this CFP please contact the Issue editors:Chichi Ayalogu: ChiChiAyalogu@cmail.carleton.caEmma Bider: emmabider@cunet.carleton.ca
By:
Raquel Acosta
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
+1
CFP: A History of the Constitutionalisation and Dynamics of African Monarchs in African Republics
This call for paper focuses on the constitutionalisation and dynamics of African Monarchs (Kings, Queen Mothers, and Chiefs) since independence in the ‘Africa of Republics’ and ‘African monarchies.’ With the ascension of African nation states to independence, a continental replication of republicanism followed except for Morocco, Lesotho and Eswatini which emerged from the colonial mould as sovereign constitutional monarchies. Out of Africa’s 54 fully recognised sovereign states today, 51 are constitutional republics which still contain traditional monarchies which stand out as sub-national entities (see Iddawela & Rodríguez-Pose 2021) while three are sovereign monarchies. Prototypes of sub-national entities within African sovereign states include, but are not limited to, the Yoruba kingdoms (Nigeria), the Buganda kingdom (Uganda), the Ashanti kingdom (Ghana), the Zulu kingdom (South Africa), the Ndebele kingdom (Zimbabwe), the Gaza kingdom (south-eastern Zimbabwe stretching down to the southern part of Mozambique), and the Lozi kingdom (Zambia).
Traditional monarchies/chiefdoms still flourish in African republics today as sub-national entities and special constitutional provisions have been enacted to recognise them and increase their relevance in contemporary governance (Iddawela & Rodríguez-Pose 2021). Traditional authorities in post-colonial Africa are important players in a single, integrated modern political republican system, rather than opponents in a sharply bifurcated state (see Muriaas 2011; Logan 2009). African traditional authorities have been gradually given a stamp of constitutional recognition in the African post-colony.
The constitutionalisation of African monarchies simply refers to the recognition and inclusion of Kings, Chiefs and Queen Mothers into African republican constitutional frameworks as relevant political actors in the overall governance processes in Africa. This is done despite the chequered past of traditional rulers as collaborators of slave dealers and oppressive colonial regimes. The politics of inclusion and the dynamics of African Monarchs in the new political dispensation have not been critically historicised and contextualised within the political dynamics of the post-colony and on a comparative continental basis to fully appreciate the trajectory of these phenomena. This lacuna needs to be urgently addressed.
We intend to bring together a coterie of scholars from different parts of the continent to brainstorm on the trail of the constitutionalisation and dynamics of African traditional monarchs within and across African states since independence. The terms ‘Monarchs’, ‘Traditional Authorities’, ‘Traditional Leaders’, ‘Kings’ and ‘Chiefs’, Queen Mothers, and the Rain Queens of Balobedu are synonymous in this Call For Papers. Monarchs or traditional authorities refer to the historically rooted indigenous African leadership. Nonetheless, Ubink (2008) quickly posits that the current traditional leaders in Africa do not all have pre-colonial roots. Instead of referring to historic roots, ‘traditional leadership’ refers to leadership whose legitimacy is rooted in history-either real or invented-and culture, often combined with religious, divine, or sacred references. Ubink therefore provides are more encompassing concept for African traditional rulers.
Africa’s monarchies have survived the post-colonial wind of change. Globally the pendulum has been swinging between monarchism and republicanism as alternative constitutional regimes since modern times. In 1793 the republic was presented as the mortal enemy of the monarchy with the beheading of the French royal couple in Paris (Finnsson 2018; Langewiesche, 2017). But monarchism remained entrenched in continental Europe until World War I unleashed the final coups de grâce on it following the defeat of monarchical regimes. It was soon the turn of Africa to attempt to uproot and destroy its monarchies which were so entrenched in the culture and tradition of the peoples. Was this an achievable and a desirable task? Why have the sovereign African monarchies of Morocco, Lesotho and Eswatini survived as alternatives to republicanism?
There are two identifiable phases in the trajectory of African monarchs in Africa since independence. The first phase starts from the eve of African independence to 1989 and was characterised by the caricaturing, demonisation, criminalisation and eclipsing of traditional authorities. The second phase was triggered by the Huntington’s third democratic wave in Africa and was marked by the resurgence and revalorisation of African monarchs and their integration in the republican constitutions of African states.
African traditional institutions and mechanisms were henceforth being employed to provide more content to the nation-building. They assumed their roles as dynamic and influential local political structures that the rural population easily identified with as the crystallizing socio-political agency. The effort of the post-colonial state to constitutionalise traditional institutions was a way of arguably reforming and re-traditionalising chieftaincy and re-engaging them in nation-building (Momoh 2004).
PHASE 1: The Era of the Caricaturing, Demonising, Criminalising and Eclipsing of Traditional Monarchs from the eve of independence to 1989
Traditional authorities were generally subjected to virulent criticism as relicts of the feudal order and colonial collaborators who simply had to be discarded in the new independent African republican governments. They were seen as impediments to modernisation and nation-building and accused of operating on principles that were antithetical to democratic ideas and values. For example, a chief was not elected into office by popular vote, but through lineage, and is thus in office for life. This system was patriarchal and largely excluded women from the office based on repugnant customary laws that were oppressive to women (Logan 2009; Beall & Hassim 2005).
Some countries, such as Guinea Conakry, Uganda and Tanzania ventured to formally abolish traditional leadership as competitors to the modern state (Suret-Canale 1966; Oloka‐Onyango 1997; Crutcher 1969). Other countries entered a path to curtail chiefs’ powers. For instance, the first independent government of Ghana, headed by President Kwame Nkrumah, abolished the formal judicial function of the chiefs, and tried to break their economic power base by depriving them of any role in land management and eventually of ownership and their claims to have the right to collect land ‘rents’ (Rathbone 2000). The Botswana government in the first years after independence transferred the responsibility for local health, education and public works, the levy of local taxes, and the impounding of stray stock from the chief and his tribal administration to the newly created District Councils, and the right to allocate tribal land to executive tribunals, known as Land Boards (Denbow et al 2006). Julius Nyerere’s Tanzania abolished the chieftainship institutions and replaced them with a modern administrative system. In Mozambique, the socialist Frelimo government upon gaining its independence in 1975 banned chiefs and set up new governance structures to undermine them.
In some other African countries, the state administration ignored chiefs and left them to their own devices and expected them to either thrive in the locality or to slowly wither away. This did not happen because during the first decades of independence, Chieftaincy institutions did not disintegrate. They continued to be relevant to their constituencies because of the important roles they played in their communities.
Phase II: The Third Democratic Wave, the introduction of Multipartyism and the Collapse of Apartheid and the fate of Traditional Monarchies
The “third wave" of democratisation” that “swept through the African continent since the 1990s (Huntington 1993) unleashed in its wake some sort of epidemic of constitution-making” (Fombad 2007: 1). New or substantially revised constitutions were introduced in most African countries that “contained provisions that “purported to recognise and protect most of the fundamental human rights that are associated with constitutionalism and Western liberal democracy, with one of the most significant developments being the recognition of political pluralism and the legalisation of previously banned political parties” (Fombad 2007: 1) It was in this context of competitive political pluralism that traditional rulers resurfaced and reasserted themselves as forces to reckon with (Tom Goodfellow and Stefan Lindemann 2013; Englebert 2002; Foucher & Smith 2011; Ubink 2008; Chimhowu 2019).Many African countries reviewed their republican constitutions and integrated African monarchies.
The Ghana Constitution of 1992 guaranteed the institution of chieftaincy and restricted the state from appointing or refusing to recognise chiefs (article 270) (Alden Willy and Hammond 2001; Ubink 2008). In Uganda the powerful kingdom of Buganda, abolished by Uganda’s 1967 Constitution after the Buganda king had been exiled in 1966 was largely restored in 1993 by President Museveni. Despite the negative role of traditional authorities during the Apartheid period, South Africa worked towards collaboration with traditional rulers and entrenched their positions in the post-apartheid constitutions. The South African Parliament passed two pieces of legislation in 2003 that clarified the position of traditional authorities in South Africa’s democracy (Claassens 2006; Ntsebeza 2003; 2005; Ntshona and Lahiff 2003; Oomen 2002). Many African countries have established House of Chiefs in recognition of the importance of traditional authorities (Ubink 2008). The trajectory of African traditional rulers in post-independence Africa is emblematic of dynamism as captured in Professor Nyamnjoh’s incisive article on Chieftaincy and democracy in contemporary Cameroon and Botswana (Nyamnjoh, 2014). This general trajectory in Africa deserves scholarly investigation.
We invite paper abstracts of 600-1000 words that will analyse these issues within individual countries, comparatively, and/ or through the lenses of different case studies. The abstracts should focus on, but not limited to, the following themes:
From exclusion to inclusion of Traditional Rulers in post-independence African Politics
The trajectory of Traditional Authorities through the politico-constitutional mould
A Comparative Study of the constitutionalisation of Traditional Authorities in Africa
A critical analysis of the constitutional basis of the enthronement and destitution of
Traditional Rulers in specific African counties since independence
Extra-Constitutional Formation and Evolution of the League of Traditional Rulers (i.e. the North-West and South West Chiefs Conferences) in Cameroon in the era of political liberalisation.
The Zulu nation in South Africa and the Making and Evolution of the 1994 South African post-apartheid Constitution.
The Birth, Evolution and Achievements of the South African Provincial Houses of Traditional Leaders
The inclusion and exclusion of the modern state in political transition in African kingdoms after the demise of a King/Queen Mother since independence.
Critical Perspectives of Challenges of Reconciling Traditional Rulers and African Democratic Governments based on Western European Models.
Post-independence political positioning of Traditional Rulers in modern politics
A Comparative Study of Queen Mother Institutions in Africa since independence
A History of African Female Chiefs in the House of Chiefs
Conference Coordination: University of the Free State Call for Paper Deadline: 30 November 2022
Please send 600-1000 words abstract of your paper and a 150-word bio in an MS Word document. Abstracts will be accepted in English or French. The abstract should clearly reflect the (i) aims, (ii) research questions, (iii) methodology, (iv) innovative potential/originality and (v) relevance of the paper.
Notification of accepted proposals will occur by 20 December 2022. Final manuscripts should be due on 20 January 2023.
Expected outcome of conference: Selected papers would be published in a book
If you have any questions, please feel free to email the convenors. Please send your submissions to:
Email address: africacostit399@gmail.comEmail address: constitutionindepe@gmail.com
Tentative Conference Dates: 2-4 February 2023
By:
Raquel Acosta
EDUCATION
Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques
Learn to effectively assess and monitor biodiversity and ecosystems across all biomes.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Since our first intake of students in September 2012, more than 135 students have been part of the programme.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques aims to provide the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to conduct effective ecological field surveys for a range of key taxa, and to analyse field survey data with confidence.
The PGCert is taught via a mixture of face-to-face, online and experiential learning. A choice of modules enables students to explore areas of interest and specialism relevant to their professional needs.
Drawing on a rich pool of expertise, teaching is conducted by a highly knowledgeable and diverse team of practitioners and academics engaged directly with ecological issues.
Quick links
Who is the course for?
Charter Status
Course content and aims
Assessment methods
Staff
IT requirements
Accommodation
How to apply and fees and funding
Who is the course for?
The course (taught part-time, normally over one year) is designed for a wide range of both students and professionals needing to up-skill in: Environmental management; Environmental assessment; Biodiversity monitoring.
Many of our PGCert students are professional ecological consultants, environmental managers and rangers, research and postgraduate students, educators as well as volunteers and those looking to make a career change. The course suits those looking for flexible study combined with expert training.
The techniques covered are universal using international case studies and examples. Past students have joined from the UK, the USA, Asia, Australia, Africa and Europe.
Charter Status
The course can help you to apply for Chartered Status (such as Chartered Environmentalist and Chartered Ecologist) and to meet relevant professional competency thresholds. Further information can be found in our Chartered status and essential skills guide.
Course content
Face-to-Face Week in Oxford: Introduction to Ecological Survey Techniques
This five day Core Module provides a practical introduction to: Geographical Information Systems (GIS); an overview of approaches to plant and animal identification; an introduction to selected surveying techniques; University facilities and resources; and the Field Project.
It is a mix of classroom and field-based teaching, with two days spent in the field at Wytham Woods, Oxford's 'living laboratory,' with activities including the use of GPS, bird netting and ringing, and surveying bats and vegetation.
The week will build toward a formative (no credit) assessment.
Online Modules
Students take four tutor-led online modules of five weeks in duration and will take no more than 100 hours to complete.
Core Online Modules:
Plant biodiversity and habitat assessment methods (Previously known as Field Techniques for Surveying Vegetation)
Data Analysis: Statistics for Ecologists and Field Biologists
Option Modules (select two):
Mammal and reptile survey methods (Previously known as Field Techniques for Surveying Mammals & Reptiles)
Bird biodiversity and population monitoring methods (Previously known as Field Techniques for Surveying Birds)
Fish and amphibian survey methods (Previously known as Field Techniques for Surveying Fish and Amphibians)
Invertebrate biodiversity and population monitoring method (Previously known as Field Techniques for Surveying Invertebrates)
Option modules are subject to availability, which includes recruiting sufficient student numbers to run successfully.
Content is roughly equivalent to one week full time study. Modules include research and discussion activities, multimedia tasks, practical exercises, revision activities and an assessment. Class sizes are small with less than 25 students.
Assessments are normally due two weeks after the final class
Module tutors usually engage online for 6 hours per week distributed across each week and will focus on particular topics, questions and activities. There is no set time to log in to accommodate students in different time zones.
The online modules are also available as standalone modules, PGCert students can therefore expect to share their learning with a wide range of other professionals and researchers looking to develop their skills in a particular area.
Field Project
The Field Project consolidates and further develops the skills gained during taught modules by enabling students to apply them to their own research topic and undertake their own field work
It consists of 1 month preparation time, 1-2 weeks full-time (or equivalent) field work and 1 month project writing for submission in September.
Four one-hour online tutorials will be provided to help students design, develop and implement their projects.
Course aims
The course aims to equip students with the techniques to survey, measure, quantify, assess and monitor biodiversity and ecosystems in the field. It is essential for conservation practitioners and volunteers worldwide to make evidence-based decisions about a site or species. Equipping environmental conservation practitioners with the capacity to collect and analyse field survey data in order to understand, interpret and, therefore, make informed decisions in environmental conservation is critical to the future of ecosystems and ecosystem services in all biomes.
In particular, the course aims to create a hybrid programme of experiential and online learning in environmental conservation practice for practitioners and volunteers worldwide, that will:
Focus on the use of survey techniques for measuring, quantifying and monitoring biodiversity; Develop a critical understanding of how to analyse field survey data to answer particular research or management questions;
Enable conservationists to make informed decisions on, and assess the status of, a species or habitat;
Enable conservationists to evaluate which field techniques to use for measuring and monitoring the impacts of environmental change on biodiversity;
Build capacity and communities of practice among environmental conservationists worldwide;
Prepare students to progress onto a Postgraduate Diploma or Masters programme.
Assessment methods
The course is modularly assessed reflecting the learning objectives of the course.
Students are required to submit:
One 2500 word formative (marked with feedback but no credit towards formal course results) assignment
Four 2000 word assignments, up to two of which may be submitted as PowerPoint poster or slide presentation – Option Module dependent (10 CATS points each)
One 5000 word field project and 1000 word online journal (20 CATS points)
IT requirements
As the course is delivered mostly online students will need access to the Internet and a computer meeting our recommended minimum computer specification. Certain modules will also require an assessment produced in Microsoft PowerPoint.
Face-to-Face Week
Students are required to bring a personal laptop computer
The free open source Geographical Information Systems software 'QGIS' (installation is simple and guidance will be given during the course).
QGIS is used by many environmental scientists and employers, and further details are available at the QGIS website.
Course Tutorials
Typically conducted via Skype
Students will require suitable hardware and Internet connection to take part
Further IT Requirements
Students are required to download and install R and QED Statistics in the Data Analysis course.
(full instructions on how to download this software is available from the R website).
Access to QED Statistics is provided as part of the course, this software is not compatible with Mac or Linux operating systems.
Alternative software to QED Statistics is currently being researched; where possible, students are encouraged to use R in the Data Analysis course if they are using Mac or Linux systems.
Students wishing to use QED Statistics on Mac or Linux systems are advised by the programme developer Pisces Conservation Ltd to consider Windows emulation software, such as Bootcamp, to run a Windows system on their machine. For further information and a full system specification please visit the Pisces Conservation Ltd website.
Accommodation
Please note that accommodation and catering are not included in the course fees.
The Department offers a full residential and catering facility, with a range of both 3 and 4-star campus accommodation. 'Number 12', the Department's recently refurbished Victorian townhouse on Wellington Square, right next to Rewley House, offers superior en-suite bedrooms.
How to apply
Applications for this course should be made via the University of Oxford Graduate Admissions website. This website includes further information about this course and a guide to applying.
Early application for the programme is strongly advised. All applications must have been fully completed before the application deadline in order to be considered.
If you would like to discuss the programme please contact:Tel: +44 (0)1865 286960
Email: est@conted.ox.ac.uk
Fees
Annual fees for entry in 2023-24
Please visit the Graduate Admissions web page for fee information.
Funding
Ghana and Nigeria Ecological Survey Techniques Scholarship
Available to applicants who are either a national of Ghana and ordinarily resident in Ghana or a national of Nigeria who is ordinarily resident in Nigeria. View further details about The Ghana and Nigeria Ecological Survey Techniques Scholarship.
Departmental bursaries for undergraduate and postgraduate study
The bursaries are for UK-based students who receive benefits because they are on a low income, and are available for certain undergraduate or postgraduate courses. View further details about the departmental bursaries.
Employer sponsorship
Over 35% of students over the past few years have received significant contributions from a sponsoring employer toward all or part of their fees. Should further information be required from Oxford to support an application for funding from an employer, please contact the Programme Manager via email on est@conted.ox.ac.uk.
Instalment plans
The course offers instalment packages to help students manage the payment of their fees. Instalment plans are confirmed and approved by the Programme Manager on an individual basis once an unconditional offer has been accepted. Typically the course expects be able to offer plans of three and seven instalments starting in August, with the final payment received before the following Easter.
By:
Raquel Acosta
