African nations push for permanent UNSC seat Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is demanding a UN Security Council seat for an African country.
By Gift Phiri
Al-Jazeera - 26 Sep 2013
Harare, Zimbawe - Calls to include one the 54
African states in the world body’s security council are gaining traction
as the 68th session of the UN General Assembly continues at the UN
headquarters in New York. President Robert Mugabe has said he would
press for Africa to have a permanent seat on the United Nations Security
Council.
“We don’t understand why you have three countries out of five
countries on the Security Council as permanent members with a veto
coming from Europe,” Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs
minister said. “We all know that Europe is no longer such an important
part of the world as it was in 1945. And then you look at Africa,
50-plus odd countries and not a single country sits on the Security
Council as a permanent member wielding the veto, representing Africa and
African interests.”
Set up in 1946 by the winners of the World War II, the UN Security
Council comprises of 15 members, five of them - Britian, France, China,
the United States and Russia - are permanent, while 10 are non-permanent
members that serve for two years on a rotational basis.
The council is the UN’s most powerful body and helps shape
international law. It has the power to make binding decisions about war
and peace. Critics say it represents an international order that no
longer exists - that of France, UK, US, China and Russia as world
“gendarmes”.
To read more....
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Saturday, September 28, 2013
President Jakaya Kikwete appeals to international community on DRC
By The guardian reporter - 26th September 2013
IPPMedia
President Jakaya Kikwete has called upon the international community to do all it can to end political conflicts and civil wars in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
He said ending the political conflicts and wars in the DRC will help the Congolese to live in peace and embark on development activities for their nation.
“ They have a right to peace and rest from such wars and conflicts,” the President told the second meeting for head of States that signed a cooperation agreement for peace for DRC under the United Nations that convened in New York on Monday.
Kikwete noted that the peace seeking mission in the troubled DRC is going on well and that the secret behind the success in DRC was to ensure that what was agreed upon during the first conference on DRC is implemented.
“The secret behind finding a solution to DRC is by ensuring that each and everyone of us is doing what we agreed upon during the first meeting. The measures that we have taken so far in DRC are a good development as far as the peace seeking mission is concerned. It is important that we find a solution for DRC.
People have suffered for long there. They have a right to live peacefully and they have a right to carry on development activities instead of always thinking about war,” Kikwete told the Monday conference under UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
The first sitting for the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 24, 2013. Leaders for ICGLR and others who signed the peace seeking deal for DRC attended the meeting.
Apart from Tanzania’s President, other leaders who were in attendance at the New York conference include, Malawi’s Joyce Banda – Southern Africa Development Community SADA) Chairperson, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, DRC’s Joseph Kabila, South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni who is the chairman for ICGLR, African Union Commission Chairman, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon. Also in attendance were vice presidents and representative from Congo Brazzaville, Zambia, Angola and South Sudan.
Most leaders insisted that there was no true peace in DRC. Great Lakes Regions agreed to speak and agree with different groups that were involved in the fighting.
IPPMedia
President Jakaya Kikwete has called upon the international community to do all it can to end political conflicts and civil wars in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
He said ending the political conflicts and wars in the DRC will help the Congolese to live in peace and embark on development activities for their nation.
“ They have a right to peace and rest from such wars and conflicts,” the President told the second meeting for head of States that signed a cooperation agreement for peace for DRC under the United Nations that convened in New York on Monday.
Kikwete noted that the peace seeking mission in the troubled DRC is going on well and that the secret behind the success in DRC was to ensure that what was agreed upon during the first conference on DRC is implemented.
“The secret behind finding a solution to DRC is by ensuring that each and everyone of us is doing what we agreed upon during the first meeting. The measures that we have taken so far in DRC are a good development as far as the peace seeking mission is concerned. It is important that we find a solution for DRC.
People have suffered for long there. They have a right to live peacefully and they have a right to carry on development activities instead of always thinking about war,” Kikwete told the Monday conference under UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
The first sitting for the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 24, 2013. Leaders for ICGLR and others who signed the peace seeking deal for DRC attended the meeting.
Apart from Tanzania’s President, other leaders who were in attendance at the New York conference include, Malawi’s Joyce Banda – Southern Africa Development Community SADA) Chairperson, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, DRC’s Joseph Kabila, South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni who is the chairman for ICGLR, African Union Commission Chairman, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon. Also in attendance were vice presidents and representative from Congo Brazzaville, Zambia, Angola and South Sudan.
Most leaders insisted that there was no true peace in DRC. Great Lakes Regions agreed to speak and agree with different groups that were involved in the fighting.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Zuma painting censored by Percy Mabandu
City Press - 27 September 2013
A new work by Ayanda Mabulu, the politically outspoken painter from Cape Town, was removed from the walls of the FNB Joburg Art Fair 2013 for fear, says the artist, that “it will offend sponsors and important people”.
The incident marks another chapter in an ongoing tale of censorship against the controversial, dreadlocked artist who became infamous for painting President Jacob Zuma with his penis exposed – before Brett Murray did the same with The Spear.
Mabulu told City Press that he received a call from his gallery, Commune1, yesterday, the day of the opening of the fair, informing him that the painting would no longer be shown.
To read more....
A new work by Ayanda Mabulu, the politically outspoken painter from Cape Town, was removed from the walls of the FNB Joburg Art Fair 2013 for fear, says the artist, that “it will offend sponsors and important people”.
The incident marks another chapter in an ongoing tale of censorship against the controversial, dreadlocked artist who became infamous for painting President Jacob Zuma with his penis exposed – before Brett Murray did the same with The Spear.
Mabulu told City Press that he received a call from his gallery, Commune1, yesterday, the day of the opening of the fair, informing him that the painting would no longer be shown.
To read more....
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Zimbabwe is a Victim of Outsiders’ Fantasies
By Percy Zvomuya
Africa is a country | August 12th, 2013
In 2008 or so, I registered for a Masters degree at Wits University with a rather interesting research component that I never got to finish. My thesis was to be an examination of the coverage of Zimbabwe in South Africa’s Sunday Times; the use of the prism of Zimbabwe to debate local issues. The idea was to look at opinion and comment pieces on the Times’ pages and show these as not really examining Zimbabwe but using the country to the north as a touchstone to critique the local.
Words like “Zanufication” and “Zimbabwe”; phrases like “go the way of Zimbabwe” and even stock ones such as “bread basket to basket case” are handy tools in this exercise. They are, in fact, not meant to shoot down whatever is wrong about Zimbabwe but, instead, to bend the barrel of the gun and target it at the self, right at South Africa.
When I conducted some of this research, Thabo Mbeki was president and his battle with Jacob Zuma couldn’t have been more toxic. Among other issues Mbeki, it was argued, was too soft on Zimbabwe; he was stifling debate in the liberation movement; he was going to commit the cardinal Mugabe sin- seeking a third term as ANC president. (If Mugabe finishes his term, he would have been in power for 38 years.)
To read more.....
Africa is a country | August 12th, 2013
In 2008 or so, I registered for a Masters degree at Wits University with a rather interesting research component that I never got to finish. My thesis was to be an examination of the coverage of Zimbabwe in South Africa’s Sunday Times; the use of the prism of Zimbabwe to debate local issues. The idea was to look at opinion and comment pieces on the Times’ pages and show these as not really examining Zimbabwe but using the country to the north as a touchstone to critique the local.
Words like “Zanufication” and “Zimbabwe”; phrases like “go the way of Zimbabwe” and even stock ones such as “bread basket to basket case” are handy tools in this exercise. They are, in fact, not meant to shoot down whatever is wrong about Zimbabwe but, instead, to bend the barrel of the gun and target it at the self, right at South Africa.
When I conducted some of this research, Thabo Mbeki was president and his battle with Jacob Zuma couldn’t have been more toxic. Among other issues Mbeki, it was argued, was too soft on Zimbabwe; he was stifling debate in the liberation movement; he was going to commit the cardinal Mugabe sin- seeking a third term as ANC president. (If Mugabe finishes his term, he would have been in power for 38 years.)
To read more.....
Office Of Net Assessment Hires Booz Allen Hamilton To Conduct Study On Africa ...
Move Illustrates United States Pre-Occupation With Militarism And Intelligence On The Continent
By Abayomi Azikiwe
Pan-African News Wire - 3 September 2013
As the corporate media focuses on the current war drive against the Middle Eastern nation of Syria, Washington's militarist policies toward Africa continue to go relatively unnoticed by the public. At present oil and other strategic resources imported into the United States from the continent serves as the motivating factor behind the increase in Pentagon troops in Africa.
In 2008 the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) was formed to ostensibly provide the Pentagon with a consistent military focus on the continent. The Bush administration sought to place the headquarters of AFRICOM on the African soil but the proposal attracted such opposition that no state would openly provide its territory for the Command.
However, the administration of President Barack Obama has continued AFRICOM and enhanced its funding and operational capability. The overthrow of the government of Col. Muammar Gaddafi was coordinated by AFRICOM, representing its first full-blown operation in Africa.
To read more....
By Abayomi Azikiwe
Pan-African News Wire - 3 September 2013
As the corporate media focuses on the current war drive against the Middle Eastern nation of Syria, Washington's militarist policies toward Africa continue to go relatively unnoticed by the public. At present oil and other strategic resources imported into the United States from the continent serves as the motivating factor behind the increase in Pentagon troops in Africa.
In 2008 the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) was formed to ostensibly provide the Pentagon with a consistent military focus on the continent. The Bush administration sought to place the headquarters of AFRICOM on the African soil but the proposal attracted such opposition that no state would openly provide its territory for the Command.
However, the administration of President Barack Obama has continued AFRICOM and enhanced its funding and operational capability. The overthrow of the government of Col. Muammar Gaddafi was coordinated by AFRICOM, representing its first full-blown operation in Africa.
To read more....
The Startling Size of US Military Operations in Africa
The Pentagon's Africa Command will tell you there's one military base on the entire continent. Don't believe them.
By Nick Turse
Mother Jones - September 6, 2013
They're involved in Algeria and Angola, Benin and Botswana, Burkina Faso and Burundi, Cameroon and the Cape Verde Islands. And that's just the ABCs of the situation. Skip to the end of the alphabet and the story remains the same: Senegal and the Seychelles, Togo and Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia. From north to south, east to west, the Horn of Africa to the Sahel, the heart of the continent to the islands off its coasts, the US military is at work. Base construction, security cooperation engagements, training exercises, advisory deployments, special operations missions, and a growing logistics network, all undeniable evidence of expansion—except at US Africa Command.
To continue reading....
By Nick Turse
Mother Jones - September 6, 2013
They're involved in Algeria and Angola, Benin and Botswana, Burkina Faso and Burundi, Cameroon and the Cape Verde Islands. And that's just the ABCs of the situation. Skip to the end of the alphabet and the story remains the same: Senegal and the Seychelles, Togo and Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia. From north to south, east to west, the Horn of Africa to the Sahel, the heart of the continent to the islands off its coasts, the US military is at work. Base construction, security cooperation engagements, training exercises, advisory deployments, special operations missions, and a growing logistics network, all undeniable evidence of expansion—except at US Africa Command.
To continue reading....
Call for Papers: In whose interests? Exploring Middle East involvement in Africa
The Afro-Middle East Centre (AMEC) will convene an international conference from 5 to 6 November 2013 in Pretoria, South Africa, to examine the nature and extent of the penetration of Middle Eastern states into Africa. Potential presenters are invited to submit abstracts for consideration.
Decision date: 22 September 2013
Full paper Submission Date: 31 October 2013
About the conference
The conference is framed within Africa’s history of colonialism and of African states and non-state actors being used as proxies on an African battlefield during the Cold War. It will explore the nature of the relationship that exists between both that of state and non-state actors on the continent and the Middle East. Aside from responding to the paucity in research around the penetration of the Middle East into Africa, and what this means for the continent, the conference further looks to explore ways of enhancing balanced and mutually beneficial relations between Africa and the Middle East region.
Africa’s colonial past and the implications of a postcolonial world defined by neoimperialism and neoliberalism continue to manifest in the socioeconomic reality of the majority of Africans. The recent assertiveness of Africa on the global stage, growing markets, diverse geography, geostrategic importance, and vast natural resources continue to attract the attention of global powers. China, for example, in its unquenchable quest for resources and global partners, turned its focus on Africa, and has succeeded in becoming the continent’s largest trading partner. The past three decades have, however, also seen the entry of new players into Africa, such as India and Brazil. Some of these states share experiential colonial histories as well as similar development experiences and challenges with countries on the continent. This interaction has facilitated the emergence of South coalition blocs such as the India, Brazil, South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum, to promote cooperation amongst these states.
In a postcolonial era, however, the attention that Africa attracts is uneven, sometimes paternalistic, and often under the guise of development, aid and humanitarian assistance. This has often seen the evolution of asymmetrical political and economic relations between African states and these external powers.
Of course, Africa is not a singular monolithic and homogeneous entity. On the whole, however, it has often been the disadvantaged partner in exploitative relationships.
Scope:
Middle East in Africa
Apart from states that are well-known for their involvement in Africa, such as the USA, China, Brazil and India, the continent has also been targeted by a number of states whose role has garnered relatively little attention. These include states from the Middle East whose strategic involvement in, and outreach to, Africa range from extending their sphere of influence to pursuing ideological interests, and includes economic, business, political, military and religious relations. In particular, Israel, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other Gulf states have set their sights on Africa. Certain non-state actors from the Middle East have also looked to Africa to export their ideologies. This manifests in diverse forms: from religious and ideological education projects to involvement in civil or interstate conflict, such as in the Sahel region and Somalia.
Relations between the Middle East and Africa have a long history going back centuries. This has seen beneficial as well exploitative exchanges for Africa. Due to their geographical, cultural and religious proximity to Africa, there is a centuries-old flow of people, ideologies, and sociopolitical undercurrents from countries in the Middle East into Africa, particularly North Africa, East Africa and the Sahel region.
The objectives of the various Middle Eastern countries involved in Africa are numerous, diverse, yet also converge as they jostle to increase their dominance over each other. Due to Iran’s global isolation, Iran sees resonance in Africa, with the continent’s own experience of marginalisation. Africa thus holds the potential to reduce the isolation forced on Iran by western sanctions. Turkey’s revitalised foreign policy under the Justice and Development Party (AKP) has seen it extending its global influence. Since 2002, Africa has become part of its revamped foreign policy that looks to see Ankara develop and strengthen ties with countries which Turkey previously had neglected. Today, Turkey has the largest foreign diplomatic and business components in Somalia compared to any other state. With the world’s attention drawn to Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinian lands, Israel has attempted to win favour from African countries through its use of soft power under the guise of development, and the sharing of agricultural and technological expertise. Israel has also recently agreed to provide certain African states with assistance in exchange for the transfer of African refugees from Israel. Tiny Qatar, aside from seeing the opportunities that the continent’s physical expansiveness offers, hopes to extend its global clout and sphere of influence through Africa. This has seen it involved in mediation in African conflicts, for example between Sudan and Darfur rebels. It has also attempted to insert its influence through involvement in the NATO-led overthrow of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi.
Paper and Abstracts
AMEC invites submissions of abstracts from people that might be interested in presenting a paper at this conference on the issues discussed here.
Prospective paper titles and abstracts must be in English, and may be emailed to Nazlie Jada at nazlie@amec.org.za by no later than 15 September 2013. Abstracts should not be more than 200 words in length, attached to the email, and in ‘.odt’, ‘.doc’, or ‘.docx’ formats.
If your abstract is accepted, AMEC will expect an original paper submitted prior to the conference. Papers should be between 4 000 and 6 000 words in length, and conform to AMEC’s style guide, which will be provided to authors on the acceptance of an abstract. It is hoped that papers will be published in an edited volume after the conference.
The cost of flights to Johannesburg and accommodation during the conference for speakers will be covered by AMEC.
About the Afro-Middle East Centre (AMEC)
AMEC is a Johannesburg based think tank that looks to understand and enhance relations between Africa, particularly South Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa region. AMEC seeks to shape public discourse and engage decision makers on issues affecting the region. It further looks to produce and disseminate the highest quality of research on the Middle East, and on issues related to the Middle East and North Africa.
For more information visit http://www.amec.org.za or email info@amec.org.za
Decision date: 22 September 2013
Full paper Submission Date: 31 October 2013
About the conference
The conference is framed within Africa’s history of colonialism and of African states and non-state actors being used as proxies on an African battlefield during the Cold War. It will explore the nature of the relationship that exists between both that of state and non-state actors on the continent and the Middle East. Aside from responding to the paucity in research around the penetration of the Middle East into Africa, and what this means for the continent, the conference further looks to explore ways of enhancing balanced and mutually beneficial relations between Africa and the Middle East region.
Africa’s colonial past and the implications of a postcolonial world defined by neoimperialism and neoliberalism continue to manifest in the socioeconomic reality of the majority of Africans. The recent assertiveness of Africa on the global stage, growing markets, diverse geography, geostrategic importance, and vast natural resources continue to attract the attention of global powers. China, for example, in its unquenchable quest for resources and global partners, turned its focus on Africa, and has succeeded in becoming the continent’s largest trading partner. The past three decades have, however, also seen the entry of new players into Africa, such as India and Brazil. Some of these states share experiential colonial histories as well as similar development experiences and challenges with countries on the continent. This interaction has facilitated the emergence of South coalition blocs such as the India, Brazil, South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum, to promote cooperation amongst these states.
In a postcolonial era, however, the attention that Africa attracts is uneven, sometimes paternalistic, and often under the guise of development, aid and humanitarian assistance. This has often seen the evolution of asymmetrical political and economic relations between African states and these external powers.
Of course, Africa is not a singular monolithic and homogeneous entity. On the whole, however, it has often been the disadvantaged partner in exploitative relationships.
Scope:
Middle East in Africa
Apart from states that are well-known for their involvement in Africa, such as the USA, China, Brazil and India, the continent has also been targeted by a number of states whose role has garnered relatively little attention. These include states from the Middle East whose strategic involvement in, and outreach to, Africa range from extending their sphere of influence to pursuing ideological interests, and includes economic, business, political, military and religious relations. In particular, Israel, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other Gulf states have set their sights on Africa. Certain non-state actors from the Middle East have also looked to Africa to export their ideologies. This manifests in diverse forms: from religious and ideological education projects to involvement in civil or interstate conflict, such as in the Sahel region and Somalia.
Relations between the Middle East and Africa have a long history going back centuries. This has seen beneficial as well exploitative exchanges for Africa. Due to their geographical, cultural and religious proximity to Africa, there is a centuries-old flow of people, ideologies, and sociopolitical undercurrents from countries in the Middle East into Africa, particularly North Africa, East Africa and the Sahel region.
The objectives of the various Middle Eastern countries involved in Africa are numerous, diverse, yet also converge as they jostle to increase their dominance over each other. Due to Iran’s global isolation, Iran sees resonance in Africa, with the continent’s own experience of marginalisation. Africa thus holds the potential to reduce the isolation forced on Iran by western sanctions. Turkey’s revitalised foreign policy under the Justice and Development Party (AKP) has seen it extending its global influence. Since 2002, Africa has become part of its revamped foreign policy that looks to see Ankara develop and strengthen ties with countries which Turkey previously had neglected. Today, Turkey has the largest foreign diplomatic and business components in Somalia compared to any other state. With the world’s attention drawn to Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinian lands, Israel has attempted to win favour from African countries through its use of soft power under the guise of development, and the sharing of agricultural and technological expertise. Israel has also recently agreed to provide certain African states with assistance in exchange for the transfer of African refugees from Israel. Tiny Qatar, aside from seeing the opportunities that the continent’s physical expansiveness offers, hopes to extend its global clout and sphere of influence through Africa. This has seen it involved in mediation in African conflicts, for example between Sudan and Darfur rebels. It has also attempted to insert its influence through involvement in the NATO-led overthrow of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi.
Paper and Abstracts
AMEC invites submissions of abstracts from people that might be interested in presenting a paper at this conference on the issues discussed here.
Prospective paper titles and abstracts must be in English, and may be emailed to Nazlie Jada at nazlie@amec.org.za by no later than 15 September 2013. Abstracts should not be more than 200 words in length, attached to the email, and in ‘.odt’, ‘.doc’, or ‘.docx’ formats.
If your abstract is accepted, AMEC will expect an original paper submitted prior to the conference. Papers should be between 4 000 and 6 000 words in length, and conform to AMEC’s style guide, which will be provided to authors on the acceptance of an abstract. It is hoped that papers will be published in an edited volume after the conference.
The cost of flights to Johannesburg and accommodation during the conference for speakers will be covered by AMEC.
About the Afro-Middle East Centre (AMEC)
AMEC is a Johannesburg based think tank that looks to understand and enhance relations between Africa, particularly South Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa region. AMEC seeks to shape public discourse and engage decision makers on issues affecting the region. It further looks to produce and disseminate the highest quality of research on the Middle East, and on issues related to the Middle East and North Africa.
For more information visit http://www.amec.org.za or email info@amec.org.za
A New Issue of African Studies: Volume 72, Issue 2, 2013
Dear all,
New special issue of African Studies on the staging and governing of African diasporas and the state is out now. It is edited by Nauja Kleist and Simon Turner and with articles by Selenia Marabello, Cindy Horst, Victoria Bernal, Turner and Kleist. More info at http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cast20/current
Best regards,
Nauja
********************************************************
Nauja Kleist, PhD
Senior Researcher
Danish Institute for International Studies
Østbanegade 117
2100 Copenhagen Ø
E: nkl@diis.dk
W: www.diis.dk/nkl; www.diis.dk/hope
P: DIIS reception: +45 3269 8787, direct: +45 3269 8667
New special issue of African Studies on the staging and governing of African diasporas and the state is out now. It is edited by Nauja Kleist and Simon Turner and with articles by Selenia Marabello, Cindy Horst, Victoria Bernal, Turner and Kleist. More info at http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/cast20/current
Best regards,
Nauja
********************************************************
Nauja Kleist, PhD
Senior Researcher
Danish Institute for International Studies
Østbanegade 117
2100 Copenhagen Ø
E: nkl@diis.dk
W: www.diis.dk/nkl; www.diis.dk/hope
P: DIIS reception: +45 3269 8787, direct: +45 3269 8667
6TH AASR CONFERENCE IN AFRICA Religion, Ecology, and the Environment in Africa and the African Diaspora
University of Cape Town, South Africa
July 30-August 3, 2014
http://www.a-asr.org/meetings/
CALL FOR PAPERS
The African Association for the Study of Religion (AASR) invites
proposals for individual papers, panels, roundtable, and poster
presentations for its biannual conference to be held at the University
of Cape Town, South Africa, from July 30 to August 3, 2014. The AASR
returns to the theme: Religion, Ecology, and the Environment in Africa
and the African Diaspora to underscore its commitment to the growing
environmental crisis and the impact it has on all areas of life and
society in Africa and the African Diaspora. As scholars of religion, we
have an important responsibility, in collaboration with other scholars
in other disciplines to study religion, ecology, and the environment.
This conference offers participants to present research, engage in
dialogue, develop relevant curricula and inform public policy on this
vital and critical issue.
Religion and the study of religions, ecology, and the environment in
Africa are a major concern for reasons that include radical climate
change; the disappearance of vegetation and wetlands; extensive
exploitation of natural resources; frequent and severe draughts; the
impact of climate changes on population density in major cities; water
and food crises. The field of religious studies offers a variety of
methodological and theoretical approaches to understand and interpret
such phenomena and developments.The academic study of religions as a
field provides an opportunity to examine these issues on different
levels: theoretical, methodological, experiential, pedagogical, and
the pragmatic. We believe that unique insights will emerge if religion
is deliberately made a lens through which to unlock the reality of the
preceding themes within the context of the African continent and its
Diaspora.
We invite papers from scholars of religions, the social sciences, the
natural sciences, interdisciplinary research groups, and institutes
focusing on ecological and environmental issues that will address,
among other things, the state of knowledge and science on ecology and
environment, ecological and environmental degradation, management and
sustainability, and ways of establishing scholarly dialogue on
ecological balance. Papers and round tables could also study and analyze
current and past projects on the continent that relate to religion,
ecology, and the environment. Examples of these would be the tree
planting and ecological ministries of the Christian wing of the
Zimbabwean Institute of Religious Research and Ecological Conservation
(ZIRRCON), or large national initiatives like the Green Belt Movement.
Papers might explore the aims of the projects, current status, their
finances, as well as the environmental challenges that may be posed by
the projects themselves and the prospects for sustainability.
Sub themes and related topics to be considered include the following:
Climate change and the debates on climate change
Nature, nature religions, and sacred spaces and environmental challenges
Religious authority and environmental challenge
Eco-feminism and religious dialogue
Religion, the environment, and food security
The environment and the crisis of safe drinking water
Ecology and economics in religious perspective
Religious, philosophical, and ethical perspectives on ecology
Comparative religious view of environmental action
Theology, ecology, and environmental challenges and promise
Environmental ethics
Faith Based Organizations and sustainable development
Ecology, environment, and political responsibility
Religion and the economics of climate change
Religious perspectives on pharmacopeia, health, medicine and the environment
Religion, biodiversity, and global bio-politics
Religion and environmental pollution
Religion Education and the Environmental Crisis
Critical Religious Terms (rituals, myths, spaces) and Ecology
Abstracts
We invite abstracts of proposed panels, papers, and poster presentations
of two hundred and fifty (250) words. Abstracts should include the title
of the presentation, indicate if audio-visual equipment will be needed
for the presentation and include the author’s contact information
(institutional affiliation, email address and phone number). All
abstracts should be submitted online by November 30, 2013 and full
papers and power point presentations should be submitted by March 30,
2014 on the following:
Online Abstract Submission:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1U7yMexjmqrQDF8YyypVuAaqtu2dtjWKL_xAdOuMV09M/viewform
Papers submitted for publication after the conference will go through a
peer review process when the editors find a publisher.
Accommodation, Registration and Meals
The Conference will be held in Cape Town at the Conference Facilities of
the Breakwater Lodge. A number of rooms have been set aside for the
Conference at this hotel at preferential rates. When booking, mention
the AASR. There are also numerous hotels around this site. Further
options will be posted here soon. Lunches and Dinners will be organized
at additional costs. Arrangements are being made with the hotel
management, and will be posted on this page.
Looking forward to your participation in Cape Town!
Planning Committee:
Adbulkader Tayob: abdulkader.tayob@uct.za
Madipoane Masenya
July 30-August 3, 2014
http://www.a-asr.org/meetings/
CALL FOR PAPERS
The African Association for the Study of Religion (AASR) invites
proposals for individual papers, panels, roundtable, and poster
presentations for its biannual conference to be held at the University
of Cape Town, South Africa, from July 30 to August 3, 2014. The AASR
returns to the theme: Religion, Ecology, and the Environment in Africa
and the African Diaspora to underscore its commitment to the growing
environmental crisis and the impact it has on all areas of life and
society in Africa and the African Diaspora. As scholars of religion, we
have an important responsibility, in collaboration with other scholars
in other disciplines to study religion, ecology, and the environment.
This conference offers participants to present research, engage in
dialogue, develop relevant curricula and inform public policy on this
vital and critical issue.
Religion and the study of religions, ecology, and the environment in
Africa are a major concern for reasons that include radical climate
change; the disappearance of vegetation and wetlands; extensive
exploitation of natural resources; frequent and severe draughts; the
impact of climate changes on population density in major cities; water
and food crises. The field of religious studies offers a variety of
methodological and theoretical approaches to understand and interpret
such phenomena and developments.The academic study of religions as a
field provides an opportunity to examine these issues on different
levels: theoretical, methodological, experiential, pedagogical, and
the pragmatic. We believe that unique insights will emerge if religion
is deliberately made a lens through which to unlock the reality of the
preceding themes within the context of the African continent and its
Diaspora.
We invite papers from scholars of religions, the social sciences, the
natural sciences, interdisciplinary research groups, and institutes
focusing on ecological and environmental issues that will address,
among other things, the state of knowledge and science on ecology and
environment, ecological and environmental degradation, management and
sustainability, and ways of establishing scholarly dialogue on
ecological balance. Papers and round tables could also study and analyze
current and past projects on the continent that relate to religion,
ecology, and the environment. Examples of these would be the tree
planting and ecological ministries of the Christian wing of the
Zimbabwean Institute of Religious Research and Ecological Conservation
(ZIRRCON), or large national initiatives like the Green Belt Movement.
Papers might explore the aims of the projects, current status, their
finances, as well as the environmental challenges that may be posed by
the projects themselves and the prospects for sustainability.
Sub themes and related topics to be considered include the following:
Climate change and the debates on climate change
Nature, nature religions, and sacred spaces and environmental challenges
Religious authority and environmental challenge
Eco-feminism and religious dialogue
Religion, the environment, and food security
The environment and the crisis of safe drinking water
Ecology and economics in religious perspective
Religious, philosophical, and ethical perspectives on ecology
Comparative religious view of environmental action
Theology, ecology, and environmental challenges and promise
Environmental ethics
Faith Based Organizations and sustainable development
Ecology, environment, and political responsibility
Religion and the economics of climate change
Religious perspectives on pharmacopeia, health, medicine and the environment
Religion, biodiversity, and global bio-politics
Religion and environmental pollution
Religion Education and the Environmental Crisis
Critical Religious Terms (rituals, myths, spaces) and Ecology
Abstracts
We invite abstracts of proposed panels, papers, and poster presentations
of two hundred and fifty (250) words. Abstracts should include the title
of the presentation, indicate if audio-visual equipment will be needed
for the presentation and include the author’s contact information
(institutional affiliation, email address and phone number). All
abstracts should be submitted online by November 30, 2013 and full
papers and power point presentations should be submitted by March 30,
2014 on the following:
Online Abstract Submission:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1U7yMexjmqrQDF8YyypVuAaqtu2dtjWKL_xAdOuMV09M/viewform
Papers submitted for publication after the conference will go through a
peer review process when the editors find a publisher.
Accommodation, Registration and Meals
The Conference will be held in Cape Town at the Conference Facilities of
the Breakwater Lodge. A number of rooms have been set aside for the
Conference at this hotel at preferential rates. When booking, mention
the AASR. There are also numerous hotels around this site. Further
options will be posted here soon. Lunches and Dinners will be organized
at additional costs. Arrangements are being made with the hotel
management, and will be posted on this page.
Looking forward to your participation in Cape Town!
Planning Committee:
Adbulkader Tayob: abdulkader.tayob@uct.za
Madipoane Masenya
The Rise of BRICS in Africa The Geopolitics of South-South Relations by Pádraig Carmody
Zed Book, 2013
A little over a decade ago Africa was being spoken of as the 'lost' or
'hopeless' continent in the media. Now it has some of the fastest
growing economies in the world, in large part because of the impacts of a
group of large developing countries - the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India,
China and South Africa). In this first book to be written about the
BRICS as a collective phenomenon, Carmody reveals how the BRICS powers'
engagements with Africa, both individually and collectively, are often
contradictory, generating new inequalities and potentialities for
development. Crucially, Carmody shows how the geopolitics of the BRICS
countries' involvement in Africa is impacted by and impacts upon their
international relations more generally, and how the emergence of these
economies has begun to alter the very nature of globalization, which is
no longer purely a Western-led project.
A path-breaking examination of Africa's changing role in the world.
Contents:
1. Introduction: New Models of Globalisation
2. China in Africa: Globalisation and the Rise of the State?
3. South Africa: Another BRIC in the Wall?
4. India: The Geo-Logics of Agro-Investments
5. Russia: Unalloyed Self-Interest or Reflections in the Mirror?
6. Brazil: Globalising Solidarity or Legitimating Accumulation?
7. Conclusion: Governance and the Evolution of Globalisation in Africa
A little over a decade ago Africa was being spoken of as the 'lost' or
'hopeless' continent in the media. Now it has some of the fastest
growing economies in the world, in large part because of the impacts of a
group of large developing countries - the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India,
China and South Africa). In this first book to be written about the
BRICS as a collective phenomenon, Carmody reveals how the BRICS powers'
engagements with Africa, both individually and collectively, are often
contradictory, generating new inequalities and potentialities for
development. Crucially, Carmody shows how the geopolitics of the BRICS
countries' involvement in Africa is impacted by and impacts upon their
international relations more generally, and how the emergence of these
economies has begun to alter the very nature of globalization, which is
no longer purely a Western-led project.A path-breaking examination of Africa's changing role in the world.
Contents:
1. Introduction: New Models of Globalisation
2. China in Africa: Globalisation and the Rise of the State?
3. South Africa: Another BRIC in the Wall?
4. India: The Geo-Logics of Agro-Investments
5. Russia: Unalloyed Self-Interest or Reflections in the Mirror?
6. Brazil: Globalising Solidarity or Legitimating Accumulation?
7. Conclusion: Governance and the Evolution of Globalisation in Africa
A New Book: The Democratic Republic of Congo Between Hope and Despair
Over the past two decades, the Democratic Republic of Congo has been
at the centre of the deadliest series of conflicts since the Second
World War, and now hosts the largest United Nations peacekeeping mission
in the world. In this compelling book, acclaimed journalist Michael
Deibert paints a picture of a nation in flux, inching towards peace but
at the same time solidifying into another era of authoritarian rule
under its enigmatic president, Joseph Kabila.
Featuring a wealth of first-hand interviews and secondary sources, the
narrative travels from war-torn villages in the country's east to the
chaotic, pulsing capital of Kinshasa in order to bring us the voices of
the Congolese - from impoverished gold prospectors and market women to
government officials - as it explores the complicated political, ethnic
and economic geography of this tattered land. A must-read for anyone
interested in contemporary Africa, The Democratic Republic of Congo:
Between, Hope and Despair sheds new light on this sprawling and often
misunderstood country that has become iconic both for its great
potential and dashed hopes.
1. Kingdom of Kongo to first Congo Republic
2. Fire in his wake
3. The great Congo wars
4. Enter his father's house
5. One hundred per cent Congolese
6. Glittering demons
7. Threats from within and without
8. A false peace
9. Elections, encore
10. Rebellion after rebellion
Epilogue
Featuring a wealth of first-hand interviews and secondary sources, the
narrative travels from war-torn villages in the country's east to the
chaotic, pulsing capital of Kinshasa in order to bring us the voices of
the Congolese - from impoverished gold prospectors and market women to
government officials - as it explores the complicated political, ethnic
and economic geography of this tattered land. A must-read for anyone
interested in contemporary Africa, The Democratic Republic of Congo:
Between, Hope and Despair sheds new light on this sprawling and often
misunderstood country that has become iconic both for its great
potential and dashed hopes.
Reviews
'Michael Deibert has connected the thousands of threads linking the Democratic Republic of Congo's conflicts in a way that allows us to see the tattered fabric of this tragic country. Deibert writes with verve, clarity, passion, and obvious empathy for all of the peoples of the Great Lakes region, and his understanding of the regional and global contexts of the Congo wars is outstanding. His story-telling ability is unsurpassed, and even veteran observers of the region will be grateful for his marvelously distilled synthesis of the ordeals Congo has endured over the past 20 years.' - John F. Clark, author of The Failure of Democracy in the Republic of Congo (2008)
'In this remarkable tour de force of reporting, analysis, historical inquiry, and personal experience, Michael Deibert delivers the story of Congo's bloody recent history in unflinching, often bitingly acerbic prose, setting forth in the clearest terms the causes, perpetrators, and disastrous effects of the seemingly endless Congo wars. Anyone searching for a genuine way forward for Congo needs to read this book.' - Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
'A work of excruciating yet compassionate clarity through the political history and unspeakable violence and suffering of civilians in the lands of the Congo, this book is mandatory reading for anyone interested in building lasting peace in the heart of Africa. International donors who support governance and development in the DRC should pay close attention to Michael Deibert's compelling account.' - Markus Schultze-Kraft, Institute of Development Studies
'Michael Deibert's work is the very model of what strong independent journalism can accomplish. His Congo book is no ordinary achievement. It bulges with both the grand sweep of history and a rich variety of voices gathered through enterprising, on the ground reporting.' - Howard W. French, author of China's Second Continent: How a Million Migrants are Building a New Empire in Africa
'Michael Deibert's exhaustively researched history of the Congo takes us from the dark days of Belgian conquest and tyranny to the modern day atrocities carried out by warring militias and their legions of child soldiers. The promise driving the madness: abundant natural resources, from gold to diamonds to tantalum. Deibert lays bare complexities of power and he names names, not only those of the Congolese but also of the world leaders who've either turned a blind eye to or directly fomented the misery of the Congolese people.' - Gerry Hadden, author of Never The Hope Itself: Love and Ghosts in Latin America and Haiti
'Michael Deibert restores balance to analysis on the Congo with a holistic view grounded in history and the sociopolitical dynamics at play in the nation. A must-read book to understand the complexity of the crisis in the Congo.' - Kambale Musavuli, spokesperson for Friends of the Congo
'A comprehensive first-rate account of the tragedy of Congo DR: the human suffering, rape and plunder of its immense mineral wealth. Riveting and brutally honest' - George Ayittey, author and president of Free Africa Foundation
'Michael Deibert has connected the thousands of threads linking the Democratic Republic of Congo's conflicts in a way that allows us to see the tattered fabric of this tragic country. Deibert writes with verve, clarity, passion, and obvious empathy for all of the peoples of the Great Lakes region, and his understanding of the regional and global contexts of the Congo wars is outstanding. His story-telling ability is unsurpassed, and even veteran observers of the region will be grateful for his marvelously distilled synthesis of the ordeals Congo has endured over the past 20 years.' - John F. Clark, author of The Failure of Democracy in the Republic of Congo (2008)
'In this remarkable tour de force of reporting, analysis, historical inquiry, and personal experience, Michael Deibert delivers the story of Congo's bloody recent history in unflinching, often bitingly acerbic prose, setting forth in the clearest terms the causes, perpetrators, and disastrous effects of the seemingly endless Congo wars. Anyone searching for a genuine way forward for Congo needs to read this book.' - Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
'A work of excruciating yet compassionate clarity through the political history and unspeakable violence and suffering of civilians in the lands of the Congo, this book is mandatory reading for anyone interested in building lasting peace in the heart of Africa. International donors who support governance and development in the DRC should pay close attention to Michael Deibert's compelling account.' - Markus Schultze-Kraft, Institute of Development Studies
'Michael Deibert's work is the very model of what strong independent journalism can accomplish. His Congo book is no ordinary achievement. It bulges with both the grand sweep of history and a rich variety of voices gathered through enterprising, on the ground reporting.' - Howard W. French, author of China's Second Continent: How a Million Migrants are Building a New Empire in Africa
'Michael Deibert's exhaustively researched history of the Congo takes us from the dark days of Belgian conquest and tyranny to the modern day atrocities carried out by warring militias and their legions of child soldiers. The promise driving the madness: abundant natural resources, from gold to diamonds to tantalum. Deibert lays bare complexities of power and he names names, not only those of the Congolese but also of the world leaders who've either turned a blind eye to or directly fomented the misery of the Congolese people.' - Gerry Hadden, author of Never The Hope Itself: Love and Ghosts in Latin America and Haiti
'Michael Deibert restores balance to analysis on the Congo with a holistic view grounded in history and the sociopolitical dynamics at play in the nation. A must-read book to understand the complexity of the crisis in the Congo.' - Kambale Musavuli, spokesperson for Friends of the Congo
'A comprehensive first-rate account of the tragedy of Congo DR: the human suffering, rape and plunder of its immense mineral wealth. Riveting and brutally honest' - George Ayittey, author and president of Free Africa Foundation
Table of Contents
Prologue: the killing fields1. Kingdom of Kongo to first Congo Republic
2. Fire in his wake
3. The great Congo wars
4. Enter his father's house
5. One hundred per cent Congolese
6. Glittering demons
7. Threats from within and without
8. A false peace
9. Elections, encore
10. Rebellion after rebellion
Epilogue
About the Author:
Michael Deibert is an author and journalist, whose writing has appeared in the Washington Post, the Guardian, the Wall Street Journal, the Miami Herald, Le Monde diplomatique and Folha de São Paulo, among other publications. He has been a featured commentator on international affairs for the BBC, Channel 4, Al Jazeera, National Public Radio, WNYC New York Public Radio and KPFK Pacifica Radio. In recent years, Michael has worked to increase and sustain dialogue on international peace-building and development issues, with a particular focus on Africa and Latin America. He is the author of Notes from the Last Testament: The Struggle for Haiti (2005).Sunday, September 22, 2013
Comes the Voyager at Last: A Tale of Return to Africa by Kofi Awoonor
Comes the Voyager at Last: A Tale of Return to Africa
by Kofi Awoonor
Comes the Voyager At Last is a work of mythic and consciousness, and affirmation of the life forces of love and humanity in the face of the devastating forces of destruction characterized here in the historical racism that oppressed and continues to oppress black people both on the continent and in the diaspora. The mythic journey of the protagonist ends on the African soil, in the miracle of love, in the affirmation of the black man's ultimate and enduring humanity.
by Kofi Awoonor
Comes the Voyager At Last is a work of mythic and consciousness, and affirmation of the life forces of love and humanity in the face of the devastating forces of destruction characterized here in the historical racism that oppressed and continues to oppress black people both on the continent and in the diaspora. The mythic journey of the protagonist ends on the African soil, in the miracle of love, in the affirmation of the black man's ultimate and enduring humanity.
This Earth, My Brother by Kofi Awoonor
This Earth, My Brother by Kofi Awoonor
Set in Ghana, this novel echoes many of the obsessive themes of the author's poems. The story describes the pain of Awoonor's voluntary exile and his spiritual return to his native land.
Set in Ghana, this novel echoes many of the obsessive themes of the author's poems. The story describes the pain of Awoonor's voluntary exile and his spiritual return to his native land.
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