Call for Papers for Conference in Rio in November 2008

CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PAPERS
Saturday, July 19, 2008

 Dear Colleagues,

Please find below and attached CBAAC'S Conference announcemement and Call for Papers for 2008.

This conference is for all Black people including Continental and Diasporic Africans, Dalits, Tribals, Aboriginal Australians, and Pacific  Islanders! It will be an historic gathering so please circulate widely.

Regards.

Ibraheem O. Muheeb
Centre for Black African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC)
National Theatre Iganmu, Lagos, Nigeria
2348077981151
2348023187605
234-1-4765635

TEACHING AND PROPAGATING AFRICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE TO THE DIASPORA AND TEACHING DIASPORA HISTORY AND CULTURE TO AFRICA, NOVEMBER 11-13 2008, STATE UNIVERSITY OF RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

Africa has a very rich, vibrant and resilient culture. However, there is very little that is known by Africans at home and those overseas about themselves and the resultant linkages. The Atlantic slave trade marked the beginning of the dispersal of people of African descent to the new world. This has continued to have a debilitating effect on Africa and the African Diaspora's development. African history has for years been distorted in the same manner that her peoples had been dehumanized. The spread of African culture has brought about economic and cultural development of people outside Africa, unfortunately at Africa's expense.

The attendant severance of every possible means of contacts impaired the depth of knowledge and exchange on the two divides “Africans on the continent and Africans in the Diaspora." The palpable lack of knowledge of the inherent potentialities for socio-economic ends has impeded the rise of Africa and Africans in the world's socio-economic and political spaces. While the Diaspora does not have the full grasp of the diverse potentials in Africa embedded in the richness of its history, culture and religion; Africans on the continent also appear not to be giving due consideration to the many derivable benefits from exploring the potentials of its external contents. It is the realization of the foregoing and the need to transcend these challenges that has made the organization of a colloquium to examine these issues very imperative. Thus, Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) in conjunction with Pan African Strategic and Policy Research Group (PANAFSTRAG) , Institute for Afro-Brazilian Studies (IPEAFRO), Brazil and the State University of Rio de
Janeiro is orgainsing a colloquium to facilitate closer cultural links between continental and Diaspora Africa.

Conference participants are encouraged to submit abstract of not more than 250 words on any aspects of the broad sub themes identified below:

SUB THEMES:

Teaching African and Diaspora History: Theoretical and Methodological Issues

Historicizing Africa and the Diaspora

Indigenous Knowledge System: Politics, Economics,

Health and Legal systems

Global African Identity

Sports, Visual and Performing Arts

Liberation Ideologies in Africa and in the Diaspora

Slavery: Past and Present

African Spirituality and Values

Religion and Morality

Popular Culture: Music, Dance and Folklores

Contemporary Development, Co-operation and Linkages

Gender and Race Relation

Media: Language and Communication

Social Capital and Development

Globalization, African History and Culture

WORKSHOP THEMES
The Politics of Teaching and Propagating African and Diaspora History and Culture

African Values, Ethics and Development

Curriculum Development and Implementation

Spirituality, Religion and Africa – Diaspora Relations

Challenges and Prospects of Africa/iaspora
Relationships

All abstracts should include title, the author(s) name, institutional affiliation, address, telephone number and email address. All abstracts for consideration which must be in electronic format should be received not later than 30th June, 2008 by all of the following individuals:

1. tunde_babawale@ yahoo.com
2. akinalao@yahoo. com
3. isholawilliams@ yahoo.com
4. ibraheem_muheeb@ yahoo.com

Authors whose abstracts are accepted would be notified not later than 30th of July 2008 while all papers for presentation must be received in electronic format not later than 30th September, 2008.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Further details on financial support by CBAAC for authors of successful abstracts would be provided later. While the conference is open, non-paper presenters who may wish to participate in the workshops are encouraged to seek funding from other sources.

The official languages of the conference are: English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.