JUA: Penn African Studies Bulletin, (11/24/08)

J U A

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
BIMONTHLY BULLETIN
Issue No. 6, Fall 2008
November 24, 2008

Dear JUA Readers,

Please find attached the sixth issue of JUA for 2008-2009. You can also find a copy of this and previous archived issues on our website: http://www.africa.upenn.edu/. As in the past, we are currently publishing a new issue every other Monday.

Remember that you can always send your submissions to africa@sas.upenn.edu. For the next issue, kindly send announcements by no later than Wednesday, December 3, 2008.

Sincerely yours,

Namrata Poddar,
JUA Editor

CONTENTS:

EVENTS
CALL FOR PUBLICATION
ACADEMIC JOBS
FELLOWSHIPS & GRANTS
OTHER RESOURCES

PHILADELPHIA & SURROUNDING AREA EVENTS

AFRICA-DINNERS @ THE CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION

If you are interested in learning more about different regions in Africa, join the Christian Association to enjoy delectable African cuisine, watch a cooking demonstration, and discuss contemporary issues in Africa with students at the University of Pennsylvania. This dinner series raises awareness about Africa as part of the Open Mind for Africa Fund in honor of Louise Shoemaker. The dinner theme is Botswana for DECEMBER 4 (Thursday), 6-8pm. Students are free with RSVP by the Tuesday before the dinner, or $5 at the door. Non-students pay $10. Reply to 215-746-6350 or upennca@dolphin.upenn.edu.

**********NATIONAL EVENTS**********

YOUNG SCHOLARS: NEW WORK IN AFRICAN STUDIES

On Monday, December 1st 2008, from 11am-3pm, at the Rutgers Student Center (402, College Avenue Campus), the African Studies Graduate Affiliates will present a workshop entitled, "Young Scholars: New Work in African Studies". The panel will consist of 3-5 advanced graduate or recently graduated PhDs who will present their work. A graduate discussant will follow each 15-20 minute presenter. For more information on the workshop contact Laura Ann Pechacek (lpechacek@gmail.com) or Lincoln Addison (laddison@eden.rutgers.edu)

REEL AFRICA AT RUTGERS: TALK AND FILM SCREENINGS

On Monday, DECEMBER 1, 2008 at 6 P.M, in Murray Hall 204, (College Avenue Campus) Professor Saks (Screen Arts and Cultures, University of Michigan) will present a talk entitled "South African Community, Pandemic, and the Cinema in a Time of AIDS". He will also introduce a screening of "WA 'N WINA /Sincerely Yours" (Dumisani Phataki, South Africa, 2001) in the "Reel Africa at Rutgers" film festival on Tuesday, December 2 at 7 P.M. in the Graduate Student Lounge (College Avenue Campus). For complete festival information: http://www.cinemastudies.rutgers.edu

YPIN HOSTED SCREENING OF BLACK GOLD: A FILM ABOUT COFFEE AND TRADE

On Thursday, December 18th 2008, at Rendez-Vous Jewel Box Theater (2322 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121), the World Affairs Council will host a screening and informal discussion on the "Black Gold", a film about coffee and trade.
Coffee is the most valuable trading commodity in the world after oil. But while we pay top dollar for our designer lattes and cappuccinos, the price paid to impoverished coffee growers remains so low that many have been forced to abandon their coffee fields. Nowhere is this paradox more evident than in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee. Black Gold is an eye-opening documentary film on the multi-billion dollar coffee industry and traces one man's fight for a fair price. Tadesse Meskela is a man on a mission to help 74,000 struggling Ethiopian coffee farmers avoid bankruptcy by selling their high quality coffee beans on the international market at a fair price. Black Gold reveals the many challenges Tadesse and the farmers face in their quest for a long term solution.
For more information, please visit http://www.world-affairs.org/calendar.cfm

EXPOSURES: OTHER HISTORIES IN EARLY POSTCARDS FROM AFRICA

855 Commonwealth Avenue) will host the exhibit "Exposures: Other Histories in Early Postcards from Africa". For more details, please visit http://www.bu.edu/ah/exposures.html

CALL FOR PUBLICATION

PETER BADEJO: INTERVENTIONS IN AFRICAN DANCE, MUSIC AND DRAMA PERFORMANCE

Contributions are invited for papers reporting on any aspect of Peter Badejo's work in African dance, music and drama performance. Contributors are invited to email a 250 words abstract/ proposal to Dr. Kene Igweonu (kene.igweonu@smu.ac.uk). All abstracts/ proposals should include the following information: paper title, author's name, institutional affiliation and email address. Contributors are also encouraged to indicate, if any, their professional and/ or personal association with Peter Badejo and Badejo Arts. Authors whose abstracts/ proposals are accepted will be invited to complete a full-length paper for inclusion in an edited collection of essays to be titled "Peter Badejo: Interventions in African Dance, Music and Drama Performance." It is expected that the final manuscripts will be completed by June 2009 with the book published in 2010. The Editors' preference of 2010 for the book release is significant and is timed to coincide with 20 momentous years of Badejo Arts. Manuscripts should be formatted according to the Harvard style, but should not exceed 25 double-spaced pages (including notes, references cited and photos where used).
Abstract/ Proposal Submission Deadline: 30 January 2009 Abstract/ Proposal Submission Contact: Dr. Kene Igweonu (kene.igweonu@smu.ac.uk), Swansea Metropolitan University, Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom.

SPECIAL EDITION OF THE JOURNAL OF PAN AFRICAN STUDIES (JPAS) ON GRADUATE STUDIES

AND RESEARCH IN BLACK STUDIES

The Journal of Pan African Studies (www.jpanafrican.com) welcomes papers for a June 2009 special edition on Graduate Studies and Research in Black Studies (Africology, Pan African, African American, Afro-American, African Diaspora Studies). This special edition will focus on two dimensions. The first dimension will cover the current status of graduate programs within the discipline. This includes (but is not limited to) reflections on graduate school experiences within Black Studies, challenges facing graduate education in Black Studies and/or future prospects for graduate programs within the discipline. The second dimension will cover new and innovative research within Black Studies by current graduate students in the discipline. We will also accept book reviews of recent and new publications within Black Studies (Africology, Pan African, African American, Afro-American, African Diaspora Studies).
The selection criteria for paper submissions will include: relevance to theme, clarity of paper, intellectual significance, and originality. Participants must send a 50 word abstract by January 2009, and their paper by April 2009 to the Guest Editor (Papers and abstracts must include participant's name, affiliation, paper title, and e-mail address). Papers should not exceed 25 pages via MS word. Notification of acceptance will be provided at least 30 days after receipt of abstract/paper. For more information, please contact Karanja Keita Carroll, Guest Editor of Special Edition, State University New York - New Paltz, Department of Black Studies, 1 Hawk Drive, New Paltz, NY 12561; or email: carrollk@newpaltz.edu

ISLAM IN AFRICA

The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences is preparing a special issue (vol. 26, no. 3)on the theme "Islam in Africa", guest-edited by Professors Seifudein Adem and Ali A. Mazrui of State University of New York at Binghamton. The guest-editors are especially interested in the expansion of Islam in Africa, its revival in ritual and traditions, and its recent politicization in some situations. However, papers on other aspects of Africa's Islamic experience will also be considered. The manuscripts submitted should be fifteen to twenty pages in length, double-space in draft form. The manuscripts should be e-mailed to the following three addresses: (a) Editor, Kathy Bullock, e-mail: editor@iiit.org (b) Guest Editor, Seifudein Adem, e-mail: adems@binghamton.edu (c) Guest Editor, Ali A. Mazrui, e-mail: amazrui@binghamton.edu The deadline for receiving the manuscripts is April 15, 2009, with final copy editing by April 29, 2009.

***********ACADEMIC JOBS*************

SKIDMORE COLLEGE, VISITING PROFESSOR, AFRICA

The Department of Government at Skidmore College seeks a Visiting Assistant Professor of Government for two-year position beginning in the Fall 2009. Geographic areas of specialization that we are looking for include North Africa, Africa and / or the Middle East and Central Asia. Applicants should also be able to teach Introduction to Comparative Politics and International Relations as well as courses in Islam and Politics and / or religion and politics. This position also involves teaching in the International Affairs program at Skidmore. Please attach, CV and evidence of experience and excellence in teaching (Teaching Philosophy / Sample Syllabi). For further information, please contact Barbara J. McDonough at bmcdonou@skidmore.edu

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, SUB-SAHARAN

AFRICA

The Department of African and Afro-American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of assistant professor. The position seeks candidates from the humanities particularly those whose work focuses on the intersection of gender, religion and history in sub-Saharan Africa. Ph.D. qualifications are preferred and the successful candidate will assume their responsibilities on July 1, 2009. Qualified applicants should provide 1)an application letter which describes research interests and articulates the candidate's teaching interests; 2)a CV; 3)4 letters of reference; and 4)a sample of written work. All materials, except letters of reference, should be submitted online at http://hr.unc.edu/jobseekers. Please send letters of reference to Search Chair, African and Afro-American Studies, CB#3395, 109 Battle Hall, UNC-CH, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3395. The department's web address is: http://www.unc.edu/depts/afriafam/. Deadline for applications is November 30, 2008. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL COLLEGE, VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, AFRICAN HISTORY

The Department of History at Franklin & Marshall College invites applications for a one-year position at the Visiting Assistant Professor level, beginning Fall 2009. Ph.D. in hand; teaching experience required. The successful candidate will teach five courses, including at least one half of the two-semester continental survey (North and West Africa from earliest times through the post-colonial period and/or East, Central, and Southern Africa over the same period). The ability to teach an upper-division national survey of South African history (or a regional history of southern Africa) is a plus. Additional course/seminar topics in African/Africana/African Diaspora history are open. Candidates should send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, graduate transcript, three letters of recommendation, teaching and research statements, and teaching evaluation forms to Maria Mitchell, Chair, Department of History, Franklin & Marshall College, P.O. Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003. Deadline for applications February 15, 2009. Franklin & Marshall College is a highly selective liberal arts college with a demonstrated commitment to cultural pluralism. EOE.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE, ASSOCIATE OR ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, AFRICAN & AFRICAN AMERICAN

STUDIES PROGRAM

The African and African-American Studies Program (AAAS) at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH invites applications for a senior appointment at the tenured Associate Professor or Professor level to begin on July 1, 2009. We invite applications from scholars working in all fields of African and African-American Studies (including Latin America and the Caribbean). The search committee is especially eager to review applications from individuals in mid-career or at the early senior level who have outstanding reputations as published scholars and teachers with exciting and innovative agendas. The successful candidate will be expected to assume the responsibilities of program chair for a three to five-year period. As chair, the candidate will provide intellectual and administrative leadership for the AAAS Program, as well as support faculty research and collaboration. Familiarity with the organization and dynamics of multidisciplinary programs is essential. The Committee will begin reviewing applications on December 1, 2008. Applicants should submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching philosophy, teaching evaluations, a statement describing key research interests and areas of expertise in African and African-American Studies, a representative sample of written work, as well as arrange to have four letters of recommendation sent to: AAAS Search Committee, Dartmouth College

Choate House, Hinman Box 6134, Hanover, NH 03755. Applicants

may also submit their material electronically to: African.and.African-American.Studies@Dartmouth.edu With a student population composed equally of men and women, a quarter of whom are minorities, Dartmouth College, an AA/EOE employer, encourages applications from women and minority candidates.

GEORGIA GWINNETT COLLEGE, ASSISTANT, ASSOCIATE OR FULL PROFESSOR, HISTORY

Georgia Gwinnett College invites applicants for faculty positions in History (Asian History, Latin America - any post 1493 period, African/Middle East History, Modern European History - any post 1500 period, U.S. Public History - prefer Georgia History), starting August 1, 2009. The successful candidates will be expected to teach the world history and/or US history survey courses as well as courses within their specialties. Applicants should demonstrate significant innovations in teaching, superior service to the institution, and established research credentials. Commitment to building a new college is also essential. GGC emphasizes a student-centered learning environment. Faculty will be expected to teach lower-division courses in addition to upper-division courses.
DEADLINE: December 1, 2008, but applications will continue to be accepted until the positions are filled.
Applicants should send the following as a single packet (1) completed GGC Faculty Application for Employment (found at http://www.ggc.usg.edu/index.php/About-GGC-Careers-Opportunities.html), (2) letter of interest, (3) current CV, and (4) unofficial graduate and undergraduate transcripts, by scan and email to: apply@ggc.usg.edu OR mail to: Frances Troutman, Georgia Gwinnett College, 1000 University Center Lane, Lawrenceville, GA 30043.

FELLOWSHIPS

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA FACULTY MELLON RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS

Applications are solicited from standing faculty in the humanities and allied departments for the 2009-2010 Mellon Penn Faculty Research Fellowships of the Penn Humanities Forum. Awards in the amount of $5000 are available for junior faculty (assistant professors) to be disbursed as salary; $10,000 awards are also available to senior faculty (associate and full) paid directly to departments to offset the cost of one course release. Fellows must be engaged in research directly related to "Connections", the Forum's topic for 2009-2010. Fellows also are expected to participate in the Forum's weekly Mellon Research Seminar held on Tuesdays, 12:00-2:00 during the academic year. For more information, please visit http://www.phf.upenn.edu. Application Deadline: Friday, January 31, 2009

DAVIDSON COLLEGE: ANDREW W. MELLON POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP IN HISTORY

The History Department at Davidson College is pleased to announce a two-year Andrew W. Mellon post-doctoral fellowship beginning in Fall 2009. Davidson is strongly committed to achieving excellence through diversity. Therefore, we seek a scholar who can enhance and broaden our offerings in an under-represented field in our department such as African, Indian, African American, Native American, Latin America, Latino, Asian, borderlands, environmental, or immigration history.
The postdoctoral fellow will have the opportunity to pursue her or his own research while being mentored by a member of the History Department. We seek to nourish a scholar early in his or her career. The individual will teach a reduced load of one course each semester. Applicants must be within five years of completing their Ph.D.
Please submit one proposed course you would like to teach undergraduates, and a current curriculum vitae to http//jobs.davidson.edu. Additionally, please send three letters of recommendation to Dr. Sally G. McMillen, Chair, Department of History, Box 6994, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28035. The salary and benefits for the Mellon postdoctoral position are $75,000 (that amount includes health insurance and research and travel funds). Davidson College is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from women, members of minority groups, and others who would bring additional dimensions to the college's mission. All interested applicants are invited to apply online at: https://jobs.davidson.edu. Review of applicant materials will begin January 15, 2009. For questions, contact Dr. Sally McMillen, Chair, Department of History, Davidson College. samcmillen@davidson.edu Website: http://www3.davidson.edu

AFRICAN HUMANITIES PROGRAM FELLOWSHIPS

The African Humanities Program supports scholars from Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda for work in Africa. The Program is being organized by the American Council of Learned Societies with financial support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The fellowship program has just been launched and the deadline for receipt of applications in New York is December 1, 2008. Any citizen of any African country with current institutional affiliation in one of the five countries named is welcome to apply. Projects must be in the humanities and must be carried out in Africa. For more information, please visit http://www.acls.org/grants/Default.aspx?id=3210 , or email Jennifer Hasty at jhasty@acls.org or hastymj@sas.upenn.edu.

MERSHON CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES - VISITING SCHOLAR PROGRAM

The Mershon Center for International Security Studies at The Ohio State University invites scholars to apply for residential visiting scholar positions during the 2009-10 academic year. The center is especially interested in projects dealing with the following themes: the use of force and diplomacy; the ideas, identities and decisional processes that affect security; and the institutions that manage violent conflict. The center is open to visits of one or two months, a quarter, or an entire academic year. Compensation is negotiable and will depend on length of stay and rank. Please submit applications in both hard copy and electronic formats. Hard copies may be sent to Mershon Center for International Security Studies, The Ohio State University, Visiting Scholar Program, 1501 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43201, Attn: Melanie Mann, Grants and Fellowships Coordinator. Electronic copies may be sent in Microsoft Word (preferred) or Corel WordPerfect format to Melanie Mann, Grants and Fellowships Coordinator at mann.281@osu.edu. The deadline for applying is January 30, 2008. More information is at http://mershoncenter.osu.edu/grants/fellowships/visiting.htm. The Mershon Center is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

MERSHON CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES - POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP

The Mershon Center for International Security Studies at The Ohio State University invites applications for a one-year residential post-doctoral fellowship during the 2009-10 academic year. The center is especially interested in projects dealing with the following themes: the use of force and diplomacy; the ideas, identities and decisional processes that affect security; and the institutions that manage violent conflict. The Mershon Center provides a $34,000 stipend plus university benefits, an office, a computer, and $1,800 for travel and research expenses. Ph.D.s earned since June 30, 2004, are eligible. Please submit applications in both hard copy and electronic formats. Hard copies may be sent to Mershon Center for International Security Studies, The Ohio State University, Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program, 1501 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43201, Attn: Melanie Mann, Grants and Fellowships Coordinator. Electronic copies may be sent in Microsoft Word (preferred) or Corel WordPerfect format to Melanie Mann, Grants and Fellowships Coordinator at mann.281@osu.edu. The deadline for applying is January 30, 2008. More information is available at
http://mershoncenter.osu.edu/grants/fellowships/post_doc.htm. The Mershon Center is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

SWEET BRIAR COLLEGE POST-DOCTORAL TEACHING FELLOWSHIP

The Sweet Briar College Honors Program invites applications for its two-year, non-renewable Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship beginning August 2009. Applications are invited from candidates who have received a doctorate in the Humanities since 2005 or will have the PhD in hand by August 2009. The candidate should demonstrate strong scholarly activities of an interdisciplinary nature and interest in teaching at a small liberal arts college for women. The ideal candidate will contribute to the diversity and quality of the college community through teaching and scholarship. The Honors Fellow will be in residence during the academic year, with a two/one teaching load, teaching at least one Honors seminar related to his or her field of specialty each semester. In addition, the fellow will mentor Honors students, and organize and participate in Honors activities. The Fellowship includes a stipend, housing on the Sweet Briar campus, office and institutional support, a research/travel allowance, and some moving expenses. Please submit a letter of application, a current c.v., three references including contact information, a writing sample (no more than 25 pages), and a syllabus/course proposal for an Honors seminar. A list of current and past seminar offerings is available at http://www.sbc.edu/honors/. Application materials should be mailed to Honors Program, Honors Fellow Search, Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, Virginia, 24595. Applications received by December 5, 2008, will receive full consideration. Application materials must be hard copy. Electronic submissions will not be accepted. Questions may be directed to Dr. Deborah Durham, Honors Committee Chair, durham@sbc.edu. EOE.

***********OTHER RESOURCES************

WEB-LINKS

For a comprehensive list of websites on research on and from Africa, please refer to the "Other Resources" section in our previous newsletters, archived at http://www.africa.upenn.edu/africa/jua.html

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Makau Mutua (Ed.). "Human Rights in East Africa." University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008

Rene Lemarchand. "The Dynamics of Violence in Central Africa." University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008

I Davids, F Theron & KJ Maphunye. "Participatory development in South Africa." Second edition. Van Schaik Publishers, 2008

Soala Ariweriokuma. "The Political Economy of Oil and Gas in Africa: The case of Nigeria." Routledge, 2008

Allan Charles Dawson (ed). "Shrines in Africa: History, Politics and Society (Africa: Missing Voices Series: 5)." University of Calgary Press, 2008

Cecile Vigouroux & Salikoko S. Mufwene (Eds.). "Globalization and Language Vitality: Perspectives from Black Africa." Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd. (UK), 2008

Victoria L. Rovine. "Bogolan: Shaping Culture through Cloth in Contemporary Mali." Indiana University Press, 2008

Nigel Pavitt. "Kenya: A Country in the Making, 1880-1940." W.W. Norton & Co., 2008

Chris McIvor. "A Blend in the Nile: My Life in Nubia and Other Places." Sandstone Press (UK), 2008

Laura Kahn. "Darfur : Twenty Years of War and Genocide in Sudan." Powerhouse books, 2008

Fasil Giorghis & Denis Gerard. "Addis Ababa 1886-1941: The City and its Architectural Heritage/La Ville et son Patri-moine architectural." Shama books (Ethiopia) 2007

African Studies Center
University of Pennsylvania
647 Williams Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2615

Phone:(215)898-6971
Fax:(215)573-7379
Email:africa@sas.upenn.edu
Website:http://www.africa.upenn.edu

Page Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D.