AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER - UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
 

JUA: Penn African Studies Bulletin, (12/08/08)


J U A

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
BIMONTHLY BULLETIN
Issue No. 7, Fall 2008
December 8, 2008

Dear JUA Readers,

Please find attached the seventh 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, January 14th, 2008.

With best wishes for the holiday seasons,

Namrata Poddar,
JUA Editor


CONTENTS:

EVENTS
CONFERENCES: CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
FELLOWSHIPS & GRANTS
ACADEMIC JOBS
OTHER RESOURCES


*************EVENTS**************



THE 13TH ANNUAL PEACE AROUND THE WORLD : PENN MUSEUM'S FREE HOLIDAY FAMILY

CELEBRATION
Sunday, December 7, 2008, 1:00 TO 4:00 p.m.

Grab your "Holiday Passport" and get into the spirit of the holiday season Sunday, December 7th, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., when the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology celebrates its 13th annual FREE Peace Around the World family-oriented afternoon. Continuing with last year's tradition, this year's theme is "Holiday Passport to Cultures," and all visitors receive Museum "passports" with itineraries to visit Penn Museum International Classroom speakers and learn about holiday traditions in countries around the world. The day also features international music, choir music by children and adults, exotic face painting, balloon art, international family crafts, free treats for children, and more!

This year's event is in honor of Elaine Garfinkel, who founded Peace Around the World at Penn Museum in 1995. Elaine was an active member of the Penn Museum women's community for fifteen years. Her kindness and compassion live on through this special event. Peace Around the World is co-sponsored by the Middle East Center, the Center for East Asian Studies, the South Asian Center and the African Studies Center of the University of Pennsylvania, the Museum's volunteer Women's Committee, the Bharatiya Cultural Center, the Bharatiya Vidayalaya of Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania and Canada Dry.

Guests can pick up their "passports" when they enter the Penn Museum, before "departing" on their world tour to countries including Spain, Pakistan, Turkey, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, India, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Peru. Five of Penn Museum's International Classroom program presenters will be on hand in different galleries, ready to share aspects of the history, festivals, language and social customs of their countries through special programs and activities-and to stamp visitors' passports. Passports stamped with all four countries can be taken to the Pyramid Shop for Children to receive a small world-traveler prize. For more information, please visit http://www.museum.upenn.edu/new/news/fullrelease.php?which=356

COMMUNITY RESILIENCE: STORIES FROM THE GROUND

Tuesday, December 9, 2008, 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars 6th Floor Flom Auditorium, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW (Ronald Reagan Building)

The Comparative Urban Studies Project and the Africa Program of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and The Fetzer Institute invite you to a presentation on: "Community Resilience : Stories from the Ground"; Featuring: Mohamed Halfani, Coordinator, Global Campaign on Urban Governance, UN-Habitat, Nairobi, Kenya; Arif Hasan, Advisor, Orangi Pilot Project, Founder and Chairman, Urban Resource Centre, Karachi, Pakistan; Davinder Lamba, Executive Director, Mazingira Institute, Kenya; Pablo Lopez, Executive Director, e-merging communities, Red Wolf Band, New Mexico; Rose Molokoane, Shack/Slum Dwellers International, South Africa. The Comparative Urban Studies Project and the Africa Program are pleased to host five outstanding international and local community leaders who will reflect upon compelling cases of community resilience worldwide, drawing from extensive experience linking work at the grassroots level to broader resources. Seminar speakers will address the following themes: definitions of successful, healthy communities; how local communities promote inclusion and reconciliation; the role of the individual in community transformation; how successful examples of community resilience inform global consciousness away from fear and violence; and how governance structures and policies can foster community resilience in an increasingly globalized world. The seminar will focus on the role of the individual and informal leadership as well as social capital and networks to better understand how communities self-organize and how efforts to access inner and outer resources can be translated to policy.

RSVP acceptances only, cusp@wilsoncenter.org or by calling (202) 691-4289. Note: Due to heightened security, entrance to the building will be restricted and photo identification is required. Please allow additional time to pass through security.


CONFERENCES: CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

STUDENT SYMPOSIUM ON AFRICAN EDUCATION: INTERROGATING QUALITY WITHIN THE AFRICAN

CONTEXT
African Studies Working Group, Teachers College, Columbia University Friday, February 27, 2009, 10 am to 6 pm Location: 179 Grace Dodge Hall, Teachers College, Columbia University

Call for Abstracts:
"Quality is at the heart of education. It influences what students learn, how well they learn and what benefits they draw from their education." (EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2005)
The Student Symposium on African Education will focus on a range of issues related to educational quality in the African context. In recent years, international organizations and donor governments have put a great deal of emphasis on increasing access to schooling in the developing world, epitomized by "Education for All" and the Free Primary Education movements that swept many African nations at the turn of the twenty-first century. One result of this shift was a new appreciation for the need to improve educational quality. This conference aims to critically examine and explore understandings of educational quality and their implications for policy and practice. We welcome abstract submissions of presentations addressing topics within the broad realm of educational quality in the African context. Topics may include: Pedagogy, Instruction, Curriculum, Teacher Training, Assessment, Accountability, Inclusion, Integrated Services, Student Safety and Security, Teacher Compensation, Teacher/Student Motivation, Availability of Resources, Language Policy, or other related research areas. For more information, please visit www.tc.columbia.edu/students/aswg/

Proposal Formats:
There are two ways to actively participate in the symposium. Panels will be organized topically, while poster presentations can be broader in scope. Those not selected to participate on a panel are encouraged to participate in the poster session, which will allow participants to present and discuss their work in a less formal setting. Please submit:

  • Title of the paper/poster (15 words or fewer)
  • Presenter's name, institutional affiliation and title, mailing address, e-mail address and telephone numbers
  • An abstract of 200 words or less of the paper/poster
  • Two keyword descriptors of the paper/poster

Deadlines:
The early deadline for submissions is December 15, 2008. The final deadline is January 15, 2009. Acceptance notifications will be sent by January 25, 2009. All abstracts should be submitted electronically to aswg@tc.edu. Decisions regarding proposals will be sent by e-mail. If you are unable to receive notification by e-mail, please indicate an alternative way to contact you on the proposal submission form.


ACADEMIC JOBS

MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY, FULL PROFESSOR, AFRICAN HISTORY

Millersville University invites applications for a Full-time, tenure-track Assistant professor position, available beginning August 2009, who would teach survey courses in African and World history, as well as upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses related to the field(s) of specialization. Required: ABD in History of Africa. Demonstrated ability to teach survey courses in history of Europe and the World. Must have successful interview and teaching demonstration. Ph.D. required for eligibility to apply for reappointment to the third year. Preferred: Ph.D. in history of Africa, preferably with additional expertise in the field of study of Africa's relationship with the world of the Indian Ocean. Experience teaching African history and survey courses. Record of scholarly publications. Evidence of commitment to working in a diverse requirement.

Full consideration given to applications received by January 7, 2009. Send letter of application addressing qualifications, curriculum vitae, copies of all transcripts, and three current letters of recommendation to: Dr. Ronald B. Frankum, Jr., Search Chair History Department/HN0908 Millersville University P.O. Box 1002 Millersville, PA 17551-0302. An EO/AA Institution www.millersville.edu

SHAWNEE STATE UNIVERSITY, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL

SCIENCES

Shawnee State University invites applications for a tenure-track, assistant professorship of history. Preference will be given to a generalist with a concentration in the history of the Middle East, Africa, Japan, or South America. Pending budgetary approval, the department anticipates filling the position for fall 2009. Requirements include appropriate doctorate (ABD considered, Ph.D. preferred) in history or a related social science discipline and a record of successful college-level teaching.

To ensure full consideration, send letter of application, curriculum vitae, unofficial transcripts, and three letters of recommendation to: Dr. Timothy E. Scheurer, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Shawnee State University, 940 2nd Street, Portsmouth, OH 45662. Electronic application can be submitted to the Department of Human Resources at hr@shawnee.edu. Screening of applicants will begin January 15, 2009 and continue until position is filled. Official transcript required prior to appointment. For more information about this position and the University refer to our home pate at www.shawnee.edu. SSU is an undergraduate-focused, teaching-oriented institution, with growing enrollment, located on the Ohio River at Portsmouth, Ohio. SSU seeks staff members who share our commitment to students as our first priority. SSU is an AA/EOE.


**************FELLOWSHIP/GRANT****************

TEACHING THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE: LESSONS FROM ETHIOPIA: SUMMER 2009

PENDING RECEIPT OF GRANT FUNDING from the U.S. Department of Education, The University of Pennsylvania African Studies Center will administer a Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad to Ethiopia-Summer 2009.

The Program:
14 educators will be invited to participate in the Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad: Short Term Seminar to Ethiopia for five weeks in summer 2009. Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa and has one of the longest recorded histories in the world. Ethiopia is the 2nd most populous African nation and has over 80 different ethnic and language groups. The Seminar's three overarching themes:

  1. Gaining knowledge of the history of the region.
  2. Learning about past and contemporary religion in the region.
  3. Learning about the regional issues of migration, displacement, and the Diaspora Pre-departure workshops will draw on faculty experts on African Studies and from the region's large Ethiopian business and cultural community to provide in-depth orientation to the participants. In-country activities will involve teams of Ethiopian educators who will partner with the U.S. visitors. Participants will engage in trips to historical and cultural sites and to international organizations headquartered in Addis Ababa. A distance learning program will be set up utilizing videoconferencing and an educational video of the group's travels will be edited and distributed for use in Ethiopian and American classrooms. Project will include post-travel workshops, videoconferences, blogs, and curriculum advancement.

Eligibility: Applicants must be:

  1. A U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States
  2. A teacher currently teaching social sciences, humanities, foreign languages, or area studies OR an administrator currently responsible for planning, conducting, or supervising programs in foreign languages or area studies at all levels OR a graduate student currently in an institution of higher education who is a prospective teacher of social sciences, humanities, foreign languages or area studies. Area Studies is defined as a program of comprehensive study of the aspects of a society or societies including the study of geography, history, culture, economy, politics, international relations, or languages.

Funding: Fulbright- Hays GPA grant covers the following:

  • International travel to and from Ethiopia and Philadelphia
  • Accommodation and food for the duration for the program in Ethiopia
  • Program-related transportation and admission fees in Ethiopia
  • Educational materials distributed during the program for use in the U.S. The fellowship does not cover:
  • A fee of $450 to cover program administration costs
  • Local travel to and from the participant's home and Philadelphia Int. Airport
  • Health insurance
  • Passport and visa fees
  • Inoculations and other health care related to travel
  • Travel done on the participant's own time and initiative
  • Personal shopping and gifts

Application Procedure:
Application Packet: www.africa.upenn.edu/gpa-eth Deadline for Application: Monday March 2, 2009

For more information contact: Anastasia Shown, Assistant Director, African Studies Center, 215-898-6449, or email shown@sas.upenn.edu


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

FILMS ON DARFUR

**Sand and Sorrow, a film by Paul Freedman, Narrated by George Clooney http://www.sandandsorrow.org/
**Darfur Diaries, by Aisha Bain, Jen Marlowe and Adam Shapiro http://www.darfurdiaries.org/
**The Devil Came On Horseback, by Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern http://www.thedevilcameonhorseback.com/
**They Turned our Desert Into Fire, a film by Mark Brecke http://www.desertintofire.com/
**Children of Darfur
http://www.nativevoicefilms.com/nv/?page_id=27 **Christmas in Darfur
http://www.christmasindarfur.org/
**Darfur Now
http://www.tiff07.ca/filmsandschedules/filmdetails.aspx?id=706271626181386 **Darfur/Darfur
http://www.tiff07.ca/filmsandschedules/filmdetails.aspx?id=706041358441386 **All About Darfur, directed and written by Taghreed Elsanhouri http://www.allaboutdarfur.com/
**Sing For Darfur, directed and written by Johan Kramer http://www.singfordarfur.org/en/?page_id=11 **Screamers, directed by Carla Garapedian http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0823668/
**Facing Sudan, directed by Bruce David Janu http://www.facingsudan.com/sudan.html
**The Translator, directed by Luis Mandoki http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1038901/

RECENT PUBLICATION

Wayne Dooling. "Slavery, Emancipation and Colonial Rule in South Africa." : Research in International Studies, Africa Series No. 87, Ohio University Press, 2008



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.

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