MSU Tuesday Bulletin, 01/24/06

Issue No. 3 Spring 2006
January 24, 2006

Weekly News from the AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY 100 INTERNATIONAL CENTER

EAST LANSING MI 48824-1035

For back issues, see archive <http://africa.msu.edu>

BULLETIN CONTENTS

EVENTS

MSU ANNOUNCEMENTS
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
CONFERENCES
FELLOWSHIPS

EVENTS

January 23, Monday

"Disturbing the Peace: Africa, IR Theory, and the Democratic Peace," with Errol Henderson, Professor Political Science and African and African-American Studies (Pennsylvania State Univ.), 4:30pm, 334A South Case Hall. Dr. Henderson is a candidate for a Faculty position in International Relations at James Madison College.

January 25, Wednesday

"Hausa Table," every Wednesday brown bag luncheon with Dr. Ibro Chekaraou. Hausa-phones in the Lansing/East Lansing area meet to practice their Hausa in order to maintain or improve their oral skills in the language, 12:00 noon, Room 201 International Center.

January 26, Thursday

"Feast and Fast: The Significance of Food in Ethiopia," African Studies Center Brown Bag with Cressida Marcus, Ethiopian Research Scholar, 12:00 noon, Room 201, International Center.

January 27, Friday

"Consequences of Third Party Certification of Food and Agricultural Products in Ghana, Guatemala, and Indonesia," CASID/WID Friday Forum with Dr. Lawrence Busch, University Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Director of the institute for Food and Agricultural Standards (MSU), 12:00 noon, Room 201 International Center.

February 2, Thursday

ìSymbolic Boundaries and Contested Identities: The New Logics of Political Violence in Africa," African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with Abdi Kusow, Faculty in Sociology and Anthropology (Oakland Univ.), 12:00 noon, Room 201 International Center.

MSU ANNOUNCEMENTS

African Studies Center Application for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) 2006-07

The African Studies Center at MSU is now accepting on-line applications for FLAS fellowships for academic year 2006-07 and for the 2006 Summer Cooperative African Language Institute (SCALI). The FLAS fellowship is funded by the U.S. Department of Education Title VI program for the study of African languages and non-language courses on Africa.

Up to date information and on-line application forms are available at: http://africa.msu.edu/FLAS/FLAS.htm.

Candidates must have completed application procedures by February 17, 2006. Related application materials are to be mailed to the Assistant Director of the African Studies Center, 100 International Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1035; Phone: (517) 353-1700; Fax: (517) 432-1209; e-mail:
fisseha@msu.edu. In accordance with the Title VI centers' agreement of rotating summer course offerings under SCALI, African languages study in summer 2006 will be hosted by Indiana University-Bloomington. For info, visit: http://www.indiana.edu/afrist/scali1.html.

Imani Winds performing at MSU, February 22, 2006

Wharton Center presents: Imani Winds, Wednesday, February 22, 2006; 7:30 p.m., Pasant Theatre. The five accomplished musicians of Imani Winds joined forces in 1997 to expand the boundaries of the traditional wind quintet and explore the links between European, African and American music traditions. The name Imani, "faith" in Swahili, embodies this mission.

For ticket information contact the Wharton Center at (517) 432-2000; 1-800-WHARTON; or visit: www.whartoncenter.com.

MSU and U of M to host Atlantic History workshop

On April 28-30, 2006, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan will host the second of a series of workshops in Atlantic History entitled, "'Recapricorning' the Atlantic: Luso-Brazilian and Luso-African Perspectives on the Atlantic World". The workshop will be a forum for discussing chapters from dissertations or books in progress that reflect on how new research on the Lusophone South Atlantic modifies, challenges, or confirms the expanding body of Atlantic History whose primary focus has been on the North Atlantic and the Caribbean.

Please direct inquiries to: atlantic@msu.edu or Lindsey Gish (Atlantic Workshop Coordinator), Department of History, 301 Morrill Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Funding Opportunity, Dept. of State
Exchange program, Deadline: February 9, 2006

The Office of Citizen Exchanges of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for grants that support exchanges and build relationships between U.S. non-profit organizations and civil society groups in Africa, East Asia, Eurasia, Europe, the Near East, North Africa, South Asia and the Western Hemisphere. U.S. public and non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue code section 26 USC 501 )(3) may submit proposals that support the goals of The Professional Exchanges Program.

Projects should promote mutual understanding and partnerships between key professional groups in the United States and counterpart groups in other countries through multi-phased exchanges taking place over one to three years. Proposals should further transformational democracy which seeks to encourage and support the development of more democratic societies and institutions, with a view toward creating a more stable world. To the fullest extent possible, programs should be two-way exchanges supporting roughly equal numbers of participants from the U.S. and foreign countries.

Projects should be structured to allow American professionals and their international counterparts in target countries to develop a common dialogue for dealing with shared challenges and concerns. Projects should include current or potential leaders who will effect positive change in their communities. Exchange participants might include community leaders, elected and professional government officials, religious leaders, educators, and proponents of democratic ideals and institutions, including for example, the media and judiciary, or others who influence the way in which different communities approach these issues. The Bureau is especially interested in engaging socially and economically diverse groups that may not have had extensive contact with counterpart institutions in the United States. The Bureau encourages the submission of proposals that engage these audiences in countries with significant Muslim populations, or that engage educators or groups that influence youth in innovative ways. The application deadline is February 9, 2006. The estimated total program funding is $5,800,000.00. For further details,e-mail Anthony Wagner at: WagnerA@aascu.org.

CONFERENCES

Graduate Student Conference-UCLA, May 19, 2006 CFP - Deadline extended to January 27, 2006

The planning committee of the Multicampus Research Group (MRG) is pleased to announce the 5th Annual Graduate Student Conference, "The Art of Rights: Human Rights in Comparative Perspective." The conference will be May 19, 2006. This conference proposes to bring literature and the arts into dialogue with the social sciences in order to confront the ethics of representation in the context of an increasingly globalized and violent world.

The committee welcomes 250-word abstracts for papers related to the topic of representing human rights. Conference presentations should be twenty minutes in length and may address the topic from any period or discipline: literature, sociology, history, cultural studies, gender studies, film, theater, the performing arts, political science, public policy, etc. Abstracts may be submitted by e-mail attachment no later than January 27, 2006 to Amy Marczewski, Conference Chair, at: MRGconf@humnet.ucla.edu.

Financial assistance will be available to cover lodging costs in Los Angeles. For information, go to: http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/transnation or contact Amy Marczewski at asmarcze@ucla.edu.

African Children in African Media- Ohio University June 15-17, 2006

The conference considers how African children are represented and underrepresented in African audio- visual and print media. The sessions will explore the role of state, private, and NGO owned media institutions and organizations, and examine their impact on the lives of African children. Educational media, child produced media, media for development purposes are among some of the panel topics. Papers from scholarly and practitioner perspectives are welcome.

The expected outcomes will include research and production projects designed to amplify unique children's voices and cultures, through media created locally and shared globally. For inquiries and information contact conference coordinator Ghirmai Negash at negashg@ohio.edu or Acacia Nikoi at nikoi@ohio.edu. The deadline to submit abstracts is April 1, 2006. For additional information including registration, housing, and travel information visit the Institute's website at: http://www.ohio.edu/afrchild.

International Conference - Western Michigan Univ.

The WMU Center for African Development Policy Research (CADPR) announces an International Symposium on "Challenges and Opportunities Development and Peaceful Conflict Resolution in the Horn of Africa" to be held August 3-5, 2006 at Western Michigan University, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. The Horn of Africa (compromising of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia, and Djibouti) is one of the most strategic areas of Africa and the global economy. It is a bridge between Africa and the Middle East, as well as the oil fields of the Persian Gulf. It is a culturally and historically rich region of the world with great natural resource potential. It is a region of diversity in culture, languages, and religions. In spite of these potentials, it is currently one of the poorest and unstable sub-region of Africa. The objectives of the conference are to: 1. Raise awareness about critical issues of conflict that drives conflict driven underdevelopment and poverty in the Horn of Africa sub-region, 2. Provide a forum for constructive and informed dialogue on key policy options for peaceful conflict resolution for future development and progress, 3. Exchange research papers on the various dimensions of Conflict and Human development, and 4. Build consensus on policy options that are crucial for future progress in the Horn for peaceful conflict resolution, development, peace and democratic governance both among states and within states. The Symposium is intended for academics, policy makers, investors, and donors and others interested in contemporary issues in the Horn of Africa.

The Conference Conveners invite proposals on development issues and topics related to the following sub-themes: 1.Conflict, peaceful conflict resolution and Development; 2.Historical and cultural Origins of Conflict and lessons for Peaceful conflict resolution; 3. The impact of conflict on economic development and progress; 4. Managing Ethnic and Religious conflict; 5. Terror, Conflict and Conflict Resolution; 6. The Impact of globalization on regional and state conflicts; 7. The relationship between governance and human conflict; 8. Natural and humanitarian disasters and Conflict; 9. Managing Conflict in national Elections; 10. The Role of US in Peaceful Conflict Resolution and Development; 11. The impact of Globalization, conflict and terrorism and; other topics related to the Conference Theme.

Each contributor is invited to complete and submit the participation form (see website) and one typed double- spaced copy of the proposal. Abstracts that do not include a completed Participation Form will be regarded as incomplete and will not be accepted. Visit http://www.wmich.edu/hcenter/cadpr/call.for.papers.2 006.html for registration, specific venue, and other information. Please send all abstracts or proposals by April 15, 2006 to: International Conference on Conflict Resolution and Development in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa, Center for African Development Policy Research (CADPR), Haenicke Institute for Global Education (HINGE), Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA; Fax: (616) 387-0630; e- mail: sisay.asefa@wmich.edu.
All abstracts may be sent by electronic mail to SISAY.ASEFA@WMICH.EDU.

FELLOWSHIPS

Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships at UCLA

The division of humanities at the University of California, Los Angeles, will appoint four Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellows for a 2-year tenure beginning in the fall of 2006. Fellows must have earned their doctoral degree no earlier than January 2000 and no later than June 2006. All Fellows will be housed in relevant home departments for which they teach two courses each year. They are required to be in residence and to participate in the monthly Mellon Fellows Seminars and annual Mellon Conference, as well as the on-going intellectual life of their home departments. Fellows will also write a progress report due on June 15th of each year of residence.
The Mellon program at UCLA is designed to explore the emerging field of Transnational Studies. Its aim is to broaden the study of minority cultures from its national focus to global and comparative perspectives. The program seeks innovative scholarship that explores minority cultures as major components of world culture and history, generated by immigrant and minority writer, artists, filmmakers, playwrights, and musicians residing in metropolitan centers across the world and thereby reshaping the canons of literature, art, and music in their respective countries.

There is no application form. Applicants should send a cover letter, a description (no more than 1500 words) of the scholarly project relevant to the program, a CV, and three letters of recommendation by February 1, 2006,

to: Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships in the Humanities
at UCLA, Royce Humanities Group, 212 Royce Hall,
UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095. For more information,
please contact Cyndia Soloway via e-mail at

soloway@humnet.ucla.edu.

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