MSU Tuesday Bulletin, 02/12/08
The African Studies Center at MSU
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Tuesday Bulletin for February 12th, 2008
Topics covered in this issue: Events | Announcements | Other Announcements | Conferences |
Jobs
Events
Building Partnerships for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children in West Kenya, Summer 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Study Abroad Information meeting, 4:30 p.m., Room 105 Bessey Hall.
Forging Peace in the War on Terror
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Peace and Justice lecture by Professor George Lopez, Hesburgh Chair of Peace Studies (Univ. of Notre Dame), 7:00 p.m., Room 105 S. Kedzie. A follow-up workshop to be held February 14th, 1-2:45pm, and 3-4:45pm in the MSU Union Gold Room B. Registration is not required, however an initial expression of interest is appreciated. Please e-mail Dr. Richard Peterson at petrsnrt@msu.edu for information.
Farmer Integration of Soil-fertility-enhancing trees in Cropping Systems in Southern
Malawi
Thursday, February 14, 2008
African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with Tracy Beedy, Advanced Graduate Student (Crop
and Soil Sciences, MSU), 12:00 noon, Room 201 International Center.
- Film series
- "Thomas Sankara: The Upright Man" (Burkina Faso)
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Shown at the Snyder-Phillips residential college theater, 7:30 p.m.
As Africa looks desperately for leaders of integrity and vision, the life and ideals of
the late Thomas Sankara seems more and more relevant and exemplary with the passage of
time. The film recovers for the present a detailed history of Sankara's brief four-year
rule and his revolutionary program for African self-reliance as a defiant alternative to
the neo-liberal development strategies imposed on Africa by the West, both then and
today.
Academic Year and Summer FLAS Applications due
Friday, February 15, 2008
Contact Dr. Yacob Fisseha at (517) 353-1700 for information, or visit: http://africa.msu.edu/.
Death By Myth? Climate Change, Politics, and Coping Strategies Among the San of Southern
Africa
Friday, February 15, 2008
CASID/WID Friday Forum with Dr. Robert Hitchcock, Chairperson (Anthropology, MSU), 12:00
noon, Room 201 International Center.
So Different, So Close: Students and Community converge in Zonkizizwe, South Africa
Friday, February 15, 2008
Presentation by Jeanne Gazel, (Ctr. for Integrative Studies Social Science, MSU),
Michigan-Africa Network of Activists (MANA) presentation on a series of discussions
addressing the HIV-AIDS Crisis in Africa, 3:00-5:00 p.m., Room 201 International
Center.
- An Island Apart
- Cultural and Natural Resources of Madagascar
Monday, February 18, 2008
Summer 2008," Study Abroad Informational Meeting, 5:00 p.m., Room 001 Natural Resources.
Building Partnerships for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children in West Kenya
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Summer 2008, Study Abroad Information meeting, 5:00 p.m., Room 106 Bessey Hall.
The Use of Arabic in Senegalese Society: Analysis of impacts at the social and educational
levels
Thursday, February 21, 2008
African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with Cheikh Gueye, Faculty (Univ. of Cheikh Anta
Diop, Senegal, Visiting Scholar, African Studies Center), 12:00 noon, Room 201
International Center.
Some Reflections on the Evolution of Popular Political Representations in Burkina Faso
Thursday, February 28, 2008
African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with Mathieu Hilgers, Research Fellow (Fonds de la
Recherche Scientifique, Belgium and Visiting Scholar, African Studies Center), 12:00 noon,
Room 201 International Center.
- Film series
- "Drum" (South Africa)
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Shown at the Snyder-Phillips residential college theater, 7:30p.m.
Winner of the first prize award for best film at the 2005 FESPACO festival in Burkina
Faso (Africa's premier film festival). Drum tells the story of Heny Nxumalo South Africa's
leading investigative reporter, exposing the Apartheid regime's darkest secrets in the
pages of Drum, the first magazine in South Africa aimed at a Black readership. To expose
the appalling conditions of African farm-workers in the Transvaal, he gets a job on a farm
where farm workers are treated brutally. He then gets himself arrested so that he can
report on the conditions of Black prisoners in Apartheid's jails. Drum is published from
Sophiatown, which was in the 1950s a multiracial oasis in the heart of Apartheid
Johannesburg. In the 1960s, the regime decides that both Sophiatown and Drum have to be
destroyed in the realization of Apartheid's grand vision.
Announcements
Faculty announcements
Professor receives High French Honors
James Bingen, professor of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource studies
(CARRS), and a member of the African Studies Center Core Faculty was presented with a
medal of honor by representatives of the French government on February 1, 2008 at a
ceremony held at the MSU University Club. At the same time Steven Pueppke, assistant vice
president for research and graduate studies and director of the Michigan Agricultural
Experiment Station and the MSU Office of Biobased Technologies, received a medal of honor
from the French Government (reported in MSU Today, February 1, 2008).
Bingen received the Chevalier de l'Ordre du Mérite agricole (Knight in the
Agricultural Order of Merit), a lifetime appointment given by the French government. The
report indicates that the medal was established in 1883 by Jules Méline, minister
of agriculture, to recognize those making significant contributions to the development and
progress of agriculture. Professor Bingen was acknowledged for his contributions to
helping young Americans understand French farming practices and policy that are grounded
in the history and values of place.
"I am deeply honored to receive such a prestigious award," Bingen said. "It's extremely
fulfilling to have the opportunity to help a new generation discover and appreciate French
farming practices that enhance the viability of small family farmers, both here and
globally."
Symposium & Reception for Dr. Pero G. Dagbovie
African American and African Studies Program extends an invitation to their Black History
Month Symposium for Dr. Pero Dagbovie featuring his new book, The Early Black History
Movement, Carter G. Woodson and Lorenzo Johnston Greene with commentary from Distinguished
Scholars of African American History: Dr. Arvarh E. Strickland, Dr. Darlene Clark Hine and
Dr. Antonio F. Holland.
Dr. Dagbovie is Professor of History and a member of the African Studies Center
Consulting Faculty. This event is co-sponsored by: Black
Faculty, Staff, Administrators Association (BFSAA), Comparative Black History PhD Program; Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives; College of Arts and Letters; Department of English and Department of History. The Symposium will be held Wednesday, February 27, 2008, 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the Kellogg Center Auditorium. Please direct questions to: Theresa Marquez at (517) 355-5229 or e-mail: marquezt@msu.edu.
Historians Launch Podcast About African Studies
Two Africanist historians at Michigan State University have launched the "Africa Past & Present" podcast, an innovative show about history, culture, politics and African Studies in general which can be accessed at: http://afripod.aodl.org.
"Africa matters," said Peter Alegi, Assistant Professor of African History." It matters
to America since about one in seven Americans trace their origins to the African
continent. Africa also has global implications: economic, political, and cultural ones.
Finally, Africa deserves to be studied and debated in its own right, like any other
continent." Through interviews with eminent scholars and persons, this podcast highlights
cutting-edge knowledge and ideas in African Studies from a wide range of perspectives.
Alegi and his co-host Peter Limb intend to broaden accessibility to the study of Africa
beyond the traditional confines of university classrooms.
"Podcasting is an exciting and vibrant forum, especially for communication," notes Limb, African Bibliographer and Adjunct Associate Professor of History." It opens up a new horizon for interaction not just in this country, but also with scholars, activists, and others in Africa itself." Africa Past & Present is produced by MatrixThe Center for Humane Arts, Letters, and Social Sciences Onlineand the MSU Department of History. Listen and subscribe to the fortnightly podcasts at: http://afripod.aodl.org. For information contact Peter Alegi and Peter Limb, Dept. of History, (517) 355-7500, e-mail: africa.podcast@matrix.msu.edu.
Undefended Childhood: A Global Perspective-CFP
The undefended childhood conference will take place April 3-4, 2008 at the Kellogg Hotel
and Conference Center on the campus of Michigan State University. It will focus on the
various issues of vulnerable children around the world. The conference will track: child
labor; education; indigenous rights; health; HIV/AIDS; refugee/immigrants; children in
conflict; poverty; environment; language and culture. The Honorable Dr. Judith Mbula
Bahemuka, High Commissioner to Canada will be the keynote speaker.
Abstract or poster submissions are due March 1, 2008. Poster submissions requests may be submitted to Yeon Soo Kim at kimyeon7@msu.edu. Pre-registration ends Monday, March 24. For registration fees and information, contact Linda Hancock at hancoc31@msu.edu. For conference details, visit the website at http://undefendedchild.msu.edu.
Other Announcements
Université Cheikh Anta Diop Celebrates 50 years
This year, Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) in Dakar, marks its fiftieth year.
Founded in 1957, UCAD has trained generations of African intellectuals and leaders. One of
the continent's premier institutions of higher education, it serves as a student body of
approximately 55,000, drawn from a wide range of African countries. Its faculty of more
than 1,000 includes internationally known scholars who play a pivotal role in the
intellectual life of the continent and the world. Congratulations to UCAD for fifty years
at the forefront of intellectual activity and scientific production.
King Kigeli V, titular king of Rwanda to speak in Kalamazoo, MI
A forum on the theme of "Racism and Reconciliation: Searching for Solutions through Love and Forgiveness," will be held Sunday February 17th at 3 p.m. at the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 2208 Winchell Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI. 49008. The Guest speaker is King Kigeli V, titular king of Rwanda, speaking on the need for reconciliation in Rwanda. For further information, e-mail: Babienge@aol.com.
Conferences
2008 Northeast Workshop on Southern Africa-CFP
This is the first call for papers and participation for the Eighth Northeast Workshop on
Southern Africa (NEWSA). Scholars from all disciplines who are currently working on
southern Africa (Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South
Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe) are encouraged to submit proposals. The committee
also encourage the presentation of previously unpublished work, and submissions from
graduate students and junior faculty in particular. The meeting will be held at the Bishop
Booth Conference Center in Burlington, Vermont (US), October 17-19, 2008.
The deadline for paper and/or panel proposals, and to volunteer as a discussant, is March 14, 2008. Send proposals to Peter Alegi at: alegi@msu.edu. For further details and the latest updated information on the conference, see the NEWSA web site at https://segue.southwestern.edu/sites/greenmue.
Jobs
African Traditional Religions - U. of Georgia
The University of Georgia Dept. of Religion & Institute of African Studies seek
tenure-track Assistant Professor to teach and publish in AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS
beginning Fall 2008. A Ph.D. in Religion, or African Studies, or related field is
expected. The successful candidate must have demonstrated ability to teach and develop
courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the Dept. of Religion and in the
Institute of African Studies, specifically courses in African Traditional Religions and
introductory courses in African Religions and/or related courses in African Studies.
Teaching competency in one or more of the following areas are also welcomed: African
Religions in the Diaspora, Religions in Africa, African history, geography, and
anthropology.
The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, its many units, and the University of Georgia are committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty and students, and sustaining a work and learning environment that are inclusive. The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution. Letter of application, vita, and the names and complete contact information for three references should be submitted preferably by e-mail to religion@uga.edu by March 1, 2008. Paper applications may be mailed to: Akinyole Ojo and Carolyn M. Medine, Co-Chairs, African Traditional Religions Search Committee, University of Georgia, Department of Religion, 206 Peabody Hall, Athens, GA 30602-1625. Address inquiries to the co-chairs by e-mail: akinloye@uga.edu and medine@uga.edu.
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African Studies Center
100 CIP, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1035
Phone (Area 517): 353-1700 - Fax: 432-1209
www.africa.msu.edu
Page Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D.