MSU Tuesday Bulletin, 02/13/07

THE TUESDAY BULLETIN

Issue No. 5 Spring 2007
February 13, 2007

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
SCHOLARSHIPS
CONFERENCES
JOBS

EVENTS

February 14, Wednesday

"The Neuropsychological Effects of Cerebral Malaria in Ugandan Children: Missions of Healing and Broken Brains," Center for Ethics & Humanities in the Life Sciences Brown Bag with Michael Boivin, Faculty (Int'l Neurologic & Psychiatric Epidemiology Program, MSU), 12:00 noon, Room C-102 East Fee Hall.

February 15, Thursday

"Future Directions in the MSU Focus on Africa: Arts and Humanities Faculty Perspectives -II," African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with MSU African Studies Center Faculty, 12:00 noon, Room 201 International Center.

February 16, Friday

"Tourism Development in Niger," CASID/WID Forum with Boulou Akano, (Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow), 12:00 noon, Room 201 International Center.

February 22, Thursday

"Workers Culture in Two Nations: South Africa and the United States," African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with John Beck and Yvonne Lockwood, MSU Faculty (respectively Labor & Industrial Relations and Traditional Arts Program), 12:00 noon, MSU Museum Auditorium.

March 1, Thursday

"Recycling Traditions: Cooking Pots, Aluminum Casters, and the Making of a Modern African Diaspora, 1946-2006," African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with Emily Osborne, Faculty (University of Notre Dame), 12:00 noon, Room 201 International Center.

March 8, Thursday

Spring Break

March 13-17, Tuesday - Saturday

African Culture Week and Gala. More details coming at a later date. MARK YOUR CALENDAR for the Gala which will be on Saturday, March 17, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. in the Pasant Theatre of the Wharton Center. Costs are: Gala only $10.00, (free for MSU Students), Dinner only is $7.00 (for everyone, including MSU students), Dinner + Gala is $15.00.

MSU ANNOUNCEMENTS

2007 Study Abroad in Dakar, Senegal through MSU

Study in Dakar, Senegal through Michigan State University May 11- June 23, 2007. Senegal is one of the most beautiful and diverse countries in Africa. A stable democracy, friendly people, and a rich cultural, intellectual, literary, cinematic, artistic and musical heritage make this one of the most accessible of African nations and the cultural center of West Africa.

Courses will be interdisciplinary and will satisfy humanities, social science and anthropology requirements, and will have a special emphasis on Senegalese culture, society and religion. In addition to topics dealing with history, art, music, cinema, and literature, students will learn about the city of Dakar and about "Senegalese" Islam through work in various disciplines and visits to mosques and religious centers. On weekends, students will travel to the various headquarters of the Senegalese Sufi Islamic brotherhoods, tour Goree Island (famous for its House of Slaves), visit St. Louis (former French colonial capital), the Djoudj nature reserves, Toubab Djallo (a beach resort), a fair trade village, museums, artists' studios, cultural centers, etc.

The deadline to apply is March 1, 2007. For more information and to apply see:
http://studyabroad.msu.edu/programs/senegalculture.html.

African Studies Center Application for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) for 2007-08 AY

The African Studies Center at MSU is now accepting on-line applications for FLAS fellowships for academic year 2007-08 and for the 2007 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 15, 2007. 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 2007 will be hosted by the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. For details, please visit: http://www.afrst.uiuc.edu/SCALI07.htm for details.

2007 Compton Africa Peace Fellowships

Michigan State University's African Studies Center (ASC) and Women and International Development (WID) Program are offering Compton Africa Peace Fellowships to graduate students from Sub-Saharan Africa to support their dissertation field research in Africa. This program is an element of the MSU African Higher Education Partnerships Initiative (AHEPI). These dissertation fellowship awards are made possible by a grant from the Compton Foundation through its Peace Fellowship Program for addressing peace, conflict resolution, and security in Africa.

For Information on eligible research topics, eligibility requirements, and application forms please visit: http://www.wid.msu.edu/forstudents/opportunities.htm or http://africa.msu.edu/compton.php. Completed application forms must be submitted by mail and e- mail to: MSU-Compton Fellowship Committee, c/o David Wiley, African Studies Center, 100 International Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1035; Tel: 517-353-1700; Fax: 517- 432-1209; e-mail: wiley@msu.edu. The application deadline is March 16, 2007.

Explore Africa at MSU, June 17-23, 2007

Explore Africa at MSU is a residential program designed for academically talented high school students (entering grades 10, 11, and 12) who would like to become immersed in learning about the tremendous diversity found within the continent of Africa. This program is a cooperative venture by the African Studies Center and the Office of Gifted and Talented Education at MSU.

Participants will attend daily language classes in Swahili; participate in sessions on African literature; develop self-selected projects on African topics; participate in African music and dance, as well as assist an African chef in making a traditional dinner.

For registration or other information, contact John Metzler, (517) 353-1700; e-mail: metzler@msu.edu, url: http://www.msu.edu/gifted/exploreafrica/exploreafrica.htm. The application deadline is March 30, 2007.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

All-Michigan Ghana Night, Ann Arbor, MI

Friday February 16, 2007, 7:00-10:00 p.m., the first annual Ghana Night at the Michigan Theater (Ann Arbor, MI) will include African dance, music, traditional Ghanaian food, a silent auction with Ghanaian arts and treasures, and a special showing of the movie Emmanuel's Gift. Funds will be used by the Ghana Medical Rehabilitation Group and the International Rehabilitation Forum to build a premier training program for West African rehabilitation professionals.

Emmanuel's Gift, narrated by Oprah Winfrey, and available on DVD, is the true story of a Ghanaian amputee, award winning athlete, and friend of the International Rehabilitation Forum who conquered stereotype by riding a bicycle across his country. The producers and distributors of Emmanuel's Gift have given special permission to raise funds through this showing of their movie. Proceeds will be used in efforts to build a Ghana-based training program for rehabilitation specialists including physicians, therapists, nurses, and other allied health professionals; to develop a rehabilitation hospital and clinics in Ghana; and to catalyze sustainable rehabilitation businesses such as local wheelchair manufacture. Tickets are available by contacting Nicole Jorgensen, e-mail: jorgensennicole@hotmail.com or at the door, for $10.

For more information on the Ghana Medical Rehabilitation Group or the International Rehabilitation Forum, or to donate to this cause, contact: Andrew J. Haig, M.D., Associate Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The University of Michigan, President, The International, Rehabilitation Forum; e-mail: andyhaig@umich.edu; Tel:(734)-763-4300.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Stanley J. Tarver Memorial Scholarship

The Stanley J Tarver Memorial Scholarship fund was established by the Tarver family in memory of their son, Stanley. The scholarship will be a $1,000 per semester award, for a maximum of $2,000 per academic year.

The fund provides a scholarship to a graduate student of African descent, an African American, or a Black person of another nationality who is matriculating toward a Doctorate or a Masters Degree in African History and/or Culture, and who has completed at least one year of graduate study at a college or university in the United States. Applications are available from the Community Foundation of Dutchess County web site at: http://www.cfdcny.org. Applications must be postmarked by April 1, 2007.

CONFERENCES

Int'l Conference on Ethiopian Development Studies (4th ICEDS), August 3-5, 2007, Western Michigan University

The WMU Center for African Development Policy Research (CADPR) announces the 4th International Conference on Ethiopian Development Studies (ICEDS) on the theme: "Challenges and Opportunities: Peace, Democracy, and Development in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa."

The Symposium is intended for academics, policy makers, investors and donors, and others interested in contemporary issues in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. Each contributor is invited to submit the participation form, found at: http://homepages.wmich.edu/asefa/ (click on the 4th ICEDS Conference Announcement) and a one-page 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.

Proposals on the following are invited: 1) Agriculture, Food Security, and Rural Development; 2) Education for Sustainable Development; 3) Regional Integration for Development; 4) Building Democratic Institutions of governance and civil society; 5) Health and HIV/AIDS Issues; 6) Private Sector, Entrepreneurship and Markets; 7) Science and Technology for Development; 8) US Policy on Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa; 9) Managing Ethnic, Clan, and Religious conflicts; 10) Peace building and Conflict Resolution; 11) Women and Development; 12) The Role of the Diaspora in Development; and 13) An open forum for political parties. Please send all abstracts or proposals by March 1, 2007, and completed papers by April 1, 2007 to: 4th International Conference on Ethiopian Development Studies (4th ICEDS), Attn: Professor Sisay Asefa, Center for African Development Policy Research (CADPR), Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008, USA; Fax: (616) 387- 0630 e-mail: SISAY.ASEFA@WMICH.EDU.

JOBS

Post-Doctoral Scientist Int'l Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)-Nairobi, Vac.# PD/SKSS/T1/01/2007

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a post-doctoral social scientist to join a small team of professionals working on the Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (SAKSS) initiative. The objective of SAKSS is to provide data, information and knowledge to stakeholders in order to improve the formulation, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of agricultural and rural development strategies in Africa. The successful candidate will work with the SAKSS node based at ILRI-Nairobi which is set up to serve the COMESA region. Requires a Ph.D. or equivalent in Economics, Agricultural Economics, or related field with application to agriculture (obtained within the last 2 years), strong English language skills, both written and spoken, with a demonstrated record of publications in professional outlets, knowledge of French will be an added advantage.

Applicants should send a cover letter indicating earliest availability, curriculum vitae and the names and addresses (including telephone, fax and e-mail) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate's professional qualifications and work experience to the Human Resources Manager, ILRI, P.O. Box 30709-00100, Nairobi Kenya; Telephone 254-20-4223000; Fax 254-20-4223001; email: recruit-ilri@cgiar.org by 28th February 2007. The name and reference number of the position for which the application is made should be clearly marked on the envelope mailed, or on the fax or email applications. To find more about this position visit
http://www.ilri.org/Jobsshow.asp.

Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA)- Assistant

Artists for a New South Africa is seeking an exceptional, committed, detail-oriented person to serve as Assistant to the Executive Director and Administrative Coordinator. This is an opportunity to work at a small, fast-paced, dynamic, entertainment- based organization that works in Africa and the US on the AIDS pandemic, civil and voting rights, and empowering youth. This position includes performing a wide variety of tasks supporting ANSA's Executive Director, as well as being responsible for administrative operations for this progressive non-profit organization located in West Los Angeles. This is a full time position with benefits. Please e-mail cover letter and resume by February 28, 2007 to jobs@ansafrica.org.

For more information about ANSA, visit http://www.ansafrica.org.

Tuesday Bulletin, Spring 2007, No. 5

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