MSU Tuesday Bulletin, 03/03/04
Issue No. 8 Spring 2004
March 2, 2004
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
JOBS
EVENTS
March 4, Thursday
"The past, present, and probable future of the AIDS pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa,"
African Studies Center Brown Bag with James Chin, MD, MPH, Clinical Professor
(Epidemiology School of Public Health, Univ. of California-Berkeley and International
Consultant on HIV/AIDS), 12:00 noon, Room 201, International Center.
March 11, Thursday
Spring Break - No Brown Bag
March 18, Thursday
"Heritage: History and Change in South Africa," African Studies Center Brown Bag with
Andre Odendaal, Honorary Professor (History and Heritage Studies, Univ. of the Western
Cape, South Africa), 12:00 noon, Room 201, International Center. The MSU Department of
History will co-sponsor this visit.
MSU ANNOUNCEMENTS
Les Ballets Africains
Special Student Rate $10
Les Ballets Africains, the national ensemble of the
Republic of Guinea, has thrilled audiences worldwide
since it was formed by the distinguished Guinean
choreographer Keita Fodeba in 1952/53. It is
universally recognized as Africa's most accomplished
touring company.
In a compelling program celebrating the company's half
century, Les Ballets Africains performs traditional
dance, music, acrobatics and storytelling. Pulsing
rhythms from ancient tribal instruments build the
excitement as the company bursts onto the stage in an
explosion of dance and song. Fascination legends filled
with humans, animals and spirits unfold in a fast-paced,
joyous celebration that will leave audiences breathless.
Les Ballets Africains captures the elemental energy of
its native land in a performance that is pure sensation.
The Wharton Center has provided an opportunity for K-
12 and college students in the mid-Michigan area to
experience the world-renowned Les Ballets Africains at
the low cost of $10. The performance is 3:00 p.m.,
Sunday, March 28, 2004 at the MSU Wharton Center.
Prior to the performance at 1:30 p.m., Dr. Dorothy
Harper-Jones, MSU professor emeritus, expert on
African dance, and founder and director of the Pashami
Dancers, (Mid-Michigan's premier African dance
troupe) will provide a brief introduction to West African
dance traditions. Dr. Jones' presentation will take place
on the Grand Tier of the Wharton Center.
Deadline for purchasing tickets is Monday, March 22,
2004. Please contact John Metzler, African Studies
Center, (517) 353-1700; metzler@msu.edu to reserve
your tickets. Please note: Teachers and chaperones who
accompany students will also receive the $10 ticket rate.
Explore Africa at MSU - July 11-18, 2004
Explore Africa at MSU is an eight-day residential
program designed for academically-talented high school
students 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.
Participants will attend daily language classes in
Swahili, hear from professors and others who have spent
years living in and studying Africa; participate in
discussions on a key topic each day, interwoven with
African literature; work individually or in teams to
develop projects on African topics; participate in
African arts and cultural activities such as music, dance,
cinema, and cooking; and participate in social activities
in the evening and weekend, while staying on campus.
Eligible students must be entering grade 10 or 11 in
2004/05 with a high GPA in college prep courses; have
strong test scores on nationally standardized tests or the
MEAP; have a desire to work in an academically
challenging environment and; be an enthusiastic,
creative learner.
For further information or to request a brochure and
application please contact Jenny McCampbell, Director,
The Office of Gifted and Talented Education, MSU;
Tel: (517) 432-2129 or e-mail: mccampbe@msu.edu; or
visit the web site at: www.msu.edu/user/gifted.
Explore Africa - Learning Opportunity for Teachers
Teachers are invited to a unique learning experience this
summer. Explore Africa at MSU, the residential
program for gifted and talented students, is offering
teachers the opportunity to join the daily academic and
cultural portions of the program. Teachers will join the
students on July 12-16, 2004 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
(See previous paragraph for more program details).
Teachers may take the course in one of three ways:
-
For no credit or for 3 SB-CEUs Cost: $300.00
-
For 2 MSU Lifelong Education credits for TE 890
(independent study); cost: $873.00
-
Non-credit
For those earning credits, additional independent study
work outside of class will be expected, commensurate
with the number of credits.
For additional information, contact John Metzler,
Assistant Professor of African Studies and Teacher
Education and Outreach Coordinator, African Studies
Center; (517) 353-1700; e-mail: metzler@msu.edu; or
Jenny McCampbell, Office of Gifted and Talented
Education, (517) 432-2129; e-mail:
mccampbe@msu.edu.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
East Lansing Film Festival
Films on Africa March 2004
(see complete schedule at: http://www.elff.com/index.html)
Friday, March 19,
MSU Wells Hall - Bresson Theatre 7 pm
Si-Gueriki (Queen Mother)
Directed by Idrissou Mora Kpai
Benin (2003) 63 min
In Bariba and French with English subtitles
After ten years of living in Europe, Kpai returns to his
village to make a documentary about his family,
members of the royal Wassengaris of Benin. In the
process, he comes to the self-realization that he does not
know his mother and sister. It is the tradition of his tribe
to separate the boys from their mothers at a very young
age to be raised by the men. His mother is the si-gueriki,
the Queen-mother, a position once of great power but
now reduced to a mere title. This film is the story of
young a man's confrontation with his culture and
traditions, an intimate, personal film with an insider's
view of an ancient culture and a reconnection with a lost
mother.
See website below for further details:
http://www.newsreel.org/nav/title.asp?tc=CN0154
Saturday, March 20,
Wells Hall - Bresson Theatre, 4 pm
A Great Wonder
Director: Kim Shelton
United States (2003) 65 min
This remarkable documentary traces the extraordinary
journey of three young Sudanese orphans- two men and
a woman- who traveled from Sudan to Ethiopia, and
then Kenya, by foot, before ending up in the Northwest.
They have spent the majority of their lives either in
flight from war or in a refugee camp, and now must
struggle with foster care and their new world. Each has
a different but compelling story of hardship and
unflappable optimism. Truly inspiring.
Winner, Audience Award for Best Documentary,
Seattle International Film Festival.
Details: see website at: http://www.agreatwonder.com
Call for Papers for a Special Issue
Sustainability: Local Action in Africa -
The journal Local Environment: The International
Journal of Justice and Sustainability seeks submissions
for a special issue featuring local sustainability
initiatives, practices, and conceptual developments in
the African continent. To encourage the dissemination
of African scholarship, the editors will give preference
to original research from within Africa.
Papers that address one or more of the themes below are
welcome. These themes are not intended to constrain
other possibilities, but serve rather as possible starting
points for discussion and research.
The emergence of sustainability and justice
principles in policy;
Reconciling economic growth and poverty
reduction;
Measuring sustainability outcomes;
Decision making tools;
Emerging forms of governance; and
Future directions and emerging questions.
Deadline for submissions is June 30, 2004. Local
Environment: The International Journal of Justice and
Sustainability is a refereed journal which focuses on
local environmental, justice and sustainability policy,
politics and action. For background on this journal and
instructions for authors, go to:
http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/carfax/13549839.html
For discussion about paper ideas, contact the
Coordinator before May 17, 2004. Send enquiries and
paper submissions to: Zarina Patel, Local Environment:
Africa Special Issue Coordinator, School of Geography,
Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of
Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, 2050, Wits, South Africa;
Tel: +27 11 717 6505; Fax: + 27 11 403 7281; e-mail:
patelz@geoarc.wits.ac.za
JOBS
Preceptor (West African language) - Harvard Univ.
The African Language Program in the Department of
African and African American Studies seeks to appoint
a Preceptor proficient in the teaching of two major West
African languages for an initial one-year term,
renewable for up to eight years, to begin July 1, 2004.
Preferred languages include Wolof, Fulfulde/Pulaar,
Bamana, Twi, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Fon. Advanced
degree preferred.
The successful candidate will teach language courses at
all levels. A strong commitment to undergraduate
language teaching is essential, as is awareness of current
approaches to language pedagogy, interest in
contemporary culture, and experience with multimedia.
Initial interviews will be conducted during the 35th
Annual Conference on African Linguistics to be held at
Harvard University from April 2-4, 2004.
Harvard is an affirmative action/equal opportunity
employer and women and members of minority groups
are encouraged to apply. Send curriculum vitae and two
letters of recommendation to Professor Lawrence D.
Bobo, Acting Chair, Department of African and African
American Studies and Acting Director of the W.E.B. Du
Bois Institute for African and African American Studies,
Barker Center, 2nd Floor, Harvard University, 12 Quincy
Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. Application deadline is
March 15, 2004.
Post-Doctoral Scientist - River Basin Institutions
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI),
based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, conducts public goods
research and capacity building activities related to water
and land management, with the goal of improving food
security, livelihoods, and the natural environment in
developing countries. By working with its diverse
partners and the Future Harvest centers of the
Consultative Group on International Agricultural
Research (CGIAR), IWMI is creating innovative
approaches to translate natural resource management
research into actionable recommendations for
policymakers, resource managers and poor rural
communities. IWMI requires a highly competent and
motivated individual, preferably from Africa, for the
Post-doctoral Scientist position.
The Post doctoral Scientist - River Basin Institutions,
under the direct supervision of the Regional Director for
Africa and the Project Leader of the Challenge Program
(CP) project on African Models of Transboundary
Governance; and the Principal Researcher - Poverty,
Gender and Water at the IWMI Africa Regional Office
in Pretoria and one of the Principal Investigators of the
CP project, will undertake research for the Challenge
Program research project "Transboundary water
governance for agricultural and economic growth and
improved livelihoods in the Limpopo and Volta basins:
towards African indigenous models of governance".
The incumbent will be based at either the IWMI
Regional Sub-Office in Ghana or at the Regional Office
in South Africa. S/he will split her/his time roughly
equally between the Limpopo and Volta basins, but will
play a specific leadership role in the Volta basin work.
To qualify, applicants should have a Ph.D. in social
anthropology, sociology, or related discipline, with
experience in water management institutions and law in
developing countries, integrated water resources
management, and one or more of the following: legal
pluralism, international relations, gender analysis, rural
development, and political economy. Qualifications are
for someone of African origin, and a strong preference
for someone who can show a commitment to continuing
to work in Africa. Applicant must also be fluent in
English with good working knowledge of French;
working knowledge of Portuguese is an added plus.
This is a two year position. Please send resume together
with list of publications, and names and addresses of
three references to: The Human Resources Office,
IWMI, PO Box 2075, Colombo, Sri Lanka; e-mail:
work-at-iwmi@cgiar.org. Application deadline is
March 31, 2004 or until the position is filled. For
further information visit http://www.iwmi.org.
Page Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D.