MSU Tuesday Bulletin, 08/26/08

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Tuesday Bulletin for August 26th, 2008
Topics covered in this issue: Events | Announcements | Other Announcements | Fellowships | Jobs

Events

"South African Politics"
Thursday, September 4, 2008

MSU Political Science department talk with Robert Mattes, Professor, Department of Political Studies, and Director, Centre for Social Science Research (Univ. of Cape Town, South Africa), 12:00 noon, Room 104 South Kedzie Hall.

"False Ethnic and Racial Stereotypes and the Contributions All Groups Have Made to Our World" Thursday, September 11, 2008

African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with Charles Six, Founder and President of Ending Stereotypes for America, (ESFA) and MSU Alumni, 12:00 noon, Room 303 International Center.

"What's Wrong With Human Rights Film?"
Thursday, September 18, 2008

African Studies Center Brown Bag talk with Ken Harrow (English Dept., MSU), 12:00 noon, Room 303 International Center.

Announcements

MSU Africanist Graduate Student Conference September 26-27, 2008 - Call for Papers
Michigan State University graduate students and the African Studies Center at MSU are hosting a conference on the theme "Knowledge of Africa: New Researchers and the Next Fifty Years" with the intent to foster an engaging atmosphere in which graduate students can discuss their research and receive important feedback. The conference is interdisciplinary and open to students at all levels of their graduate careers. The committee hopes to receive submissions that present research proposals, research designs, dissertation or thesis chapters, methodological models, work in progress, outlines of dissertation and preliminary research findings. Michigan State University has over 175 faculty members that focus on Africa and some faculty will serve as discussants in the hope that they will offer constructive feedback to participants. The conference is also designed to help prepare students (those who will be the career Africanists of the next fifty years), who will present at the 2008 African Studies Association Meeting "Knowledge of Africa: The Next Fifty Years" to be held in Chicago.

Abstracts are due August 29, 2008. Please e-mail submissions to: msuasgc@msu.edu. Abstracts should include the author's name, address, institutional affiliation, e-mail address, and phone number. A $20 conference fee can be paid online through the Conference website upon abstract acceptance. The conference will be held September 26-27, 2008 at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.

More information can be found at the Conference's website: http://africa.msu.edu/gradconference. Questions can be addressed to the conference organizers at msuafcon@msu.edu.

GENCEN Internships

Deadline Sept. 8, 2008 The GenCen Internship program and the Gender, Justice, and Environmental Change Internship program are accepting applications for fall 2008 internships. Students interested in issues of gender, social justice, community development, health, domestic violence, environmental change, etc., are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to gain hands on experience interning with organizations working on these issues, while receiving MSU credit. This is the last chance to apply for fall! Applications will be accepted up until September 8, 2008. Application forms are available at http://www.gjec.msu.edu/internship.htm or by emailing the GenCen Internship Coordinator at gencenic@msu.edu.

Articulate

Undergraduate Journal - CFP SCOUT BANANA, in conjunction with Michigan State University's African Studies Center and Office of International Development, invites undergraduates to submit a manuscript to Articulate: Undergraduate Scholarship Applied to International Development. Articulate is a new undergraduate scholarly journal that publishes academic papers and writings (research papers, field work, interviews, etc.) on issues in international development, focusing primarily on African studies and healthcare issues. Articulate is peer-reviewed by an editorial committee consisting of undergraduate students. Editorial decisions are based on relevance, quality, and originality.

Submissions should be roughly 10-15 pages long and formatted in the Chicago Manual of Style. In addition, the author's name, major, college, and university must appear on a separate cover sheet, with no reference to the author within the manuscript. Potential topics, include, but are not limited to: a) The effectiveness of foreign aid; b) Intersections of gender, ethnicity, and sexuality in African development; c) Comparative studies of healthcare systems; d) Ethics and development in African countries; e) Land rights reform/redistribution as a development policy; f) Historical analyses of development programs in Africa; g) Politics of water in Africa; h) The role of African youth in development programs and projects; i) Effects of conflict and forced migration on healthcare and development. Papers will be accepted on a rolling deadline until September 15, 2008 with an intended publication date of November 2008. For submissions or more information, please contact the Editor-in-Chief at articulate@scoutbanana.org. For more information on SCOUT BANANA, check out www.scoutbanana.org.

2009-2010 Fulbright Fellowship Applications Fulbright fellowship applications are now available for the 2009-2010 academic year. Faculty are encouraged to recommend exceptional students to submit application for Fulbright Fellowships in two categories to study, teach, and/or conduct research abroad in over 140 countries.

1. Students graduating in May, 2009 may apply for a Fulbright Institute for International Education (IIE) research or research and teaching grants.

2. Students who have been admitted to the doctoral program may apply for Fulbright IIE grants and/or Fulbright-Hayes Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) grants.

Interested students should either contact the MSU Fulbright Program Adviser, Frank M. D'Itri (ditri@msu.edu, 432-8244) for information and application materials or go on-line at: http://us.fulbrightonline.org/thinking.html to access the application forms directly. Additional information is also available at the MSU International Studies and Programs Fulbright web page: http://www.isp.msu.edu/students/funding/fulbright/. The MSU submission deadline is September 25, 2008. Because letters of recommendation as well as letters of affiliation are required from cooperating institutions in the overseas host country, the earlier the process is begun, the better the chances of success.

Fall Course Announcement
ACR825 "Design and Implementation of International Development Programs," is a 3 credit graduate seminar available every semester on the MSU ANGEL Program. The course simulates a small group of students sitting around a table with the professor, who has years of hands-on experience designing and implementing many development programs and projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Conversations, readings, individual term papers, and other assignments will address various topics pertaining to international development. For more information about this graduate seminar, see the preview at: https://angel.msu.edu, or e-mail Professor George H. Axinn at: axinn@msu.edu.

Other Announcements

An Evening to Discover Cameroon in Lansing, MI The Cameroonian Community of Lansing extends an invitation to enjoy a special evening with the Cameroonians's of Lansing on Saturday, September 13, 2008 at the University Quality Inn, 3121 East Grand River, Lansing, MI 48912. For advance registration and cost or other information contact one of the following people: Emmanuel Yewah: eyewah@albion.edu; Tel: (517) 303-2199; Richard Fotsin: fotsinri@msu.edu; Tel: (517) 347-3494; or Felix Ngassa: ngassaf@gvsu.edu; Tel: (517) 648-2775.

WorldTeach -Ctr for Int'l Development at Harvard University WorldTeach is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that provides opportunities for individuals to make a meaningful contribution to international education by living and working as volunteer teachers in developing countries. The organization currently offer a variety of year-long and summer African programs in Namibia, Rwanda, Kenya and South Africa. Summer teaching opportunities last approximately two months and are a great opportunity for undergraduate students. Additionally, numerous year-long teaching assignments for college graduates are offered. Both types of programs offer volunteers the opportunity to contribute to international education while immersing themselves in the culture of their host country. This experience would prove invaluable to students with an interest in the African continent. For more information, please visit the website on the WorldTeach programs in Africa at http://www.worldteach.org.

Greater Lansing United Nations Assoc. (GLUNA) GLUNA is planning to celebrate the UN Day of Peace on Sunday, September 21, 2008 at the Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Rd., East Lansing, MI 48823.

Fellowships

Graca Machel Scholarship Programme for African Females - Deadline extended to August 31, 2008 Canon Collins Trust currently manages a scholarship programme on behalf of Mrs. Graca Machel. The aim is to provide female students from Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, South Africa and Zambia with scholarships that will equip them to take up leadership roles for the benefit of their community, nation and region. One of the key concerns of Mrs. Machel is giving a voice to rural women and the scholarship is therefore aimed at empowering rural women. The Graça Machel scholarship is for women who have experienced significant struggle in their life and who have sought to overcome those barriers, be they related to gender, disability, poverty, age or racial discrimination. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate clearly how their application fits within this vision of empowerment.

Postgraduate Study - All scholarships are for postgraduate study, for two years if based in South Africa. The scholarship includes payment of a maintenance allowance, travel, health insurance and tuition fees.

Candidates - Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis to women on the basis of academic/professional merit, financial need, intended academic programme, leadership potential and commitment to work for constructive change in Africa. Applicants must have at least two years' relevant work experience.

Subject Areas - Health, Education, Science & Technology, Economics & Finance, Development Applications outside these areas will not be considered. The deadline is 31st August 2008. For details, visit: http://www.canoncollins.org.uk/scholarships/index.php.

Jobs

AllAfrica

Volunteer work
AllAfrica has periodic openings for interns in various areas of work. Volunteers of all ages from all professional backgrounds are also cherished.. The need for information about sustainable development, conflict prevention and business and investment is growing. AllAfrica is planning the launch of healthAfrica.org to meet a growing demand. For more about AllAfrica, see http://allafrica.com/whoweare.html in the Who We Are section. Internships are unpaid (but have, on occasion, led to employment). Depending upon timing and circumstances, places may be available at AllAfrica offices in Monrovia, Dakar, Cape Town and Washington, DC. Fluency in French is a plus, but not a requirement, except in Dakar. Computer literacy and the ability to learn new techniques is a necessity. Technology internships generally require experience in programming, and expertise in perl/mason and CSS is an advantage. If you have skills that would be useful in a newsroom or in project management, fundraising, ICT or sales and marketing -- and a passion for communicating African issues to a global audience – AllAfrica wants to hear from you. Visit http://allafrica.com/feedback/internship.html for details.

Adjunct Lecturer

Eastern Michigan Univ. The department of African American Studies at Eastern Michigan University is looking for an adjunct lecturer to teach its AAS 102 African Civilization course in fall, 2008. The fall semester begins on September 3, 2008. AAS 102, African Civilization is designed to provide the students with an introductory knowledge of centers of African Civilization from antiquity to the 1960s. Among those centers are Ancient Egypt, Nubia, Axum, Ghana, Mali, Songhai, kilwa, Sofola, Malinda, Mutapa, etc. Apart from becoming familiar with such key centers of African Civilization, the student will be given a basic knowledge of the fundamental cultural commonalties that those centers share in the midst of linguistic and other kinds of diversity. Preliminary subjects of discussion include historical and paleontological data examining the thesis of the African origin of humanity.

The course also explores the influence that African Civilization exerted on other cultures, as well as the impact of cross-cultural contacts on African Civilization itself.

The department is looking for a candidate with an advanced degree in African American Studies, African History or a related discipline and one who possess a good teaching record. Ph.D. candidates or ABDs are acceptable. Via e-mail, applicant should send a cover letter and the names, telephone #s and email addresses of at least two references to Dr. Victor O. Okafor, Interim Head, Department of African American Studies, 620 Pray Harrold, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197. Dr. Okafor's e-mail address is: vokafor@emich.edu.

Assistant Professor

Mount Holyoke College Environmental Studies/Political Ecology. The Interdisciplinary Program in Environmental Studies at Mount Holyoke College invites applications for a tenure-track, entry-level position in environmental studies with a focus on political/social ecology. This is the third tenure line, and first devoted to social science, in a growing interdisciplinary program. The successful candidate will be trained in social science and bring teaching and research strengths in the interconnections among bio-geophysical, political, and social relationships, and their place in problems of sustainability, with an ability to engage issues in dialogue with ecological science, the humanities, and applied work or community projects. Ph.D. required. The teaching load is 2-2. The application deadline is October 15, 2008. Send letter describing your teaching aims and research plans, CV, transcripts, references, and two syllabi (an introductory course and an upper-level seminar of your choice). All supporting materials must be received by October 15, 2008. Apply online at http://jobsearch.mtholyoke.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=50741.

from MSU African Studies Center <Africa@msu.edu>

date Fri, Aug 22, 2008 at 3:27 PM
subject Tuesday Bulletin for August 26th, 2008