Call for Papers

'African Renewal, African Renaissance': New Perspectives on Africa's Past and Africa's Present

AFSAAP 2004: African Studies Association of Australasia & the Pacific 27th Annual & International Conference

UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, PERTH, AUSTRALIA, 26-28 November 2004

This is the first call for papers and participation in the 27th annual conference of the African Studies Association of Australasia and the Pacific (AFSAAP), to be held at the University of Western Australia (UWA), Perth, Australia from 26-28 November 2004. UWA last hosted the AFSAAP conference in 1999. Some 400 people attended that meeting, and over 200 papers were presented at 88 panels. The organizers of the 2004 conference are eager to replicate this success, and invite proposals for papers on any aspect of Africa, as well as on comparative approaches. While the overall conference theme is broad, there is ample room for specialized contributions and papers reflecting the different disciplines and wide-ranging interests of academics, professionals, and postgraduates, as well as the wider diplomatic, government, aid/NGO, media, cultural, labour/business, and African communities.

It is anticipated that some of the major subjects to be discussed will include:

- 'State of the Nations': Appraisals of the African Renaissance

- The Rainbow Nation ten years on: critical perspectives on the New South Africa

- 'Failed States, Rogue States and Dangerous States?': the state and conflict in Africa

- Sexual violence in Africa, past and present

- Africa's War on Terror: new realities in the post 9-11 world

- Disease, Health and Medicine in Africa: social, political and economic perspectives

Papers exploring any of the following subjects are also welcome:

African art:

i. Congolese art.

ii. Southern African art.

iii. Africa-Western interactions

iv. Islamic Arts and Culture

African Churches;

African History & Historiography;

African Literatures:

i. African language literatures

ii. Anglophone literatures

iii. Francophone literatures

iv. Other languages

African Studies: the Future;

Africans in Australia/Australians in Africa;

Agriculture and Agricultural Sustainability;

Aid and Trade;

Anti-Apartheid/Liberation Movements: History and Politics.

Anthropology;

Archaeology, African & Comparative;

Australasian-African Relations;

Central Africa in Crisis;

Cinema:

Conflict in Africa:

Cultural Studies;

Demography;

East Africa;

Economics & Economic History;

Education;

Environment;

Gender;

Genocide in Africa;

Globalisation:

Horn of Africa:

i. The Sudan

ii. Somalia

iii. Ethiopia & Eritrea

Human Rights/Indigenous Rights;

Indian Ocean Region: Past, Present & Future;

Information, Libraries, & Publishing in Africa;

International Relations;

Islamic Arts and Culture;

Labour & Capital;

Land Issues in Africa;

Languages & Language Policy;

Law in Africa;

Literary Genres & Oral Literature in Africa;

Literary Readings/Writers' Workshop;

Literatures:

i. African language literatures

ii. Anglophone literatures

iii. Francophone literatures

iv. Other language literatures

Medicine/Health;

Media;

Military Conflict & Military History in Africa;

Mining in Africa;

Missions and missionaries in Africa

Mozambique: New Perspectives;

Photography and Africa;  

Politics in Africa: the challenges of the 21st Century

Postcolonialisms;

Power and Knowledge in Africa;

Reconciliation, Trauma & Memory: African & comparative perspectives;

Refugees in Africa;

Religions in Africa;

Representations;

The Sciences in Africa;

Settler societies compared;

South African History & Historiography;

Sport in Africa;

The State and conflict in Africa;

Tanzania: Languages, Literatures, & Peoples;

Water Resources & Water Politics in Africa;

West Africa: Languages, Literatures, & Peoples;

Writers' Forum;

Youth in Africa.

Papers are welcome in any of these areas, but also in OTHER disciplines and topics

Conference Location

The Mediterranean climate of Perth, Western Australia in November is warm and sunny (similar to Cape Town or California). Perth is a single flight away from Africa. It is a modern city of one and a half million people situated on the picturesque Swan River and is renowned for its outdoor lifestyle, relaxed atmosphere and beautiful beaches. It is well served by efficient transport, telecommunication, and tourist facilities and is a useful starting point from which to begin a visit to Australia. For information on Perth and Western Australia please visit http://www.westernaustralia.net

All expressions of interest, as well as requests for further information, should be directed to:

Dr Jeremy Martens

AFSAAP 2004 Organiser

History Discipline

University of Western Australia

35 Stirling Highway

Crawley, Western Australia 6009

AUSTRALIA

Tel: 61-(0)8-6488-2154

E-mail: jmartens@arts.uwa.edu.au