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Conferences and Symposia
Human RIghts and Legal Systems across the Global South: A symposium at Indiana University As new waves of legal discourse and regime move across the global south under the guise of globalization, whether hegemonic or contra-hegemonic, each location serves as a space for the appropriation of selected elements and the production of hybrids, depending on local history, social structure, and power relations within particular societies and among different social groups. At Indiana University, the Center for Latin American Studies and the African Studies Program are sponsoring a Symposium on law and language across the global south with a special focus on human rights as the concept is shaped, adapted, rejected, or contested in various locations. In Africa, Latin America, and other locations in the global south, social groups commonly operate with multiple legal systems that generally include an official state system of law and others based on indigenous legal practices, customary law, and Islamic law. Scholars have used the term, legal pluralism, to analyze these complex legal situations, but work has only begun that can analyze how human rights discourse can articulate with these various legal systems. Equally challenging is the conjunction of the notion of human rights with indigenous rights and women’s rights, both forceful movements across the global south today. While major legal scholars and leading figures in the field of law and society have proposed frameworks that recognize the significance of identity politics, civil society, religion, local cultural practices, and emancipatory struggles, a discourse that will remove us from the paradigms of modernity and its limitations is still emerging. At Indiana University we want to bring legal scholars concerned with these issues together with scholars who have in-depth experience in specific locations across the global south to explore the effects of multiple legal systems and the discourse of human rights as it encounters the reality constructed in each location. Boaventura de Sousa Santos has asked a question which might serve to launch our discussion: “How can human rights be both a cultural and a global politics?” The Symposium will proceed with the understanding that human rights encompasses women’s rights and the rights of indigenous peoples, while recognizing that this approach often leads directly into difficult social and political situations, ranging from the definition of gender roles in customary practices governing everyday life, to the exploitation of indigenous people by global corporations extracting natural resources. At any point in time, conflicts around specific issues can emerge between different legal practices and different special interests. Recognizing the significance of multiple legal systems and local political customs in these locations where questions of human rights, citizenship, and democratic institutions are being negotiated, we expect to bring data from specific locations for consideration in the context of transnationalism, globalization, and cosmopolitanism. The Symposium will take place Friday and Saturday, in plenary format, to allow for ample discussion and exchange. Scholars of legal systems and legal pluralism will present their findings and concepts on panels with scholars and practitioners of human rights, to be followed by a “state of the art” discussion. The papers will be published in the Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, published at Indiana University and edited by Alfred Aman, Jr. Participating Africa specialists include: Kamari Clarke, Yale, U.; John Comaroff, U. of Chicago; Erika George, U. of Utah; Peter Geschiere, U. of Amsterdam; Siba N’zatioula Grovogui, Johns Hopkins U.; Patrick Keenan, U. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Muna Ndulo, Cornell U.; Charles Piot, Duke U.; Jacqueline Solway, Trent U.. 12th Annual Meeting of the African Language Teachers Association (ALTA)
CALL FOR PAPERS (Deadline extended) The Twelfth Annual Meeting of the African Language Teachers Association (ALTA) is scheduled for April 24-27, 2008, in Madison, WI (with a pre-conference workshop scheduled for Thursday, April 24th). General Proposals are solicited for individual papers and poster sessions. Proposals should fall broadly within the conference theme, "African Languages and Globalization: Challenges, Expectations, and Possibilities." Although proposed presentations may focus on individual languages, they should address issues that clearly relate to more than just one African language. Presentations may address the linkage between language study and globalization, curriculum and material development, methodology, bilingual education, heritage language learners, autonomous and self-instructional settings, outreach and advocacy, and the use of technology in teaching African languages. Other topics such as teacher training, professionalization, research, and assessment are also welcome. Papers are to be 20 minutes long and should focus clearly on issues related to the main conference theme. Poster Session proposals should give a detailed explanation of the research or development that will be displayed. Both may be based on rigorous research or practical experience. This year's conference will also include language-specific panels, which will be organized seperately from other general sessions. For more information about submitting a proposal for a language-specific panel, click here. General Proposals may ONLY be submitted in electronic format using the 2008 ALTA Session Proposal Submission Form. The Proposal Submission Form is a "fillable" PDF file that can be completed with Adobe® Acrobat® or Reader® and then submitted to ALTA via e-mail. This is the only format in which Proposals may be submitted. The form contains detailed instructions for its use. Please contact the ALTA Secretariat (alta@mailplus.wisc.edu) with any questions. For a proposal to be considered, all fields of the form, including, title, abstract, proposal, session type, technology needs, and contact information must be completed in full. Incomplete proposals may be disqualified. The deadline for receipt of proposals is Monday, December 17, 2007. Applicants will be notified by the Program Committee by Monday, January 21st, 2008 whether or not their proposal has been accepted. At least one presenter from an accepted presentation will be required to pre-register. Details about pre-registration will be provided in the acceptance notification. If you have any questions regarding proposal submission, please contact the ALTA Secretariat at: ALTA California State University, Sacramento This conference examines the state of African youth in the USA and Africa, with a focus on discussing inter- and intracultural group challenges, including crime and other conflicts. Together, the meeting will examine the prospects for bridging the gaps among African youth, as well as identify best practices and models for youth empowerment, leadership development, crime prevention, networking, and family stability. Please include the following with your proposal: name, current position and institutional affiliation, paper title, abstract (75 words maximum), your mailing address, email, phone and fax number. Participants are responsible for conference fee of $50 US, plus their travel costs. Fee waiver for students. E-mail or fax your proposal to: Ernest Uwazie, Director, Center for African Peace and Conflict Resolution, California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J St., Sacramento, CA 95819-6085 Phone: 916-278-6282, FAX: 916-278-3429; email: uwazieee@csus.edu DEADLINE: November 29, 2007. Global Studies Conference The Global Studies Conference and Global Studies Journal work toward mapping and interpreting new trends and patterns in globalization. This journal and the conference attempt to do this from many points of view, from many locations in the world, and in a wide-angle kaleidoscopic fashion. Presenters may choose to submit written papers for publication in the fully refereed Global Studies Journal. Virtual registrations are available for those who cannot attend in person, to allow submission of a paper for refereeing and possible publication, as well as access to the electronic version of the conference proceedings. The deadline for papers (title and abstract) is February 14, 2008. Proposals are reviewed within four weeks of submission. For details on the conference, online proposal submission form, etc. are on the website (see above). Folklore and Ethnomusicology Student Association Conference The Ohio State University Folklore Student Association and the IU Folklore & Ethnomusicology Student Association are collaborating to present a conference on “Translation/Transformation.” There are three opportunities for participation: paper presentations, poster sessions, and a discussion forum for all attendees. Abstracts of 250 words (for 15 minute presentations) are welcomed, on topics relevant to the following fields: folklore, ethnomusicology, cultural studies, material culture, storytelling, performance studies, other related disciplines. Poster submissions are highly encouraged, particularly for research projects in progress, as there will be opportunities for active dialogue. Please see the website for details: www.indiana.edu/~folksa The discussion forum will allow all attendees to engage with enduring issues in our fields and to consider how those issues have emerged in their own research. Potential attendees are encouraged to submit three issues that have emerged in their own research for inclusion in developing this forum. The conference will be hosted by the Ohio State University May 17-18. The Plenary speaker is Dr. Alan Govenor, a scholar, filmmaker, and playwright whose work particularly focuses on African-American music. Deadline for submissions is February 19. Please e-mail submissions to folksa@indiana.edu For more information on details of the conference and Dr. Govenor, visit www.iub.edu/~folksa.4th Conference on Intercultural Rhetoric and Discourse Papers are invited on topics including (but not limited to): Theoretical and empirical investigations; language-and culture-specific studies; changing methodologies for research; practical applications; teaching and classroom practices; writing in school and college; writing in business and professional settings; orality and literacy connections and critical approaches to contrastive rhetoric Papers should be 20 minutes long with an additional 10 minutes for discussion. Abstracts should be no more than 250 words typed on a single page. In the upper left-hand corner place the submitter’s name, address, institutional affiliation, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail address. Send submissions to: IR Conference Planning Committee, Indiana Center for Intercultural Communication, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 620 Union Drive, Rm. 407, Indianapolis, IN 46202. For more information phone: 317-274-2555; e-mail: icic@iupui.edu http://www.iupui.edu/~icic/IRconference.htm Conference Registration: $100 early registration, $115 on-site; $50 student advance registration; $65 student on-site.Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities and Nations The 8th International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities and Nations will bring together scholarly, government and practice-based participants with an interest in the issues of diversity and community. The Conference examines the concept of diversity as a positive aspect of a global world and globalized society. In addition to a line-up of international main speakers, the Conference will include numerous paper, workshop and colloquium presentations by practitioners, teachers and researchers. Presenters may choose to submit written papers for publication in the fully refereed International Journal of Diversity in Organizations, Communities and Nations. The deadline for proposals is November 8. Full details of the conference, including the online proposal submission form, are at the conference website: http://www.Diversity-Conference.com“New Media and Religious Transformations in Africa” Hosted by the Centre for the Study of African Culture and Communication, Catholic Institute of West Africa, Port Harcourt, the goal of the conference is to take a critical look at Africa’s rapidly evolving religious media scene. It is particularly interested in the challenges of balancing freedom of expression and freedom of religion and belief in Africa’s fast-growing media sector. The conference will be divided into two parts: academic (July 10-July 11) and public part (July 12). It is anticipated accommodating 50-75 papers in the academic section, along with some plenary papers. A pre-conference workshop on research methodology and work in progress is planned for the afternoon of July 10. Questions to consider include: How is Africa’s religious landscape being changed by the new religious media? In what ways are newer religious organizations, such as the Pentecostals, using the media to advance political and economic agendas? Are we witnessing the development of new forms of religious activism and proselytism in Africa today due to the upsurge in media growth and diversifications? Which religious groups benefit most or least from Africa’s more liberalized and mass-mediatized public spheres? How have traditional forms of communication or notions of power been incorporated into the new religious media? What is the impact of the new religious media on popular culture and the entertainment industry, and vice versa? Can we now talk about manifestations of religion as media, and media as religion? How might the conventional divisions and differences between state-run and independent media be reconfigured by new religious media? Abstracts for paper and panel submissions of between 250-500 should be submitted to BOTH conference directors: Prof. Rosalind I.J. Hackett, University of Tennessee rhackett@utk.edu and Dr. Benjamin Soares, African Studies Center, Leiden, the Netherlands mediaAndReligion@fsw.leidenuniv.nl ; AND TO Dr. Walter Ihejirika, Center for the Study of African Culture and Communications WIhejirika@yahoo.com New Directions in the Humanities The 6th International conference on New Directions in the Humanities will take place at Fatih University, Istanbul, Turkey, July 15-18, 2008 Visit the website for detailed information: http://www.HumanitiesConference.com The Humanities Conference and its associated Journal provides a space for dialogue and for the publication of new knowledge which builds on the past traditions of the humanities while setting a renewed agenda for their future. A wide range of speakers will present lectures. Practitioners, teachers and researchers will present papers, workshops and colloquiums. Presenters may choose to submit written papers for publication in the fully refereed International Journal of New Directions in the Humanities. If you are unable to attend the conference in person, virtual registration is available, which allows you to submit a paper for refereeing and possible publication in the Journal, as well as access to the electronic version of the conference proceedings. The deadline for papers (title and short abstract) is March 31, 2008. Proposals are reviewed within four weeks of submission. Full details, including an online submission form are at the conference website.Monash University Centre, Prato, Tuscany, Italy Website: http://www.SocialSciencesConfreence.com The conference examines the nature of disciplinary practices, and the interdisciplinary practices that arise in the context of ‘real world’ applications. It also interrogates what constitutes ‘science’ in a social context, and the connections between the social and other sciences. Visit the website for information on submitting paper proposals. International Conference on the Arts in Society The conference will feature arts educators, artists, practitioners, researchers and theorists in all forms of disciplinary practice through paper presentations, workshops and colloquia. Submissions are invited for papers, workshops and alternative presentation formats for consideration in the Conference program. Presenters may choose to submit written papers for publication in the fully refereed International Journal of the Arts in Society. If you are unable to attend the conference in person, virtual registration is available which allow submission of a paper for refereeing and possible publication in the journal, as well as access to the electronic version of the journal. Submission in all areas of the arts will be considered, but especially welcome are presentations in keeping with the conference theme: “Art and Communication”. Details of the conference, including online proposal submission forms are on the conference website: http://www.Arts-Conference.comZanzibar Indian Ocean Research Institute (ZIORI) For details see: http://geschichte-transnational.clio-online.net/termine/id=865
University of California, Berkeley’s Department of Theater, Dance and Performance Studies The University of California, Berkeley’s Department of Theater, Dance and Performance Studies is organizing this conference for September 26-28, 2008. Co-sponsors include UCB’s Center for African Studies, the Consortium for the Arts, the Department of Music, and the Pacific Film Archive as well as two UC-wide Multi-campus Studies Research Groups in African Studies and International Studies. The conference is intended to examine the diverse critical approaches currently being practiced within studies of African and Afro-Caribbean performance. How are these cultures being constructed, analyzed, and re-imagined by recent discussions about theatricality, transnationalism, Diaspora, translation, Circum-Atlantic exchanges, or cyberspaces? (Other topics are also welcome). Papers should emphasize either Africa, the Caribbean, or the connections between both. Please send a one-page abstract by February 15, 2008 to Leo Cabranes-Grant, Associate Professor, Department of Theatre and Dance, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-7060; or e-mail: cabranes@theatredance.ucsb.edu
YALE CONFERENCE: Language in African Performing and Visual Arts: Global Trends, Issues and Perspectives This conference will be hosted by the Yale Program in African Languages at the Yale Council on African Studies October 2-4, 2008. As the world becomes more and more a global village through the internet and electronic media, transfer of cultural practices has become the norm. However, the cultures of those with global economic and political power have tended to overshadow those of countries whose influence is local. This conference will bring together scholars across disciplines to discuss trends in African popular cultures and how these have impacted African languages. The conference will investigate some of the developments in the performing and visual arts in Africa, with special focus on choice and forms of language used. It will ask how African languages have changed in this new environment and look at some of the reworking of oral tradition, and at works influenced by time spent outside Africa, and at new worldwide markets for products of popular African culture composed in African languages and argots. Papers are invited addressing this theme or one of the following sub-themes: Language and electronic and print media; Language and visual arts; Language and performing arts; Popular culture and technology; Popular culture and HIV/AIDS; Language in sports and leisure; Popular culture and urban language varieties; Fiction and publishing; Language and fashion and design. Send abstracts to: African.studies@yale.edu or fax to: 203-432-5963. Abstracts should be 300 words, and are due by May 31, 2008. For information call African Studies: 203-432-3436
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