News and Upcoming Events
Islamic NGOs & Development Aid in Africa (April 12-13, 2013)
After years of neglect, religion as a factor in development aid in Africa is currently gaining increasing attention. This new interest has spurred research on the role of faith-based organizations and religiously-driven development initiatives, and how these relate to general humanitarian principles within development theory. A largely ignored aspect of this phenomenon is the significant increase of Muslim-based development activities, embodied in the expansion of a number of local and international Muslim NGOs across Africa. This symposium seeks to fill this void by exploring the nature, role, and impact of Muslim NGOs in Africa. For more info, please click here.
Retired South African Justice Albie Sachs to speak at UF on March 26, 2013
Albie Sachs, a retired justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, will be giving a talk "Combating Corruption: Kenya's Efforts to Judge Its Judges" at 4pm in 404 Grinter. In addition, Sachs will also give a lecture at 12pm on "Gay Marriage and the Promise of Equality" in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom (Holland Hall Room 180) followed by a book signing. For more information on these events, please click here.
Gwendolen M. Carter Conference (March 15-16, 2013)
The 29th annual Carter Conference is being held on March 15-16 in 282 Reitz Union on the UF campus. This year's theme is "The Politics of Permanent Flux: State-Society Relations in the Horn of Africa" and is organized by CAS & Religion professor Terje Ostebo. A complete program can be found here.
Multi-modal Language Documentation (March 16-17, 2013)
This is the 2nd workshop presented by UF faculty on endangered language documentation. The workshop will be held in 302 Pugh Hall on the UF campus. For more info, please contact essegbey@ufl.edu.
Recording a Revolution: Hip Hop & Social Change in Africa (February 23, 2013)
This event brings together artists, scholars and documentary filmmakers to discuss hip hop, the visual arts, and political activism in Africa. Two new documentaries will be presented along with a panel including the films’ directors/producers and featured hip hop artists, including American hip hop artist M1, founding member of dead prez. The panel will discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with the representation of and by artists/activists of Africa and the African diaspora, and open up a public dialogue about social and political concerns in Africa. As it coincides with Black History Month, this event will also encourage a discussion between the historical linkages between Africa and its diaspora. For more info, please click here.
The Politics of Institutional Reform In Sahelian Africa (February 21, 2013)
The UF-based Sahel Research Group is holding a conference on the above theme on 21 February in Room 286 of the Reitz Union at the University of Florida. The conference examines the question of whether the politics of creating and reforming institutions in the name of democracy have weakened or strengthened states across the Africa Sahel. Additional information can be found here.
SERSAS/SEAN Meeting (Feb. 8-9, 2013)
CAS is pleased to host the Spring 2013 joint meeting of the Southeast Regional Seminar in African Studies (SERSAS) and the Southeast Africanist Network (SEAN). This year's meeting theme is "Africa Looks Back: Reflections, Constructions, Imaginations". Please click here for a complete program.
Gwendolen M. Carter Lectures in African Studies: Health, Society, and Development in Africa (Oct. 25 - Nov. 16, 2012)
Click here to view the complete poster.
Third Annual Southeast African Languages and Literature Forum (Oct. 13-14, 2012)
Click here to view the complete program.
Out of Africa: The Work of Memoirs in Contemporary Africa (Sept. 14-15, 2012)
Click here to view the complete program.
Former Director Receives $1.25 Million Grant
Former Director of the Center for African Studies, Dr. Leonardo Villalón, has been awarded a three year, $1.25 million grant to study factors affecting political stability in the Sahel. The award is part of the Minerva Research Initiative, a university-based social science research program intended to increase understanding of regions and topics considered important to U.S. national security and funded by the Department of Defense. The award will support field research by UF faculty and graduate students in six Sahelian nations: Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad.
Click here to read more.
2011 Sub-Saharan Africa Business Environment Report (SABER)
The 2011 Sub-Saharan Africa Business Environment Report is now available.
Click here to learn more and view the report.
Center for African Studies Events Schedule
Don't forget to visit our News and Events page here to see what is going on at the Center for African Studies.
