2011 Africa Conference Dates: March 25-27, 2011
Venue: The University of Texas at Austin
Convener: Toyin Falola
We are inviting scholars to submit conference papers and full panal proposals for the 2011 conference on Africa in World Politics. The goal of this conference is to create an interdisciplinary dialogue concerning Africa’s contemporary and historical place in world politics. Africa is too often regarded as being on the periphery of the world political arena, when in fact the nations of Africa have played an important, although often tactically manipulated, role in global affairs.
What was Africa’s historical place in world politics? How did independence and the Cold War change this locality? What is Africa’s role today and what needs to be done to insure that the African voice is heard in international forums in the future?
Some potential paper topics may include:
- Africa in the Ancient and Medieval Worlds (Africa in the Medieval Islamic World, Indian Ocean trade, Egypt and Carthage in the Classical World)
- The politics of the Atlantic Slave Trade and slavery in the Atlantic world - Pan-Africanism and its global political implications (for instance, the creation of Liberia)
- African colonies’ role in the new European nationalism of the late nineteenth century
- Africa and Africans in the World Wars
- Africa in the United Nations and the United Nations in Africa
- Strategic political alignment during the Cold War
- Africa and the Non-Aligned Nations (the Bandung Conference, the Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization, etc.)
- African nations as “third world” or “developing” nations
- Africa’s changing role in the context of North-South relations
- Africa’s relations with the United States, EU, and the individual countries of Europe in the post-Cold War geopolitical situation
- The rise of Asian interests in Africa and their political implications, including those of China, India, and Japan
- Africa, Africans, and the politics of transnational communities
- African representation in international institutions, ranging from the economic (IMF and World Bank) to those concerned with health and human services (The Red Cross/Crescent and WHO)
- The effectiveness and role of African political institutions such as the African Union (AU) and the previous Organization for African Unity (OAU)
- Cultural expressions of political realities, including political protest in the forms of music, literature, film, art, etc., both in Africa and throughout the Diaspora
- Forms of transnational political protest
- The concern over global terrorism and the instability of African nations
- Africa in the international courts, addressing issues of piracy, crimes of pharmaceutical companies, genocide, etc.
- The political implications of past and present world financial crises
As with all our previous conferences, participants will be drawn from different parts of the world. Submitted papers will be assigned to particular panels according to similarities in theme, topic, discipline, or geographical location. Papers can also be submitted together as a panel. Additionally, selected papers will be published in book form.
This conference also has a commitment to professional development which will be fostered through workshops in writing, publishing, and conference presentation. The conference will also provide ample time for professionals from various disciplines and geographical locations to interact, exchange ideas, and receive feedback. Graduate students are especially encouraged to attend and present papers and will be partnered with a senior scholar to encourage their own growth as scholars.
The deadline for submitting paper proposals is November 31, 2010. Proposals should include a 250-word abstract and title, as well as the author's name, address, telephone number, email address, and institutional affiliation.
Please submit all abstracts to Toyin Falola: toyin.falola@mail.utexas.edu and Jessica Achberger/ Charles Thomas: africaconference2011@gmail.com
A mandatory non-refundable registration fee of $100 for scholars and $65 for graduate students must be paid immediately when an abstract is accepted. This conference fee includes admission to the panels, workshops, and special events, as well as transportation to and from the conference from the hotel, breakfast for three days, dinner on Friday night and a banquet on Saturday evening.
Go to the Conference Shop where you can pay with a VISA, Mastercard, or Discover card. If you prefer to send a check, select the pre-pay option. Write the check out to the "University of Texas" and enter "Conference" on the memo line. Please be sure that your name is somehow printed on the check so that we can easily correlate your payment with your abstract. It is expected that all participants will raise the funding to attend the conference.
The University of Texas at Austin does not provide participants with any form of funding support, travel expenses, or boarding expenses. If the conference obtains outside funding this will be used to help subsidize graduate students' accommodations on a competitive basis but it is not guaranteed.