Cheikh Anta Diop Conference

24^th Annual Cheikh Anta Diop International Conference

Re-igniting the Pan-African Imperative:

Fortifying a Consciousness of Victory
October 12-13, 2012Holiday Inn, Historic District
Philadelphia, PA

Sponsored by the Diopian Institute for Scholarly Advancement

 

The historical narrative of African peoples’ ongoing quest for a liberated and righteous world is characterized by its imperatives toward social justice and ensuring human dignity.  The 2012 Cheikh Anta Diop International Conference welcomes scholars, activists, educators, and the community to contribute papers and to convene around the theme of reigniting a Pan-African vision and reasserting an African ethic to move beyond the rhetoric of (1) “the age of Obama” and (2) “the African Renaissance” as an effort to more precisely confront the many global challenges facing African people. This year’s theme is a reminder that we achieve victory through the uncompromising processes of applying consciousness, engaging in activism, and inspiring behaviors that are consistent with the ethical principles that have guided our struggles.  We encourage scholar-activists to translate this consciousness of victory into intellectual initiatives that will help transform the Pan-African world.

 

The Diopian Institute for Scholarly Advancement (DISA) is committed to utilizing scholarship in order to qualify and advance African agency at all levels. Each year, the Conference theme facilitates panels and papers on various aspects of African and African Diaspora cultures, histories, thoughts and practices from within the Afrocentric intellectual framework. Outstanding books, articles, and other Afrocentric research initiatives are recognized each year at the Awards Luncheon.  

 In line with the theme of this year’s conference we are inviting papers and presentations that address the following topics:

1.     Unearthing Sankofa in the Age of Obama—Assessments and Critiques of History, Public Policy, Foreign Strategy, and Domestic Social Justice

2.      “Occupy Africanity”—Achievements of and Challenges to Africanity and the Legacy of Black Activism, Advocacy and Direct Action Engagement

3.     The Rhetoric and Political Distractions of “African Renaissance” Discourse

4.     The African Critique of Constricted Societies—The Meaning of and Public Responses to New Technologies and Contemporary Social Controls

5.     The Role of African Culture in the Political and Economic Movements for African Liberation

6.     The Afrocentric Paradigm as Restorative Discourse and the African Intelligentsia

7.     Early and Recent Histories of the Re-Colonization of African Peoples and Lands

8.     Advancing Pan-African Ideals in Contemporary Black Expressive Cultural productions

9.     The Asantian Literature and the state of African Cultural Identity Studies

10.   Pan-Africanism as a Pedagogical Tool for African Liberation in the K-12 Curriculum

 

Requirements for Abstracts: 100 words limit; name, affiliation, academic title, email address; paper title, thesis and methodology. Please send via email as a Microsoft Word attachment; and please indicate if you need an LCD projector. Abstracts are due August 1, 2012: 
Diopian Institute for Scholarly Advancement
P.O. Box 1156
El Cajon, CA 92022Abstracts@DiopianInstitute.org

Notification of paper acceptance will be sent August 31, 2012.

 

Unearthing Sankofa in the Age of Obama—Assessments and Critiques of History, Public Policy, Foreign Strategy, and Domestic Social Justice

An Afrocentric assessment of the Sankofa paradigm and contemporary issues for African Descended Peoples; applying the “Return to the Source and bring to the future” principal; evaluating the importance of “learning from the past” to the ethics and relevance of the Age of Obama and the African world experience.

 

“Occupy Africanity”—Achievements of and Challenges to Africanity and the Legacy of Black Activism, Advocacy and Direct Action Engagement

A critical reexamination of historical examples of Black Social Activism; analysis and appraisals of the contemporary United States “Occupy” (Populist) movement within the African philosophical perspective.

 

 The Rhetoric and Political Distractions of “African Renaissance” Discourse

Contextualizing self—conscious cultural reclamation and political struggles; political mobilization, organization, discourses; theoretical and empirical works exploring the intersection between the foundations of, and challenges to, African agency

 

The African Critique of constricted Societies—The Meaning of and Public Responses to New Technologies and Contemporary Social Controls

Evaluating the utilizing of new media technologies in the advancement of the Pan-African agenda; research and theory on technology, knowledge and advancement of African societies; Understanding the implications of social media, high security, virtual worlds, “technochange” (rapid, complex systems development and change) and the ethical use of Information Technology

 

The Role of African Culture in the Political and Economic Movements for African Liberation

Analytical discussions of Traditions and Innovation in the Realization of an Global African Cultural Resurgence; Afrocentric critiques of principal decision-makers, monetary debt, effective leadership, policy development, and power dynamics

 

The Afrocentric Paradigm as Restorative Discourse and the African Intelligentsia

Appraising Afrocentricity and an energized liberation movement; reviewing the processes locating knowledge, culture and class constructs within indices of advancement

 

Early and Recent Histories of the Re-Colonization of African Peoples and Lands

Includes, but is not limited to the regional discussions of, strategic observations of Pan-Africanists from the 21^st century war in North Africa to the East African food crisis; topics includes: water, strategic minerals, multinational corporations,  human rights, continental and Diasporic unity, governmental integrity, health resources, environment/conservation

 

Advancing Pan-African Ideals in Contemporary Black Expressive Cultural productions

The role of artistic expression/aesthetics in African liberation; imagination, visualization and reality—theater, dance, literature, art (including digital), film, music, photography/images in locating the African personality and perspective

 

The Asantian Literature and the state of African Cultural Identity Studies

Interrogating the critical theoretical constructs of Asantian Afrocentricity in recognizing African cultural knowledge, African being in the world, Afrocentric narratives, and Intergenerational continuity

 

Pan-Africanism as a Pedagogical Tool for African Liberation in the K-12 Curriculum

Elucidating the Pan-African Personality for application in academic endeavors;  shaping thought in African communities; assessing instructional deficiencies; empowering community knowledge and harnessing digital learning; redefining black bodies and black consciousness; liberating ineffective educative realms

 

For more information send email to Info@DiopianInstitute.org or call 619-384-9868.

Adisa A. Alkebulan, Ph.D.
Department of Africana Studies
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA 92182-8132
619-594-5174

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Attachment(s) from Adisa

2 of 2 File(s)

 CFP2012.pdf

 registration_form2012.pdf