Call for Papers: "Transitional Justice in Africa: Reassessing the concept in light of its empirical complexities"

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The concept of transitional justice, including retributive and restorative approaches to addressing past injustices and gross human rights violations, has had an impressive career since 1945. African cases have played a major role in the most recent developments in transitional justice (since 1991). Transitional justice mechanisms were, e.g., used to deal with the crimes unter the Apartheid regime in South Africa and to come to terms with the genocide in Rwanda. Transitional justice has increasingly been perceived, particularly by policy makers in the "donor countries" and by some international NGO, as a ready-made "toolkit" that can be simply transferred across the globe and from one post-conflict setting to another. Recent empirical studies have shown, however, that the professed aims of transitional justice - to reveal the truth about past injustices, hold perpetrators accountable, compensate victims, foster forgiveness, and ensure a successful transition from violence to peace - were frequently not reached. Moreover, processes of dealing with the past frequently had unintended consequences and led either to new conflicts or to the appropriation of justice in unforeseen ways.

Countries coming out of war, violence and systematic human rights violations are characterized by conflicting interpretations of the political past and present. Different "truths" contained in dominant narratives, counter-narratives and externally supported but certainly not neutral approaches to dealing with the past play a role. Against this backdrop, the editors of Africa Sprectrum invite empirically informed papers on the following subtopics:

Divergent conceptions and practices of justice after violent conflict

Competing "truths" about the past

The role of international involvement in local and national transitional justice processes

Deadline for submissions is 15 March 2012

Mehr Informationen

Call for Papers: Annual Conference 2012 of the Gesellschaft für afrikanisches Recht - Association du Droit African - African Law Association

The conference is hosted at the Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Germany, from November 9th to 10th 2012.

Since its foundation in 1973 the African Law Association has been the single specialized association in German-speaking countries to spread knowledge of the legal systems of all of Africa - which the Association calls "African Law" - and to encourage their comparative studies. As a platform for a thought-provoking exchange and presentations of national and foreign speakers, the Association organizes annual conferences since 1975.

The conference commitee now invites abstracts for papers in any field of African Law - be it international or domestic law, customary or religiously shaped African Law. The papers may present legal developments in Africa in the context of globalization, practical insights into the national law of any African country or region, or the impact of transnational organizations or private companies on law in Africa. Speakers will be allotted time slots of up to 30 minutes each. To promote effectiveness, English and French is spoken at the conference, besides German. Papers may be submitted for publication to the editorial board of the journal "Recht in Afrika/ Law in Africa/ Droit en Afrique".
We request interest contributors submit a 300 word abstract, outlining the general thrust of their contribution, either in English, French or German, by e-mail to cfp2012(at)lawinafrica.org not later than 15th of February 2012. Please include biographical data and keywords. The conference commitee invites proposals from post-graduate students as well as established scholars and practitioners dealing with issues related to law in Africa.
Eventual presentation of papers is subject to the decision of the conference commitee. The members of the conference commitee are Eva Diehl M.A., Dipl.-Jur. Hatem Elliesie MLE, Prof. Dr. Thilo Marauhn, Dr. Oliver Meinecke, Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Möhlig, Dr. Dirk Otto, Chididscha Schoepffer M.J.I. and Prof. Dr. Harald Sippel. Authors of accepted papers will be informed by end of March 2012.

Further Information.

• Ankündigung des Afrikanistentags während der VAD-Tagung 2012

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  Liebe Kolleginne und Kollegen,

  im Namen des Instituts für Afikanistik an der Universität zu Köln laden wir Sie herzlich ein zum 20. Afrikanistentag, der vom 30.05. bis zum 02.06.2012 an unserer Universität in Verbindung mit der VAD-Tagung stattfinden wird. Im Rahmen des Afrikanistentages findet auch die Vollversammlung des Fachverbandes Afrikanistik statt. Der diesmalige Afrikanistentag wird anstelle eines Mottos zwei Forschungsbereiche in den Fokus stellen. Wir werden Panels und Workshops anbieten zu
  
  "Jugendsprachen Afrikas" und "Sprachdokumentation".
  
  Neben Präsentationen zu diesen beiden Arbeitsbereichen sind Beiträge in Formn einzelner Vorträge sowie von Panels zu allen Themen afrikanistischer Forschung willkommen. Den Teilnehmern soll die Möglichkeit geboten werden ihre Forschungsergebnisse einer möglichst breiten wissenschaftlichen Öffentlichkeit zu präsentieren, was durch die Vernetzung mit der VAD-Tagung in einer großen Breite von Veranstaltungen möglich sein wird. Wir hängen aus diesem Grunde den "Call for Panels" für die VAD-Tagung an und hoffen auf einen spannenden und produktiven Austausch, der beides - Afrikanistentag und VAD-Tagung- einbezieht.
  Darüber hinaus wollen wir dazu auffordern, uns angesichts der tiefgreifenden Änderungen in Lehre und Forschung an den europäischen Universitäten über die Ursprünge der Afrikanistik und über mögliche Antworten zu ihrer Zukunft zu verständigen.

  Die Konferenzsprache des Afrikanistentages ist wie gewohnt in erster Linie Deutsch, englischsprachige und französischsprachige Beiträge sind ebenfalls erwünscht.
  Ab sofort können Anmeldungen für Panels und/oder Vorträge in Verbindung mit einem kurzen Abstract eingereicht werden unter afrikanistentag(at)yahoo.com. Anmeldeschluss ist der 15. Juli 2011.
  Auf Ihr Kommen und Ihren Beitrag zum nächsten Afrikanistentag in Köln freuen wir uns.
  Ihre
  Anne Storch und Gerrit Dimmendaal
  
  
  
  

• 15.-17.01.2012 Tagung "Heilung und Heil in traditionellen Gesellschaften"
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  Die Veranstaltung der Missionsakademie an der Universität Hamburg in Kooperation mit dem Museum für Völkerkunde Hamburg trägt den Zusatz "Hexereianklagen und das Gleichgewicht spiritueller Kräfte - ein Anfrage an unsere Gesellschaft". Den Organisatoren ist es gelungen, die beiden renommierten Ethnologen/Theologen Eric de Rosny (Kamerun) und Jon Kirby (TICCS in Tamale, Ghana) als Hauptreferenten zu gewinnen. 

  
  Potentielle Teilnehmer und Interessierte können sich direkt an Prof. Dr. Werner Kahl wenden.

  Kontakt:
  www.missionsakademie.de

• Äthiopischer Kollege verstärkt Kölner Wissenschaftler-Team am Botanischen Institut  - Klimawandel und Landnutzung in afrikanischen Trockengebieten

Der Weideökologe Dr. Ayana Angassa aus Äthiopien hat ein Georg-Forster-Stipendium der Humboldt-Stiftung erhalten, um zwei Jahre in Köln forschen zu können. Er wird von Mai 2011 bis April 2013 in der Arbeitsgruppe der Ökologin Dr. Anja Linstädter im Botanischen Institut zu Gast sein. Sein Forschungsgebiet ist die Ökologie und nachhaltige Nutzung von nordafrikanischen Trockengebieten. Er beschäftigt sich mit den Auswirkungen von Beweidung und Klimawandel auf Ökosystemfunktionen und Biodiversität dieser empfindlichen Systeme. In den kommenden zwei Jahren wird der Wissenschaftler die Nachhaltigkeit einer hirtennomadischen Weidenutzung in Äthiopien untersuchen. Dabei wird er lokales ökologisches Wissen zu Veränderungen der Vegetation mit wissenschaftlichem Wissen zu diesen Dynamiken abgleichen, um zu einem funktionalen Verständnis einer nachhaltigen Landnutzung in afrikanischen Trockengebieten zu kommen. Dieses Interesse teilt er mit seiner wissenschaftlichen Gastgeberin, Dr. Anja Linstädter, die mit ihrer Arbeitsgruppe vergleichbare Fragestellungen in anderen afrikanischen Ländern wie Namibia, Südafrika und Marokko bearbeitet. Vor dem Hintergrund der hohen Umweltvariabilität in Trockengebieten ist ein solches funktionales Verständnis wichtig: Die negativen Folgen des Klimawandels verlangen Strategien, um sie abzumildern oder zu vermeiden. Es wird vorausgesagt, dass insbesondere in Afrikas Trockengebieten die Variabilität der Niederschläge künftig stark zunehmen wird, was zum vermehrten Auftreten von Extremereignissen wie Dürren führen wird. Ein präventives Dürre-Management kann sich die Jahrhunderte alte Erfahrung lokaler Landnutzer wie dem Volk der Borana in Äthiopien zunutze machen. So setzt Angassa bei seinem Vorhaben auf ökologische Freilanddaten und integriert traditionelles Wissen der lokalen hirtennomadischen Nutzer.

Angassa studierte von 1986 bis 1999 an der Alemaya Universität für Bodenkultur in Äthiopien Animal Sciences sowie Tierproduktion und Weideökologie. Im Jahr 2007 promovierte er in Umwelt- und Entwicklungsforschung an der Norwegischen Universität für Lebenswissenschaften.

• CEA-Student is second to hand in his Master thesis at the Faculty of Arts, University of Cologne

Goodman GWASIRA is the second student to hand in his Master thesis at the Faculty of Arts since the start of the Master programme at the University of Cologne. He has also passed all exams successfully. Born in Zimbabwe and affiliated with the University of Namibia, Windhoek, Gwasira is among the first group of students of the interdisciplinary study programme Culture and Environment in Africa (CEA). Together with scientists from the Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology/African Research Unit he is studying the Brandberg or Dâureb in Namibia. Gwasira's research focuses on the so called Dome Gorge. His Master thesis deals with the empirical description of the entire corpus of rock engravings found there. Based on quantitative data Goodman Gwasira analyses the distribution and presentation of these engravings. more...

• 27.1.2011 CASC becomes part of  AEGIS (Africa-Europe Group for Interdisciplinary Studies) as "observing centre".

More information to AEGIS can be found on the homepage ot the network .

• DFG has approved a collaborative project of the Universities Cologne and Bayreuth:

The DFG (German Research Foundation) has approved a collaborative project of the Universities Cologne and Bayreuth with the topic "Translations of the 'adaptation to climate change' paradigm in Eastern Africa"  in the frame of the Priority Programme 1448/1: "Adaptation and Creativity in Africa - Technologies and Significations in the Production of Order and Disorder". The project is supposed to run for 24 months and will deal with the following topics: 

The project starts from the observation that society-environment relations in Africa are currently facing an intense re-shaping through a multitude of climate related programmes, conceptually developed at an international level, translated into projects and programmes at the national level and negotiated and appropriated ideologically, socially and economically at the local level. It takes the global concept of ‘Adaptation to Climate Change’ (ACC) as a travelling idea that was initially designed by scientists in the North and is presently “travelling” to the South. The project is based on the following hypotheses:

(1)   The ‘travelling’ of the global ACC paradigm to Africa is an ambiguous and contested translation process in which the idea undergoes reinterpretation, modification and appropriation so that it matches experiences, needs and interests of stakeholders at multiple levels in Africa.

(2)   Translation processes are structured by translation regimes that are constituted by a specific set of actors, networks of communication, institutional patterns of interaction, and knowledge resources.

(3)   Translations and their social, technological and environmental materialisations will imply fundamental changes in the way people exploit, manage and conserve their environment and thus be accompanied by conflicts between different social groups with their respective interests.

The key question that links the project to the overall objective of the priority programme is twofold and asks on the one hand how actors in different translation regimes in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Rwanda are able to unfold their capacities of adaptation and creativity in the process of translation of the ACC idea and on the other hand how the mobilisation and transformation of these capacities shape environmental governance and thus a re-ordering of state-society-environment relations in these countries.

The specific objectives of the project are

·         to understand the processes of translation by identifying the translators, analysing their translation practices and their multi-scalar networks in and through which the idea of ACC travels and is translated,

·         to understand diverse ACC translations as an expression of local creativity and adaptation in different translation regimes,

·         to trace impacts of ACC translations on environmental governance and thus on state-society relations by identifying emerging and/or re-shaped structures of e.g. environmental surveillance, action groups and land use changes,

·         to understand the interactions of different significations of ‘adaptation’ and

·         to contribute to the structural and conceptual aim of the priority programme 1448/1 through an interdisciplinary and theoretical informed approach of comparative empirical fieldwork

• Visiting scientist from Senegal at the University of Cologne

Dr. Samo Diatta from the University Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) in Dakar, Senegal is visiting the Institute of Meteorology at the University of Cologne during the winter term 2010/2011. Dr. Diatta is working at the Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics and Ocean at UCAD. In his PHD-thesis he has dealt with the topic "Climate and Climate Impacts".

• Guest lecturer from Sudan at the Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology

Dr. Azhari Mustafa Sadig is Assistant Professor at the Department of Archaeology at the University of Khartoum where he represents the Africa oriented archaeology. His research focus is on the Neolithicum of Sudan. He will be a guest lecturer at the Institute of Prehistoric Archaeology for the whole winter term 2010/11. His stay has been fincanced by the DAAD and the Faculty of Arts, University of Cologne.