Welcoming Ottawa Week (WOW)-Immigrants’ Reflections on Integration and Settlement in Canada
Engagement Event
A year ago, a volunteer group of five immigrants holding Ph.D. degrees in Social Science from different countries, under the guidance of a professor at the University of Ottawa, put their heads together to contemplate their personal experiences of immigration and to apply their researchers’ lens to these stories. Their research projects discussed in this WOW engagement will form a new book, a supplementary reader, for university students telling about integration experiences with immigrants’ voices.
This bilingual free public event will feature presentations and discussion. All interested long-time residents, recent newcomers, people who study or work in immigration are welcome to attend.
When: Thursday, June 23 @ 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Auditorium of the Main Branch, Ottawa Public Library, 120 Metcalfe Street.
RSVP much appreciated: RSVP here
The Welcoming Ottawa Week is an annual, week-long series of dialogues, cultural and celebratory events, sports activities, documentary screenings, and other fun events designed to convey the genuine welcome and hospitality of Ottawans to newcomers, while providing opportunities for quality interactions between residents, old and new.
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Kids for Kenya: A musical celebration for education
On Saturday June 11, 2016 the Canada-Mathare Education Trust (CMETrust) will host Kids for Kenya – A family fundraiser and musical celebration for education, at the Westboro Legion in Ottawa. The event will be targeted to Ottawa families and will include live musical performances from local Hey Buster children’s band, Cameroonian-Canadian Wise Atangana and the Luv 2 Groove Dance School. There will be a huge silent auction and lots of activities for the whole family! All funds raised will go entirely toward sending promising young minds from the Mathare Slum in Nairobi, Kenya to high school. Help us achieve our fundraising goal of $5000 (the equivalent of five one-year secondary school scholarships)!
For ticket information, click here →
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Filmmaking Practices in Africa : an International Conference
January 19-20, 2017
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Keynote speaker : Sheila Petty, University of Regina, Canada
Organized by Suzanne Crosta (McMaster University), Sada Niang (University of
Victoria) & Alexie Tcheuyap (University of Toronto)
Since the 1970s, African film production has undergone significant transformations, as demonstrated by many researchers (Diawara, 1992 ; Ukadike 1994, Cham, 1996 ; Barlet 1997 & 2012 ; Murphy & Williams, 2007 ; Niang, 20013 ; Harrow, 1997 & 2013, Tcheuyap, 2011). Given the extensive media coverage and critical studies primarily afforded to African films and African filmmaking, this International Conference will focus on the emergence, diversity and recent changes to documentary filmmaking. Indeed, if this genre has been more pervasive and popular in recent decades because of new technological innovations, it is also noteworthy that many nationalist full-length feature films have used aesthetic forms closely related to this genre. Moreover, as documentaries have been revitalized in developed countries, largely through cinema screenings (Chanan, 2007), African practices merit further study since the genre has proliferated in a context where public viewing spaces have become scarce, particularly in francophone Black Africa. The rise of documentaries can therefore be explained by a number of factors including 1) the transition from film to video and the financial benefits that ensued; 2) the rise of a distinct female voice amongst documentary filmmakers in a field that was once almost exclusively dominated by men (Tcheuyap, 2010); 3) the opening of new “democratic” spaces in the 90s and an emerging political and social discourse; 4) the training of many documentary filmmakers in Francophone and Lusophone Africa by the French association Ardèche Images (“the AfricaDoc school”); 5) more recently, the development of narratives about the Chinese presence in Africa.
It is within this context that this International Conference on Documentary Filmmaking Practices in Africa will consider the emergence and development of the genre in Africa. Given that critical attention has largely focused on fictional African films and filmmaking, this conference seeks to examine the historical, political, sociological, economic and cultural dynamics that have facilitated the rise of documentary films, a genre formerly derived from anthropological discourses. This Conference will also assess the emergence of documentary filmmakers from different generations whose training, mobility and views on social, political and environmental issues demonstrate a certain sophistication as well as discursive, aesthetic and ethical coherence. A list of possible topics to be examined during this conference include, but are not limited to:
- Theory and practice of documentary filmmaking in Africa
- Fiction and documentaries: potentiality and limits
- History and documentary filmmaking
- The new political economy of documentary filmmaking
- Documentaries and the aesthetic of testimony
- Ecocriticism and documentaries
- New technologies: An opportunity for documentary filmmaking?
- Documentaries as catalysts for cultural and linguistic diversity
- The Internet and new distribution platforms
- The documentary: a more “feminine” genre?
- Non-governmental organizations and “ordering documentary films”: political and ethical issues.
- The documentary: an « inevitably activist » genre?
Papers may be presented in French or English, however only those written in English will be considered for publication. Proposals, as well as a brief biographical statement should be sent to africadoc@utoronto.ca. The deadline for proposals is September 15, 2016. There will be no conference registration fee, but participants will have to assume all other costs.
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Pratiques du documentaire en Afrique : un colloque international Documentary
Les 19 et 20 janvier 2017
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Conférencière invitee : Sheila Petty, University of Regina, Canada
Organisé par Suzanne Crosta (McMaster University), Sada Niang (University of
Victoria) & Alexie Tcheuyap (University of Toronto)
Depuis les années 1970, la production cinématographique africaine a subi des métamorphoses illustrées
par de nombreux chercheurs (Diawara, 1992 ; Ukadike 1994, Cham, 1996 ; Barlet 1997 & 2012 ; Murphy & Williams, 2007 ; Niang, 2013 ; Harrow, 1997 & 2013, Tcheuyap, 2011). Vu la couverture médiatique et le nombre croissant d’études consacrées au cinéma de fiction, ce colloque mettra l’emphase sur l’émergence, la diversité et les mutations du documentaire. En effet, si la généralisationet la « démocratisation » de la pratique documentaire depuis quelques décennies sont largement
attribuables aux nouvelles transformations technologiques, on peut également constater que bon nombre de longs métrages nationalistes déployaient des formes esthétiques proches de ce genre. Par ailleurs, lorsqu’on sait que dans les pays développés, les documentaires ont connu un nouveau souffle en grande partie par leurs projections dans les salles de cinéma (Chanan, 2007), on peut s’interroger sur cette spécificité africaine par laquelle le genre se déploie dans un contexte où les salles se raréfient, surtout en Afrique noire francophone. L’essor du documentaire peut donc s’expliquer par un certain nombre de facteurs dont 1) la transition du film à la vidéo et les économies qui s’ensuivent; 2) l’entrée en scène d’une voix distincte chez les femmes documentaristes dans un domaine autrefois presqu’exclusivement dominé par les hommes (Tcheuyap, 2010) ; 3) l’ouverture « démocratique » des années 1990 avec de nouveaux discours politiques et sociaux ; 4) la formation de nombreux documentaristes en Afrique francophone et lusophone par l’association Ardèche Images (« l’école AfricaDoc »); 5) plus récemment, le développement de nombreux récits sur la présence chinoise en Afrique.
C’est dans ce contexte que le colloque Pratiques du documentaire en Afrique voudrait déterminer les modalités d’émergence et de développement de ce genre en Afrique. Vu que les travaux sur la fiction triomphent dans les recherches cinématographiques, ce colloque veut examiner les dynamiques historiques, politiques, sociologiques, économiques et culturelles ayant facilité la survenue des documentaires autrefois largement tributaires de discours anthropologiques. Il voudrait aussi évaluer l’entrée en scène des documentaristes de diverses générations dont la formation, la mobilité et les regards sur les enjeux sociaux, politiques et environnementaux témoignent d’une certaine richesse, d’une cohérence discursive, esthétique et éthique. Parmi les questions à explorer pendant le colloque et sans se limiter à celles qui suivent, on pourrait relever :
• Théorie et pratique du documentaire en Afrique
• Fiction et documentaire : frontières et distances
• Histoire et documentaire
• Documentaire et esthétique du témoignage
• Nouvelle économie politique du documentaire
• Les nouvelles technologies : une chance pour le documentaire ?
• Écocritique et documentaire
• Internet et nouvelles plateformes de distribution
• Le documentaire : catalyseur de la diversité culturelle et linguistique
• Le documentaire : un genre plus « féminin » ?
• Organisations non gouvernementales et « commandes de documentaires » : enjeux politiques et éthiques.
• Le documentaire : un genre « fatalement militant » ?
Les communications peuvent se faire en français ou en anglais. Cependant, des textes découlant de cette rencontre, seuls ceux rédigés en anglais seront considérés pour publication. Les propositions de communication, ainsi qu’une brève note biographique peuvent être envoyées à africadoc@utoronto.ca. La date limite de réception des propositions de communication est le 15 septembre, 2016. Il n’y aura pas de frais d’inscription à la conférence, mais il est attendu que les participants se prennent entièrement en charge.
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CODESRIA 2016 Democratic Governance Institute: The African State and Public Cyber-Security Service
Deadine: 31 August 2016
Date : 31 October – 11 November 2016
Venue: Dakar, Senegal
Topic:The African State and Public Cyber-Security Service
Call for Application: 2016 Session
The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) is pleased to announce the 2016 session of its Democratic Governance Institute. Researchers are invited to send their applications for that institute which will take place from 31 October – 11 November 2016 in Dakar, Senegal.
The CODESRIA Democratic Governance Institute, which was launched in 1992, is an annual interdisciplinary forum which brings together about fifteen researchers from various regions of the continent and the Diaspora as well as a few non-African researchers conducting innovative research on topics related to the general topic of governance.
Structure
The Institute’s sessions are supervised by a scientific director who, with the support of carefully selected resource persons, ensures that a large spectrum of research and policy issues is presented to the laureates. Each laureate is expected to write an article from his/her research work for presentation during the Institute. The revised version of the articles will be peer-evaluated for publication by CODESRIA. The CODESRIA Documentation and Information Centre (CODICE) will provide participants with a comprehensive bibliography on the topic of the Institute. The participants will also have access to the facilities of a number of documentation centres in and near Dakar.
Languages
The CODESRIA Democratic Governance Institute’s working languages will be English and French. Simultaneous translation will be available during the session.
The 2016 Democratic Governance Institute: “The African State and public cyber-security service ”
The 2015 Democratic Governance Institute session’s topic was “Cyber-Security, Sovereignty and Democratic Governance in Africa”. Among its recommendations was the need to deepen understanding on the theme of cyber-security by holding a second session. Thus the topic of the 2016 Institute is: “The African State and Public Cyber-Security Service”.
In an environment marked by growing insecurity, a widening digital gap at the expense of Africa, which, just like poverty, is becoming commonplace, the continent has not yet benefitted from all the advantages of the digital era but rather, undergoes more than anywhere else in the world its adverse effects. The collective work of the 2015 session researchers has enabled the study of cases that illustrate that democratic cyber-governance is at work; cyber-citizenship is under construction; Africa is starting to develop responses to cyber-threats and is aware of the need for building a prospective vision of cyber-security governance.
It is in the perspective of building a relevant and efficient cyber-security governance system that this year’s session is organized around the topic of public cyber-security service.
African States are settling in a digital vulnerability which spares no sector and, consequently, must protect themselves against the risk of digital dependency by encouraging thought on the place of digital technologies in the management of security and strategic threats (cyber-spying, cyber-sabotage, cyber-terrorism, cyber-war, etc.).
At the same time, the growing dematerialization of public service activities exposes the State and territorial communities to new computer-based threats in a period of more complex cyber-criminality and there is an increase of sensitive data leakages, loss of intellectual property, insecurity of crucial infrastructure exacerbated by the development of innovative technology (the multiplication of connected devices, cloud computing, social computing and next generation mobile computing). To add to this, the legal and regulatory framework is not always in alignment with current cyber-security challenges, which raises the issue of conciliating digital risks management with the requirement of the permanence of public service.
These are issues calling for reflection during the 2016 Democratic Governance Institute.
The overall objective of the 2016 session is to anticipate on the construction of an African vision of public cyber-security service with a view to strengthening state integrity and sovereignty in Africa.
For more information in English and/or French, click here. →
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Help Lesotho Internships
Help Lesotho is a Canadian NGO working exclusively in Lesotho, southern Africa, on projects related to gender inequity and HIV/AIDS. Help Lesotho is currently seeking two interns to live and work in rural Lesotho for 8 months starting in August 2016. The internships are funded through the International Youth Internship Program (Global Affairs Canada).
- Communications and Program Support Intern: support Help Lesotho’s program team, collect impact stories, and collaborate with the Canadian office on external communication campaigns (social media, reports, website, etc.) Click here to learn more.
- Monitoring and Evaluation Intern: manage data collection, input and reporting related to Help Lesotho’s programs and beneficiaries with Help Lesotho’s new M&E database. Click here to learn more.
Applications are due by June 10, but we recommend submitting ASAP. Please contact Kate Lambert, Help Lesotho’s Senior Project Officer, with questions – kate@helplesotho.org.
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Call for Abstracts: Crossing Borders, Traversing Boundaries: Bridging the Gap between Research, Practice, and Theory
2nd Annual Zimbabwe Historical Association (ZHA) Conference
Dates: 2-3 September 2016
Venue: Long Cheng Plaza Conference Room (154), cnr. S. Machel and Mutley Bend, Belvedere (next to the National Sports Stadium), Harare, Zimbabwe
Call for Abstracts/Papers:
The Zimbabwe Historical Association (ZHA) invites historians and scholars from related disciplines to the second annual conference to be held in Harare. This year’s conference focuses on borders and boundaries. Borders and boundaries – geographic, political, or conceptual – remain important to the study of history. However, traditional boundaries are regularly transgressed, imperfectly administered, and unevenly acknowledged. At the same time, partly as a reaction to globalization and partly as a response to emerging regionalism and ethno-regionalist movements, a number of states have set in motion a process of rescaling in which they have devolved part of their power in governance to supra-state and sub-state regions. As a result, the complex roles of borders and boundaries have become more relevant than ever, necessitating a reconceptualization that sees them as processes, discourses, practices, even symbols, through which power functions.
This conference takes up these themes and threads, and also encourages other kinds of boundary-crossing—boundaries between disciplines; between families, the boundaries of races, the boundaries of nations, the boundaries of aboriginal/indigenous peoples and others, the boundaries of communities, the boundaries of law, or all of these borders. These pointers are meant as jumping-off points from which we invite submissions from any historical or disciplinary approach that considers the role of boundaries in the human lived experiences. The Conference Planning Committee therefore welcomes paper and panel proposals on all aspects of history, while especially encouraging submissions that reflect on this theme.
We call on Zimbabwean scholars from around the world to cast a critical look on the history of borders and boundaries and how these outputs might be taken to reflect on past epochs to enhance our understanding. Both individual papers and entire panels on all aspects of boundaries, borders, and, borderlands in all geographic areas and all time frames are welcome.
Submission of Abstracts
Please submit your abstract via email to:
Eric Makombe: ericmakombe@gmail.com
Ushehwedu Kufakurinani: ushehwedu@gmail.com
Takesure Taringana: ttaringana@gmail.com
Submission deadline: July 15, 2016.
Conference Registration fees: $30 members, $45 non-members, $15 undergraduate students.
N/B The conference registration fees will not cover accommodation or food.
Payment method: Ecocash or cash – the necessary details will be conveyed to conference attendees
For additional information about the Conference contact the above.
ZHA was founded in 2014 to promote and study the history of Zimbabwe and to encourage and support scholarship and other writing inspired by and in the spirit of historical analysis across the disciplines.
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