Conference report - Harry Frank Guggenheim Young African Scholars Conference, 14 – 16 July 2013, Pembroke College, Cambridge University
The conference was truly an inspiring and amazing experience. With young African graduate scholars from around the continent, some embarking on their postgraduate careers, others well seasoned and others junior lecturers in their respective universities. We all arrived in drips and grabs at Pembroke College and in the late afternoon we had drinks at the Nihon Residential Hall lawns with Ms. Karen Colvard the Young African Scholars programme director, and two senior member of the Guggenheim family. I got to liaise informally with all the scholars and went to dinner with some in town.
The conference began on the 14th of July with African Scholars presenting papers on: elections, Democracy and violence against women. Scholars from Uganda, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tunisia presented widely diverse views. The session on ‘violence against women’ was received well and we all engaged with the topic as it was both provocative, brave and had a sense of urgency. The papers grappled with cases of lesbian corrective rape in South Africa, DRC rape cases and domestic violence in Liberia. Author of ‘Foundations of the American Century: The Ford, Carnegie, and Rockefeller Foundations in the Rise of American Power’ Professor Inderjeet Parmar gave a lecture on his book and the role of foundations in democracies.
The next days’ sessions had themes on governance, and had scholars from South Africa examining South Africa’s role and future within BRICS, a scholar from South Sudan examined issues on human security and state security and, another scholar examined Nigeria as a ‘failing state’. Dr. Omotade Akin Aina, director of the Carnegie Corporation programme on African Universities gave a paper entitled, ‘Scholars Adrift: Reclaiming values and integrity in troubled times’ and investigated the role of young African scholars in these turbulent times and our modernity.
The final day was very intense as scholars presented papers on refugees and migrants, the context of the papers spanning from Zimbabwe, Liberia, Uganda and South Africa. The scholars examined issues such as aging in foreign countries, former soldiers reclaiming recognition and music as a form of mediating struggles and suffering. In the next session two graduates from the UNICEF - Future Generations Master’s Programme presented papers on the NGO’s they had established in Nigeria and Mozambique and they shared their successes and difficulties. The next session examined women in Nigeria and Kenya and the dynamics in HIV/AIDS status disclosure. Finally Sylvester and I presented on media perspectives on violence, he examined the Daily News in reporting the Zimbabwean crisis and I examined the media coverage of two isiZulu newspapers, iSolezwe and iLanga’s coverage of the May 2008 xenophobic riots.
The conference was most productive as we truly engaged with each other’s work, extended knowledge to each other and interacted sincerely with each other. Having attended such a meeting of young African scholars it inspires one to have a purpose, have drive and follow through with it. Africa’s future lies in its youth and it requires critically engaged young individuals and the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation’s project on Young African Scholars facilitates discussions, relations and networking amongst Africa’s next leaders and thinkers. I am truly privileged to now call myself a 2013/2014 Guggenheim Young African Scholar alumni. Once again, my sincerest gratitude extends out to the Wits Graduate Support Division and the Research Office for paying for my flight and for providing me with many platforms since my arrival at Wits to develop and articulate myself. The journey continues…