InterPhil: CFP: Africa in a Cosmopolitan and Polycentric World
__ Call for Papers Theme: Africa in a Cosmopolitan and Polycentric World Subtitle: Violence, Conflict Mediation, and Peace Building Dynamics Type: Asixoxe – Let’s Talk! Conference on African Philosophy Institution: Institute of Philosophy, Czech Academy of Sciences Location: Prague (Czech Republic) Date: 15.–16.6.2020 Deadline: 24.4.2020 __ For nearly three decades, Africa has been swayed by conflicts of different nature and intensity: the South African apartheid and the conflicts in Rwanda, Burundi, Angola or Sudan, Jihadist incursions in various African countries, the secessionist attempt in Western Cameroon, as well as multiple crises facing the Great Lakes Region, and other conflicts. These phenomena reveal two paradoxical realities. On the one hand, there is the violence and exclusion – including extermination – imposed on the majority of African people today. On the other hand, we must mention the organized activities seeking to find suitable solutions to this suffering through a range of initiatives generically called "peace interventions" which include various actors, philosophies and strategies. The globalization process and the collapse of the Cold War have both contributed to the reconfiguration of the world order. The abundant literature on this subject sheds light on questions related to this reconfiguration including, for example, the examination of ideas such as interdependence, mobility, polycentrism, multilateral arrangement, cosmopolitanism, intercultural dialogue, sustainable development, climate change, both the new economic and the ecological order, to mention but a few. Being part of planet Earth, Africa cannot be excluded from these concerns. The Asixoxe (Let's Talk!) Conference on African Philosophy 2020 would like to explore issues raised by the evoked context. The conference focuses on conflicts, violence, conflict mediation, and peace building dynamics currently developing in Africa. It also seeks to analyze the meaning, the nature and the causes of conflicts and violence currently affecting Africa. Subsequently, it also seeks to explore theories and dynamics of peace in the African continent. In addition to this, the conference addresses issues related to African political thought and practice, African languages and literature, African culture and identity, migration and gender, human rights and demography. Possible topics include: - Concepts and narratives of peace and war in Africa - Conflict mediation and resolution - Indigenous knowledge on conflicts and their resolution - Countries, Ambassadors, and United Nations (UN) approaches to conflicts - Intercultural and religious dialogues - African philosophy’s conflict and peace theories - Interaction between local and global structures for peace - Non-violence, gender, new technologies, and other related topics We invite you to explore these issues at the fourth Prague edition of Asixoxe – Let’s Talk! Conference on African Philosophy, organized by the Centre of Global Studies (CGS) of the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The conference will be held in Prague, on 15th-16th June 2020. Titles and abstracts of 200-250 words, as well as any queries, should be sent by 24th April 2020 to Dr Albert Kasanda (CGS, Prague), kasa...@flu.cas.cz. Each speaker will be given 20 minutes for the presentation, with subsequent 10 minutes for questions and discussion. We envisage a publication of selected papers from the conference. There is no registration fee for presenters and other participants. English is the working language. Contact: Albert Kasanda, PhD Centre of Global Studies Institute of Philosophy Czech Academy of Sciences Jilská 1 110 00 Prague 1 Czech Republic Email: kasa...@flu.cas.cz __ InterPhil List Administration: https://interphil.polylog.org InterPhil List Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/interphil@list.polylog.org/ __
InterPhil: CFP: Africa in a Cosmopolitan and Polycentric World
__ Call for Papers Theme: Africa in a Cosmopolitan and Polycentric World Subtitle: The African Youth and Civil Society Type: Asixoxe – Let’s Talk! Conference on African Philosophy Institution: School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London Institute of Philosophy, Czech Academy of Sciences Location: London (United Kingdom) – Prague (Czech Republic) Date: 3.–4.5.2019 / 17.–18.6.2019 Deadline: 23.4.2019 __ The ideological turn of the end of the last century brought to light two dynamics that characterize our times: the consciousness of polycentrism and the demand for cosmopolitanism. The world is viewed as a multipolar network where power results from a multiplicity of decision-making centers, while the recognition of cultural spaces and ways of life that are different (other) postulates the project of a society based on both the principles of unity and diversity. The demand for cosmopolitanism is based on the premise that all human beings are, can be or should be citizens in a single community. This idea has been articulated through different paradigms including, for example, political, socio-economic, moral and cultural cosmopolitanism. The Asixoxe (Let's talk) Conference on African Philosophy 2019 would like to explore in an interdisciplinary perspective a range of questions that this theoretical framework raises for the African continent. This conference focuses particularly on the African youth and civil society as the two of them are amongst main actors of recent changes occurring in Africa in a polycentric and cosmopolitan world. The conference seeks to define, for example, the concept and role of civil society in the current African social and political context. It also calls for an exploration of the relevance of African youth’s leadership and achievements for an alternative African development. In addition to that, the conference addresses issues related to African political thought, African languages and literature, African culture and identity, migration and gender, human rights and demography. Possible topics may also include: - Literary representations of power and citizenship - Democracy (people’s empowerment, state’s accountability, elections) - Decolonization (African languages, literature, culture, education, arts) - Struggles for human rights (African activists, strength and weakness) - Intercultural and religious dialogues - The interactions between the local and global structures of power We invite you to explore these questions at the third edition of Asixoxe – Let’s Talk! Conference on African Philosophy, organized jointly by the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics (SLCL) of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and the Centre of Global Studies (CGS) of the Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The conference has two parts, one will take place in London, on 3-4 May 2019, the other in Prague, on 17-18 June 2019. Titles and abstracts of 200 words, as well as any queries, should be sent by 23 April 2019 to asix...@soas.ac.uk (London) and to albertkasa...@yahoo.fr (Prague). Each speaker will be given 20 minutes for the presentation, with subsequent 10 minutes for questions and discussion. We envisage a publication of selected papers from the conference. There is no registration fee for presenters and other participants. English is the working language. Contact: Alena Rettová School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London WC1H 0XG London United Kingdom Email: a...@soas.ac.uk Albert Kasanda Centre of Global Studies Institute of Philosophy Czech Academy of Sciences Jilská 1 110 00 Prague 1 Czech Republic Email: albertkasa...@yahoo.fr __ InterPhil List Administration: https://interphil.polylog.org InterPhil List Archive: https://www.mail-archive.com/interphil@list.polylog.org/ __
