Call for Papers:
7th Biennial Conference of the
Association for the Study
of the Worldwide African Diaspora
(ASWAD)
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
October 30 - November 2, 2013Transformative Visions:
Confronting Change and Creating Opportunity in Africa and the African DiasporaCreative response to change and challenge has long been a hallmark of the African diaspora experience, from the multiple ways enslaved peoples carved autonomous spaces across the Americas and Caribbean, to the use of new technologies to move politics and re-imagine communities throughout Africa and the African diaspora today. In 2013, the seventh biennial conference of the Association for the Study of the World Wide African Diaspora (ASWAD) will take place in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic. The conference aims to address how transformative visions, past and present, have been brought to bear on the challenges confronting peoples of Africa and the African diaspora, from historically overlooked individuals to mass movements. How have African diaspora people marshalled activism, spirituality, creativity, and the unique resources of diaspora to re-fashion challenges into new opportunities? How are diasporic solidarities and fissures affected by global conflicts and movements? ASWAD seeks creative explorations of diaspora through innovative framings, methodologies, and discourses as we address these questions. We welcome submissions from all disciplines on both historical and contemporary topics and on all geographic areas including Africa, the Americas and Caribbean, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. Paper and panel proposals that incorporate new categories of diasporic analysis and that stimulate discourse across traditional boundaries are encouraged, as are roundtables and panels on diaspora and comparative diaspora studies.
By taking place in the Dominican Republic, the 2013 ASWAD conference will highlight the history and visionary nature of black and anti-racist thought as it has emerged within the Caribbean. We will honor the Dominican intellectuals, activists, and artists who are working to transform the historical tensions with Haiti and the denial of black ancestry among its mostly mulatto and black population, along with their counterparts in Haiti. The struggle against racism as it has been articulated throughout the African diaspora will be a key dimension of our explorations of transformative visions. Sessions and events will be structured to maximize exchange between Dominican and visiting participants. The conference is hosted by the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), a Dominican university dedicated to supporting African Diaspora studies and to bridging the intellectual and activist communities of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and is co-sponsored by Rutgers University.
Possible paper and panel topics include but are not limited to:
Submission Information:
- Challenges and Opportunities in an Era of Global Conflict
- Historic Relations between Haiti and the Dominican Republic
- Social Media and the African Diaspora
- The Role of Religion and Spirituality in the Development of the African Diaspora
- Political Reform and Islam in Africa and the Diaspora
- The African Legacy in the Dominican Republic
- The Arab Spring in Africa
- Chinese and Indian Relationships with Africa and its Diaspora
- Assessing 50 Years of Independence in the Anglophone Caribbean
- Race and the Barack Obama Presidency
- The African Diaspora in Europe
- African Diasporas on the African Continent
- Gendering African Diaspora Studies
- The Imperative of Transformative Visions for Africa and the Diaspora within a Global Context
Proposals may be sent to: "ASWAD2013@gmail.com". ASWAD strongly encourages panel proposals, but individual papers will also be given consideration. Panel proposals must include the names and email addresses of all participants.Deadline for submission: February 1, 2013
Announcements of acceptance: March 15, 2013
Special collaborative initiative: In an effort to encourage exchange and dialogue, ASWAD may invite Dominican scholars to be included on panels where appropriate.
Membership:
All panelists must be registered for the conference. Conference rates are discounted for ASWAD members. To become a member of ASWAD, please click on the link below:
http://aswadiaspora.org/join.htmlAccommodations/Hotel Reservations:
The Melia Santo Domingo will serve as the main host hotel, although most of the sessions will be held at INTEC, the Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo. Shuttle transfers will be provided for registered participants. A block of 75 rooms has been reserved, but availability will diminish quickly. Information on the Melia Santo Domingo is provided below; when making reservations, please indicate that you are an ASWAD conference participant to get the special rate. Additional hotel options will be posted shortly.Hotel Melia Santo Domingo/Hotel Magna 365
Phone: 809-221-6666
Please note: The Hotel Melia will join the Sheraton Group as the Sheraton Santo Domingo Hotel in 2013ASWAD rates:
Single $125.00 + 26% tax ($157.50); Double: $135 + 26% tax ($170.10). Breakfast is included in room rates for ASWAD participants.
To book your reservation at the ASWAD rate, please download and complete the form below, and send to: ksajiun@sheratonsantodomingo.com. You may also return the form via fax to: (809) 687-4274Reservation form:
Hotel website:
http://www.hotelmagna365.com/