NAIROBI, in collaboration with the
PAN-AFRICAN ANTHROPOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (PAAA)
1st CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT
THEME: AFRICA, ANTHROPOLOGY AND MDGs
AUGUST 2012, NAIROBI, KENYA
A decade ago, over 119 Heads of State and Government met in New York and
examined the state of the world. The meeting identified key goals, the
Millennium Development Goals, and set 2015 as the benchmark to reverse and
eliminate disparities. Ten years later, Africa has made little progress
towards achieving the targets. In fact, Africa has remained worse off than
it was in 2000. For example, maternal and child mortality has become worse
than it was in 1999. The Institute of Anthropology, Gender and African
Studies, University of Nairobi in collaboration with the Pan-African
Anthropological Association (PAAA) is organising a conference to
deliberate on these issues. The conference will bring together
Anthropologists and policy makers to explore the challenges Africa is
facing in making progress towards the set MDG targets. In particular,
emphasis will be laid on the Role of Anthropology in addressing or
alleviating the challenges.
Therefore, we invite papers from anthropologists and policy makers. This
conference will stimulate discussions on MDGs and the place of Africa in
the context of the MDGs. In keeping with the theme papers will address the
following themes:
 Maternal and Child Health: Socio-cultural dimensions of Maternal
and child health in Africa; Anthropology of fertility reduction and child
health; culture, family planning and population policies; changing
marriage patterns and maternal health, health and socio-economic
consequences of adolescent fertility.
 Gender Disparities and Women's Empowerment: The Gender ideology
in contemporary African setting; Gender-power relations in a dynamic
socio-political African environment, Female Genital Cutting; The politics
and economics of body image in Africa; Sexuality and sexual identity in
Africa.
 HIV, Malaria and Other Diseases: The cultural context of HIV in
Africa; The Socio-cultural context of malaria prevention; Health as social
context; Culture and health-seeking in Africa; Plural healthcare systems.
 Environmental Sustainability and Natural Resources Management:
The politics of natural resources and environmental management; Indigenous
knowledge and the management of natural resources; Participation of
indigenous peoples in the management of terrestrial and marine resources;
Anthropological perspectives on climate change and biodiversity loss in
Africa; Biodiversity and its importance to local communities.
 Poverty and Hunger: Causes of extreme poverty in Africa; The
socio-economic aspects of food production in Africa; Redefining the
culture of food production, distribution and consumption; Anthropological
perspectives of food security in Africa; Social welfare and poverty in
Africa.
For further information or submission of papers, contact Denis Shilabukha
the Conference Coordinator at: dkhamati@yahoo.com or Prof. Isaac Nyamongo
at inyamongo@uonbi.ac.ke.
