Celebrating the Year of the Dragon

Details Here

Details Here

INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON EUROPEAN-AFRICAN RELATIONS

INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON EUROPEAN-AFRICAN RELATIONS
AND
PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF THE CENTRAL LIBRARY OF AFRICAN STUDIES

On occasion of the Europe-Africa Summit, promoted by the Portuguese
presidency of the European Union, the African Studies Centre of
ISCTE-Lisbon and the Central Library of African Studies organize an
International Meeting dedicated to critically discuss European African
relations.

The traumatic and contested memories of the colonial period are today in
an apparent process of pacification that sanitises history, be it through
nostalgia, by new economical assertively, or by the political management
of the growing influx of African immigrants to various European
countries.

A new field of study lies before us that grow beyond classical African
studies (in themselves a heritage of the colonial framework): the study
of African-European relations, based on dialogue and cooperation between
African and European researchers.

The Central Library of African Studies, based at ISCTE, is a general
African studies library for the Social Sciences and the Humanities. It is
the materialization of an old dream of the main Portuguese African
studies centres (CEA-FLUP, CEA-FLUL, CEA-ISCTE, CESA-ISEG and IICT).

The African Studies Centre of ISCTE is a founding member of AEGIS
(African-European Group of Interdisciplinary Studies).

ENCONTRO INTERNACIONAL SOBRE RELAÇÕES EUROPA-ÁFRICA
E
APRESENTAÇÃO PÚBLICA DA BIBLIOTECA CENTRAL DE ESTUDOS AFRICANOS
ISCTE

Por ocasião da Cimeira Europa-África, promovida pela presidência
portuguesa da União Africana, o Centro de Estudos Africanos do ISCTE-
Lisboa e a Biblioteca Central de Estudos Africanos organizam um
Encontro Internacional dedicado a uma reflexão crítica das relações entre
a Europa e a África.

As memórias traumáticas e mutuamente contestadas do período colonial
sofrem hoje um processo de aparente pacificação que redunda na
higienização da história, seja por via da nostalgia, por novas
assertividades económicas, ou pela gestão política do crescente influxo
de imigrantes africanos a vários países europeus.

A constatação desta realidade abre um novo campo de investigação: já não
apenas os estudos africanos (em si, uma herança da mentalidade colonial),
mas o estudo das relações Europa-África, num contexto de diálogo e
cooperação entre os investigadores africanos e europeus.

A Biblioteca Central de Estudos Africanos, sediada no ISCTE, é uma
biblioteca de estudos gerais africanos nas áreas das ciências sociais e
humanidades. É a materialização de um projecto antigo dos principais
centros de investigação em estudos africanos portugueses (CEA-FLUP,
CEA-FLUL, CEA-ISCTE, CESA-ISEG e IICT).

O Centro de Estudos Africanos do ISCTE é membro fundador do AEGIS
(African-European Group of Interdisciplinary Studies).

[PROGRAMA]

INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON EUROPEAN-AFRICAN RELATIONS
AND
PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF THE CENTRAL LIBRARY OF AFRICAN STUDIES

On occasion of the Europe-Africa Summit, promoted by the Portuguese
presidency of the European Union, the African Studies Centre of
ISCTE-Lisbon and the Central Library of African Studies organize an
International Meeting dedicated to critically discuss European African
relations.

The traumatic and contested memories of the colonial period are today in
an apparent process of pacification that sanitises history, be it through
nostalgia, by new economical assertively, or by the political management
of the growing influx of African immigrants to various European
countries.

A new field of study lies before us that grow beyond classical African
studies (in themselves a heritage of the colonial framework): the study
of African-European relations, based on dialogue and cooperation between
African and European researchers.

The Central Library of African Studies, based at ISCTE, is a general
African studies library for the Social Sciences and the Humanities. It is
the materialization of an old dream of the main Portuguese African
studies centres (CEA-FLUP, CEA-FLUL, CEA-ISCTE, CESA-ISEG and IICT).

The African Studies Centre of ISCTE is a founding member of AEGIS
(African-European Group of Interdisciplinary Studies).

ENCONTRO INTERNACIONAL SOBRE RELAÇÕES EUROPA-ÁFRICA
E
APRESENTAÇÃO PÚBLICA DA BIBLIOTECA CENTRAL DE ESTUDOS AFRICANOS
ISCTE

Por ocasião da Cimeira Europa-África, promovida pela presidência
portuguesa da União Africana, o Centro de Estudos Africanos do ISCTE-
Lisboa e a Biblioteca Central de Estudos Africanos organizam um
Encontro Internacional dedicado a uma reflexão crítica das relações entre
a Europa e a África.

As memórias traumáticas e mutuamente contestadas do período colonial
sofrem hoje um processo de aparente pacificação que redunda na
higienização da história, seja por via da nostalgia, por novas
assertividades económicas, ou pela gestão política do crescente influxo
de imigrantes africanos a vários países europeus.

A constatação desta realidade abre um novo campo de investigação: já não
apenas os estudos africanos (em si, uma herança da mentalidade colonial),
mas o estudo das relações Europa-África, num contexto de diálogo e
cooperação entre os investigadores africanos e europeus.

A Biblioteca Central de Estudos Africanos, sediada no ISCTE, é uma
biblioteca de estudos gerais africanos nas áreas das ciências sociais e
humanidades. É a materialização de um projecto antigo dos principais
centros de investigação em estudos africanos portugueses (CEA-FLUP,
CEA-FLUL, CEA-ISCTE, CESA-ISEG e IICT).

O Centro de Estudos Africanos do ISCTE é membro fundador do AEGIS
(African-European Group of Interdisciplinary Studies).

[PROGRAMA]

ANGOLA: 2007 "NATIONAL PRIZE FOR CULTURE & THE ARTS"

The Angolan “National Prize for Culture and the Arts” is awarded each year in the fields of Visual Arts, Music, Dance, Cinema and Audiovisuals, Literature, Theater and Research in the Human and Social Sciences. Created in 2000 by the Ministry of Culture, the award, whose monetary value is USD 35 thousand, aims at promoting artistic creativity and quality and scientific research in the country as well as to celebrate the national cultural and linguistic diversity.

According to the public and only daily angolan newspaper, Jornal de Angola, during this year’s announcement, Culture Minister Boaventura Cardoso said “this prize, like any other, always generates contestation or heated discussions. However, what is important to retain is that its objective is to award those who were considered the best in their respective fields by each year’s juri.”

This year’s awardees, announced a few days ago, were:

Cinema and Audiovisuals: The TPA (Public Television) show “Conversas de Quintal”
Dance: Group “Bismas das Acacias”, from the Benguela province
Literature: Poet Ana Paula Tavares for “Manual para Amantes Desesperados”
Music: Singer and composer Elias Dya Kimuezo for his lifelong work
Visual Arts: Painter and sculptor Rui de Matos (posthumously)
Research in the Human and Social Sciences: Antonio Costa for his investigation on the relationship between the Portuguese and Bantu languages
Theater: Group “Horizonte Njinga Mbande”

Personally, while congratulating the winners, I look forward to a time when privately-sponsored awards of this kind will come along to promote an even greater quality and diversity (specially political) in each of the currently considered, and possibly other, categories.

The Angolan “National Prize for Culture and the Arts” is awarded each year in the fields of Visual Arts, Music, Dance, Cinema and Audiovisuals, Literature, Theater and Research in the Human and Social Sciences. Created in 2000 by the Ministry of Culture, the award, whose monetary value is USD 35 thousand, aims at promoting artistic creativity and quality and scientific research in the country as well as to celebrate the national cultural and linguistic diversity.

According to the public and only daily angolan newspaper, Jornal de Angola, during this year’s announcement, Culture Minister Boaventura Cardoso said “this prize, like any other, always generates contestation or heated discussions. However, what is important to retain is that its objective is to award those who were considered the best in their respective fields by each year’s juri.”

This year’s awardees, announced a few days ago, were:

Cinema and Audiovisuals: The TPA (Public Television) show “Conversas de Quintal”
Dance: Group “Bismas das Acacias”, from the Benguela province
Literature: Poet Ana Paula Tavares for “Manual para Amantes Desesperados”
Music: Singer and composer Elias Dya Kimuezo for his lifelong work
Visual Arts: Painter and sculptor Rui de Matos (posthumously)
Research in the Human and Social Sciences: Antonio Costa for his investigation on the relationship between the Portuguese and Bantu languages
Theater: Group “Horizonte Njinga Mbande”

Personally, while congratulating the winners, I look forward to a time when privately-sponsored awards of this kind will come along to promote an even greater quality and diversity (specially political) in each of the currently considered, and possibly other, categories.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Still on the subject of African Maths, a few days ago Ndesanjo Macha brought to my attention the history of the “Ishango bone”, which was totally unknown to me.

The Ishango bone is a calculus instrument which scientists suggest indicates a mathematical understanding that goes beyond counting. Found in 1960 by a Belgian explorer in the area of Ishango, which was centered near the headwaters of the Nile River, on the border between modern-day Uganda and Congo, the artifact was first estimated to originate between 9000 BC and 6500 BC. However, the dating of the site where it was discovered was re-evaluated, and is now believed to be more than 20,000 years old.

The lakeside Ishango population of 20000 years ago may have been one of the first counting societies, but it lasted only a few hundred years before being buried by a volcanic eruption.

(Read more detailed information here)

Still on the subject of African Maths, a few days ago Ndesanjo Macha brought to my attention the history of the “Ishango bone”, which was totally unknown to me.

The Ishango bone is a calculus instrument which scientists suggest indicates a mathematical understanding that goes beyond counting. Found in 1960 by a Belgian explorer in the area of Ishango, which was centered near the headwaters of the Nile River, on the border between modern-day Uganda and Congo, the artifact was first estimated to originate between 9000 BC and 6500 BC. However, the dating of the site where it was discovered was re-evaluated, and is now believed to be more than 20,000 years old.

The lakeside Ishango population of 20000 years ago may have been one of the first counting societies, but it lasted only a few hundred years before being buried by a volcanic eruption.

(Read more detailed information here)

RECENT BOOKS ON AFRICAN MATHS

Drawings from Angola: Living Mathematics

For children from age 8 to 14. By Paulus Gerdes “Drawings from Angola” present an introduction to an African story telling tradition. The tales are illustrated with marvelous drawings made in the sand. The book conveys the stories of the stork and the leopard, the hunter and the dog, the rooster and the fox, and others. It explains how to execute the drawings. The reader is invited to draw tortoises, antelopes, lions, and other animals. The activities proposed throughout the book invite the reader to experiment and to explore the ‘rhythm’ and symmetry of the illustrations. Surprising results will be playfully obtained, such as in arithmetic, a way to calculate quickly the sum of a sequence of odd numbers. Children will live the beautiful mathematics of the Angolan sanddrawings. Answers to the activities are provided. The book can be used both in classrooms and at home.For youngsters from 15 years onwards, Paulus Gerdes wrote the book “Lusona: Geometrical Recreations of Africa” (L’Harmattan, Paris, 1997).Parents and teachers who like to know more about the Cokwe story telling and drawing tradition, may consult his book “Sona Geometry from Angola: Mathematics of an African Tradition” (Polimetrica, Monza, 2007).

(Read more about Sona here)

African Doctorates in Mathematics. A Catalogue

This volume presents a catalogue of over 2000 doctoral theses by Africans in all fields of mathematics, including applied mathematics, mathematics education and history of mathematics. The introduction contains information about distribution by country, institutions, period, and by gender, about mathematical density, and mobility of mathematicians. Several appendices are included (female doctorate holders, doctorates in mathematics education, doctorates awarded by African universities to non-Africans, doctoral theses by non-Africans about mathematics in Africa, activities of African mathematicians at the service of their communities). Paulus Gerdes compiled the information in his capacity of Chairman of the African Mathematical Union Commission for the History of Mathematics in Africa (AMUCHMA). The book contains a preface by Mohamed Hassan, President of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and Executive Director of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS).

Mathematics in African History and Cultures: An Annotated Bibliography

This volume constitutes an updated version of the bibliography published in 2004 by the African Mathematical Union. The African Studies Association attributed the original edition a ‘special mention’ in the 2006 Conover-Porter Award competition. The book contains over 1600 bibliographic entries. The appendices contain additional bibliographic information on (1) mathematicians of the Diaspora, (2) publications by Africans on the history of mathematics outside Africa, (3) time-reckoning and astronomy in African history and cultures, (4) string figures in Africa, (5) examples of books published by African mathematicians, (6) board games in Africa, (7) research inspired by geometric aspects of the ‘sona’ tradition. The book concludes with several indices (subject, country, region, author, ethnographic and linguistic, journal, mathematicians). Professor Jan Persens of the University of the Western Cape (South Africa) and president of the African Mathematical Union (2000-2004) wrote the preface.

(More details on these books here)

Drawings from Angola: Living Mathematics

For children from age 8 to 14. By Paulus Gerdes “Drawings from Angola” present an introduction to an African story telling tradition. The tales are illustrated with marvelous drawings made in the sand. The book conveys the stories of the stork and the leopard, the hunter and the dog, the rooster and the fox, and others. It explains how to execute the drawings. The reader is invited to draw tortoises, antelopes, lions, and other animals. The activities proposed throughout the book invite the reader to experiment and to explore the ‘rhythm’ and symmetry of the illustrations. Surprising results will be playfully obtained, such as in arithmetic, a way to calculate quickly the sum of a sequence of odd numbers. Children will live the beautiful mathematics of the Angolan sanddrawings. Answers to the activities are provided. The book can be used both in classrooms and at home.For youngsters from 15 years onwards, Paulus Gerdes wrote the book “Lusona: Geometrical Recreations of Africa” (L’Harmattan, Paris, 1997).Parents and teachers who like to know more about the Cokwe story telling and drawing tradition, may consult his book “Sona Geometry from Angola: Mathematics of an African Tradition” (Polimetrica, Monza, 2007).

(Read more about Sona here)

African Doctorates in Mathematics. A Catalogue

This volume presents a catalogue of over 2000 doctoral theses by Africans in all fields of mathematics, including applied mathematics, mathematics education and history of mathematics. The introduction contains information about distribution by country, institutions, period, and by gender, about mathematical density, and mobility of mathematicians. Several appendices are included (female doctorate holders, doctorates in mathematics education, doctorates awarded by African universities to non-Africans, doctoral theses by non-Africans about mathematics in Africa, activities of African mathematicians at the service of their communities). Paulus Gerdes compiled the information in his capacity of Chairman of the African Mathematical Union Commission for the History of Mathematics in Africa (AMUCHMA). The book contains a preface by Mohamed Hassan, President of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and Executive Director of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS).

Mathematics in African History and Cultures: An Annotated Bibliography

This volume constitutes an updated version of the bibliography published in 2004 by the African Mathematical Union. The African Studies Association attributed the original edition a ‘special mention’ in the 2006 Conover-Porter Award competition. The book contains over 1600 bibliographic entries. The appendices contain additional bibliographic information on (1) mathematicians of the Diaspora, (2) publications by Africans on the history of mathematics outside Africa, (3) time-reckoning and astronomy in African history and cultures, (4) string figures in Africa, (5) examples of books published by African mathematicians, (6) board games in Africa, (7) research inspired by geometric aspects of the ‘sona’ tradition. The book concludes with several indices (subject, country, region, author, ethnographic and linguistic, journal, mathematicians). Professor Jan Persens of the University of the Western Cape (South Africa) and president of the African Mathematical Union (2000-2004) wrote the preface.

(More details on these books here)

REVISITING SOUTH AFRICA - II

EXPERIENCING THE LANZERAC - STELLENBOSCH

I must confess that this was the most unique hotel experience I’ve ever had. Imagine being lodged in a huge classically decorated room with its own fireplace, a bathroom almost as big as the room and its own outdoor garden patio where you can enjoy the spells of good weather under a secular oak tree, while sipping from a glass of home-produced good old wine and facing nothing else in the horizon but the imposing view of the mountains and the sky… All this inside a private working wine farm located in the famous Jonkershoek Valley, surrounded by the picturesque Helderberg Mountains… This is the Lanzerac Hotel and Manor, in Stellenbosch - South Africa, where you are received with the phrase: “We’ve been preparing for your arrival for 300 years”!

Four years ago, in my first visit to Stellenbosch, I stayed for two weeks at the then newly built local Protea (for a series of workshops on International Trade sponsored by TRALAC, UNCTAD and the WTO), where the views from my room’s balcony were all vineyards, mountains and wondrous skies constantly changing with the mood of the local micro-climate. And I thought that was as good as you could possibly get as far as experiencing Stellenbosch went…

Then, about a year ago, I stayed for three days at the Stellenbosch Hydro Natural Health Resort, thus presented: “Nestled in the tranquillity of Ida's Valley just outside Stellenbosch, the surrounding woodlands, magical gardens and crisp mountain air make it one of the most beautiful and serene retreats on earth.” Again, that was a most memorable and reinvigorating experience.

Now, the Lanzerac is an altogether different (hi)story. As it goes: “In 1692, governor Simon van der Stel granted a considerable tract of land in the majestic Jonkershoek Valley of Stellenbosch to Isaac Schrijver who named the farm Schoongezicht (beautiful outlook) and planted the first vineyards. Over the years, the Estate passed through a succession of owners who each contributed by building on to the farm. Records show that Coenraad Fick built the cellar in 1815 and the U shaped homestead in 1830. This distinguished Manor House with its neo-classical main gable still stands today and exhibits a high level of sophistication for Cape Dutch architecture of the period.

In 1914, Schoongezicht was bought by Elizabeth Catherine English who changed the name to Lanzerac and bottled the first Lanzerac wine from grapes grown on her land. The two Rawdon brothers bought the farm in 1958 and converted the homestead and outbuildings to a luxury hotel furnished with English and Cape antiques. These buildings were declared national monuments.”

I was invited there by a group of institutional bodies and governmental think tanks sponsoring APORDE – “African Programme on Rethinking Development Economics”, a spinoff of CAPORDE - the "Cambridge Advanced Programme on Rethinking Development Economics", of the University of Cambridge, UK. It congregated a number of academics, researchers, government officials, development policy practitioners and civil society activists from different African countries and other parts of the world bent on turning Development Economics on its head.

They were expected to wrap-up their business today and I hope they’ve succeeded at their endeavours – I just felt compelled, for particular reasons, to leave them just at the beginning (yet, having arrived earlier, on my return from the Okavango Delta, I could still enjoy a good five days of the Lanzerac experience) and, I’m afraid, not totally convinced that they’ll succeed at their stated intentions… Still, all the best are my wishes, specially for the many enthusiastic Africans who took part (... there was even one talking of "a revolution about to happen" there, while wearing a t-shirt stating "Africa is not for sale", to which I responded "this revolution won't be televised"... it's being blogged though).

Afrika could well do with a serious change in mainstream development thinking and practice!

EXPERIENCING THE LANZERAC - STELLENBOSCH

I must confess that this was the most unique hotel experience I’ve ever had. Imagine being lodged in a huge classically decorated room with its own fireplace, a bathroom almost as big as the room and its own outdoor garden patio where you can enjoy the spells of good weather under a secular oak tree, while sipping from a glass of home-produced good old wine and facing nothing else in the horizon but the imposing view of the mountains and the sky… All this inside a private working wine farm located in the famous Jonkershoek Valley, surrounded by the picturesque Helderberg Mountains… This is the Lanzerac Hotel and Manor, in Stellenbosch - South Africa, where you are received with the phrase: “We’ve been preparing for your arrival for 300 years”!

Four years ago, in my first visit to Stellenbosch, I stayed for two weeks at the then newly built local Protea (for a series of workshops on International Trade sponsored by TRALAC, UNCTAD and the WTO), where the views from my room’s balcony were all vineyards, mountains and wondrous skies constantly changing with the mood of the local micro-climate. And I thought that was as good as you could possibly get as far as experiencing Stellenbosch went…

Then, about a year ago, I stayed for three days at the Stellenbosch Hydro Natural Health Resort, thus presented: “Nestled in the tranquillity of Ida's Valley just outside Stellenbosch, the surrounding woodlands, magical gardens and crisp mountain air make it one of the most beautiful and serene retreats on earth.” Again, that was a most memorable and reinvigorating experience.

Now, the Lanzerac is an altogether different (hi)story. As it goes: “In 1692, governor Simon van der Stel granted a considerable tract of land in the majestic Jonkershoek Valley of Stellenbosch to Isaac Schrijver who named the farm Schoongezicht (beautiful outlook) and planted the first vineyards. Over the years, the Estate passed through a succession of owners who each contributed by building on to the farm. Records show that Coenraad Fick built the cellar in 1815 and the U shaped homestead in 1830. This distinguished Manor House with its neo-classical main gable still stands today and exhibits a high level of sophistication for Cape Dutch architecture of the period.

In 1914, Schoongezicht was bought by Elizabeth Catherine English who changed the name to Lanzerac and bottled the first Lanzerac wine from grapes grown on her land. The two Rawdon brothers bought the farm in 1958 and converted the homestead and outbuildings to a luxury hotel furnished with English and Cape antiques. These buildings were declared national monuments.”

I was invited there by a group of institutional bodies and governmental think tanks sponsoring APORDE – “African Programme on Rethinking Development Economics”, a spinoff of CAPORDE - the "Cambridge Advanced Programme on Rethinking Development Economics", of the University of Cambridge, UK. It congregated a number of academics, researchers, government officials, development policy practitioners and civil society activists from different African countries and other parts of the world bent on turning Development Economics on its head.

They were expected to wrap-up their business today and I hope they’ve succeeded at their endeavours – I just felt compelled, for particular reasons, to leave them just at the beginning (yet, having arrived earlier, on my return from the Okavango Delta, I could still enjoy a good five days of the Lanzerac experience) and, I’m afraid, not totally convinced that they’ll succeed at their stated intentions… Still, all the best are my wishes, specially for the many enthusiastic Africans who took part (... there was even one talking of "a revolution about to happen" there, while wearing a t-shirt stating "Africa is not for sale", to which I responded "this revolution won't be televised"... it's being blogged though).

Afrika could well do with a serious change in mainstream development thinking and practice!

INTERESTING READINGS FOR THE SOCIAL RESEARCHER...

... OR JUST THE INTERESTED LAY READER

Critique of Anthropology is dedicated to the development of anthropology as a discipline that subjects social reality to critical analysis. The journal challenges received wisdoms inside academic anthropology and in society at large, presenting work that is innovative, challenging, sometimes experimental and often uncomfortable.

For more reading suggestions CLICK HERE.

... OR JUST THE INTERESTED LAY READER

Critique of Anthropology is dedicated to the development of anthropology as a discipline that subjects social reality to critical analysis. The journal challenges received wisdoms inside academic anthropology and in society at large, presenting work that is innovative, challenging, sometimes experimental and often uncomfortable.

For more reading suggestions CLICK HERE.