Many African countries experience a context in which society is constantly faced against the State or private corporations. In this situation, civil society organizations become key players into continent’s political chessboard. Acting in various fields and often seeking non-traditional forms of organization, they pose new challenges to their analysis and interpretation. To meet these defiances, the Centro de Estudos Internacionais of the Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (CEI-IUL) promote between 12^th and 13^th January 2017, the International Conference Activisms in Africa, which will discuss the new profiles of social activism in Africa and the perspectives of change they bring.

Argument

In a rapidly changing continent in which the states often act insufficiently to meet the needs of their populations, the association of civil society movements are critically important. African governors act like despotic rulers, usually abusing of concentration of power, using violence as an instrument of social control and denying fundamental rights for their citizens and persons under their jurisdiction.

In such adverse situation, social activism movements act as demanding movements and so as a resistance to the state action. Acting in different fields, these movements play a crucial role to ensure recognition of fundamental rights enshrined into national constitutions.

These movements have an extensive activity: defending social minorities, claiming for decent work conditions, pursuing recognition for political minorities or marginalized groups, the civil society activisms occupy an increasingly relevant space on the African political scene.

Organized in non-traditional ways, they use new technologies – specially the social networks and mobile communications – to reach larger amounts of public with their actions. Playing a role of resistance, but also transformation, in permanent shifting.

Themes

The panels proposed should be related to one of themes that follows

• Human Rights Activism
• Activism and Citizenship Exercise
• Environmental Activism
• Gender and LGBTI Activism
• Activism and Peasant Movement
• Activism in Health

The Scientific Commission will decide about the panels to be accepted.

SUBMIT PANEL

For questions or any further information, contact activismsinafrica.cei@iscte.pt

Proposals for panels should consist in

• A panel title
• Two abstracts: a short abstract up to 330 characters with spaces and a second one up to 1650 characters with spaces.
• Preferably, the panel proposal should include a discussant and a chair

• Proposals should be submit by April 30th 2016.

Scientific Committee

• Alan Msosa – University of Essex (United Kingdom)
• Alcinda Honwana – Open University (United Kingdom)
• Ana Rita Sequeira – Murdock University (Australia)
• Carlos Cardoso – Diretor de Pesquisa do CODESRIA (Senegal)
• Cristina Udelsmann Rodrigues – The Nordic Africa Institute (Sweden)
• Eduardo Costa Dias – Centro de Estudos Internacionais, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL) (Portugal)
• Gerhard Seibert – Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro-Brasileira (Brasil)
• Luca Bussotti – Centro de Estudos Internacionais, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL) (Portugal)
• Marzia Grassi – Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade de Lisboa (Portugal)
• Nardi de Sousa – Universidade de Santiago (Cape Verde)
• Pedro Aires de Oliveira – Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas – Universidade Nova de Lisboa  (Portugal)
• Steve Sharra – University of Botswana (Botswana)
• Théodore Trefon – Royal Museum for Central Africa (Belgium)
• Vasco Martins – Centro de Estudos Internacionais, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL) (Portugal)
• Yolanda Aixelà –  Spanish National Research Council (Espanha)