Panel Proposal For African Literature Association (ALA) Conference at Yale University, June 14-17, 2017
Title: Professor Ernest Emenyonu: Reviving the Voice and Rights of African Children in Literature
Chielozona Eze Carol Ijeoma Njoku
Northeastern Illinois University University of Nigeria, Nsukka
5500 N St. Louis Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
Articles 28 and 29 of The United Nations Conventions on Child’s Rights advocates for children’s right to education—developing the talent and abilities of a child through pragmatic education that encourages the respect of the child’s rights and dignity. Children’s Literature is a potent means of developing children’s creative arts and critical thinking. As a discipline dating back to oral tradition, children’s literature expanded beyond stories, songs and fables since the 15th century to adopt didactic pattern of moral, social and cultural education for younger audience. The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were the “Golden Age of Children’s Literature” as this period included the publication of many books acknowledged today as classics. Children’s Literature has assumed a more formal and creative disciplinary dimension while still retaining its child-centred motivation for arts and creativity. Notwithstanding these, children’s literature in Africa is persistently trivialized. It seems to be among the most ignored aspects of literature by African critics, scholars, teachers, and publishers. Yet, they form the basic aspect of beginners’ literary integration. Prof. Ernest Emenyonu has recently made a far-reaching intervention in the African Children’s Literature to subvert these misconceptions. Our panel explores his numerous impacts in African Literature in general and particularly in Children’s Literature. The panel will examine the following sub-themes:
Children’s Voice in War Narratives
Children and Human Rights
Children and Migration
Literature and Child Trafficking
Children and Morality
Trauma and Violence: The Child’s Experience
Tales and Allegory
Songs and Lullaby
Didactic Literature
Children’s Rights as Human Rights
Panelists are required to submit their abstract to the following emails: njokucaroli@gmail.com; not later than 10th December, 2016.
On Sat, Aug 13, 2016 at 1:06 PM, isa-scholars <isa-scholars@googlegroups.com> wrote:
CALL FOR PAPERS – OWERRI (NIGERIA) 2017
THE 15TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IGBO STUDIES ASSOCIATION
Theme
NtoAla Igbo: Retelling Our Story, Rekindling Our Values
Greatwood Hotels, Plot 12, G Port Harcourt-Owerri Road, Fed. Secretariat Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
June 8-10, 2017
The Igbo Studies Association (ISA) specially invites scholars, professionals, organizations, and students working on all aspects of studies on the Igbo at home and its diaspora to attend its 15th annual international conference to be held on June 8-10, 2017 at Greatwood Hotels, Owerri, Nigeria. To deliberate on the conference’s timely theme, NtoAla Igbo: Retelling Our Story, Rekindling Our Values, we welcome presenters in the humanities, social sciences, legal studies, business administration, physical and natural sciences, agriculture, cultural studies, political science, and cultural studies. No race, nation, ethnic group, or country can survive much less thrive if it abandons the shared customs, values, beliefs and worldviews that unite its members in a collective consciousness. In recent years, domestic and global forces have brought about the need for the Igbo to reexamine and reevaluate their Igbo identity and retell their story as a people. These compelling forces include modernity, globalization, immigration, emigration, materialism, environmental and climatic changes, economic uncertainty, and sociopolitical unrests, among others. The 15th annual conference provides an opportunity to ‘retell the Igbo story and rekindle its values’ in order to facilitate social, political and economic transformation of Igboland while at the same time contributing to the advancement of neighboring societies in Nigeria and host communities abroad. Conversely, the impact of neighboring states and other ethnicities on renascent Igbo, their values and identity will be explored. Local and international specialists, intellectuals, and students are encouraged to join the association in an interdisciplinary dialogue that explores the influence of the changing world on the Igbo world.
Panels and individual proposals will engage with a variety of topics including:
SUB-THEMES
- Negotiating Igbo Identity, Emigration, and Immigration
- Ahamefule: Restoring Pride and Meaning to Igbo Names
- Igbo Missionaries and the Inculcation of Igbo Cultures
- Omenala Igbo in Marriage and Burial Ceremonies
- Mother Tongue and Cultural Revival
- Literature and the Visual Arts
- Climatic Change and Environmental Issues
- Trade, Investment and Work Ethic in a Globalized World
- Women, Family and Society
- Perspectives on Nollywood and Igbo Representations
- Materialism and the Syndrome of Wealth Without Work
- Igwebuike: Town Unions and Community Development
- Pentecostalism, ‘Miracle,’ and ‘Prosperity’ Gospel
- Native Doctors, Health, Healing, and Traditional Medicine
- Politics Without Bitterness and Politics of Inclusion
- Reevaluating Law, Order, and Policing
- Rethinking Taboos, Abominations, and Punishment
- Learning to Live Together: Intra and Inter-Ethnic Relations
- Farming, Crops, Culture, and Food Security
- Chieftaincy Affairs, Titles, and Community Development
- Indigenous Igbo Religious Beliefs
- Youth Unrest, Violence, and Conflict Resolution
- Nkeiruka: When is The Best Time to Plant a Tree?
- Igbo History and Values in School Curriculum
Guidelines:
Submit an abstract of not more than 300 words with your paper/poster/roundtable title, name, current position and institutional affiliation, mailing addresses, email, and phone number. Your abstracts must discuss the scope of the paper, the research methodology, possible sources, and tentative thesis or hypothesis. Those whose abstracts are accepted will have to pay a $50 non-refundable part payment for conference registration. You can pay via PayPal through ISA website. If you are paying in Naira, please pay 15,000 naira to this account (Account Name: Professor Uchenna Mariestella Nzewi; Bank: Fidelity Bank PLC and Account No: 6052163125). Please make sure you forward an electronic copy of confirmation to Dr. Ogechi Emmanuel Anyanwu, isaconference@yahoo.com and Dr. Christine Ohale, cohale@csu.edu.
Deadline:
All proposals must be submitted online and the deadline for submission is November 30, 2016. Completed papers are due by April 30, 2017. To submit your proposal, click on this link: http://igbostudiesassociation. org/index.php/conference/2017- conference
Notification:
You will be notified on the status of your submission and other program details by email. Selected papers will be considered for publication and inclusion in either the Igbo Studies Review or a post-conference edited book. You should, therefore, write your papers as if they are being prepared for publication. Presentations can be made in English or Igbo. Participants are responsible for the conference fee and their travel and lodging costs. For more information on the Igbo Studies Association, including membership and other matters, please visit us at http://www. igbostudiesassociation.org/
Hotel Information
Guestrooms for the 2017 ISA Conference will be at Greatwood Hotels located at Plot 12, G Port Harcourt Owerri Road, Federal Secretariat Owerri, Imo State Nigeria. Conference rate is 10 thousand Naira for Standard Single Room and Executive Single Rooms.
Guests may book reservations by paying into the account below and calling any of the hotel’s phone numbers to confirm payment: 08063927500, 0909556130, 09020103352, and 08071368220:
Account name: Great Wood Hotel Ltd
Account Number: 0071067518
Bank Name: Diamond Bank
When you call the hotel indicate that you are making reservations under the group name and dates:
Group Name: ISA Conference 2017
Checking In: June 7, 2017, Checking Out: June 11, 2017
To be guaranteed rooms are available, please make all reservations by May 8, 2017. Thereafter, reservations will be taken on a space & rate availability basis only. Listed are just a few of the many complimentary amenities which are included in the guest room rate: High speed internet throughout hotel, Gym, etc.
For more inquiries, please contact
Ogechi Emmanuel Anyanwu, Ph.D.
Conference Chair
Professor of History & African Studies
Eastern Kentucky University
Cell Phone: 859-248-1394
Office Phone: 859-622-1375
Email: isaconference@yahoo.com
Professor Chinedum Nwajiuba
Vice-Chancellor
Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo,
P.M.B. 1010, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
chinedum.nwajiuba@funai.edu.ng, chnwajiuba@yahoo.de
tel. +234-8033273871
www.funai.edu.ng
and
Member, Board of Directors,
Nigerian Environmental Study/Action Team (NEST)
1, Oluokun street, Off Awolowo Avenue, Bodija, Ibadan,
P.O. Box 22025 Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
www.nestinteractive.org, www.nigeriaclimatechange.org