CONFERENCE DESCRIPTION


BACKGROUND
In July 1992, over 700 researchers, activists, policy makers, and students from all continents assembled in Nsukka—a rural town in southeastern Nigeria—for the first international conference on "Women in Africa and the African Diaspora: Bridges across Activism and the Academy" (WAAD). Committed to building bridges across racial, gender, ethnic, class, locational, national, and disciplinary boundaries, the organizers invited researchers, activists, policy makers, and students irrespective of gender, race, ethnicity, or national origin. The first WAAD conference accomplished its goals and put in place forward-looking strategies for continuing its work. The networking that prevailed at Nsukka laid the foundation for collaboration between Africa and the African Diaspora as well as the emergence of some NGOs—on gender and the media, and widowhood—in Africa. WAAD '92 conference generated a ten-volume proceedings of over 200 original papers on women in Africa and the African Diaspora, and saw the beginning of the Association of African Women Scholars (AAWS), a co-sponsor of WAAD ‘98. We anticipate that the second conference will be a forum for consolidating gains and charting new paths towards more successes.

THE PRESENT CONTEXT (Why now? Why Indiana?)
In the spirit and tradition of WAAD, the second conference will promote bridge-building between Africa and African Diaspora, urban and rural, town and gown, scholar and activist, faculty and student, theorists and practitioners, and across disciplines. Locally and internationally, 1998 provides an appropriate context for the WAAD conference. The city of Indianapolis plans a year-long series of events, "Africa Celebration '98," which will  showcase the complexity, diversity, and rich cultures of Africa. Indianapolis has a strong Black community that has ties to Black philanthropic tradition. Besides being a World Health Organization (WHO) city, Indianapolis is the site of the world's largest School of Nursing and a Women's Studies Program (IUPUI) that is strongly committed to the study of black women in general and women's health and Africa/African American related issues. With a top rate African Studies Program (Bloomington) and strong African American Program and Program on International Human Rights in its Indianapolis campus, Indiana University is an ideal location for the discussion of the issues of he conference. Also, 1998 marks the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The WAAD conference will be one of the events organized worldwide to celebrate this important anniversary and set in motion forward-looking strategies for promoting universal human rights.

THE CONFERENCE (focus/sub-themes)
The interdisciplinary focus of the second WAAD conference is a crucial one. Presenters will discuss health not only as a physical and medical question but, in a broader sense, as a social issue, by examining health issues as they relate to the economy, education, human rights, militarization, cultural practices, the environment, the arts, ethnic conflicts, refugee problems, etc., in the context of global interdependence and international politics. Presentations will include recent trends in morbidity and mortality in women of African descent, sociocultural factors which impact the health of women of African descent, and the impact of changing focus of medical research. In addition to the focus on the urgent need to facilitate appropriate medical research for women of African descent, discussions will also address the ways in which health issues are imagined in the arts or how dramatic changes in climatic conditions with resultant dislocations and food shortages, changes in economic and social policies (the welfare system in the US and the immigration question in Europe, for example) and the escalation of ethnic politics and armed conflicts on the African continent impact  the health and human rights of women of African descent. Participants will address human rights questions in a holistic way by linking socio-economic rights to civil and political rights. The conference will allow participants to not only learn what the problems are but also to share, celebrate, and learn from success stories. Workshops, panels, and forums, will focus on the following:

Sub-themes
Aging/Menopausal
Cancer
Child and Maternal Health
CNS Disorders and Mental Health
Environmental Concerns (impact of technology and industry)
Female Genital Surgeries
Female morbidity and mortality
Health Care Policy
HIV-AIDS and STDs
Hypertension
Interdisciplinarity (role of the humanities)
Medical Research
Preventative Care
Refugee Problems
Religious Fundamentalism and Cultural Practices
Reproductive Health
Substance Abuse
Success Stories
Teenage Pregnancy/Early Marriage
Violence on women (rape, domestic abuse, etc.)
Traditional Medicine/Birth
War and Ethnic Conflicts
Widowhood

 
FORMAT
There will be keynote/plenary speeches, panel presentations, workshops, forums, town meetings, art exhibitions, photo/slide presentations, and film screening. Because the conference is designed to encourage strong participation from the larger community (individuals and organizations), attempts will be made to put in place non-threatening  forums and settings that will encourage free flow of information and exchanges.

 
TARGET AUDIENCE
Scholars, students, academicians, activists, independent scholars, practitioners, policy makers, health care providers, human rights advocates and organizations, NGOs, community organizations, governments, and  international and local agencies. WAAD welcomes all participants irrespective of gender, color, class, religious affiliation, ethnicity, national origin, etc.


OUTCOME

Awareness

Define problems through situation analysis and synthesis
Define ongoing multivariate research models and project idea list—research implementation, resolution, replication, reporting of best practices
Identify minimal essentials to achieve level playing field for progress toward holistic health for women in Africa and the African diaspora
Draft policy recommendations from community-based responses through
standardized survey cards

Publication and Dissemination of Information
Preparation of conference proceedings
Publication of selected papers
Publication of Guide to Funding Sources for NGOs
Publication of Women’s Whole Health Guide (Guide will include proficiencies, directory of resources and community assistance centers, resources for training, and dates for WAAD Conference III)
Outreach initiatives (artistic, electronic, and print) for Indianapolis schools (K-12), Indianapolis community, the state of Indiana, and teleconferencing sites in Africa and USA.

Research
Initiation, consolidation, and/or pursuance of collaborative work (education, advocacy, research) with NGOs and community organizations
Preliminary discussion/planning for the establishment of the Center for the Study of Women in Africa and the African Diaspora (CENWAAD).

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF A ONE-PAGE PROPOSAL: MARCH 15, 1998 (Acceptance of proposals after the deadline will depend on the availability of space. Handwritten or faxed proposals will not be accepted. A faxed or e-mailed proposal as a mark of intent must be followed by a hard copy sent via first class or air mail.

Contact: Obioma Nnaemeka, Convenor, Second WAAD Conference, French & Women's Studies, Indiana University, 425 University Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA Phone: (317) 278-2038 or (317) 274-0062/274-7611 (messages), fax: (317) 274-2347
e-mail: nnaemeka@iupui.edu  web site: http://www.iupui.edu/~aaws/


Return to the AAWS Main Menu Return to Top Page