Call for Proposals

The 2026 Conference of the Canadian Association of African Studies is happening on June 9-12th 2026. The theme i����Global Africa: Legacies, Change and Aspirations.

As the continent holding 30% of the world’s natural resources, 10% of the planet’s internal renewable fresh water source and home to the youngest and fastest-growing population, Africa enjoys a unique global positioning (United Nations, 2024; United Nations Environment Programme, 2024; Population Reference Bureau, 2025). For many centuries, Africa has and continues to make pivotal contributions to world civilisation in the spheres of education, arts, music, science, technology and innovation (Bob-Miller, 2021). Indeed, Africa’s mineral reserves are critical to the global shift towards renewable energy and a green economy. By 2050, Africa’s young population is projected to comprise a quarter of the global labour force. Such contributions, however, tend to be overshadowed by the plethora of predicaments the continent must contend with, including global warming, rapid technological transformations and Western-dominated economic and governance structures. These dynamics illustrate how global problems are embedded in African experiences.

‍The notion �Ǵ���Global Africa��aims to capture these tensions (West, 2005), that is, the tension between promise and precarity, opportunity and constraint, while reflecting the aspirations of a continent navigating a rapidly shifting economic and political landscape. Tied to this are the growing presence of emerging powers such as Brazil, China, and India, nations that are also competing for resources and political influence across the continent (Ewalefoh, 2021).

‍In the face of these changes, several questions arise: How can Africa strategically leverage these geopolitical shifts and, in so doing, escape a new ”Scramble��for Africa”? How can the continent harness the vast potential of its greatest asset, its vibrant youth, to advance sustainable development? And how can we recover and adopt Indigenous African knowledge systems to confront global challenges (e.g., sociopolitical, environmental, etc.)?

‍Building on the thematic focus of past gatherings: “Making, Unmaking and Remaking of Africa” (2025), and Sustainability and Sustainable Development: Past, Present and Futures” (2024), this year’s CAAS conference theme,��“Global Africa: Legacies, Change, and Aspirations”,��invites a broad spectrum of papers that address these issues and beyond from historical, contemporary, and imaginative or forward-looking perspectives. We welcome Africanist academics, independent researchers, policy-makers, practitioners, and community organisations on the continent and in the Diaspora to submit analytical, theoretical, empirical and policy-oriented contributions that will spark rich intellectual conversations about the meaning, possibilities and limits �Ǵ���Global Africa; however, one chooses to define it.

Theme: Non-Governmental Organizations and promotion of Indigenous Knowledge in Africa

Date: Monday, June 30, 2025, Time: 10:00 AM EST

Indigenous knowledge refers to the long-standing�� customs, norms, traditions and practices of local communities, that have been�� developed through centuries of interaction with their natural and social environments. In Africa, these knowledge systems have shaped agriculture, medicine, environmental conservation, conflict resolution, and governance. However, the various encounters that Africa had with other regions of the world, especially, the West have led to the marginalization of these knowledge systems. Due to what scholars have referred to as coloniality, the postcolonial state has to significant extent neglected the utility of indigenous knowledge. Many African countries lack robust frameworks for incorporating indigenous knowledge into mainstream development efforts.

The NGOs have stepped into the gap created by state neglect by working with Indigenous communities to preserve, protect, and promote indigenous knowledge as part of sustainable development, cultural identity and environmental resilience. In this Webinar, two leaders in the NGO sector will be discussing their experiences in promoting indigenous knowledge in Uganda and Kenya. The objectives of the Webinar include the following:

1. To assess the current role of NGOs in the documentation and dissemination of indigenous knowledge in Africa.
2. To promote partnerships between NGOs, local communities, and academic institutions to safeguard traditional knowledge.
3. To advocate for policies that integrate indigenous knowledge into national development strategies.
4. To strengthen community-based initiatives that preserve indigenous languages, practices, and ecological knowledge.

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Expected Outcomes

• Increased awareness and respect for indigenous knowledge systems across Africa.
• Strengthened capacity of NGOs and local communities to document and promote traditional knowledge.
• Greater inclusion of indigenous knowledge in national policies and development frameworks.
• Enhanced cultural identity and community resilience through revived traditional practices.

This year’s celebration, under the inspiring theme “Voices of the African Diaspora and the Africa We Want,” will spotlight the Diaspora’s contributions to sustainable growth, innovation, and self-reliance, in alignment with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Join us to engage with:

• Officials from the Canadian Government, African Union, and diplomatic corps
• Interactive tech innovator���� and vibrant discussions with religious, academic, and industry professional
• Dynamic youth�� and community and faith leaders

This is a powerful opportunity to reaffirm our shared commitment to Africa’s advancement and to uplift and empower people of African descent—especially within our vibrant Black community here in Ottawa.

Reserve your seat now for this high-impact event in Canada’s capital!
Dress Code:��A touch of African print – let’s celebrate our vibrant heritage with style!

�Ӱ�ԭ�� the speaker: Dr. Sarah Kinyanjui is an academic, consultant, advocate of the High Court of Kenya, an accredited assistant counsel at the International Criminal Court, and a certified professional mediator. She teaches law at the University of Nairobi, Mombasa Campus, and currently serves as the Associate Dean of the Mombasa Campus. She holds a PhD in Law from the University of Leicester, UK and a Master of Laws – Law in Development from the University of Warwick, UK, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. Dr. Kinyanjui has research interests in criminal justice, restorative justice, international criminal law, child justice, gender and the law, mediation, and technology as a facilitator of justice. She is currently exploring gender and intergenerational dimensions of environmental governance.

Registration required. Space is limited for in-person attendance. A Zoom link will be sent to participants upon registration

This event is part of the �ٳ����2022 Spring Shannon Lecture Series organized by the Department of History.

The session will be recorded and uploaded to the Shannon Lectures’ website after the series is complete. Please visit the 2022 Spring Shannon Lectures webpage��for details and registration information for each of the four lectures in the series.

Register here

Zoom Registration:��

Our third talk in our Brown bag Seminar Series for this term features John Kotsopoulos, Research Associate at the University of Pretoria , South Africa.. He will be sharing on the topic:” EU-Africa 2.0? The Challenges and Opportunities of Resetting EU-Africa Relations“.

Photo credit:

Abstract

After more than a year of delays marked by tensions and misunderstandings, the European Union and African Union concluded their sixth summit in February 2022. The two organizations have committed to a “renewed partnership” and promised a “A Joint Vision for 2030”, including a range of commitments in areas such as public health, trade, investment and security. Does this represent a new beginning? What has really changed? The purpose of this brown bag lunch presentation is to take stock of these commitments in light of the long-standing and persistent asymmetries between the two sides, as well as in the context of a global order in profound flux.

The presentation will explore the shifting dynamics between the main actors involved in the renewal of EU-Africa relations (e.g. the EU, the AU and the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States), revealing some of the intra-European and intra-African tensions about the future direction of the larger relationship. The conclusion is that, while Europe’s status has waned, and forms of African agency have increased, lack of cohesion – and sometimes will — on either side has made plotting a completely new course difficult.

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John Kotsopoulos is the acting head of the Foresight Unit at Global Affairs Canada. He is also a Research Associate at the University of Pretoria (South Africa). John holds a PhD in International Relations (University of Kent) with a focus on negotiation dynamics between the European Union and African Union. He has research interests in North-South relations, African international relations and foreign policy analysis. John also holds Master’s degrees from the London School of Economics and �Ӱ�ԭ�� University. Dr Kotsopoulos writes and speaks in his personal capacity.

Title: Webinar on African Union – European relations and implications for the African continental free trade area -Jean Monnet project with support from the European Union

Dates: March 15 – 17, 2022
Time: 8:00am EST – 12:00pm EST Daily

�Ӱ�ԭ�� the Project
The Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation and the European Studies Association of Sub-Saharan Africa () in the University of Pretoria, South Africa,��and the Institute of African Studies , Canada, are pleased to announce AURORA. This project seeks to explore ways to increase diversity within the field of European Studies through a series of events, research collaborations and publications.

• Gather scholars from diverse intellectual disciplines, professionals, and practitioners to examine regional trade agreements, the African Continental Free Trade Area and Africa’s engagement with the EU in international affairs
• Draw comparative lessons and parallels from Africa Union and European Union.
• Consolidate international networks to add value and provide comparative knowledge on free trade areas, especially from the EU
• Introduce local students to the African Union, European Union and increase the level of their engagement in African Union, European Union and regionalism issues to ensure continuity into the future.

The Institute of African Studies in partnership with, the School of Journalism and Communication,�� the Bachelor of Global and International Studies and the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, invites you to attend a talk by Howard W. French entitled “Born in Blackness”.

Howard W. French is a career foreign correspondent and global affairs writer and the author of five books, including three works of non-fiction, a work of documentary photography and a book from Norton Liveright about Africa and the birth of modernity. He is also a professor of journalism at the Columbia Journalism School.

ABOUT THE BOOK
In a sweeping narrative spanning more than six centuries, Born in Blackness reframes the story of medieval and emerging Africa, demonstrating how the economic ascendancy of Europe, the anchoring of democracy in the West, and the fulfillment of so-called Enlightenment ideals all grew out of Europe’s dehumanizing engagement with the “dark” continent. Creating a historical narrative that begins with the commencement of commercial relations between Portugal and Africa in the fifteenth century and ends with the onset of World War II, Born in Blackness interweaves precise historical detail with poignant, personal reportage. Read more .

Join us as we discover the historical contexts that have influenced modern reality and reframe our understanding of world history.