‘FOCUS ON AFRICA’ CONFERENCE FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 1 AT ABAC

“Focus on Africa,” the Second Annual Workshop on World Affairs, will take place Feb. 28 – March 1 in the Magnolia Room in the Donaldson Dining Hall on the Abraham Baldwin College campus. The event is open to the public. There is no charge to attend. Staff Development Unit (SDU) credit is available.

For more information or to register, contact Katrina Williams, Assistant Director of ABAC’s Public Service and Business Outreach Center, at (229) 386-3267, or email her at kwilliam@abac.edu.

Dr. John Dunn, an assistant professor of history at ABAC and the coordinator of the conference, said that Africa, once known as the “Dark Continent,” was a place of mystery and often of little concern to Americans.

“That’s unfortunate because Africa plays an important role in our war against terrorism and contains resources of critical value to our modern economy,” Dunn said. “President George W. Bush seems to concur, deploying troops to Africa, and promising a $15 billion dollar effort to combat AIDS.”

The conference on Africa will consist of one workshop and five lectures. Two lectures will be given on Feb. 28: “The Geography of AIDS in Africa: Current Crisis, Future Dilemma,” by Dr. Reuel Hanks, an associate professor of geography at Oklahoma State University, and “African-American View on Africa,” by Dr. Larry McGruder, a professor of history in ABAC’s Division of Social Science.

Hanks, a Fulbright scholar who has conducted research in East Africa, will examine the political, social, and economic consequences of the AIDS pandemic from 9 – 9:50 a.m.

“This crisis is going to get a lot worse before it gets better,” Hanks said. “If left unchecked, AIDS has the potential to de-stabilize entire regions of Africa, impacting on politics, the economy, and America’s War on Terrorism.”

McGruder, a specialist in African-American history, will look at myths, misconceptions, and the reality of African-Americans’ relationships with their ancestral homeland from 10 – 10:50 a.m.

A special workshop for teachers called “Incorporating Africa into K-12 Curriculums” will also be conducted on Feb. 28 from noon – 6 p.m. by Dr. Agnes Leslie, Director of the Outreach Program at the Center for African Studies at the University of Florida. An educational specialist, Leslie will demonstrate how to create effective lesson plans that will help teachers incorporate African history, culture, language, art, and more into the classroom.

Three additional lectures will be presented on March 1. Dr. Peter P. Garretson, a professor of history at Florida State University, will present “Ethiopia: Africa’s Oldest Nation,” from 9 – 9:50 a.m. Garretson, a national authority on Ethiopian history, will provide an overview of Africa’s oldest nation, its Orthodox Christian Church, and its place in African culture.

Dr. Melanie Byrd, a professor of history at Valdosta State University, will present “Why Ancient Nubia Belongs in Your Social Science Class” from 10 – 10:50 a.m. Byrd, whose scholarly work focuses on archeology and ancient Egypt, will discuss an African civilization that co-existed with Egypt.

“You don’t learn much about the Nubians in general history classes,” Byrd said, “but they produced a vibrant African culture, one that was contemporary and equal to that of Egypt.”

“Africa’s Role in Current American Foreign Policy” will be presented by Dr. Joseph Njoroge, an assistant professor of political science in ABAC’s Division of Social Science, from 11 – 11:50 a.m. Njoroge, a native of Kenya, specializes in African politics and international relations. He will examine America’s diplomatic, military, and economic interests in Africa.

Njoroge said that American interest in Africa dramatically increased after the terrorist bombings of the United States’ embassies in Nairobi and Dar es-Salaam and that Africa now has a much higher priority in the United States’ international strategy to combat terrorism.

A round table discussion by speakers and participants called “Africa Today” will take place at noon on March 1. Topics of discussion will include the following: “What is happening in Africa today? Is there an African component to the war on terrorism? What strategies can be employed to combat poverty and AIDS, or to promote the rule of law?”

This project is supported by the Georgia Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities and through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly. For more information about the conference, contact Dunn at (229) 386-3259, or e-mail him at jdunn@abac.edu.

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