Conference CAll 2010

The African Activists Association of UCLA Presents our

5^th annual colloquium

 

The Conflict of Re-Presentation:

Re-Presenting Conflict

In Africa

 

The goal of this conference is to gather new scholarship on the continent of Africa that challenges the frames of reference as to how Africa is viewed both at home and abroad. Tribulations on the continent of Africa are often posed in generic and static terms that do not fully appreciate the complexity of the historical roots that underlie them.  As a continent continuously misrepresented in both popular and non-popular mediums of communication, this conference will function as a space of re-presentation of the voices and histories of the seldom heard. This is a space of creative scholarship that will bring together a wide-range of topics that proffer new vision and resolution.

 

We deeply invite submissions from all people and all disciplines.   Examples of possible disciples are, but are not limited to:

 

Peace and Conflict Studies

Political Science

Historical/Applied Linguistics

History

World Arts and Cultures

Cinema

Music

Photography

Public Health

Feminist Theory

Comparative Literatures

Education

Economics

Etc.

 

We request that you submit a 250-word abstract that clearly defines your proposed presentation.  Presentations will be 15 minutes long (estimated 8 pages double spaced).  The conference will take place at UCLA on May 14^th and 15^th of 2010.

 

Please send them to africanactivists@gmail.com

 

In Peace,

Cassandra Tesch and Deborah Dauda of The African Activists Association

Disobedience - A film From Mozambique

On March 4, 2010 at 5pm at UCLA (YRL Presentation Room) The African Activists Association Presents a screenings of Licinio Azevedo's Disobedience 

iction or Reality. Reality of Fiction. Disobedience tells the story of a woman in Mozambique who is accused of having caused her husband’s suicide for being disobedient and possibly, for having a spirit husband. 

Based on a real story, the actual woman plays herself, and the role of the husband is played by the diseased husband’s twin bother. The same community that has shunned the real-life woman plays itself in one genre-bending film rarely seen outside of film festivals. 

In Xitewa and Portuguese with English Subtitles. 
From Mozambique, 2002 – A Film by Licinio Azevedo
an hour and a few minutes long 

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=273414932466&ref=ts

Film Screening at UCLA - Antonia

On Thursday, February 18th at 5pm at UCLA (YRL Library)  The African Activists Association Presents a Free screening of Tata Amaral's film Antônia. 

Determined to escape their resource-limited lives, four talented young women living on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil, form an all-female hip hop group but find their road to success is riddled with sexism, racism, and violence. One by one, they succumb to their grim realities...until they discover that out of struggle comes strength, and out of strength, the courage to continue on.

Directed by Tata Amaral, in Portuguese with English Subtitles 

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=273260695442&ref=ts

Spoken Word and Performance Art Benefit for Haiti at UCLA a Success

On February 4, 2010 at UCLA The African Activists Association threw a Spoken Word and Performance Art Benefit Bash for Haiti.  As artists, scholars and Activists in African Studies, the members of AAA decided to bring local community together to celebrate the amazing Caribbean nation of Haiti which was ravished by not one, but two earth quakes on January 12 and January 20  of 2010.    

When asked why it was necessary to have a Performance Art Benefit for Haiti, Cassandra and Deborah, AAA co-chairs stated, “As artists and Activists it is our divine duty to tool our creativity to incite non-violent social change in response to both man-made and natural disasters. This is not a time of mourning. This is a time of celebration, for all that Haiti has been and all that it will become.”

This 4.5 hour show was jam packed with talent including everything from Stand-Up Comedy to Japanese Taiko Drumming.  Mastress of Ceremonies Deborah and Cassandra hosted the event that brought in an audience of around 250 people.  The event raised $1300 to go PSI’s relief efforts in Haiti.  For more information on PSI please see www.psi.org.

 

 Bellow is a recap of our performers:

Kathy Smith – Presentation on Haiti and

Shelly and Dimitri  - Salsa

Bobby Gordon – Poetry

Lovensky Jean Baptiste

Cadance Ackun and co with Modern Jazz piece

Sumara – Bellydance

Deborah Dauda with Grace Haukwa (Nabtry) – Soukous Dance

Swing Brazil = Orixá Dance

Lonni – from Manual Arts High School with a rap

Pamela with a song from Manual Arts High School

Tha Profound Sound – hip hop group

D. Styles – rap

THE STREET POETS - Art, Mario, Brandon, Misael and Antonio

Taiko Drumming – thank you to Seigi

Rez – rap

Danni Williams - poetry

Katherine Dephanger – Poetry

Rayed Khedher – Poetry

Jeanelle Fu – Poetry

Meredith Pierce – Poetry

Naaz Diwan – Poetry

Josué Nobrega – Poetry

Eboni Allen –poetry

Milo Alvarez – poetry

Jacinto – Poetry

Narinda Heng –poetry

Nichelle Pete – poetry

Brenda Lamberty – Comedian

Jessica Lovelace-Chandler – Comedian

Brady Kephart – Comedia

Adam Epplebaum – Comedian

Justin Cross – Comedian

Nasambu – Singer from Kenya

Kaitlin Huwe - song

Lemi Ghariouku - Nigerian Artist special guest http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemi_Ghariokwu

 

 

Thank you to The Guardian and The Daily Bruin, and all who supported us

http://www.dailybruin.com/articles/2010/2/4/artists-come-together-help-haiti/

 

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/arts/article03//indexn3_html?pdate=020210&ptitle=Ghariokwu%20headlines%20charity%20show%20for%20Haiti&cpdate=293008

 

The Afropunk Blog

http://www.afropunk.com/forum/topics/spoken-word-and-performance

 

The African Studies Center

http://international.ucla.edu/africa/