© Manuel Ramos, 2014
The 2014 event, organized by Affrica-Centre of African Studies in Sardinia, was the first such school to be held outside of Cortona. In the end, it was everything one could have hoped for and more. The School brought 20 students and 8 staff to Cagliari, with participants from AEGIS Centres in Bayreuth, Birmingham, Bologna, Bordeaux, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London, Mainz, Naples and Roskilde; as well as participants from non-AEGIS institutes in Berlin, Zurich, Maseno University, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and the Free State. Africa was represented by participants from Kenya, Ghana Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe were drawn from both AEGIS and non-AEGIS Centres.
The theme of the Summer School was “Mobilisation and the State in Africa: Multiple Spaces for Political Action”. Given the association of Antonio Gramsci with Cagliari, and the location of his former school at a stone’s throw from the venue, the setting could not have been more appropriate. The range of disciplinary interests that was reflected in this group, spanning Political Science, History, Geography, Linguistics and Development Studies, was part of what made the exchange especially fruitful. For veterans of these Summer Schools what was striking was the excellent quality of the presentations. The format of combining staff and student discussants worked very well, striking the right balance between intellectual critique and supportive encouragement. At this event, staff made their own contributions through participation on thematic roundtables. A special roundtable on “Human Rights and Homophobia“, and the screening of “God Loves Uganda” was organized in association with an LGTB association in Cagliari and brought in a wider audience.
Cagliari provided the perfect setting for the Summer School. It was small enough to feel intimate, but also large enough for participants to find interesting things to do in the leisure hours. The summer sun, spectacular views, chilled vermentino and bottarga somehow fused with civil service reform, urban planning and agrarian conflicts in a manner of which Flann O’Brien would have been proud. Of course, there was ample time for fun and games: who can forget the entombment of William at Poetto beach, Barbara’s abs, the dirty dancing of Jamilla with the local Carabinieri or the spirited rendition of Bella Ciao by the Italian contingent? And then there was all the other stuff: Amanda still couldn’t hear, hybridity was banned, fresh variations of the Gramsci tee-shirt kept appearing and Van Schmee’s concept of ‘localography‘ was repeatedly invoked. It made for the perfect week, and all of it was faithfully captured by the AEGIS artist-in-residence, Manuel. Thanks again to the Cagliari team – Isabella, Michele, Filippo, Marisa and Bianca – for organizing such a memorable event – and the Fondazione Banco di Sardegna.
Mobilisation and the State in Africa: Multiple Spaces for Political Action
Organized by the Centro di Studi Africani in Sardegna – CSAS (AEGIS-Cagliari) in partnership with the AEGIS Centres of Edinburgh, Napoli, Copenhagen, Leiden, Roskilde, Lisbon, Birmingham.
Programme
Tuesday 24 June
9.15-11.00: Introduction and Roundtable 1
Methodological challenges in African Studies: interdisciplinary perspectives, speakers: Klaas van Walraven, Leiden University – Paul Nugent, University of Edinburgh – Max Bolt, University of Birmingham
11.00-11.15: Coffee break
11.15-13.00: Panel 1a
Political participation I: Critical actors and activists
Chairs Barbara Bompani, University of Edinburgh and Manuel Ramos, Lisbon University
- Jamilla Hamidu, Science Po Bordeaux
- Cindy Morillas, Institut d’Etudes Politiques, Bordeaux
13.00-15.00: Lunch break
15.00-16.45: Panel 1b
Political participation I: Critical actors and activists
Chairs Barbara Bompani, University of Edinburgh and Manuel Ramos, Lisbon University
- Sonia Languille, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
- Munyaradzi Mushonga, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
16.45-17.00: Coffee break
17.00-18.30: Roundtable 2
Human Rights and homophobia in Africa, in partnership with ARC (LGTB rights), speakers: Barbara Bompani, University of Edinburgh – Preben Kaarsholm, Roskilde University – Roberto Cherchi, Università degli Studi di Cagliari
18.30-21.00: Reception
21.00-23.00: God Loves Uganda, director: Roger Ross Williams, USA, 2013, 83′
Wednesday 25 June
9.15-11.00: Panel 2
Political participation II: Electoral politics
Chair Paul Nugent, University of Edinburgh
- Philip Visendi Lumwamu, Maseno University, Kenya
- Wycliffe Nyachoti Otiso, University of Nairobi, Kenya
11.00-11.15: Coffee break, Hostel Marina
11.15-13.00: Panel 3
Activism and Self-Representation
Chair Klaas van Walraven, Leiden University
- Catherine Jane Dodworth, University of Edinburgh
- Anna Fichtmüller, Institut d’Etudes Politiques, Bordeaux
13.00-15.00: Lunch break
15.00-16.45: Panel 4
Politics of urban spaces and frontiers
Chairs Antonio Pezzano, Università ‘Orientale’ Napoli and Paul Nugent, University of Edinburgh
- Afia Afeneh, Univeristy of Berlin
- Hannah Elliott, University of Copenhagen
16.45-17.00: Coffee break
17.00-18.45 Panel 4
Politics of urban spaces and frontiers
Chairs Antonio Pezzano, Università ‘Orientale’ Napoli and Paul Nugent, University of Edinburgh
- Raffaele Urselli, Università ‘Orientale’ Napoli
- Rony Emmenegger, University of Zurich
20.30: Dinner
Thursday 26 June
9.30-11.00: Roundtable 3
African states and non-state actors, speakers: Amanda Hammar, University of Copenhagen – Antonio Pezzano, Università ‘Orientale’ Napoli – Manuel Ramos, Lisbon University
11.00-11.15: Coffee break, Hostel Marina
– Day off –
Friday 27 June
9.15-11.00: Panel 5
Agrarian conflicts and transformations
Chair Maxim Bolt, University of Birmingham
- Davide Chinigò, Università di Bologna
- William John Walwa, Dar es Salaam University, Tanzania
11.00-11.15: Coffee break
11.15-13.00: Panel 6a
Religion, culture and politics
Chair Preben Kaarsholm, Roskilde University
- Serawit Bekele Debele, University of Bayreuth
- Gaia Lott, Università di Firenze
12.35-15.00: Lunch break
15.00-16.15: Panel 6b
- Caroline Valois, University of Edinburgh
16.15-17.00: Panel 7a
The politics of public policy and reform
Chair Amanda Hammar, University of Copenhagen
- Nora Brandecker, Universität Mainz
17.00-17.15: Coffee break
17.15-19.10: Panel 7b
The politics of public policy and reform
Chair Amanda Hammar, University of Copenhagen
- Clothilde Hugon, Science Po Bordeaux
- Matthew Sabbi, University of Bayreuth
20.30: Dinner, Ristorante ‘Crudo’ (Sardinian), piazza Yenne
Saturday 28 June
9.30-11.00: Conclusion
11.00-11.15: Coffee break, Hostel Marina
11.15-13.00: AEGIS Summer School Board meeting