UNN Hosts CBAAC 2015 Distinguished Public Lecture

The 2015 edition of Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) International Distinguished Public Lecture has been scheduled to hold on November 24, 2015 at the Princess Alexandria Auditorium of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Nsukka Campus, Enugu State, Nigeria.

The lecture titled: “Reconstruction, Transformation and African Unity in the 21st Century” would be delivered by Professor Horace Campbell, an Emeritus Professor of African American Studies and Political Science and the Director of Pan African Studies at Syracuse University, New York, United States and chaired by Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbe.

In a statement, the international public lecture series is CBAAC’s yearly outing dedicated to the reassessment and reevaluation of the place of continental and Diaspora Africa in the scheme of affairs within the international system as it affects their unity and development. The lecture to be hosted in collaboration with the Institute of African Studies of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) would form part of activities for the inauguration of the new CBAAC Outreach Office located at the Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria Nsukka.

Campbell is a noted international peace and justice scholar and Professor of African American Studies and Political Science at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. Born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Campbell is a Pan-Africanist who has been involved in Africa’s Liberation Struggles and in the struggles for peace and justice globally for more than four decades. He is versed in issues of militarism and transformation and reconstruction in Africa. Campbell research interest also seeks to extend the work and ideas of Walter Rodney in relation to emancipatory politics as well as expanding on the ideas of fractals and the importance of emancipatory ideas. He is also very active in the campaign against politics of impunity on the continent of Africa.

Among others, the lecture would lay out some of the conceptual challenges for the unification of Africa and the emancipation of African peoples globally as well as proffer a way forward; Offer alternatives to the hegemonic ideas of Eurocentrism in relation to African development and Provide alternative viewpoints to the so-called “mainstream” voices on international affairs particularly for communities striving for peace and social justice like most countries of Africa.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of CBAAC, Dr. Ferdinand Anikwe is billed to Chair the 1st Meeting of the Bureau of the 4th Pan African Cultural Congress  (PACC4) to be held in Harare, Zimbabwe from 26th – 28th November, 2015. The Meeting jointly organized by the African Union Commission (AU) and Government of Zimbabwe, through its Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture would among other things: Facilitate the exchanges of ideas and experiences among arts and culture professionals, researchers, creators/producers of culture, decision/policy makers in the area of cultural diversity in Africa; Review the achievements and to identify challenges on implementation of instruments related to the promotion of cultural diversity; Gather inputs and best practices for the formulation and implementation of cultural policies and programmes in Africa in the area of cultural diversity.