A Quarterly Newsletter for African Studiis Volume Xxxi
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A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER VOLUME XXXI FOR AFRICAN STUDIIS FROM THE EXECUTIVE ASA OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS 1998 DIRECTOR ... OFFICERS PRESIDENT CLINTON VISITS AFRICA Night after night President: Sandra Greene (Cornell University) for almost two weeks it continued, was I back in Nairobi? No not at Vice-President: David Wiley (Michigan State Univ) all. I was in the US, yet I kept hearing it. "Today in Africa." Every Past President: Gwendolyn Mikell (Georgetown Univ) night the evening news started with "Today in Africa." Has the news Treasurer: Jack Parson (College of Charleston) ever started like this before? It has not, but then again, never has a Executive Director: Chris Koch (Rutgers University) sitting president made such an extensive visit to the continent. "Today in Africa," I relished the words while wondering how many DIRECTORS Americans could find on a map just one of the six countries the president was visiting. RETIRING IN 1998 President Clinton's 12 day six nation safari seems to have Keletso Atkins (University of Minnesota) taken much of the continent by storm. Most heads of state lined up to be unequivocal praise singers, with the exception of President Julius Nyang'oro (Univ of North Carolina-Chapel Hill) Mandela. Will the President's trip change anything in Africa, I have Oaire Robertson (Ohio State University) my doubts. Just perhaps though. the true legacy of the trip might be in the way Americans view Africa. I was moved by Carol Castiel, who RETIRING IN 1999 in writing for West Africa magazine, draws our attention to a Judith Byfield (Dartmouth University) statement made in Senegal: "I will never forget as long as I live the Frank Holmquist (Hampshire College) many faces Hillary and I have seen in these 12 days. In them I have Omofolabo Soyinka (University of Kansas) seen the beauty and intelligence energy and sprit, and the determination to prevail. I have seen the faces of Africa's future." I RETIRING IN 2000 pray the president has a long memory and a long life. Kenneth Harrow (Michigan State University) ASA ARRIVES AT RUTGERS Welcome to Rutgers, a blue Dorothy Hodgson (Rutgers University) and white 56 foot moving van was parked next to 132 George Street. Eileen Julien (Indiana University) The day was January 5, 1998, the African Studies Association had arrived on the Douglass Campus of Rutgers University. Could we possibly own so much stuff? It had taken us nearly two good days to ASA News, Vol. XXXI, No 2 Apr/Jun 1998 load in Atlanta and now the prospect of unloading the van and ISSN 0278-2219 starting afresh at Rutgers was as exciting as the air was crisp. A great deal has happened since that January morning. We are Editor: Chris Koch hiring and training staff plus settling into our new quarters. We have been having problems with the Rutgers Personnel Department. The Associate Editor: Rainier Spencer first two jobs we posted were classified too low, this resulted in disappointing applicant pools and has necessitated us having the Published quarterly by the African Studies Association. posts reclassified and readvertised. A slow and painful process to say the least. but that's life in the fast lane. Nevertheless, we are making E-mail address: [email protected] great progress. With the help of our good friends here we reposted our Web Page: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/ positions, moved forward, and hired. Home]age/ASA_Menu.html Also, we have secured 1,000 square feet of additional space for the ASA Press. This gives us the space we need to handle production Submissions to ASA News should be sent to ASA News. African Studies Association, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, tasks as well as shipping and billing. In addition, the new space will Douglass Campus, 132 George Street, New Brunswick. NJ 08901 be used for warehousing our publications and as a conference area. All 1400. Deadlines for submissions are December 1, March 1, June I, in all we are very excited and pleased to be associated with Rutgers. and September I. Submissions received electronically will be given ASA TO FORGE CLOSER LINKS WITH RUTGERS The priority. Board of Directors approved a bold new program, proposed by the Domestic claims for non-receipt of issues must be made within six Executive Director, which will link ASA and Rutgers in promoting months of the month of publication-overseas claims must be made African studies. The program has three thrusts. First. the board will within one year. endeavor to hold at least every other Spring meeting at Rutgers. Second, the ASA will make funds available so that one or more board Notice to Members: The United States Postal System does not for ward periodicals. We must receive written notification from you at members may arrive early or stay after a meeting held at Rutgers so least five weeks in advance of any change of address. Failure to noti that they may engage in collaborative actives such as lectures, fy us of your correct mailing address will result in suspension of seminars. or public talks. Lastly. each year the board will sponsor an mailings until we receive such notification. We can make address ASA Lecture at Rutgers. This lecture will normally be given by the changes only when current dues are paid. Reinstatement of member ship mailings after suspension may be made by payment of a $5.00 vice president, who is also the president-elect, on a topic mutually reinstatement fee. agreed upon by the vice president and Rutgers colleagues. WE WELCOME NEW ASA MEMBERS (who joined between December 1, 1997 and February 28, 1998) Maureen Anderson Brenda H Chalfin Deutsch J Georg Richard Kuba MaryC. David Sconyers Kelly Askew Anne M Choup Jan BGewald Shelly Leanne Mugo-Mwiandi Ruediger AdaUAzodo Marlea J Clarke Maria Grosz-Ngate Carol E Levin Maanda Mulaudzi Seesemann Robert C Bailey Kathleen C Collins Frank Harreman Evan Lieberman Katwiwa Mule Adegboyega A Peter A Beck Christopher J Dag Henrichsen Staffan Lindberg Kathleen Mulligan Somide Getnet Bekele Colvin Gilbert H Herdt VolkerLinz James Natsis Rachel A Sponzo Stephen Belcher KristyCook MathurinC StephenC Kwame A Ninsin Amadou Tankoano Jesse J Benjamin Nicholas M Creary Houngnikpo Lubkemann Cyril Obi Niels F Teunis Kevin Bohner Henrique Cunha Vincent T Idemyor Reitumetse 0 Charles Okigbo Mojisola F Tiamlyu George C Bond Dwane Y Curry JimIgoe Mabokela Rabala Olana Pietro S Toggia Sarah C Brezinski Rachel Demotts Obloma M Iheduru Vandra McLean Joy C Patton Henry M Trotter Ras M L B Brown Costa Dias Jan Jansen Berhanu Mengistu Dorte U Petersen Trevor Trueman Caleb M Bush Heather L DuBois L Adele Jinadu Claire C Mercer Isaac Phiri Rebecca LUpton Shelley R Butler JeanMDue CindiKatz Jonathan Miran Editha Platte Kerry Ward W Joseph Campbell Laura Edmondson Maghan Kelta Laura J Mitchell GeryRyan Brad L 0 Weiss Amanda B Carlson Mary K Fathers TimKesall Eric Morier-Genoud Todd Sanders Janice Windbome CheweM Lucie Gagnon Joseph Kinsella William Moseley John S Saul Tekle Woldemikael Chabatama Manelisi Genge Kwaku L Korang Sibyl E Moses Sylvie Schuster WE THANK ASA ENDOWMENT DONORS (who contributed between December 1, 1997 and February 28, 1998) Ali Ahmed John Crossey Allen Howard Malcolm McPherson Rachael Reynolds LesSwitzer Eric Allia William Dewey WHoward Nick Menzies John Rowe Alii Trip Jean Allman Guy DeLusignan Caroline Ifeka Norma Miller Emuaredhowo Rufus Brian Thomson Michael Anda Julia Duany Debora Johnson-Ross Jack Mower Margaret Saunders Steven Thomson Anthony Appiah Manuel Ferreira Colleen Kriger Akbar Muhammad David Schoenbrun Leonardo Villalon Andrew Apter Karen Fields Robert Lagace Franklin Nnebe Edwin Segal HansZell Helen Aspaas Gillian Feeley-Hamik Margot Lovett IkemOkoye Mette Shayne Roslyn Walker Joseph Black Augustin Fosu Ann May Tola Pearce Carol Sicherman Luise White Fran Buntman Abe Goldman Rita McCaslin Peter Pels John Spencer Sandra Chait Rosalind Hackett Beverly McGraw Jeanne Penvenne Charles Stuart SChilds John Harbeson Michael McNulty Damien Pwono JoSullivan Special Donors (gifts of $100 or more) David Hogarth Deirdre Lapin Wolf Roder Gretchen Walsh David Wiley We Never Close Need information about the ASA, or want to send membership information to a mend? Check us out on the World Wide Web: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/Ahican5tudies/Home_Page/ASA_Menu.html ASA Has Moved! Submissions to ASA News Ahican Studies Association received bye-mail or on disk Rutgers The State University of New Jersey Douglass Campus will be given priority. 132 George Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1400 April/June 1998 PROVISIONAL MINUTES we are as well-placed as we can be. I remember correctly. Next we took up new BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Development: Our National Endowment of fundraising efforts, the result of which is the Present: Directors Gwendolyn Mikell the Humanities Challenge Grant is now over. enclosed outreach proposal. The discussion (Chair); Sandra Greene; Iris Berger; Marina Unfortunately we missed our goal by less than covered problems with organizing Ottaway; Keletso Atkins; Julius Nyang'oro; a thousand dollars which we will have to conferences either within Africa or the U.S. Claire Robertson; Judith Byfield; Robert return to the Endowment. We should be proud with Africa-wide organizations. The limited Harms; Frank Holmquist; Omofolabo A. of our achievement, our endowment has a effort with WARA/ CODESRIA in Dakar last market value of almost $600,000. Now is the Soylnka; Chris Koch (Executive Director); June whereby ASA sponsored several panels time that the Board will want to consider new Jack Parson (Treasurer & AASP was not successful. Few people attended the development issues. Representative) Annual Meeting: Work has begun on this panels and poor judgment was used in year's annual meeting in Chicago. We plan to selecting chairs.