alliancesFall 2010 University of Michigan No. 3 Member of the University of Michigan International Institute

AFRICA CENTER STAGE IN PEACE CORPS CELEBRATIONS

n the early hours of Thursday, October of the Peace Corps and of newly independent 14, 2010, some 1,500 U-M students and African states—was surely not coincidental. I faculty gathered on the steps of the The hope, enthusiasm and ideals for a peaceful Michigan Union to recreate a semblance of world held by youth and a youthful president the 5,000 that had gathered there that same mirrored the widespread hope, enthusiasm day, at that same 2 a.m. hour, 50 years earlier and sense of triumph in nations recently to be inspired by presidential candidate liberated from colonial rule. Since 1961, over Senator John F. Kennedy. In an impromptu 200,000 Peace Corps volunteers have served speech, Kennedy in 139 host countries assisting in the realms threw down a gauntlet of education, health, business, technology, before the U-M campus environment, agriculture and youth/ to test whether idealism community development. Over one-third still flourished and have served in countries in Africa whether youth would be willing to sacrifice A yearlong series of celebrations honoring a small portion of their the 50-year history of the Peace Corps begins lives to improve the and ends in Ann Arbor, its acknowledged lives of others in birthplace. Later on October 14th, a symposium distant lands. He entitled “Spending Your Days in Ghana” took asked: “How many of place (see pg. 15) highlighting current work you who are going in Ghana being pursued by U-M faculty. Then to be doctors, are on October 15th, a second gathering took willing to spend your place on the steps of the Michigan Union days in Ghana?” The featuring speeches by President Mary Sue U-M community met Coleman; Marnee Devine, Kennedy’s cousin JFK’s challenge and who was in attendance that historic night Fontomfrom drummers with Michigan students on exceeded it. Students of October 14, 1960; Jack Hood Vaughn, the steps of the Union organized a petition drive that produced a second director of the Peace Corps (1966-69); thousand names of those willing to commit former U.S. Senator Harris Wofford, a Kennedy to 1-2 years of international service following aide and one of the founders of the Peace college. Seeing the impassioned U-M Corps, and an advisor to Martin Luther King response, Kennedy directed his aides to Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy; and Aaron Williams, formulate a policy and a program. Thus was the current Peace Corps Director. born the Peace Corps, announced two weeks after the U-M visit in one of Kennedy’s final The event was emceed by Dean and former 1 campaign speeches, and signed into existence Provost Paul Courant, whose words were by executive order on March 1, 1961. simultaneously translated both in sign language and in Akan drum language. In Not only did Ghana feature in the seminal Ghana, fontomfrom drum ensembles mark speech that gave rise to the Peace Corps, special events such as the opening of but it was also to Ghana that the very first parliament, and are used to communicate Peace Corps volunteers went in August 1961. important issues through “talking drums”. That initial cohort, which included three U-M To honor the Peace Corps events, Senior Vice- graduates, also included volunteers bound Provost for Academic Affairs Lester Monts for Tanganyika (now Tanzania), which would commissioned a full set of fontomfrom drums acquire its independence from Britain later from the master drum carver of the royal that year. The entwining of these histories— Asantehene compound in Kumasi, Ghana.

Continued, p. 3 FROM THE DIRECTOR

reetings to all in the University operatic technique, and Prof. Naomi Andre “Cancer in Africa and the Middle East,” G of Michigan community and beyond pursued research on the history of South organized by ASC faculty associates Sofia with interests in Africa! African opera. Merajver and Amr Soliman (see p. 12); and In this third co-sponsored a conference at MSU and U-M issue of Alliances, We have a lot to look forward to this year. on “New Critical Approaches to African we celebrate First off, we welcome to campus five new Literary Production,” organized by ASC the start of the professors who work in or on Africa: faculty associate Frieda Ekotto and MSU third year of the Omolade Adunbi (CAAS), who studies the faculty member Kenneth Harrow. African Studies extraction of natural resources in the Niger Center’s existence Delta and the various local, corporate and Over the coming months, we look forward and highlight governmental agents competing for political to the Mellon Foundation-funded Sawyer some of the ways and economic authority; Brian Arbic Seminar workshops on “Ethnicity in Africa,” we are building (Geological Sciences), who taught science and to be held in December and April in CAAS; on the progress math as a Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia and the “Pedagogy of Action” 10th anniversary made in our first Ghana and who works on modeling tidal and celebration also in CAAS in December; the two years. I am wind-driven movement in the ocean; Adam January 2011 “Islam and the Performing Photograph by Elshafei Dafalla Elshafei Mohamed by Photograph happy to report Ashforth (CAAS), who has long worked in Arts” symposium organized in conjunction that the ASC continues to establish itself South Africa on spiritual insecurity and now with the Residential College, Center for as a national and international leader in focuses on narratives about HIV/AIDS in Middle Eastern and African Studies (CMENAS) African Studies through the strength of its Malawi and Botswana; Zoë McLaren (Public and Center for Southeast Asian Studies faculty associates and the proven success of Health), who examines the impact of HIV/ (CSEAS); and the May 2011 “International longstanding Africa—University of Michigan AIDS on unemployment in sub-Saharan Conference on Mathematics” in Buea, collaborations. Our ties to Africa are growing Africa; and Robert Wyrod (Women’s Studies), Cameroon, organized by ASC faculty ever stronger as has the visibility of African who works on shifting gender relations associates Nkem Khumbah and Daniel Burns. Studies on our campus. Through initiatives within the context of the AIDS epidemic in Finally, the Africa Workshop lecture series such as the African Presidential Scholars sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Uganda. In organized by CAAS and co-sponsored by the Program (UMAPS) and others that bring to August, we welcomed 14 new African visiting ASC is bringing to campus top-notch scholars our campus a regular presence of African faculty to campus via the UMAPS program throughout the year to speak on topics scholars, faculty, students and administrators, spanning disciplines as wide-ranging as film/ ranging from violence against refugees to the African Studies Center is actively promoting media studies and biochemistry. Please read China’s expanding role and interests in Africa. the university’s mission to internationalize about them, their U-M faculty mentors, and U-M while simultaneously positioning U-M their research topics on pages 11 and 12. This level of activity would not be possible internationally. Through collaborations with were it not for the talents and labors of universities and other educational institutions We also, in September, welcomed three the ASC staff (Devon Adjei, ASC Program in Africa—especially in Ghana, South Africa, postdoctoral fellows researching varying Manager; Sandie Schulze, ASC Programming Kenya, Uganda and Cameroon—the University aspects of ethnicity in Africa: two Sawyer- Coordinator; and Thaya Rowe, ASC Secretary), of Michigan is becoming ever more known Seminar Mellon Foundation fellows, Robert ASC Associate Director Derek Peterson, all for its engagement with African partners, Blunt (PhD 2010, U. Chicago, focusing on the members—past and present—of the resulting in mutual benefit to all involved. Kenya) and Aly Drame (PhD 2006, U. Illinois ASC Steering Committee, and the African at Chicago, focusing on Senegal), and Lorena Students Association. Where I work among Last year, the ASC engaged in a high level Rizzo (PhD 2009, University of Basel), who Swahili-speakers of East Africa, a favorite of activity on the local, national, and is financed by the Swiss National Fund. We saying is Figa moja haliweki chungu (“A single 2 international arenas. We organized three showcased the work of an ethnomusicologist stone will not support a pot”). Just as it takes international conferences (one in South and radio broadcaster Leo Sarkisian whose multiple stones to support a pot, so too Africa, one in Ghana, and one here at U-M), extensive recordings of music from the does it take the labors of many minds and each of which celebrated the launch of African continent are being digitized and many hands to generate the incredible one of our African Presidential Research catalogued by staff from the U-M Digital accomplishments of our center. Initiatives (see the ASC Initiative updates on Media Commons and Hatcher Library. pages 9-12). We also supported a second Additionally, Sarkisian’s collection of rare We invite you to participate in as many of delegation of U-M faculty from Music, instruments were donated to the Stearns these events as you can and thank you for Women’s Studies and the Residential College Music Instrument Collection. In October, the your continued support of the African to Cape Town, South Africa where Profs. ASC participated in the national celebrations Studies Center. George Shirley and Daniel Washington of the launch of the Peace Corps (see p.1); taught master classes in voice, specifically co-sponsored a conference in Cairo on Kelly Askew, Director Continued from p. 1

With sponsorship through the King-Chavez- Parks visiting professor program and CONGOLESE DOCTOR RECEIVES UNIVERSITY’S additional funding from the African Studies 20TH WALLENBERG MEDAL Center, four Ghanaian master drummers were brought to U-M to perform on the naked, bleeding and with severely damaged fontomfrom and lead master classes for U-M reproductive organs. “You know, they’re in students in percussion and dance. They deep pain. But it’s not just physical pain. It’s were: Kwasi Ampene (Associate Professor psychological pain that you can see. Here of ethnomusicology, U. Colorado-Boulder), at the hospital, we’ve seen women who’ve Kwame Owusu, Atta Kofi, and Lucas Kumah, stopped living,” Mukwege told CNN’s all formerly of the Center for National Culture in Anderson Cooper. Many of the women he Kumasi, Ghana. The drums and accompanying treats are blamed for what happened to Ghanaian costumes will be housed in the them and then shunned because of fears Stearns Musical Instrument Collection and they’ve contracted HIV or because their rapes maintained by Percussion professor Joe were so violent they can no longer control Gramley and students in the School of Music, their bodily functions. Theater and Dance. Mukwege recently has been the recipient Fontomfrom drum ensembles are named for of several major awards, including the first the pair of oversized drums that dominate the African of the Year Prize and the UN Prize in ensemble and the dance that is performed the Field of Human Rights. In 2009 he to its music. Fontomfrom means “one who received the Swedish Olaf Palme Prize for being “an admirable example of what swallows an elephant,” referring to the sound Dr. Denis Mukwege at Rackham auditorium they produce that swallows up all other courage, persistency and enduring hope may sounds. The drums commissioned for U-M ongolese physician Dr. Denis Mukwege accomplish for human rights and dignity include: two fontomfrom; two atumpan was awarded the 20th U-M Wallenberg in times when these values seem the most “talking drums” (played at an angle in a C Medal on November 16, 2010, during a distant.” The Wallenberg Medal honors special wooden stand); two double-headed ceremony at Rackham Auditorium. Mukwege Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, a 1935 pressure drums called donka (played held is a leader in the movement to highlight the graduate of the U-M College of Architecture, under the arm); one adedenma single-headed continued problem of sexual violence in the who saved the lives of tens of thousands of drum and one smaller version called petia; Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is the Hungarian Jews near the end of World War II. plus two or three dawura iron cowbells. (For director of Panzi Hospital, in Bukavu in the more on the fontomfrom, please see Kwabena eastern Congo, where he specializes in the Even as he was garlanded with honors and Nketia’s book Drumming in Akan Communities treatment of women who are victims of the medals, Mukwege took the time to talk of Ghana.) sexual violence that since the 1990s has extensively with students and faculty. During been part of the catastrophic civil wars in the his three-day visit to Ann Arbor, Mukwege In master classes led by the visiting artists, Congo and Rwanda. He is one of the world’s gave an informal seminar for nursing students U-M dance students were taught two leading experts on how to repair the internal at the School of Nursing, conducted Grand fontomfrom dances: Akantam and Naawea. physical damage caused by rape. Rounds with colleagues at the Department The main dances performed with fontomfrom of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and offered a are: (1) Atopretia, a highly serious medium- The 12-year war in the Democratic Republic seminar at the Center of Afroamerican and tempo dance historically played on the way of the Congo, centered mainly in eastern African Studies. “Women have tremendous to war; (2) Akantam (“oath-swearing”), a Congo, is the widest interstate war in modern ability,” he told his audience at the School of medium-tempo dance composed of over African history. It has directly affected the Nursing, “and what we’re trying to do is turn 80 Akan proverbs communicated through lives of 50 million Congolese people. More their unbearable pain into their power”. dance and the talking drums; (3) Naawea, a people have died in the eastern Congo and fast-tempo dance performed for joyous adjacent regions than in Iraq, Afghanistan celebration; and (4) Ekyem (“shield”), a and Darfur combined. “The conflict has 3 medium-tempo dance historically performed become a war against women,” according by shield-bearers entrusted with the to a 2007 CNN report, “and the weapon used protection of the king or chief. to destroy them, their families and whole communities, is rape.” Africa was thus front and center on the steps of the Union with the launch of the Panzi Hospital is the frontline of this war. Peace Corps celebrations, showcasing the Hundreds of thousands of women have been cultural heritage of Ghana and the talents of raped in the last 12 years, and Mukwege has U-M students, faculty and administrators in treated 21,000 of them, many more than embracing it. once. He performs up to 10 surgeries a day during his 18-hour workdays. He says that his patients often arrive at the hospital FOCUS ON... SMALL-SCALE GOLD MINING IN NORTHEASTERN GHANA ALY DRAME by Elisha Renne ince the early 1990s, small-scale gold- specific environmental and work situations In 2009 the University of Michigan was mining has been carried out in the that they faced. Since mercury ingested from awarded a large grant from the Mellon S Talensi- Nabdam District, in northeastern fish by pregnant women can cross into the Foundation to support a program of seminars Ghana. This work is labor-intensive—it placenta, it can affect fetal neural development and conferences on “Ethnicity in Africa” involves extracting trace amounts of gold and may also lead to miscarriage. Hair and urine (see pp. 13-14). Dr. Aly Drame is one of two from rock which is first pounded and ground samples were therefore taken from 88 women post-doctoral fellows who are funded by the into a fine powder. There are considerable (ages 15-54) in the mining concession known as program. He introduces himself here. hazards both for the environment and for Kejetia. Air, soil, water and fish samples were also people’s health, as mercury is used to taken to determine environmental mercury I am joining the University of Michigan from separate gold from the powdered rock. levels. In addition, students interviewed the Dominican University of Illinois, where However, until recently, little was known women about their pregnancy and birth I teach African history, the Islamic world, about the effects of mercury on miners’ histories, about their work in the mining world history, and immigration. My research focuses on the previously overlooked role of marriage alliances, Islamic education, and military jihad in changing the spiritual geography of the Casamance region of Senegal from African religion to Islam. My chronological focus stretches from the first half of the seventeenth century when the original Muslim settlements were founded, to the mid-nineteenth century when the balance of religious power was shifting dramatically at the expense of African religion.

During the fall and spring semesters I will participate in the African History and Anthropology Workshop. In fact, in the opening session of AHAW I presented a pre-circulated paper entitled “Marriage and Identity Change: the Bainunk Landowners in the Casamance.” I enjoyed my exchanges with the colleagues and graduate students who attended this presentation. I will be involved in two scholarly conferences on Renne E.P. by Photograph Ghanaian miners “Ethnicity in Africa” scheduled between December 2010 and April 2011. I am hopeful health. During the summers of 2009 and community, and about the sources and that these conferences will provide an 2010, University of Michigan students worked amounts of fish consumed. Women who were opportunity for scholars to examine the with U-M faculty, as well as with faculty from involved in sifting the powdered rock (known place of ethnicity and related matters in the University of Ghana and the University as “shanking”) were given face masks to the numerous challenges still facing the of Development Studies-Navrongo, to reduce rock dust inhalation, while pregnant reconstruction of the post-colonial states in investigate the effects of small-scale gold- women were given mosquito nets. Students sub-Saharan Africa some fifty years after the mining on community health and on the also studied the social life of the mining end of colonial rule. environment in two mining concessions. camps. Many mining community women 4 are involved in prepared food sales, the Every two or three weeks I will make short In 2009, five U-M undergraduate students production and sale of local beer (pito), trips to the Africana Library at Northwestern collected hair and urine samples from 120 and shea nut butter kernel processing at the University and the Newberry Library in men and women working in three mining Kejetia site. They work in the midst of a welter Chicago. Before the end of the school year concessions; samples were subsequently sent of mining site materials and structures— my goal is to finish my book manuscript. back to U-M School of Public Health where there are deep mine shafts with large hoses This book is entitled Whiteboards and they were tested for mercury. A small number used for draining excess water that extend Blackboards: Islamic Education in Africa of individuals had levels of mercury that for several yards, sheds with grinding equip- and will be edited by Robert Launay exceeded WHO guidelines. The second phase ment, and open spaces in households where (Northwestern University). My office is of the study, in summer 2010, involved eight small rocks are crushed by hand, powdered located in Haven Hall, and I leave my door U-M undergraduate students and two graduate rock is “shanked,” and the gold extraction open to all colleagues and students who students. It built upon the 2009 study by process takes place. The sifted rock powder would like to exchange ideas with me focusing on the effects of mercury on the is rinsed with water, then a few drops of during my stay in Ann Arbor. health of women and children and the mercury are added. The resulting gold- While miners may be aware of the health be the organization of harvesting, processing dangers of mercury use and the possibilities shea nut butter from trees in the area as of alternative amalgamation/burning well as planting of shea nut trees, the methods, pressures to process one’s gold “butter” of which commands a high price in findings quickly and without loss of quantity international markets. or quality have led miners to continue with trusted practices. Furthermore, the high It is important to continue to pursue prices paid for gold, along with a lack of improvements in gold-processing, to employment opportunities in other sectors raise levels of awareness of health and have encouraged small-scale gold-mining. environmental hazards of mercury use, and Photograph by E.P. Renne Renne E.P. by Photograph However, miners are amenable to change. to develop alternate income sources in the “Shanking” One possible mercury amalgam is heated, often using a solution would be small blow torch, which results in a tiny pellet the production of gold. of locally made retorts that could The 2010 project included two outreach be cheaply and activities. Among the estimated 2000 inhabitants easily replaced. of the Kejetia mining concession, there are In the meantime, approximately 200 children between the miners working with ages of 5-13 who attend a local private amalgam burning primary school. Two U-M undergraduate and with powdered students worked on a drawing project with rock may use face students in order to promote mercury awareness masks to protect Photograph by E.P. Renne Renne E.P. by Photograph among young children. U-M students were themselves from U-M students (l-r: Douglas Manigault, Aisha Sajjad, and Mozhgon Rajaee) and also engaged in outreach health care. mercury vapor and researcher Sowah Komey interviewing women at the Kejetia mining concession Donations of health materials were made dust. Aside from to the district health clinic in Tongo and to mercury contamination, small-scale gold- area. Future research by faculty and students the Presbyterian Health Clinic in Namolgo. An mining in Talensi-Nabdam District has from the University of Michigan, the arrangement was made with the organization, contributed to serious environmental University of Ghana, and the University Presbyterian Primary Health Care, to provide problems, which include deep abandoned of Development Studies-Navrongo will transportation, a small stipend, and medical mine shafts, contaminated water run-off, and continue to address these concerns. materials for a midwife and a nurse to visit intermittent piles and pits where processed the gold-mining community twice every rock has been discarded and where pools of month for antenatal and primary health care standing water, which contribute to mosquito for children, with funds provided by a seed breeding, have accumulated. One solution to grant from the African Studies Center. funding environmental reclamation might

A View From a Death in the Morning: region for water management, health, Teaching Sustainability in Kenya ecosystem services, and poverty alleviation. by Rebecca Hardin The U-M destination in Kenya—the Mpala Research Center within the Laikipia Valley— n summer 2010 Michigan’s Graham is a unique living laboratory for such Institute pioneered a new course on questions. Because of low-intensity grazing I sustainability in Africa, located in Kenya. by generations of African pastoralists, 5 It put students and faculty into the midst of combined with the conservancy efforts of a powerful, politically charged situations that wide range of postcolonial landowners and are important to understand, viscerally and contemporary pastoralist communities, the intellectually. The course sought to teach region boasts high densities of both wildlife about challenges with respect to technologies and domesticated animals. It is a site for such as water storage and solar panels, interactions across species boundaries, but but also with respect to governance and also for human interaction across racial, institutional challenges involving land tenure, subsistence and ethnolinguistic boundaries gender, racialized social inequality, and such as white and black farmers, herders Prof. Jesse Njoka from the University of Nairobi community. The trip was also an opportunity and tour operators. In experiencing and accompanied students to see black and white for preliminary research toward more educating ourselves about such interactions, rhinos at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy near Nanyuki longitudinal studies with Kenyan partners, we learned that teachable moments to address the strengths and needs of this sometimes come from tragic circumstances. However, circumstances of violence and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Their hopes and of dust from the urgently racing engine of anxiety can also give way to hope. expectations varied widely but all found her Land Cruiser pickup truck. After studying personnel from the Mpala Research Center ecology and evolutionary biology as a Masters In the lead-up to our departure last August my intimately and expertly involved in every student at U-M, Margaret has worked for the colleague Johannes Foufopolous (ecologist, aspect of life there. Staff ensured that our Wildlife Conservation Society and other SNRE) and I were having even more sleepless food and water were tasty and pure; they environmental organizations worldwide, nights than usual. We had committed to helped us arrange travel beyond the center’s studying ecology, training others to do the taking our young children and spouses along perimeters to explore neighboring ranches, same, and publishing on issues from bird life with a group of 15 undergraduates to the flower farms and national parks; they patiently to plant responses to climate variation. That Mpala. We knew that within Laikipia, Mpala sat for various kinds of interviews about morning at the ranch house, however, was a spectacular location, once owned by their work history at Mpala. Some of them— Margaret did not seem scientifically the sons of a wealthy Canadian family and now trained Askaris (or game guides) with rifles detached. She pushed a lock of blond hair managed as a trust among several institutions and sharp eyes—shadowed us on every walk from her face and allowed a ragged sigh to including Kenyan Wildlife Service, Smithsonian or field ecology exercise in plant sampling or escape her as Mike approached her from the Institution and Princeton University, the National animal observations, to ensure that we were back of the ranch house at a brisk pace, his Museums of Kenya, and the Mpala Wildlife steering well clear of any dangerous wildlife. face drawn and pinched with sadness. “I told Foundation. We knew it was sheltered from you we should not have women and children many of the challenges confronted by This latter task was not easy. One morning I in these sites,” she said quickly, barely biting urban Kenyans; a place where we could sat with a small group of students under the back her anger and regret. Mike looked at comfortably teach students just discovering bougainvillea blossoms adorning the terrace her, and then at the group of us who had African contexts the fundamental concepts gathered in a knot, worrying and wondering. and methods from social and natural science. He released his own resigned sigh, and then Only days after we had purchased our tickets explained with almost exaggerated diction: to arrive in Kenya on August 5th, however, “What has happened is that a buffalo has Kenya announced an August 4th national gored a woman from the village of ranch referendum on a new constitution. workers; she is dead. This is the fourth time this year someone has been injured or killed Given the violence that had erupted in the this way in this area. Buffalo must be avoided. wake of that country’s last presidential There must have been some kind of mistake election in 2008, there was reason for or accident; normally she would stay near concern about the risk of violence in Nairobi the group of women who had gone to and some rural regions during or after the cut grasses for roofing materials. She is referendum. We sent multiple waivers to leaving behind children and a husband. I…” be signed by the families of participating His words failed him. students, fully expecting to see high attrition given the stern language about possible I told Mike I would finish the morning’s physical and emotional harm to travelers. class, as he and Margaret walked side by side To our delight, every single one of the up the hill to conduct a more thorough students and families involved sided with investigation and then alert the relevant us in seeing a trip to Africa, even during Kenyan national authorities. The students, tumultuous times, as first and foremost an who had been among the first to hear and important opportunity, well worth some risk express concern about the cries, were and most likely to result in enrichment of our struggling to fully realize what had just U-M students marvel at the proximity to wildlife lives. Go Blue! that Kenya’s private conservancies afford occurred. They suddenly understood with terribly clarity why, even when we went up Early on August 5th we checked European of the ranch house, one of the oldest structures to the cliffs with a crate of soda to watch the news broadcasts transmitting the results of on the property, overlooking the Mpala lands sunset of an evening, we had teams of expert the referendum in Amsterdam, a first stop on from a tranquil hillside. We were meeting Askaris with rifles walking the perimeter of the way to Nairobi. We learned that Kenyans with Mike Littlewood, the manager of the our group so that we could sit happily 6 had peacefully and decisively ratified their Ranch and Conservancy operations that still chattering. rewritten constitution. Crowds poured into unfold alongside research and training activities the streets to celebrate, not to protest, and on Mpala land. Mike is a white Kenyan who A flood of questions ensued: would the we all breathed sighs of relief. After an raised his children in this house. He has woman be buried? What were ways that overnight at a historic hotel in Nairobi we known no other home than the arid expanse these communities handle grieving and care traveled north by road to the Laikipia valley. of Laikipia, and was offering us his memories of survivors? How could something like this If we worried on the front end of the trip of land ownership and management in the happen that frequently? How could the about risks to ourselves and our students, area over several generations. Suddenly, as Kenyan state not allow hunting of such and responsibilities to their families and we sat listening to him, we heard screaming dangerous animals? What forms of the wider U-M community, by the end of from outside the house, on the hillsides. Mike compensation under Kenyan law were likely the course we had woven a new fabric of rose, saying in his Kenyan-inflected British to be offered by the state to her family? accountability, concern and gratitude. Our accent, “You’ll have to excuse me.” What sorts of training and knowledge made students hailed from disciplines as diverse neighboring ranch communities able to as engineering and history, and from places A few moments later the Research Center avoid such risks as they herd their animals as diverse as Monterrey, Mexico and Director, Margaret Kinnaird, arrived in a cloud and live in relatively small, makeshift structures? All of these, I assured them, biodiversity while improving livelihoods. than the land allocations of colonial and were sustainability questions. They reflect Nicholas, an elected secretary serving on the independence eras. But they faced major competing values of charismatic wildlife governance committee of the neighboring obstacles in their efforts toward adaptive species for research and tourism, and as a community ranch Il Moteok, was also an development. kind of national and international patrimony advocate for sustained partnerships as the that deeply shapes the risks and possibilities for key component of “sustainability.” He lectured As a final writing exercise, the students in this rural livelihoods in this part of Kenya. They to our students and introduced us to his year’s course have assumed the mantle of also reveal the intractable challenges community. As the inhabitants of Il Moteok either ranch manager (Mike’s role), research to policy and protective practice for an hauled buckets of river water to boil for tea, center director (Margaret’s role), or elected operation like the Mpala Center. they guided us through both their homes communal ranch leader (Nicholas’s role) to and their hopes to finish the infrastructure to author programs or policies for leading A few nights later, in a raging thunderstorm, welcome tourists and educational groups in institutions toward sustainability in the Mike stopped by the ranch house on his huts situated around a centuries-old fig tree Laikipia Valley. They have drawn from historical, way to his own home further up the hill. He through which flitted and fed more species ethnographic, ecological, epidemiological and cracked open a bottle of sparkling water than we could count, from baboons to birds. engineering concepts to do so, marshaling and sat, dejected. He had just called for help They shared their stories of surviving the what they learned from the sometimes tragic, from a friend, a rancher from a neighboring worst drought on record only the previous sometimes truly spectacular experiences on parcel, to tow the rented taxi van filled with year, with a great deal of help from Mike, the ground there. In offering verbal presentations the deceased woman’s family out of the Tuni, Margaret and the rest of the Mpala staff at the end of our field course to an audience mud where they had gotten stuck on their who dedicated trucks to haul water for them of us instructors and some Mpala staff, way toward home after the funeral. As he sat some students were forceful and eloquent waiting for them to arrive, he seemed vexed in advancing agendas for positive change. by the new rules and regulations at Mpala Others were moved to tears by the scope and that prevented the family from traveling in serious stakes involved in the learning they one of the center’s more powerful and better did during their travels. maintained vehicles. The rules were set to discourage families and dependants from The view after that death in the morning is settling on the property under such not simple. But if earnest engagement is any dangerous circumstances. Yet they forced measure of the human possibility to define, him to rely upon his neighbors to help the together, new ways forward beyond families of his workers. rapacious resource extraction, serious risks for the impoverished, and rapid species “We used to take care of our people, the extinction, then there is much to feel hopeful people who worked our ranches,” he noted about from this first U-M summer at Mpala. ruefully. “We used to provide our vehicles to Professor Jesse Njoka at the University of take them around in these situations...” Nairobi has long been leading a charge to “I think that is called patronage,” I noted integrate wildlife and rangeland management wryly. Then, thinking the better of my implicit paradigms and create intercultural collaboration critique, I added: “It is also called intimacy; on African drylands. He attended the STEM- even if you and they were not economic Africa meetings in Ann Arbor last May (see equals, there were intimate bonds between pages 9-10), along with Margaret Kinnaird. He

you in the old ways of doing things.” “You Jody Schechter by Photograph took the time to join us at Mpala to teach and are right,” he acknowledged. “Those are the work, and returned to Ann Arbor in October Mpala students at a fig tree in Ilmotiok old ways…” “What,” I asked, “do you think the to craft funding proposals for collaborative new ways should look like?” In the thoughtful and allowed their cattle to graze on Mpala longitudinal research and training at Mpala. pause that followed my question, I continued: land. We thus learned that resource scarcity On the heels of a trip to Kenya in November “Can you imagine more Kenyan educators, makes not only conflict, but closer neighbors. by Graham Institute Director Don Scavia and and researchers, and land managers or local Il Moteok residents also shared with us U-M Provost Phil Hanlon, the University is experts here, as equal partners with you stories from a long history of hunting and supporting continued engagement from and Margaret? What about with students gathering in the region, marked by a more faculty and students at Mpala in coming 7 from other African countries, or Asia, and recent transition to animal husbandry and years. Such a “Michigan difference” can North America? Could it be professional even newer and more delicate partnerships foster connections despite fraught colonial partnerships instead of patronage? Is that with national and international agencies for histories, enriching the lives of many students possible?” He shot back: “Do YOU think it diverse economic development options. It who will be future leaders. It can forge a bold is possible?” There was another long was clear that they were anything but mired vision of sustainability that emerges across uncomfortable silence. “Will you people from in myopic tradition, as some more provincial humanistic and scientific traditions. And it University of Michigan be back here next white ranchers we had met suggested in can anchor that vision in collaboration with year?” he continued. I did not hesitate. “Yes,” I chatting about the region’s development. On those who incur terrible costs and create answered. “Yes we will.” the contrary, Nicholas and his neighbors were real change from within cosmopolitan rural well aware of the new constitution; many communities. Mike was not the only person we met who had taken pains to vote, and asked us acute sought, probingly, to understand the depth questions about gender, political power, and of our institutional commitment to helping social change in the U.S. They had hopes for Laikipians in their struggles to ensure continued a better future basis for their development Accra Conference Sparks Debate on Politics of Heritage ith the flourish of drums and a appreciation of heritage as a first step buildings are constructed to mimic the swirl of kente cloth, over one toward mainstreaming heritage in national stool, a traditional symbol of authority. W hundred delegates convened development,” he explained. Ghanaians’ Another paper discussed the administrative in Accra in December 2009 to discuss the disinterest in their history stands in sharp work that the chiefs of the Asante state must politics and production of heritage in Africa. contrast with other parts of Africa, where do to finance their regimes. There was some The three-day conference was organized historians, archaeologists, museum directors dissonance among the presenters. Ghana’s by Michigan’s African Studies Center, the and archivists serve a wide audience and scholars were quick to identify “heritage” Institute of African Studies at the University of benefit from the support of government. with “chiefs”, and most papers from Ghanaian Ghana, and the International African Institute. Dr. Kelly Askew, who directs the African scholars considered some aspect of the In his opening lecture Prof. Kwesi Yankah, Studies Center at the University of Michigan, institution of the chieftaincy. The South explained that “immediately upon African delegates, by contrast, were generally receiving independence, most interested in the democratization of museum African countries set to the task collections and in the creation of populist of recovering and rediscovering forms of heritage. heritage they’d been told they did not have.” Julius Nyerere, While these scholarly differences inspired useful Tanzania’s president, thought debate, everyone agreed that the highlight of the Ministry of Culture to be the the conference came on the third day, when “most important ministry” in his a series of workshops joined scholars with government. But Ghana was slow a range of activists, students and officials to take account of its history: involved in the heritage sector. Before large the Ministry for Chieftaincy and audiences presenters discussed the practical Culture wasn’t created until 2006. mechanics of heritage work. Michigan Prof. Kodzo Gavua addresses the Accra conference “Ghana has only scarcely begun scholar Tom Bray, for example, offered a to realize the profits to the nation tutorial for archivists interested in digitizing Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of psychologically, economically and socially by their collections, while Prof. Ray Silverman Ghana, highlighted the stakes involved in investing in heritage management,” Askew and Nana Baffour Asare Twi Brempong II heritage work. Yankah quoted the proverb said. together discussed the work they had done “If you forget the melody of your horn on the to document, preserve and popularize the durbar grounds, you lose your bearings in The December conference brought together material culture of the chieftaincy of the thick crowd.” For Yankah, an accomplished scholars from South Africa, Michigan and Techiman in central Ghana. linguist, heritage work is also a means of Ghana to discuss their work. The keynote building a more democratic global culture, address, offered by the Kenyan archaeologist The Accra conference is the first of three a means of preserving indigenous cultures George Abungu, was a tour through the work conferences to be organized by the African from the threat of extinction. Dr. Kodzo Gavua, of identifying, constituting and popularizing Studies Center’s African Heritage initiative. one of the organizers of the conference, “world heritage sites”. Panel presentations Plans for a second conference, to be held in argued that Ghanaians generally have a poor covered a great deal of ground. One paper Johannesburg in July 2011, are described understanding of their history. “There is a discussed the neo-traditional architecture elsewhere in this newsletter (see page 11). need to deepen public understanding and of contemporary Ghana, where public

8

Accra conference attendees support for mathematics involving the African research on oil and citizenship in Nigeria. UPDATES FROM Mathematical Union, the disciplinary society Jesse T. Njoka (University of Nairobi) picked up of the continent. Dr. Kofi Ampenyin Allotey on the theme of intellectual and disciplinary AFRICAN STUDIES (Director, African Institute of Mathematical silos from Elinor Ostrom’s keynote address. INITIATIVES Sciences) finished bydiscussing the role He deplored the silos that offer separate of the African Institute of Mathematical management and knowledge elements for Science, Technology, and Sciences in Cape Town, which hopes to build wildlife versus rangeland ecosystems. Jerome a network of institutes for accelerating the Nriagu (Michigan) presented his recent work Medicine in Africa (STEM-Africa) development of African students in the summarizing “Directions in Research on Water mathematical and physical sciences. Pollution Issues,” and Abdon Awono (Center May 2010 saw the kickoff of the STEM-Africa Dr. Allotey’s presentation led to an intense for International Forestry Research, Cameroon) Initiative on campus. Housed in the African debate over the proper role of American and spoke about the transborder commerce Studies Center, STEM-Africa provides a focus European universities in promoting science between Nigeria and Cameroon in nontimber for scholars and students working in the and mathematical education in Africa. forest products. Finally Morlee Mendes scientific, technological, engineering and Cole (UMAPS scholar from the University of mathematical sciences. The initiative will The panels on environment ranged Liberia) presented elements of emerging promote and enrich existing collaborations widely. One on environmental justice and “Integrated Pest Management and African with African universities, and support new environmental governance featured Chimere Agriculture.” intellectual engagements that extend Diaw (African Model Forest Initiative), who scientific knowledge and nurture emerging STEM scholars on the African continent.

STEM’s kickoff conference—titled “Science Environments in Africa”—was held on May 6-9, 2010. It featured scholars from South Africa, Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, Liberia, and other African countries. It was planned to coincide with the annual meeting of the NSF- funded Central African Forests Initiative, or CAFI, a research project focused on the conjuncture between environmental governance and logging in forest concessions in Cameroon and the Republic of Congo. CAFI advisory committee member Elinor Ostrom (a recent Nobel Prize winner in economics) delivered a keynote speech on ways to break down silos between social and natural science for improved environmental governance. The other keynote was offered by Prof. Moses Musaazi of Makerere University (Uganda) on Nobel laureate Elinor Ostrom addresses a plenary session “Appropriate Technologies for Africa.” All the panels fed into informal working groups in delivered a talk linking forestry reform and A panel on climate and geology featured hopes of catalyzing collaborative work and emerging environmental governance to Gail Ashley (Rutgers University); Samuel future grant writing. kinship and indigenous knowledge structures. Ayonghe (Environmental Geology, Geophysics Lauren Persha (Michigan) offered an introduction and Hydrogeology, University of Buea); and A small panel discussed issues of development to her work on trends and theories in the Salif Diop (United Nations Environment of scientific infrastructure and research evolution of Tanzanian Forest commons. Program, Kenya). An interesting element cooperation. Dr. Nkem-Amin Khumbah Margaret Kinnaird (Director of the Mpala of the discussion was the shared conviction 9 (Michigan) started with a description of his Ranch and Research Center in Laikipia, Kenya) that, perhaps especially in Africa, environmental U-M-based work in support of mathematics offered a compelling and urgent presentation scientists need better tools and skills for in Cameroon, including a new series of bi- on water scarcity and governance challenges conveying their results and consulting with annual meetings at the University of Buea on in Kenya’s ranches and wildlands (see pp. 5-7). communities on the ways that research mathematical sciences and their applications. Finally, Emmanuel Danquah (Kwame Nkrumah agendas are framed and research projects Dr. Herb Clemens (Ohio State University) University of Science & Technology) discussed designed and carried out. This may mean offered suggestions for how to approach transboundary governance of wildlife in a greater incorporation of film and video both the US National Science Foundation West African context. (especially in nonliterate communities) through its international office and the and nonspecialist writing and presentation International Mathematical Union, which The panel on Sustainable Economic Growth of results. These questions dovetailed with has programs for developing countries. and Environmental Justice in Africa, chaired discussions held during the sessions Dr. Adaremi Kuku (Grambling State by Rebecca Hardin, featured Omolade Adunbi on information technology and University) spoke about continent-wide (Michigan), who presented the fruit of his communication, under the leadership of Paul Edwards (Michigan). That panel concluded by arguing that scientific problems course is designed to strengthen local capacity included Angelo Barbosa (Vice-President are best addressed by multi-disciplinary on such analysis, and is expected to draw for IT, Universidade Cabo Verde), who offered research teams, by design groups that work students from across West African universities an overview of Cape Verde’s technological between and among different academic and government ministries. The course is environment; Stephanie Squires (U.S. Civilian institutions. They agreed that STEM-Africa modeled on a two-week course hosted each Research and Development Foundation), could potentially serve as a platform through January by SALDRU (the South African Labor who spoke on “Resolving Knowledge Isolation: which collaborations linking Michigan with and Development Research Unit) at the A New Approach to African Journal Access”; a number of African universities could be University of Cape Town, which has included and Nii Narku Quaynor (Computer Science, advanced. Through such collaborations new U-M instructors from the Population Studies University of Cape Coast), who addressed knowledge will be generated, new ideas Center and the Ford School of Public Policy “How the Internet Reached Africa”. incubated, and new and socially consequential and been running for over a decade. ASRI is technologies will be developed. supporting the extension of the Cape Town Sofia Merajver (Director, Center for Global course into Cape Coast, Health, Michigan) chaired a panel on “Human Ghana, and SALDRU and Environments of Health and Disease.” That U-M faculty will share panel featured Salah Abdel-Hadi (Director, some of the teaching this National Cancer Institute, Cairo University); inaugural year. Joe Harford (Director of International Affairs, U.S. National Cancer Institute) who spoke on A symposium at U-M in “Cancer in Africa: The Need for Contextual April 2010 celebrated the Approaches”; Alexander Kwadwo Nyarko work of ASRI Seed Grant (Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Awardees of 2009 and of Ghana), who delivered thoughts on announced awardees for “Pathways to Sustainable Health Sciences 2010. Those supported by Research in Ghana and Sub-Saharan Africa”; ASRI seed grants of 2009 and Amr Soliman (Michigan), who spoke included Lori Hill (School Prof. Emmet Dennis, President of the University of Liberia, with UMAPS about “Cancer Teams in Africa: A Paradigm of Education) for work scholars at STEM conference for Global Health Translational Research in on the challenges of Chronic Disease.” transforming South African schools to redress African Social Research racial inequalities in the Western Cape, and The final panel, Engineering Solutions in Initiative (ASRI) the emerging professionalization of the Africa, was chaired by Elijah Kannatey-Asibu education field in South Africa. Arun Agrawal (Michigan). It featured Henk de Jager (Dean “Access, Accountability and Equality” is (Natural Resources and Environment) of Engineering, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan the organizing theme for the Second presented his work mobilizing an East University), who spoke on “Challenges facing International Meeting of the African Social African network for research on Forestry and Engineering Education in Africa: A Case Study Research Initiative (ASRI), to be held July 22- Livelihoods. Elisha Renne (Anthropology/ of South Africa”; Emmanuel Ramde (Kwame 23, 2011 in Accra. The conference will CAAS) shared her ethnographic data on the Nkrumah University of Science and Technology), be hosted by ISSER, the Institute for Social informal mining sector in northern Ghana who spoke on “Solar Thermal Power Plants Science and Economics Research, a leading (see pp. 4-5). Cheryl Moyer (Medical School) in West Africa: Resource Assessment and Site demographic and economics thinktank at the sent slides on her study of health beliefs Selection”; Elsie Effah Kaufmann (Biomedical University of Ghana, Legon. Commissioned regarding stillbirths and neonatal death, Engineering, University of Ghana), who papers will address ongoing ASRI research also from northern Ghana. 2010 Seed addressed “Engineering Solutions to themes of poverty, gender, and governance, Grant Awardees include Rebecca Thornton Healthcare Challenges in Ghana”; and Moses and 40-50 delegates are expected from (Economics) for her pilot project “Sugar Musaazi (Makerere University, Uganda), who South African and Ghanaian universities and Daddies and Empowered Women: The spoke on “Using Appropriate Technologies the University of Michigan. Relationship Between Money and Sex.” to Solve Local Problems And Develop Skills.” Thornton is using her pilot funds to test 10 Several issues were addressed during the July 2011 will also see the launch of a new sensitive survey questions on sex and money breakout session. Participants agreed two-week course on social science data in Cameroon, where she collaborates with that engineering curricula needed to be re- analysis at the University of Cape Coast in the demographic research group IFORD. Mark examined. Too many courses are lecture- Ghana, offering training on the analysis of Wilson (Epidemiology) received funds for his based, leaving students little scope for national data resources in the region. Large project on “Urbanization and Environmental hands-on learning. And too few engineering national surveys on income, employment, Impacts on Malaria in Malawi”; Sofia Merajver programs in Africa offer training in health, or public opinion are routinely and Amr Soliman received funds to support entrepreneurship. Conferees agreed that exploited for policy and planning in the USA colleagues from East Africa to visit U-M to young engineers needed to be taught how and other countries with strong academic learn more about the design of cancer to market their work, and protect their sectors in the social sciences. While similar registries, which are lacking throughout intellectual property rights under their law. surveys are collected in poorer countries, much of Africa. Carol Boyd (Inst. for Research they are often under-utilized due to lack of on Women and Gender) and Jody Lori (Nursing) Participants in the engineering panel local capacity in statistical analysis. The new received support for pilot research with Phebe Hospital in Liberia on social correlates of stillbirth and neonatal asphyxia. Finally, Nil Basu and Dave Cantonwine (Environmental Health Sciences) received funds for a study on blood lead levels at coastal and mining sites in Ghana. The Basu and Cantonwine project builds on the 2009 ASRI project of Elisha Renne (see pp. 4-5). In the course of describing local mining technologies, Renne identified potentially high rates of lead exposure; Basu and Cantonwime will document the extent and hazards of such exposure.

African Heritage Initiative (AHI)

The AHI’s second international conference will take place on 8 and 9 July 2011 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Hosted by colleagues at the University of Witwatersrand, the conference will explore the “Politics of ASC Associate Director Derek Peterson’s African Presidential Scholars Heritage,” gathering a multi-disciplinary ongoing efforts to preserve, organize and group of scholars based at institutions digitize government archives in Uganda. The University of Michigan African Presidential in Michigan, Ghana and South Africa to Uganda possesses a rich collection of archival Scholars (UMAPS) program provides an illuminate the domains in which heritage is materials, but in the absence of an organized opportunity for university academics based being made in Africa today. The conference national archives service, the condition of in Ghana, South Africa or Liberia to spend will be organized in four streams. “Tradition, these collections is very poor. District archives anywhere from two to six months in Ann Agency and Art” will consider the ways in are uncared for, generally stored in attics or Arbor. The program, funded by the Office of which African artists represent and sub-basements together with old typewriters, the President, is a means by which Michigan reconfigure “tradition”; “History and Solidarity” sinks, tires, and other detritus of government is helping support young and enterprising will study the politics of writing about African bureaucracy. The National Archives is kept African scholars produce meaningful, critical pasts; “Language Politics” will illuminate the in a sub-basement below the National research in their field. variety of agencies and actors involved in Agricultural Research Organization’s offices, the standardization and remaking of African and the vast majority of its impressive The scholars for 2010-2011 arrived on languages; and “Archives and Democracy” will collection remains uncatalogued. It is with campus in August 2010. They are: study the non-official archives that dissidents, this situation in view that the AHI—working intellectuals and other actors create. with the Cooperative African Microfilms Jonathon Ayitey, from Kwame Nkrumah Project and several Ugandan institutions— University of Science and Technology In April 2010 three Michigan scholars who has organized two projects. In the first (Ghana), a land economist whose work had been funded by the Heritage Initiative project, a team of archivists from Michigan concerns the financing of housing in Ghana; presented the fruits of their research at a together with colleagues from Uganda will Janet Chisaka, from Rhodes University well-attended symposium. The linguist create a systematic catalogue for the National (South Africa), a sociologist whose is studying Marlyse Baptista presented research on Archives, a preliminary step toward the goal health care in South Africa; “Dialectal Variation in Cape Verdean Creole: of moving the collection to new quarters. In Patrick Feglo, from Kwame Nkrumah Some Preliminary Findings”; Adam Ashforth the second project, archivists at Mountains of University of Science and Technology (CAAS) discussed his ongoing work with the the Moon University in Fort Portal will, with (Ghana), a microbiologist whose research Malawi Journals Project, which tracks popular the help of Michigan archivists, preserve, concerns bacteria in a teaching hospital in perceptions of the AIDS epidemic; and David organize and digitize the 250-box Kabarole Kumase; 11 Wallace (School of Information) presented his District Archive, a collection of great importance Stephen Jubwe, from the University of new work on “Archiving Cultural Continuity for historians of western Uganda. A report on Liberia, a sociologist who is studying the in Post-Genocidal Rwanda.” In 2010 the AHI these activities will be given in a future issue reform of land policy in Liberia; awarded two seed grants to Michigan faculty: of this newsletter. David Kenkpen, also from the University of Jeff Heath (Linguistics) was awarded funding Liberia, a biologist who studies the chemistry to create a lexicon-based encyclopedia of of cassava; Malian languages; and Frieda Ekotto Ingrid Lynch, from the University of Pretoria, (Comparative Literature) was given a grant a psychologist whose work studies South for her project on women filmmakers in African bisexual women’s construction of Nollywood, the Nigerian video-film industry. their sexuality;

The initiative has awarded funding to support Cecil Madell (Moody Fellow), from the Studying Young People in South Africa University of Cape Town, an urban planning by David Lam scholar working on “Local Economic Development and Poverty Reduction niversity of Michigan researchers communities with high security to informal within a Sustainable Livelihoods Framework U have been collaborating with shack neighborhoods without house numbers Case Study”; researchers from the University of or street names. In spite of these challenges, Sopelekae Maithufi, from University of Cape Town to study the changing lives of the project has been very successful in Pretoria, a literature scholar studying the young people in South Africa. The Cape Area following young people. The 2006 wave of politics of short stories from South Africa; Panel Study (CAPS) is a collaborative project the survey added 2,000 elderly respondents, Ruth Mampane, from the University of that follows the lives of 4,800 respondents and a second five-year NICHD grant (with Pretoria, an educational psychologist who who were aged 14 to 22 in 2002. CAPS collects additional funding from the NIH Office of studies the relationship between students information on a wide range of outcomes, AIDS Research, the National Institute on and their educational environment; including schooling, employment, health, Aging, the Mellon Foundation and the Litheko Modisane, from the University of sexual behavior and childbearing. The U-M Hewlett Foundation) has allowed CAPS to Cape Town, a literature and language scholar director of CAPS is David Lam, Professor of go well beyond the original target. who will study the politics of black films in Economics and Research Professor in the South Africa; Population Studies Center. Lam began Research from the project has produced a Henry Ogoe, from the University of Ghana, collaborating with UCT researchers in number of important findings about South a biomedical engineer working to develop 1996. His interest in the intergenerational African young people’s sexual lives, working monitoring systems for hospital patients; transmission of inequality intersected with habits, and experiences in school. By following Nongo Phiri, from the University of Venda, a the interests of several researchers at UCT, progress of students through secondary social worker studying the problem of and eventually led to the design of CAPS as school, CAPS has documented an extremely homelessness in South Africa; a way to study the emergence of economic high rate of grade repetition in predominantly Adam Rahman, from Kwame Nkrumah inequality during the transition from school black schools. This indicates that black University of Science and Technology into the labor force. Working with UCT schools are struggling to evaluate students (Ghana), a communications scholar working to design a template for open education resources in medicine; and T. Debey Sayndee, from the University of Liberia, a scholar of forestry working on peacemaking in post-war Liberia.

All fourteen scholars will participate in a weekly practicum organized by the African Studies Center, and all will present their work at seminars or conferences in Ann Arbor. Please join us in welcoming this exciting group to the University of Michigan.

David Lam (left), UCT economist and CAPS co-director Murray Leibbrandt (rear), and members of the CAPS team search for CAPS households in the Cape Town township of Khayelitsha. researchers Murray Leibbrandt, Jeremy effectively. Because CAPS looks at many 12 Seekings, and Francis Wilson, Lam was dimensions of young people’s lives, the awarded a five-year grant from the National CAPS team has been able to study the links Institute of Child Health and Human between this grade repetition and other Development (NICHD), part of the U.S. outcomes. One important finding is that the National Institutes of Health, to design wide range of ages among students—one of and implement the first wave of the survey the consequences of grade repetition—has in 2002. negative consequences for students. For example, girls who move faster through South Africa has one of the highest levels of school tend to become sexually active at income inequality in the world, and Cape a younger age and have older initial sex Town typifies this extreme inequality. This partners, a surprising result that appears to inequality creates interesting challenges for be caused by the presence of students as old conducting an in-person household survey, as 20 or 21 in many high school classes. since housing ranges from luxurious gated CAPS has also documented a number of positive trends in the lives of young people NEWS & EVENTS IN AFRICAN STUDIES in South Africa. There has been a substantial narrowing of the racial gap in schooling attainment, although large gaps persist in Training Program for Ghanaian one will study pediatric facial deformity; and post-secondary schooling. CAPS is one of the Medical Researchers is Funded four will study the intersection of gender and first studies to document an increase in health. condom use and a decline in multiple sexual The Ghana-Michigan Post-doctoral And partners among young people, important Research Trainee NEtwoRk (PARTNER) indicators of progress in reducing South Program was recently awarded a one year Mellon Foundation Funds Africa’s high rate of HIV infection. CAPS has (October 2010-September 2011) $400,000 Workshops on “Ethnicity in Africa” also documented that education is having grant funded by the Fogarty International an important payoff in the labor market Center in the US NIH. The Program Directors The Mellon Foundation recently awarded a for young people, even though youth are Thomas Robins in U-M School of Public Sawyer Seminar grant to a group of Michigan unemployment remains extremely high. Health and Cheryl Moyer in U-M Medical faculty pursuing research on “Ethnicity in School. The overall objective is the Africa: Historical, Comparative and The CAPS data can be downloaded for free strengthening of interdisciplinary research Contemporary Investigations”. When by any researcher from the CAPS web site, capacity in Ghana to address global health combined with matching funding from the and to date over 500 researchers from many challenges faced by low- and middle-income African Studies Center and the Center for different countries have used this facility. countries. Strategies for achieving the goal Afroamerican and African Studies, the grant Details about CAPS, including links to papers of strengthening of research capacity focus will allow the research group to organize and access to the data, can be found on the on: a) the long-term, comprehensive training a series of three workshops, appoint several CAPS web site, www.caps.uct.ac.za. of post-doctoral scientists who will become post-doctoral fellows, and support two future leaders of interdisciplinary global Michigan doctoral students. CAPS is part of a larger series of research and health research in Ghana; b) the building of training collaborations between U-M and institutional capacity through a combination The project aims to open up an interdisciplinary UCT. There have been numerous faculty and of strengthening of mentoring skills of faculty dialogue about the history and politics of student exchanges in both directions in the of the lead academic institutions, and identity in Africa. The matter could hardly be 14 years since the collaborations began. development and dissemination of research more pressing. Recent events in Kenya and David Lam spent two years as a visiting training materials using state-of-the-art elsewhere have tragically highlighted the professor at UCT in 2004-2006, many UCT distance learning methodologies; and importance of ethnicity, but also the poverty students and faculty have participated in the c) strengthening an alliance of academic of the frameworks we use to delineate and Institute for Social Research summer training institutions with governmental organizations explain it. The study of ethnicity in Africa programs, and several UCT students have responsible for evidence-based policy (and beyond) is trapped in disciplinary dead- entered U-M’s economics Ph.D. program. One implementation. Specific methods to achieve ends and lacking in conceptual clarity. In of the indicators of success of these activities these objectives include: a) bringing a cadre economics and political science, scholars is that UCT was chosen to run South Africa’s of 12 post-doctoral fellows organized into have rightly moved beyond ethnicity as a new National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS), interdisciplinary teams for a four-month kind of primordial identification to see ethnic the first national longitudinal survey in intensive program of study in research groups as networks for the distribution of the country. NIDS is directed by Murray methods at the University of Michigan; patronage. But few have examined internal Leibbrandt, director of the UCT’s Southern b) bringing two post-doctoral fellows to the struggles over meaning within ethnic Africa Labour and Development Research University of Michigan for a full academic communities. Specialists in these disciplines Unit, and co-director of CAPS. U-M faculty year for an intensive program to increase rarely research in vernacular languages, and Bob Schoeni and David Lam serve on NIDS research and mentoring skills; c) directly they therefore often see ethnic groups as advisory committees. Information about supporting two University of Michigan undifferentiated blocs. Ethnic groups are, in NIDS, including access to the data, is available faculty from complementary disciplines this view, patron-client networks that allow at www.nids.uct.za. to spend four months in Ghana to provide their members to derive material and ongoing mentorship for the post-doctoral political benefits within the context of 13 students who have returned home, as well nation-states. Anthropologists have as serve as visiting faculty to teach at the generated the most sophisticated theoretical University of Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah understandings of embodied practice, and University of Science and Technology to have produced rich empirical data on internal collaborate with the Ministry of Health’s dynamics of ethnic groups. Yet most scholars Ghana Health Service research division. have withdrawn from the discussion. A rejection of the embarrassing context of the Fourteen post-doctoral fellows have now discipline’s birth has produced a near total been appointed and will shortly arrive in retreat from the study of people groups. From Ann Arbor. They will specialize in a variety the mainstream of American anthropology, of different fields: four will pursue an the study of ethnic communities has been epidemiological study of breast cancer; branded as retrograde. What is needed are forums for crosscutting centered on the reasons for late diagnosis, researchers in the early stages of ideas that debates and rigorous definitional discussions on illiteracy, fear and other factors that have the potential to break through these of what scholars mean by ethnicity. As a first cause women to disengage from medical barriers and significantly improve healthcare step, the research group—which is composed institutions. Another panel deliberated over in the developing world. The Safe Male of ten scholars, working in disciplines ranging cost effectiveness and quality control; here Circumcision Project was featured on from History to Anthropology to Economics the discussion centered around plans to the Gates Foundation’s website in the to Urban Planning—convened a conference conduct a standard evaluation of new announcement of GCE grant recipients. on “Approaches to the Study of Ethnicity in therapies in Egyptian localities. Further Africa” in December 2010. The conference panels discussed how to organize large The GCE grant will be used to 1) further featured several important scholars in longitudinal comprehensive cohort studies develop and evaluate a prototype created the field: political scientist Bruce Berman to monitor the effectiveness of medical during winter 2009 by one of Sienko’s ME 450 (Queen’s University); historian John Thornton interventions. Finally, one panel considered capstone design and manufacturing design (Boston University); political scientist Dan new epidemiological data about the molecular teams, 2) conduct field work to gain a better Posner (UCLA), economist Nathan Nunn profile of different phenotypic cancers. understanding of the cultural suitability of (Harvard) and others. In April 2011 the group the device for sub-Saharan Africa, and will convene a conference on “Religion and With funding from the Center for Global Health, 3) demonstrate a path to low-cost mass the Making of the Yoruba”, featuring Cairo University and other organizations, the production and distribution. University of London anthropologist John conferees plan to launch several pilot studies Peel, Birmingham literature scholar Karin on these and other issues, aiming to develop a In July, Sienko, Associate Professor of Surgery Barber, UCLA anthropologist Andrew Apter larger collaborative research program involving Dr. Jim Geiger, and research engineer Amir and others. A third workshop, planned for medical scientists in Michigan, Egypt and other Sabet will travel to Uganda to meet with December 2011, will concern “Ethnicity and institutions. The CGH will act as a clearing house individuals representing four ethnicities Conflict in Africa”. Two post-doctoral scholars in this process, and will help to develop evalu- in the area, such as clan leaders, cutters, have been appointed: historian Aly Drame ation tools to help measure the effects of the assistant cutters, adult male circumcision (see p. 4) and anthropologist Robert Blunt, pilot studies. candidates and families of current or recent who studies the politics of Kikuyu neo- adult male circumcision candidates. In traditionalism in Kenya. A third post-doctoral addition to those traveling to Uganda next scholar, funded by the Swiss National Male Circumcision Project month, Dr. David Sokal of Family Health Fund, is Dr. Lorena Rizzo (history, Zurich), Awarded Gates GCE Grant and International and Moses Lee of the Center who will work with the group on her research Conference Honor for Entrepreneurship (CFE) serve as team concerning the history of photography in members for the Gates Foundation project, southern Africa. and Katy Olesnavage contributes as a CFE The Safe Male Circumcision Project, led social entrepreneurship summer intern. by Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Kathleen Sienko, has received The project was further recognized in April Workshop in Cairo on Breast and recognition for its efforts towards improving at the 2010 Design of Medical Devices Cervical Cancer the safe outcomes of traditional adult male Conference held in Minneapolis. Sienko and circumcision and lowering HIV transmission ME student Tom Van Wingen attended the Funded in part by the African Studies Center, in sub-Saharan African communities. the Center for Global Health (U-M) and Cairo conference and participated in the Three-in- Five Competition, an event at which the top University organized an international workshop Adult male circumcision has been shown to ten abstracts submitted for peer review to on “Downstaging Breast and Cervical Cancer significantly reduce HIV acquisition and is the ASME Medical Devices Journal are asked in Africa and the Middle East.” The workshop safe when done by trained clinicians. However, to give a five-minute presentation to a panel gathered 78 attendees from 16 countries to in traditional ceremonial circumcisions in of experts. Sienko and Van Wingen won the Cairo on October 5-8, 2010. The program African countries, there is often a high rate of top presenter award at the competition for the sessions comprised the following complications including bleeding, infection, for presenting the paper “Adult Male general topics: “Downstaging Breast Cancer”, excessive pain, lacerations of the penis and Circumcision Tool for Use in Traditional “Downstaging Cervical Cancer,” “Cancer even death. The objective of the project is Ceremonies.” The conference paper was 14 Registries in Africa and the Middle East,” the design and development of a low-cost, co-authored by ME 450 winter 2009 student “Epidemiologic Research in Africa and the adjustable, culturally appropriate adult design team members Van Wingen, Kyle Middle East,” and “Building Global Cancer male circumcision tool for use in traditional Lemmermen, Phil Scott and Craig Spencer. Teams-Opportunities for Multidisciplinary circumcision ceremonies. Collaborations.” The conference was directed by Sofia Merajver (Internal Medicine) and As part of its Grand Challenges in Global

Amr Soliman (Epidemiology). Health initiative, the Gates Foundation has selected the male circumcision project to The discussions covered a great deal of receive a Grand Challenges Explorations ground. One panel concerned the personal, (GCE) grant. This initiative focuses on social and health system determinants of overcoming scientific and technological early detection and early presentation of barriers that impede progress in global breast and cervical cancer. Here discussion health. GCE grants are intended to encourage “Spending Your Days in Ghana” currently awards approximately 1,500 grants played significant roles in the proceedings. Honors Michigan’s Dr. Timothy annually in all fields of study and operates in ASRI member Rod Alence (University of the more than 155 countries worldwide. Witwatersrand) led a discussion on the use of Johnson quantitative tools and training needs. Alex The five Michigan Fulbrighters studying Frempong (University of Ghana) participated On October 14, 2010 as part of the 50th Africa are Anna Clark, studying for a Masters in the conference opening and provided an Anniversary of the JFK Peace Corps speech in Fine Arts, who will pursue research in overview of the status of election studies in on the steps of the Michigan Union (see p. 1) Kenya; Tara Diener, a doctoral candidate in Ghana. David Howell (University of Michigan) a symposium entitled “Spending Your Days Anthropology and History, who will conduct acted as the conference facilitator and made in Ghana: Responding to JFK’s Challenge” was research on “An Ethnographic History of a presentation about the CSES project. Bob held at the Michigan Union. The Pendleton Maternity in Freetown” in Sierra Leone; Patrice Mattes (University of Cape Town) updated the Room was packed with students, former McShane, a doctoral candidate in Linguistic group on the status of election studies in South Peace Corps volunteers, faculty and many Anthropology, who will work on “The Ethnic Africa, and provided valuable insights into the from the Ann Arbor community. Personal Insult as Conflict Prevention in Burkina Faso”; conduct of surveys in Africa more generally. narratives were given by various University of David Pappano, a doctoral candidate in Michigan faculty who have spent extensive Biological Anthropology, who will pursue A number of follow-up items were generated time on the ground in Ghana. Speakers and research on “Cooperation, Conflict, and at the meeting. The group expressed interest in topics included Kathleen Sienko (School of Reproductive Strategies of Male Geladas” taking advantage of online collaboration and Engineering), who spoke about her work in in Ethiopia; and Beatriz Zengotitabengoa, communication tools to share expertise and developing technologies for health in Ghana; a doctoral candidate in the History of Art, methods. The need for quantitative training Rockefeller Oteng (Department of Emergency who will travel to Benin to work on for local organizations was clear, and ideas Medicine), who discussed the development “Contemporary Royal Art Display in presented about how to achieve that, including of trauma care and emergency medical the Bariba Kingdom of Nikki.” participating in existing efforts by the training in Ghana; Lisa Newman (Department Afrobarometer project (www.afrobarometer.org). of Surgery), who described her breast cancer “Michigan’s success can be attributed to the There was some interest in increasing participation genetics research in Ghana; Ray Silverman talented, creative and tenacious applicants, in international networks and comparative efforts, (Director, Museum Studies Program), who and the overwhelming support and guidance ideas about how to leverage and supplement discussed museum studies and culture provided by faculty throughout the university,” those efforts to produce additional scientific preservation in Ghana; and Jody Lori said Amy Kehoe, Fulbright program adviser. benefits for local countries, and discussion (School of Nursing), who discussed her work Since the establishment of the program in about coordinating on specific funding efforts. to improve reproductive health and reduce 1946, more than 46,000 students from the For more information about the meeting, please maternal mortality by midwives and nurses United States and 150,000 students from visit the event’s page on the CSES website at in Ghana. other countries have benefited from the www.cses.org/plancom/2010Accra/2010Accra.htm Fulbright experience. During the symposium, Timothy R. B. John- son, Bates Professor and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, received a Certificate of Conference on Elections Held Recognition and a beautiful Ghanaian painting of a mother and child for his in Accra “Commitment to maternal health and his dedication to strengthening education A meeting titled “Supporting Election Studies collaboration in Ghana over the last two in Africa” was held in Accra, Ghana on decades.” The certificate and painting were September 27-28, 2010. Scholars, survey presented by Dr. James Woolliscroft, Dean, researchers and election officials from Ghana, and Dr. Joseph Kolars, Associate Dean for Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Education and Global Initiatives, University Namibia and South Africa were in attendance, of Michigan Medical School. along with representatives from the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES) project. The goals of the meeting were 15 Michigan Students Win Fulbright to assess interest in Africa in conducting survey-based election studies, identify related Awards for Study in Africa challenges and opportunities, and promote collaboration. The event was jointly coordinated Five Michigan students have won Fulbright by the CSES project (www.cses.org) and the fellowships to pursue research in Africa. In Accra-based Center for Democratic all, 31 Michigan students were awarded Development (www.cddghana.org), with Fulbrights, more than any other university. sponsorship from the American National Fulbright Fellows undertake self-designed Science Foundation and the University of programs in disciplines ranging from the Michigan. social sciences, business, communication, and performing arts to physical sciences, Participants in the University of Michigan’s engineering, and education. The program African Social Research Initiative (ASRI) researchers and policy-makers are trapped: SUPPORT THE AFRICAN they must reluctantly depend on international consultants and institutions to (1) collect STUDIES CENTER statistical data on demographic, governance, health, education, social and economic Please consider making a contribution to the concerns, (2) analyze this data, and (3) issue African Studies Center. Your help will enable us policy recommendations on how to address to expand our outreach capacity and activities, and overcome problems. African policy-makers offer funds for faculty and student research and cannot be expected to create sustainable training, and enhance area study and language programs without accurately knowing whom training at the U-M. There are four areas in they seek to benefit and how those benefits which we seek financial backing: can best be realized. The ASRI initiative seeks to expand the famed U-M Institute for Social First, the African Presidential Scholars Research training programs in survey data Program (UMAPS) brings early career faculty collection and analysis to Africa. Following on members from Ghana, South Africa, Liberia the success of a 12-year-long short course in and Uganda to the University of Michigan statistical analysis in Cape Town, South Africa, for residencies lasting up to six months. The U-M and South African faculty will pilot a program addresses head-on what the Chronicle second short course in Cape Coast, Ghana of Higher Education has identified as the current beginning in 2011. The chief object of the “crisis” in African higher education: chronically African Social Research Initiative is making Silverman Raymond by Photograph under-funded universities with a shortage of knowledge accessible in order to enable better, Priest entering the church of Bet Giyorgis. Lalibela, Ethiopia. PhD-holding faculty who are unable, for lack of more informed decisions. November 17, 2001 resources, to train new cohorts of PhD scholars. The program goals are twofold: (1) to help And fourth, the STEM-Africa Initiative is integrate the next generation of African unique in its engagement of science as a trans- scholars into international academic networks Atlantic affair. When academics and policy and support the attainment of their doctoral makers think of “African studies,” the default African Studies Center degrees, thereby helping their home institutions position is often to focus exclusively on African 1080 South University Avenue build capacity, and (2) to promote greater history, culture, language and arts. The natural Suite 3603 internationalization of U-M by bringing or “hard” sciences are thought to lie beyond the Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106 talented Africa-based faculty to our campus mandate of African studies. Yet science thrives ph: 734.615.3027 to collaborate in research, scholarship and in Africa. In a continent unparalleled in its fax: 734.936.0996 teaching. The UMAPS program aims to help biodiversity, featuring more endemic species of [email protected] retain and strengthen faculty in African flora and fauna than any other, and where the institutions of higher education while stakes of human/wildlife interactions are critical ©2010 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN simultaneously enriching U-M through the due to large predator populations, science is a inclusion of African perspectives—a win-win life-and-death reality. Understanding particle Julia Donovan Darlow, Ann Arbor scenario. physics, harnessing solar and wind power, Laurence B. Deitch, Bingham Farms Denise Ilitch, Bingham Farms engineering solutions to persistent water Olivia P. Maynard, Goodrich Second, the African Heritage Initiative scarcity, and developing mathematical models Andrea Fischer Newman, Ann Arbor (AHI) advances the critical study of heritage for averting health crises are all concerns that Andrew C. Richner, Grosse Pointe Park work in Africa. At the intersection of business, drive African STEM scholars in their pursuit S. Martin Taylor, Grosse Pointe Farms politics, and history, “African heritage” is being of innovation. STEM-Africa seeks to nurture Katherine E. White, Ann Arbor reconfigured and marshaled as a resource to emerging scholars on the continent and Mary Sue Coleman, ex officio be celebrated, commoditized, and deployed advance research collaborations in STEM by corporations, by governments, and by disciplines between the U-M and partnering The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/ commoners eager to gain revenue and political institutions in Africa. affirmative action employer, complies with all leverage. The African Heritage Initiative brings applicable federal and state laws regarding together scholars from Ghana, South Africa and The ASC seeks support for the continuation of nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The 16 U-M to query the many assumptions circulating the U-M African Presidential Scholars Program, University of Michigan is committed to a policy about “heritage” and uses to which it is put. A as well as funding to advance the exciting of equal opportunity for all persons and does not long-term goal is to build a graduate program collaborations of our African Heritage, African discriminate on the basis of race, color, national triangulated between U-M and our South Social Research, and STEM-Africa initiatives. origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, African and Ghanaian partners (with the future We hope that you will contribute generously gender identity, gender expression, disability, option to expand into other regions of Africa), to our effort by sending your pledge or gift religion, height, weight, or veteran status in and to deepen our intellectual engagement today. Please return your check to: African employment, educational programs and activities, with the vast domain of African heritage Studies Center, The University of Michigan, 1080 and admissions. Inquiries or complaints may be through research projects with African South University Ave., Suite 3603, Ann Arbor, addressed to the Senior Director for Institutional Equity, and Title IX/Section 504/ADA Coordinator, colleagues already deeply engaged in these MI 48109-1106. You can also make donations Office of Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative issues. directly through the “Giving” section of our Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1432, website, at www.ii.umich.edu/asc. All donations 734-763-0235, TTY 734-647-1388. Third, the African Social Research Initiative to ASC are tax-deductible to the extent allowed For other University of Michigan information (ASRI) works to expand African social scientists’ by law. Thank you for your support. call 734-764-1817. capacity to utilize quantitative data. African