Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Witchcraft Conference Update

Great thanks Victor Okafor,

Oga Afolayan, you are a humanities scholar.

Does your argument not apply to the humanities as a whole?

To what degree do the humanities directly impact the existential, survival needs of anybody, who is not working in that field, anywhere in the world?

If " In a country where people don't have basic necessities of life - water, power, roads, good schools, normal economy, normal politics, etc" we are to avoid metaphysics and other such non-practical subjects,  but focus on "sustainable education, economy, family, and other social institutions" we would not have the very achievements that enables Nigeria stand tall on the global stage- Nollywood, the visual and verbal arts, the only areas  where are we competing globally, in my view.

Or do we to damn those and divert all resources to your prescribed occupations so as not to waste any resources on impractical things?

I need help to understand how you reconcile your own argument with your scholarly career.

Or is it that you are groping-if I might respectfully say- towards a more sophisticated argument that needs a more reflective formulation?

toyin

On Mon, 25 Nov 2019 at 16:31, 'Michael Afolayan' via USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> wrote:

My concern over this witchcraft conference is its superfluity. In a country where people don't have basic necessities of life - water, power, roads, good schools, normal economy, normal politics, etc., is this what we need to encumber the people's space with? Why on earth should we engage academia in these rustic metaphysical conversations that would not address any need of the people? Even in nations like the United States where folks have the basic necessities of life, what has any discussion on the wicker phenomenon birthed other than the laughable UFO or some grandma fireside tales. We need conversations on sustainable education, economy, family, and other social institutions. Ignore those rejecting the conference on sentimental religious grounds, but think of it in terms of its functionality. That's my take!

Michael O. Afoláyan

On Monday, November 25, 2019, 2:16:36 PM GMT+1, Toyin Falola <toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu> wrote:

*UNN 'Witchcraft' Conference Will Hold, Christians Can't Stop It – Prof. Uchendu*

Read more @ https://news.assure.ng/unn-witchcraft-conference-will-hold-christians-cant-stop-it-prof-uchendu/

Sent from my iPhone

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