On Jun 26, 2021, at 11:55 PM, Toyin Falola <toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu> wrote:
--DAY 2 OF THE ATANDA CONFERENCE
The second day of the Atanda Conference started in a refreshing manner at the Iperu Campus of Babcock University. Participants had already settled down in the serene environment of Babcock University, and having been greatly enriched by the proceedings of the opening ceremony, the scholars were ushered into the activities of the second day with an invigorating health walk, followed by morning devotions.
Dr. Akinloye Ojo, the Director of the African Studies Institute at the University of Georgia, walked the participants through an eye-opening session on the best ways to spread the teaching and learning of the Yoruba language to many countries of the world. His lead paper was titled "Edelasa: Global Yoruba Language Pedagogy Network and the Expanding Yoruba Diaspora." Given the significant number of people who speak the Yoruba language and identify themselves with the Yoruba people, the presenter explored the possibilities of spreading the teaching Yoruba as a second or foreign language. He further examined the roles of Yoruba language-oriented organizations and promoters such as "Egbe Akomolede" and their impacts on the teaching and learning of the language, especially in the diaspora.
Following questions and further contributions to Dr. Ojo's beautiful presentation, the participants departed for the Law Lecture Theatre for the third parallel session. The first panel explored the theme, "Traditions, Culture and Cultural Taboos." Scholars on this panel examined the concept of taboo in Yoruba land, cultural traditions, deviation from cultural norms, and how cultural traditions have been used to promote peace and tranquility. The second panel session focused on "International Yoruba Cultures and Beliefs." Concepts as relatable as the use of traditional medicine during the pandemic, the role of religion in society, the union of transnational languages and their impacts, and counseling in the Yoruba culture were all discussed.
The third panel session centered on "Sexuality, Identity, and Expression across Cultures." Many of the scholars who spoke at this session focused on the lack of proper sexual expression in the Yoruba culture. Topics such as the use of metaphors and allusions to interpret sexual expressions; the relationship between religion, culture, and sexuality; the importance the Yoruba culture places on motherhood, to mention a few, were examined. The fourth panel session was on the theme of "Decolonization in the Yoruba Society." The scholars focused on how to rid the Yoruba society of elements of a colonial nation, which includes the adoption of the Yoruba language as an acceptable means of communication in formal settings (such as during the sittings of the House of Assembly (Lagos State)), the colonial mentality of Nigerian churches and the need to change the narrative.
For the fifth panel session, the subject was "Cultural Hierarchies and Oppressions." The papers in this session delved into the notion of oppression in Yorubaland and how hierarchies work, especially the concept of social classes and the possibility of oppression in specific social classes. Interesting concepts such as the significance of kings' insignias, Yoruba epistemology, Yoruba traditions, the youth of nowadays, Yoruba beliefs and how they influence adopted foreign religions in Yorubaland were discussed during the sixth panel under the topic, "Yoruba Intellectual Traditions."
The seventh panel looked into the "Role of Religion in Society," and panelists presented their papers on the relationship between society, religion, and cultural identity, as well as the role Nigeria's most popular religions play in the development of Yoruba society, amidst others. "Technology's Role in Cultural Exchange" was the theme of the last panel for the third parallel session, and scholars presented different papers on the roles of technology in fostering cultural exchange, including how the new media can serve as a platform for cultural exchange. Some papers looked into the influence or impact of technology on Yoruba expression and the role of language in any cultural setting.
Immediately after the third parallel session, participants resumed for the fourth parallel session, which had eight panel sessions in all. The first panel session focused on "Cultural Economic Practices," where papers were presented on various concepts such as burial ceremonies and funeral insurance; how microfinance institutions help Yoruba women; and the growth and development of several aspects of the Yoruba community at different points in time. The second panel session centered on "Art, Tradition, and Customs." Papers on the different aspects of Yoruba arts, traditions, and customs were discussed by scholars in this session. They explored concepts such as equity in the Yoruba society, the place of a child in the average Yoruba family, sacrifices, and other customs.
The third panel session looked into "Festivals and Celebrations in the Yoruba Society," especially the different dimensions of the significance of some Yoruba festivals. The fourth panel had its panelists present on the theme, "Politics in Contemporary Yoruba Societies." Interesting histories such as petition writing in colonial Ijebu, the use of curses in administering justice, and kingship in Yorubaland were discussed through the presented papers. The fifth panel session was on "Behaviors and Psychologies of Culture." Scholars on this panel explored concepts such as wife inheritance, what colors mean in cultures, how the Yoruba culture interprets colors, the concept of Iwolefu among the Remo people, and culture preservation and interpolation. The sixth panel session saw panelists present papers on the central theme of "Nature, Environment and Culture." Topics like ikora eni ni ijanu, corpse burial in Yorubaland, Yoruba ecophilosophy, deforestation, and over-harvesting, among others, were the center-points of many of the panelists' papers.
"Mythologies and Folklore" was the theme for the seventh panel session where scholars discussed interesting topics such as witchcraft and causality in Yorubaland, women narrators of folklore in Yorubaland, the use of folktales in shaping society, the adaptation of Yoruba folklore, and orality and intertextuality in African folktales and Western texts. The last panel session was focused on "Yoruba Cultural Icons." The panelists presented papers on various issues—contemporary Yoruba icons, the influence of Yoruba icons on the Yoruba society, the repository role of some Yoruba icons in Yoruba communities, among others.
After the afternoon break, the fifth parallel session began, with eight different panel sessions in all. The first panel discussion looked into intriguing concepts like dance and culture in the Yoruba society, the role of colors in the beautification of Yoruba houses, the Yoruba leisure program, to mention a few. This panel session had "Cultural (R)evolutions, Mutations, and Hegemony" as its theme. The second panel session was on "Music, Popular Culture, and the Media." Panelists explored the concept of love in Asa's songs, the media projection of farmers/herdsmen conflicts, the transatlantic slave trade and its effects on Yoruba popular music, among others. The third panel session centered on "Traditional Medicine in the Age of Pandemics," and the panel members explored different concepts such as the Yoruba people's perception of the coronavirus, the use of traditional medicine to battle the coronavirus, the use of food as medicine, and the role of Orisa devotees in the fight against the Covid-19.
The fourth panel considered the theme "Yoruba Gods and Goddesses." Interesting papers such as the Yoruba gods and their significance in times of pandemics as evidenced in Osa Meji in Ifa Corpus; Disability and Inability of Ancestors vis-à-vis cultural encounter in the contemporary African (Yoruba) Society, and Orality and Philosophy: Orunmila, Wittgenstein, and Derrida. The fifth panel session was focused on "Music, Media, and Popular Culture." Panelists examined the difference between old school and new school music, the music of Fela, the Omoluabi ethos and its portrayal in Yoruba films, the promotion of Yoruba culture using songs, and so on. The theme of the sixth panel session was "Technology and the Production of Cultural Works," and panelists presented papers on training and educating artisans using technology, the cultural significance of Yoruba names, contemporary Nigerian music, the use of Yoruba language for health communication, among others. During the seventh panel, "Role of Religion in Society" was the focus of this session. The panelists presented papers on intriguing topics such as the impacts of African traditional religion on health care delivery in Ogbomoso, restoring the Yoruba concept of omoluabi, religion and identity construction, and Yoruba material culture.
Following the panel sessions for the second day, attendees were treated to an outdoor cultural performance by Dr. Adeola Faleye and her troupe. There were also light discussions regarding Yoruba performances and where they stand compared to foreign performances. The second day was rounded off with the mesmerizing "Dazzling Mirage," a film produced by legendary Tunde Kelani as an adaptation of Yinka Egbokare's book of the same title.
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