USA Africa Dialogue Series - MULTICULTURALISM AND ITS IMPACT ON DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETIES OF AFRICA AND AFRICAN DIASPORA. UNIVERSITY OF STATE OF BAHIA (UNEB), Salvador - BA, 8 TO 10 NOVEMBER 2011

MULTICULTURALISM AND ITS IMPACT ON DEVELOPMENT OF
SOCIETIES OF AFRICA AND AFRICAN DIASPORA. UNIVERSITY OF
STATE OF BAHIA (UNEB), Salvador - BA, 8 TO 10 NOVEMBER 2011



Many of the intractable problems of education and national development in Africa have elapsed the inability of countries to live with differences accentuated by the primary trafficking slaves, colonialism, neo-colonialism, the imposition of Western culture, from foreign religions and globalization. Without doubt, this has strained the possibilities to take advantage of the  rich multicultural heritage of the continent.

Multiculturalism refers mainly to the appreciation, acceptance and promotion of various
cultures within a society, although the debate is far from being resolved. It is a
proven fact that the judicious use of diversity can speed development and
accelerate the growth of a country. However, the reality of Africa is another. Despite the fact that the continent has the largest concentration of ethnic nationalities in the world (where some countries have more than 300 ethnic groups), unfortunately, the inability to manage pluralism in continent has been a major factor causing the greatest problems of developing such including poverty, lack of infrastructure, maternal and infant mortality, preventable diseases, violence communal, inter-ethnic conflicts and separatist wars that continue to leave severe squalor in lives of people in Africa and the Diaspora.
Furthermore, Africans and African descendants in the diaspora over time are victims of
racial discrimination, identity crisis and economic marginalization, social, political and cultural. It was the light these facts and realizing the urgency of this situation that the United Nations declared The year 2011 as International Year for People of African Descent.

Considering all this and more, the Center for Arts and Black African Civilization (CBAAC) Nigeria, in partnership with the Pan-African Research and Policy Strategies
(PANAFSTRAG), Nigeria in collaboration with the Secretariat of Culture of the State of Bahia  (SECULT), the University of Bahia (UNEB), Fundação Pedro Calmon, the Secretariat Especially for Racial Equality Policies, Presidency of the Republic (SEPPIR) and the Foundation Cultural Palmares, organize the seventh global conference on the theme Africa: Multiculturalism and their impacts on the Development of Societies of Africa and the African Diaspora.

The Colloquium, to be held in the City University of Bahia (UNEB), Salvador, Bahia,
de 8 to 10 November 2011, meet again great figures pan-Africanists, historians,
academics, activists, researchers and activists black Africans coming from all over the world.



Objectives
i. Assess the extent to which multiculturalism has promoted or hindered the development
Africa and peoples of African descent in the Diaspora.
ii. Promote research and studies on multiculturalism in Africa and the Diaspora.
iii. Promote understanding of the intimate connection existing between multiculturalism and politics  Identity in Africa
iv. Improve understanding of the multicultural nature of Africa as the continent showing
could take advantage of its diversity and plurality in the process of development.

Desired results
At the end of the symposium, it is expected that the following goals have been met:
i. Calling attention to the multidimensional aspects of multiculturalism in Africa;
ii. Provide a platform for better utilization of the advantages it brings to
cultural diversity for sustainable development of Africa and its peoples;
iii. Learn from the experiences of other people who knew seize its plurality
to promote ethnic harmony and avoid conflict.
iv. Develop appropriate strategies to protect and promote minority cultures in
Africa and the Diaspora
Axis-themed
i. Conceptual, theoretical and methodological
ii. Historical and ideological issues
iii. Ethnicity and the politics of identity
iv. Religion and Spirituality
v. The memories of Africa in the African Diaspora
vi. Citizenship and political rights
vii. Gender, affirmative action, equality and human rights
viii. Globalization and the new world order
ix. Multiculturalism, Migration and Development
x. Multiculturalism, African cultural values ​​and global social problems
xi. Multiculturalism, education and social capital
xii. Institutions, organizations and social movements
xiii. Linguistic and cultural pluralism, media and art in Africa and the Diaspora
xiv. Nations, nationalism and integration in Africa and the Diaspora
xv. Government policies and diversity management.
The abstracts of papers to be proposals should contain the title, name (s) (s) of author (s), bond institution, address, phone and email. The abstract should not exceed 300 words. Abstracts  should be sent to all e-mails below by the deadline of June 15, 2011:
1. tunde_babawale@yahoo.com
2. akinalao@rocketmail.com
3. isholawilliams@yahoo.com
4. ibraheem_muheeb@yahoo.com
Authors whose abstracts are accepted will be notified by July 15, 2011 and must have the
final papers by August 15, 2011.
FINANCIAL AID
Financial support for participants (if any) will be communicated later. Ask yourself,
however, that each participant look at the possibilities of support available in your country  and / or home institutions.

The official languages ​​of the colloquium will be English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.