U8 Oxford

U8 provides three ways to engage in international development issues this week…

Contents

1. Africa Forum: Development Theory and NGOs in Africa
2. Female AIDS activism in South Africa
3. Africa Forum: Somalia and Kenya

1. Africa Forum: Development Theory and NGOs in Africa

8:00-9:00pm, Monday 19th
Seminar Room, Corpus Christi College

Africa Forum is a series of informal seminars, convened to give students an easy, low-commitment, introduction to issues of Development in Africa. The forums are led by masters students, in an atmosphere of eager enquiry and Divine chocolate, to sharpen our young minds. This week’s discussion:

Development Theory and NGOs in Africa

The event begins with an introduction to development theory and issues, followed by a short presentation on fresh graduate research on African NGO relations with Western counter-parts, before we open up the floor to questions, discussion and chat, really.
Places are limited, so to book your place for the first forum, or just receive further information, follow this link - http://www.oxfordhub.org/u8/

The speaker, Kofi Hope, is completing a masters in African Studies. His thesis drew upon primary research on an African NGO, Women for Change, and considers their work in Zambia and how government policy and NGO-donor relations shapes their work.

2. Female AIDS activism in South Africa

7:30-8:30pm, Wednesday 21st
The Stapeldon Room, Exeter College

According to estimates based on recent antenatal clinic surveys, South Africa today has an estimated 5.4 million citizens living with HIV. Women bare a disproportionate burden of infections, which are significantly caused by violence against women. However, AIDS was not always conceptualized as a gendered epidemic related to violence against women.

This paper explores how the early dominant conceptualizations of the ‘feminization’ and ‘heterosexualization’ of AIDS in South African epidemiology undermined the development of feminist AIDS activism from the mid-1980s to late 1990s. In general, the historical narrative outlined in the paper points to the ways in which the dominant early epidemiological readings of women’s HIV-related risk created barriers to the growth of South African feminist organizing around AIDS. These barriers remain salient today with women only recently entering the leadership tier of AIDS activist organizations and the eradication of violence against women being relatively new to their agendas.

About the presenter:

Mandisa Mbali is a South African Rhodes Scholar and Doctoral Candidate based at the Wellcome Unit for the History of Medicine and St Antony's College at the University of Oxford. Her thesis is on the history of AIDS activism in South Africa, 1982-2002. Her most recent publication is a chapter in "The politics of AIDS: Globalization, the state and civil society" edited by Maj-Lis Foller and Hakan Thorn and published by Palgrave Press earlier this year.

3. Africa Forum: Somalia and Kenya

8pm, Thursday 22nd
Seminar Room, Corpus Christi

What a treat! Two Africa Forum events in a week!

Citizenship & conflict - Somalia and Kenya

an obscure but interesting topic dealing with the dynamics of Somali immigrants in Kenya, and related issues of human rights, politics of identity and security issues in war-ridden Somalia. The event begins with a presentation of issues, with primary research from Kenya,followed by a discussion led by Emma Lochery, our delightful speaker.
Places are limited, so to book your place for the first forum, or just receive further information, follow this link - http://www.oxfordhub.org/u8/

Emma Lochery is completing a Msc in African Studies. She has had papers published for the Oxford Council for Good Governance the Tax Justice Network, and U8.