Preliminary Programme

The decade of the 1960s has gone down in history as revolutionary for both Africa and her diaspora offspring. For Africa, it ushered decolonization. For the diaspora, it unleashed protests for civil and political rights resulting in significant reforms. These achievements notwithstanding, the struggles were far from over. Over the horizons in both Africa and the diaspora loomed dark clouds of disillusionment and apprehension. There were forces determined to derail and push back progress. Racism and bigotry waxed strong in the diaspora. Neocolonialism was on the offensive in Africa. However, these moments of shared pessimism and apprehension only enhanced the appeal of Africa. Several diaspora activists insisted that the continent held the key that would unlock the pathway to progress. It became imperative therefore that the struggles be both consolidated and globalized with Africa solidly as the foundation. Leading 20th century diaspora activists (Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael and Walter Rodney) responded by theorizing Africa as the agency whose heritage and post-colonial political power, and economic resources, afforded diaspora blacks and oppressed colored populations worldwide the wherewithal for survival and empowerment. Paradoxically, even as these activists were drawn to Africa by a macro-vision of a Pan-African solidarity, the competing demand of, and loyalty to, ethnocultural identity (micro-nationalism) complicated Africa’s capacity to function as envisioned. In essence, their attempts to construct a strong African foundation for a broad colored cosmopolitan struggle morphed into a conflict between the call for a unified Pan-African built upon Africa on the one hand, and micro-nationalistic allegiance to, and concerns for, the specific needs and challenges of a diasporic nationality on the other. (Show less)

Refugees who find themselves in situations of protracted displacement do not stop their lives. They work hard to make a living, to feel protected and to be loved. What does it mean for them to be in a city where they do not belong, but where they need to fit in regardless of the hostile national policies (Geschiere 2009)? In Dar es Salaam, refugees find themselves in a limbo: some do not have a legal status and can be sent away any moment, others are stuck in waiting. How are these strangers perceived by the Tanzanians? Can we grasp the dynamics around their lives when we consider them 'strangers'? Strangers are 'normal' in African cities, where traveling and going are part of life. Throughout history, the codes to receive strangers have been multiple and hosting a stranger can be a high good (Shack and Skinner 1979). Current national laws, however, do not reflect these old (forgotten) customs. Where in the past displaced people would be welcomed strangers, today's governments define them as non-citizens and chase them away. Yet, the embedded social norms of receiving strangers can be stronger than these 'modern' laws. Based on data collected through ethnographic fieldwork, in particular biographic narratives, we will try to understand refugees as strangers and analyze how they are received by their host societies in Dar es Salaam. The stories portray solidarity and exploitation and point to the rich diversity of urban life. They underscore, on the one hand, the insecurity resulting from the lack of clear rules, while, on the other, they bring about the creative ways strangers and hosts alike find to circumvent these laws in the hope of creating a living together. (Show less)