The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa will hold its 14th General Assembly from 15th to 19th December 2014 in Dakar, Senegal under the theme ‘Creating African Futures in an Era of Global Transformations: Challenges and Prospects.’ CODESRIA’s general assemblies are the largest gatherings of African social scientists. This one will be no exception, with intellectuals from all social science disciplines, the humanities and law, gathering to explore and propose ideas that can lead to a continent that is more peaceful, democratic, prosperous and inclusive in the context of on-going global transformations, The celebration of fifty years of independence a few years ago was taken in many countries as an opportunity to re-examine the dreams of independence against the hard realities of life in Africa today. The number of Africans who live amidst violence (physical, structural and symbolic) and poverty is huge. Twenty years after the Rwandan genocide and the end of apartheid, the question of how to reverse the trends that, if unchecked, may lead to the further devaluation of life and greater threats to human freedom, dignity, and well-being on the continent must be posed. Given this, there is a critical need to reinvent a future for ourselves and re-define the social, cultural, moral, ethical and institutional foundations of citizenship and belonging at the local, national and continental levels, in a free, united, democratic and prosperous Africa that is at peace with itself and with the world.
Jobs and Announcements
The Third Global Symposium on Health Systems Research (HSR) is to be held from 30 September – 3 October 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa (http://hsr2014.healthsystemsresearch.org/). This is the first time this Symposium has been held in Africa. The theme of the 2014 symposium is: the science and practice of people–centred health systems. The involvement of people both in their own health decisions and in those concerning the development of a health system is a vital platform for effective service delivery and for ensuring the health system offers wider value in society.
The opening plenary (on 30th September 2014) will have a specific African focus – and its theme is governance and health in Africa. As part of this opening ceremony the organisers would like to feature different voices from the African continent and provide African stakeholders with an opportunity to share their perspective on the theme of the symposium. They would like you to identify a stakeholder whose voice you feel would be important to feature in the opening plenary and to record a short interview with them. It could be someone you work closely with – such as a health worker, a researcher, a community member or a client or user of the health service. Someone that you feel represents a critical constituency from the African continent. Depending on the volume and quality of material received we will seek to project the clips at other moments during the conference, and also post them on the conference website.
Amnesty International South Africa is seeking a high-profile, inspirational and experienced Director who is able to lead and grow our operations in South Africa and represent the organization externally to deliver positive change in the human rights situation nationally, regionally and globally. See further information at the website.
Global Public Health invites the submission of full-length articles for a special journal issue on the theme Participatory Visual Methodologies and Global Public Health, co-edited by Claudia Mitchell and Marni Sommer, Send note of intention to submit & working title to evasquezgph@gmail.com
Attacks on Healthcare Workers in Conflict Zones – Fall 2014. World Health & Population (WHP) is publishing a theme issue on the nature and impacts of attacks on health workers, facilities, transports and patients in times of armed conflict or civil unrest – and strategies for protection. WHP welcomes submissions for the theme issue in the form of empirical studies, evaluations and policy analysis including the broad range of issues as listed below:
• Studies exploring the vulnerabilities of healthcare in situations of armed conflict or civil unrest
• Studies on the short, intermediate and long term impacts of violence on health systems
• Strategies for supporting the safety and well-being of civilian health and human resources in
situations of armed conflict or civil unrest
• Policies and actions at the national, regional and global level that can promote the respect and protection of healthcare.
The Innovating for Maternal and Child Health in Africa program is launching a call for proposals for the selection of Health Policy and Research Organizations. This program is funded by Canada’s Global Health Research Initiative, a collaboration ofForeign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and IDRC. Organizations (or the lead organization of a consortium) must:
• be a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization legally founded and registered as an independent entity in the country of operation. Only non-partisan and not-for-profit organizations can be included in a consortium.
• be an African organization. United Nations agencies and international organizations based in Africa or overseas are ineligible to be the lead organization or to be part of a consortium.
• support a health policy development and implementation mandate through knowledge brokering, analysis, and research.
• work in at least one of the targeted countries and demonstrate willingness and capacity to expand their work in all the other targeted countries in the selected HPRO region (East or West).
TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases celebrates 40 years in 2014 and has a longstanding commitment to improve gender equity in health. TDR is inviting letters of interest from women scientists and research managers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs ) to develop their ideas on how to improve career development for women research scientists working in the area of infectious diseases of poverty. Letters of interest that are selected will receive funding of US$ 10 000 to develop and elaborate a full concept.
The 10th anniversary of the Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA) conference will be celebrated with the hosting of the conference in Polokwane (Limpopo) from 3 to 6 September 2014. The workshops will take place on the 3rd, the actual conference on the 4th and 5th, and the student symposium on the 6th of September.
The Third Global Symposium on Health Systems Research (HSR) is to be held from 30 September – 3 October 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa (http://hsr2014.healthsystemsresearch.org/). This is the first time this Symposium has been held in Africa. The theme of the 2014 symposium is: the science and practice of people–centred health systems. The involvement of people both in their own health decisions and in those concerning the development of a health system is a vital platform for effective service delivery and for ensuring the health system offers wider value in society.
The opening plenary (on 30th September 2014) will have a specific African focus – and its theme is governance and health in Africa. As part of this opening ceremony the organisers would like to feature different voices from the African continent and provide African stakeholders with an opportunity to share their perspective on the theme of the symposium. They would like you to identify a stakeholder whose voice you feel would be important to feature in the opening plenary and to record a short interview with them. It could be someone you work closely with – such as a health worker, a researcher, a community member or a client or user of the health service. Someone that you feel represents a critical constituency from the African continent. Depending on the volume and quality of material received we will seek to project the clips at other moments during the conference, and also post them on the conference website.
AAPS 2014 will focus on the central themes and problems of African urbanization. While the conference is focused on sub-Saharan Africa, the discussion will be extended to other contexts in the global South. The AAPS 2014 Conference will feature keynote presentations from a number of international experts on cities and urbanization in Africa and the global South, including Edgar Pieterse (African Centre for Cities) and Colin MacFarlane (Durham University). The conference is aimed at urban planning educators, researchers and practitioners seeking to enhance their knowledge of the contemporary issues and debates surrounding African and Southern cities and urbanization. It will also appeal to other built environment professionals, as well as academics in related disciplines with an interest in urban issues.