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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Hustle Urbanism: Making Life Work in Nairobi  - Tatiana Thieme (Un
 iversity College London)\, Sangwon Chae (Oxford)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251014T160000
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251014T173000
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/d4a2db8c-57ab-4c52-94a5-44b7f26e89c6/
DESCRIPTION:Book launch & discussion with the author: Tatiana Thieme (UCL)
 \nDiscussant: Sangwon Chae (Oxford) \n\nIn Nairobi’s underserved neighbo
 rhoods\, “hustle” has emerged as both a vital survival strategy and a 
 way of life for youth. Exploring the multiple meanings and manifestations 
 of the hustle economy across different scenarios of provisioning\, distrib
 ution\, exchange\, learning and mobilizing\, Hustle Urbanism draws on more
  than a decade of ethnographic engagement to center the logics\, perspecti
 ves and inventive strategies of a group of youth who constantly navigate j
 ob scarcity\, inadequate basic services and climate induced harms. Tatiana
  Thieme shows how young people develop tools of resistance against the leg
 acies of colonial violence and uneven urban development while carving out 
 spaces of opportunity for themselves and their peers. Filling a significan
 t gap in both existing scholarship and popular discussion\, Hustle Urbanis
 m offers critical theorization of precarious urban environments and the af
 firmative modes of making life work in the city against the odds.\n\n30% D
 iscount Code: FSS25\nOrder online at www.combinedacademic.co.uk\n\nDr Tati
 ana Thieme is associate professor of human geography at University College
  London. Tatiana's research focuses on different forms of entrepreneurial 
 and makeshift urbanism and their effects. More specifically\, she is inter
 ested in the cultural and economic geographies of work that takes place ou
 tside of (or alongside) waged economies\, and everyday coping strategies i
 n precarious urban environments.\n\nSangwon Chae is a DPhil student in Geo
 graphy and the Environment at the University of Oxford. Sangwon's doctoral
  study explores the political dynamics of alternative urban place-making\,
  or the makings of alternative urbanism\, in the context of East Asian urb
 an developmentalism and its paradigm shift.\nSpeakers:\nTatiana Thieme (Un
 iversity College London)\, Sangwon Chae (Oxford)
LOCATION:13 Bevington Road (Seminar Room\, African Studies Centre)\, 13 Be
 vington Road OX2 6NB
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/d4a2db8c-57ab-4c52-94a5-44b7f26e89c6/
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ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:Hustle Urbanism: Making Life Work in Nairobi  - Tatiana T
 hieme (University College London)\, Sangwon Chae (Oxford)
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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Bridge Contracts for Mobile Money in Kenya - Jonathan Greenacre (B
 oston University)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251016T153000
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251016T170000
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/d8435357-548f-46ae-92e5-d24769db9c7a/
DESCRIPTION:This book analyzes the "bridge contracts" and laws which Kenya
  used to build a network of 180\,000 mobile money agents in Kenya. The fir
 m uses these agents (comprising corner stores and other retail outlets) to
  provide the mobile money mobile money service to 30 million people in Ken
 ya. The book uses insights from this study to critique existing law and de
 velopment programs run by the United Nations\, World Bank\, and other orga
 nizations. The book draws on fieldwork in Ghana\, Kenya\, Tanzania\, and o
 ther countries in Africa\, and work with the United Nations\, World Bank\,
  and International Monetary Fund.\nSpeakers:\nJonathan Greenacre (Boston U
 niversity)
LOCATION:St Antony's College (Dahrendorf Room)\, 62 Woodstock Road OX2 6JF
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/d8435357-548f-46ae-92e5-d24769db9c7a/
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:Bridge Contracts for Mobile Money in Kenya - Jonathan Gre
 enacre (Boston University)
TRIGGER:-PT1H
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Of Rule not Revenue: Rethinking fiscal governance and predatory pe
 ace in Sudan and South Sudan  - Matthew Benson-Strohmayer (LSE)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251021T160000
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251021T173000
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/63823b3e-3e87-4ae3-a8c6-dbf6404eceb9/
DESCRIPTION:This seminar draws from Benson-Strohmayer’s forthcoming book
 —Of Rule Not Revenue: Predation\, State-Unbuilding\, and Civic Resistanc
 e in Sudan and South Sudan\, 1821-2023—which traces how both Sudans have
  been governed through fragmented\, militarised revenue systems rather tha
 n accountable taxation. It introduces the concepts of predatory peace\, fi
 scal fragmentation\, and civic fiscal resistance to show how civic actors 
 have contested predatory rule and advanced alternative state-building visi
 ons rooted in fiscal justice. In so doing\, the talk situates Sudan’s ex
 perience within wider debates on African political economy\, peacebuilding
  and the infrastructures of war. \n\nDr Matthew Benson-Strohmayer is a soc
 ial and economic historian of Africa in the Conflict & Civicness Research 
 Group (CCRG) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
  researching changing global conflict and peace dynamics. Matthew is both 
 a Research Fellow within the CCRG and the Sudans Research Director\, leadi
 ng research in both Sudans\, and affiliate staff within the Department of 
 Economic History.\nSpeakers:\nMatthew Benson-Strohmayer (LSE)
LOCATION:13 Bevington Road (Seminar Room\, African Studies Centre)\, 13 Be
 vington Road OX2 6NB
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/63823b3e-3e87-4ae3-a8c6-dbf6404eceb9/
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ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:Of Rule not Revenue: Rethinking fiscal governance and pre
 datory peace in Sudan and South Sudan  - Matthew Benson-Strohmayer (LSE)
TRIGGER:-PT1H
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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Political belonging in the Ghana-Togo borderlands: citizenship and
  the vote at the margins of the state - Nathalie Raunet (University of Bir
 mingham)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251023T153000
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251023T170000
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/7a3f82d0-7c8b-43ca-b8c4-8e719360956b/
DESCRIPTION:This book analyses claims to belonging that are rooted in diff
 erent legal contexts (citizenship and local belonging) and territorial fra
 meworks (the local\, regional\, national\, international\, and transnation
 al) in the border region between Ghana and Togo. Based on archival researc
 h\, interviews\, oral tradition as well as newspaper analysis\, it looks a
 t the making or remaking of political communities. It demonstrates that be
 longing claims are based on legitimating narratives of indigeneity/autocht
 hony at each geographical level of different kinds of political communitie
 s (smaller than the state or located across the border). Similarly to a pa
 limpsest\, political communities are laid across each other which stimulat
 es the simultaneous making of political communities and political belongin
 g across different scales. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach (poli
 tics\, history\, anthropology)\, this book connects contemporary power str
 uggles with the history of the region and with contemporary issues of belo
 nging and citizenship in anthropology. From local belonging to the elector
 al debate on cross-border voting in 2016 and to disputes between Ghanaian 
 and Togolese heads of state in the 1990s\, the border region and the narra
 tives that justify belonging are mobilised by different actors and have fa
 r-reaching consequences in modern configurations of power in the region si
 nce the turn of the twentieth century.\nSpeakers:\nNathalie Raunet (Univer
 sity of Birmingham)
LOCATION:St Antony's College (Dahrendorf Room)\, 62 Woodstock Road OX2 6JF
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/7a3f82d0-7c8b-43ca-b8c4-8e719360956b/
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:Political belonging in the Ghana-Togo borderlands: citize
 nship and the vote at the margins of the state - Nathalie Raunet (Universi
 ty of Birmingham)
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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Digital scapes beyond capture? How resistance movements in Africa 
 are shaping the way we think - Prince Guma (Cambridge)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251028T160000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251028T173000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/d2a1c160-15e7-4b40-831b-8e5174e5287f/
DESCRIPTION:In this presentation\, I examine digital scapes as crucial spa
 ces for anti-establishment politics\, focusing on how urban youth movement
 s shape the way we think about data and AI. In particular\, I examine how 
 publics appropriate open data and generative AI tools to challenge politic
 al excess and authoritarian surfeit\, conceptualizing digital scapes as so
 cio-technical and techno-popular sites of algorithmic activism and resista
 nce. In so doing\, I highlight three key domains: local tech firms\, where
  code\, software\, and platforms are repurposed for civic protest\; grassr
 oots actors and activists\, who mobilize data-driven tools for engagement\
 , resistance\, and organizing\; and urban youth and majority populations\,
  who harness popular media and platforms for defiance\, solidarity\, and p
 olitical organizing. Drawing on two East African movements—the Digital M
 aandamano protests in Kenya\, and the more subtle\, everyday forms of nonc
 onformist digital activism in Uganda—I seek to better understand how\, a
 midst authoritarianism\, populations carve out both virtual and embodied s
 paces of resistance\, solidarity and hope. Ultimately\, I hope to advance 
 a citizen-oriented\, context-specific\, and nonlinear understanding of pro
 test and activism\, and contribute an East African inspired analytical age
 nda that frames digital geographies through lived\, shifting relations\, p
 hilosophies\, and conditions of situated urbanism.\n\n\n\nDr Prince Guma i
 s Smuts Research Fellow in African Studies at Cambridge University. He is 
 an interdisciplinary social and political scientist whose work sits at the
  intersection of critical urban studies\, infrastructure studies\, and tec
 hnology studies\, with a focus on development\, political economy\, and so
 cial justice. He earned his PhD in Human Geography and Spatial Planning fr
 om Utrecht University in 2021\, where his research explored the diffusion 
 and adoption of new plans\, ideas\, and technologies in urban and infrastr
 ucture domains.\n\nSpeakers:\nPrince Guma (Cambridge)
LOCATION:13 Bevington Road (Seminar Room\, African Studies Centre)\, 13 Be
 vington Road OX2 6NB
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/d2a1c160-15e7-4b40-831b-8e5174e5287f/
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:Digital scapes beyond capture? How resistance movements i
 n Africa are shaping the way we think - Prince Guma (Cambridge)
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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Soldier's Paradise: Militarism in Africa after Empire - Samuel Fur
 y Childs Daly (University of Chicago)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251030T153000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251030T170000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/f6509804-7aec-4fe5-bf8c-44acda010391/
DESCRIPTION:\nSpeakers:\nSamuel Fury Childs Daly (University of Chicago)
LOCATION:Online via Teams - see link under booking below
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/f6509804-7aec-4fe5-bf8c-44acda010391/
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:Soldier's Paradise: Militarism in Africa after Empire - S
 amuel Fury Childs Daly (University of Chicago)
TRIGGER:-PT1H
END:VALARM
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Does Ethnic Stacking Work?: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Ascrip
 tive Loyalty for Coup Proofing - Kristen A. Harkness (University of St. An
 drews)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251106T153000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251106T170000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/bfbdeb6c-611a-482a-a64b-5960a7451311/
DESCRIPTION:Ethnic stacking\, or recruiting and promoting soldiers based o
 n shared identity\, is a prolific form of coup proofing in autocratic regi
 mes. Leaders attempt to ensure the loyalty of security institutions throug
 h a triple bind of ethnic affinity\, ethnically-based patronage\, and publ
 icly tied fates. Yet\, the process of building a coethnic army can backfir
 e as it both discriminates against existing out-group officers and provoke
 s tensions between sub-groups—igniting preemptive coups and competition 
 for control over security institutions. This article leverages new data on
  ethnic stacking practices in Africa to conduct the first large-N analysis
  of how ascriptive coup proofing impacts leader tenure. I find that ethnic
 ally restructuring the armed forces does indeed create a strong backlash\,
  with coup risk increasing in autocracies by nearly 200% over the first th
 ree years of such efforts. However\, ethnic stacking still significantly e
 xtends leader tenure (by around 65%)\, in part by decreasing the long-term
  risk of coup attempts (by over 30%). Thus\, if autocratic leaders can sur
 vive the process of building an ethnic army\, they can obviate threats ema
 nating from within the military and deeply entrench their rule.\nSpeakers:
 \nKristen A. Harkness (University of St. Andrews)
LOCATION:St Antony's College (Dahrendorf Room)\, 62 Woodstock Road OX2 6JF
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/bfbdeb6c-611a-482a-a64b-5960a7451311/
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:Does Ethnic Stacking Work?: Evaluating the Effectiveness 
 of Ascriptive Loyalty for Coup Proofing - Kristen A. Harkness (University 
 of St. Andrews)
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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Gen Z protests and prospects for political change in Africa: A lon
 gitudinal analysis - Gedion Onyango (LSE)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251111T160000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251111T173000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/46e20ab0-08e3-4493-9b4c-18b440c91729/
DESCRIPTION:The gradual breakdown of neoliberal reforms and the ensuing gl
 obal crises have led to the resurgence and reinvention of autocratic polit
 ical systems. Although this trend has had global manifestations\, it has a
 ffected political systems differently\, particularly in democratically wea
 k states such as those in Africa. A closer analysis of continental dataset
 s\, mainly Afrobarometer\, reveals a paradoxical coexistence of democratic
  expansion and reversals in Africa. While democratic space has expanded\, 
 it has been simultaneously constrained by enduring autocratic norms\, lead
 ing to a decline in democratic activism of the previous generation. Opposi
 tion parties and civil activists have either joined with governments or sh
 ifted their focus\, while the judiciary and parliament have been compromis
 ed and remain weak. The citizenry is polarised along ethnic lines\, sustai
 ning divide-and-rule tactics and ethnicised political settlements. As a re
 sult\, public discontent and poor government performance have increased\, 
 prompting more protests. In the last three years\, these protests have tak
 en unprecedented impetus – evolving in scope and strategy\, often led by
  a youthful\, optimistic and digitally savvy Gen Z. From countries such as
  Morocco\, Kenya\, Madagascar\, Nigeria\, Uganda and Tanzania in Africa to
  nations like Nepal\, Bangladesh\, Timor-Leste the Philippines and Turkey\
 , Generation Z has mobilised against growing economic mismanagement\, with
  the potential for political change on the horizon. But can Gen Z exert en
 ough pressure to bring about structural political change in African system
 s that have long struggled to overcome autocratic regimes? This discussion
  examines the governance challenges behind Gen Z's uprisings over the past
  decade\, what sustains these challenges\, the prospects for change\, and 
 whether recent protests led by Gen Z can catalyse the necessary transforma
 tion going forward. The analysis is based on the Afrobarometer dataset\, r
 anging between 2014 and 2024\, in selected countries.\n\nDr Gedion Onyango
  is a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa at LS
 E. He is a consultant on African politics\, public policy\, and governance
 . His research aims to reduce the continent's historical reliance on exter
 nal expertise and scholarship. His work promotes a more localised\, interd
 isciplinary\, and decolonised approach to understanding how the state and 
 politics function in Africa and their impact on public welfare.\nSpeakers:
 \nGedion Onyango (LSE)
LOCATION:13 Bevington Road (Seminar Room\, African Studies Centre)\, 13 Be
 vington Road OX2 6NB
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/46e20ab0-08e3-4493-9b4c-18b440c91729/
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:Gen Z protests and prospects for political change in Afri
 ca: A longitudinal analysis - Gedion Onyango (LSE)
TRIGGER:-PT1H
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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Saharan Winds: Energy Systems and Aeolian Imaginaries in Western S
 ahara - Joanna Allan
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251113T153000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251113T170000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/3d193d55-4972-46a3-9913-4efb35892b03/
DESCRIPTION:\nSpeakers:\nJoanna Allan
LOCATION:St Antony's College (Dahrendorf Room)\, 62 Woodstock Road OX2 6JF
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/3d193d55-4972-46a3-9913-4efb35892b03/
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:Saharan Winds: Energy Systems and Aeolian Imaginaries in 
 Western Sahara - Joanna Allan
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END:VALARM
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Mekelle Stories: Life in Time of War - Catherine Dom (Independent)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251118T160000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251118T173000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/3aa9db51-6443-4d56-85fe-67bfb26cca33/
DESCRIPTION:A book launch & discussion with Catherine Dom\, co-editor.\n\n
 On the night of 3 to 4 November 2020\, war broke out in Tigray. Soon after
  Mekelle was bombed\, people were stunned: should they leave the city? How
  to protect their loved ones? Where to get supplies? For two years\, the w
 ar redefined the daily lives of Mekelle’s residents\; while the capital 
 of Tigray was not the scene of violent armed fighting unlike the countrysi
 de and other towns in Tigray\, every aspect of urban life was turned upsid
 e down.\n\nIn the book\, twenty women and men residing in Mekelle tell us 
 about their daily lives\, day after day\, event after event: how they cope
 d with the shortages\, the lack of health and communications services\, th
 e loss of income and the closure of schools. At the heart of these account
 s of everyday life\, they narrate how they resisted\, despaired and strugg
 led\, and in which sources they did – or did not – find support. Some 
 give numbers and dates\, list the names of the places where they found ref
 uge or fled to\, and recall the most striking moments of their experiences
  of the war. Others describe the effects that fear\, hunger\, and their an
 ger\, hopes and despair had on them.\n\nMekelle Stories opens a small wind
 ow on the war in Tigray\, seen from within a city\, with its well-known la
 ndmarks and its neighbourhoods. While the immensity of violence\, sufferin
 g and trauma has yet to be documented\, analysed and made known\, this wor
 k reveals how the war affected and penetrated every part of the bodies and
  surroundings of the twenty people who tell their stories.\n\nThe book is 
 available in open access from the publisher\, OpenEdition: https://books.o
 penedition.org/cfee/3812?lang=en\n\nCatherine Dom\, an independent researc
 her who has regularly been in Ethiopia since 1999 and a member of the coll
 ective of women who made and illustrated the book\, will present it. Her c
 olleagues will join through short videos in which they reflect on their ex
 perience.\nSpeakers:\nCatherine Dom (Independent)
LOCATION:Maison Française d'Oxford\, 2-10 Norham Road\, OX2 6SE
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/3aa9db51-6443-4d56-85fe-67bfb26cca33/
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ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:Mekelle Stories: Life in Time of War - Catherine Dom (Ind
 ependent)
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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Mekelle Stories: Life in Time of War. Conversation around the newl
 y published book - Catherine Dom (Independent)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251118T160000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251118T180000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/e7ac35f3-9f41-490b-b204-acf464a09391/
DESCRIPTION:As part of the Northeast Africa Forum seminar series\, a book 
 launch & discussion with Catherine Dom\, co-editor.\n\nOn the night of 3 t
 o 4 November 2020\, war broke out in Tigray. Soon after Mekelle was bombed
 \, people were stunned: should they leave the city? How to protect their l
 oved ones? Where to get supplies? For two years\, the war redefined the da
 ily lives of Mekelle’s residents\; while the capital of Tigray was not t
 he scene of violent armed fighting unlike the countryside and other towns 
 in Tigray\, every aspect of urban life was turned upside down.\n\nIn the b
 ook\, twenty women and men residing in Mekelle tell us about their daily l
 ives\, day after day\, event after event: how they coped with the shortage
 s\, the lack of health and communications services\, the loss of income an
 d the closure of schools. At the heart of these accounts of everyday life\
 , they narrate how they resisted\, despaired and struggled\, and in which 
 sources they did – or did not – find support. Some give numbers and da
 tes\, list the names of the places where they found refuge or fled to\, an
 d recall the most striking moments of their experiences of the war. Others
  describe the effects that fear\, hunger\, and their anger\, hopes and des
 pair had on them.\n\nMekelle Stories opens a small window on the war in Ti
 gray\, seen from within a city\, with its well-known landmarks and its nei
 ghbourhoods. While the immensity of violence\, suffering and trauma has ye
 t to be documented\, analysed and made known\, this work reveals how the w
 ar affected and penetrated every part of the bodies and surroundings of th
 e twenty people who tell their stories.\n\nThe book is available in open a
 ccess from the publisher\, OpenEdition: books.openedition.org/cfee/3812?la
 ng=en\n\n*Catherine Dom*\, an independent researcher who has regularly bee
 n in Ethiopia since 1999 and a member of the collective of women who made 
 and illustrated the book\, will present it. Her colleagues will join throu
 gh short videos in which they reflect on their experience.\nSpeakers:\nCat
 herine Dom (Independent)
LOCATION:Maison Française d'Oxford\, 2-10 Norham Road OX2 6SE
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/e7ac35f3-9f41-490b-b204-acf464a09391/
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:Mekelle Stories: Life in Time of War. Conversation around
  the newly published book - Catherine Dom (Independent)
TRIGGER:-PT1H
END:VALARM
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Selling Healing: Creative Arts and Health Communication in Ghana -
  Ama de-Graft Aikins (University of Ghana/London School of Economics and P
 olitical Science)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251120T153000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251120T170000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/5d1092dc-254a-4212-9a7e-6dc49cabf064/
DESCRIPTION:The intersections between arts\, creativity and health are of 
 significant importance in the humanities and social sciences. Within the a
 rts and health field\, for example\, the arts have been applied to communi
 cate health crises (such as pandemics)\, improve psychotherapies for chron
 ic health conditions and deepen engagement in participatory health project
 s. However\, concepts and methods are predominantly informed by Global Nor
 th research\, and critical insights from arts traditions elsewhere remain 
 to be fully integrated into common models.  \n\nGhana offers a unique case
  study for examining local and global dynamics in arts-based health commun
 ication\, because of the country’s rich art traditions as well as its pl
 ace in global history and in the global imagination. Creative arts drive s
 ocial life and indigenous healing systems. Healing art forms like music an
 d sculpture have evolved through intentional cross-cultural borrowings\, a
 s well as through changes imposed through slavery\, colonialism and post-c
 olonial political systems.  \n\nSelling Healing tells a polyvocal story of
  how Ghanaian art forms intersect with health\, illness and healing\, make
 s an interdisciplinary case for incorporating arts and social creativity i
 nto official health promotion\, and invites a re-imagining of health commu
 nication in global health. \n\nSpeakers:\nAma de-Graft Aikins (University 
 of Ghana/London School of Economics and Political Science)
LOCATION:St Antony's College (Dahrendorf Room)\, 62 Woodstock Road OX2 6JF
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/5d1092dc-254a-4212-9a7e-6dc49cabf064/
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:Selling Healing: Creative Arts and Health Communication i
 n Ghana - Ama de-Graft Aikins (University of Ghana/London School of Econom
 ics and Political Science)
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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Book launch: Historical Dictionary of South Sudan - Dr Douglas Joh
 nson\, Dr Nicki Kindersley (Cardiff University)\, Dr Scopas Poggo (Ohio St
 ate)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251125T160000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251125T173000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/3b545dec-3cea-494a-9441-9ee18a58d7ed/
DESCRIPTION:Book launch & discussion\n\nThis is the first ever historical 
 dictionary of South Sudan as an independent nation. It focuses on the even
 ts\, peoples\, and cultures of South Sudan that were once treated as margi
 nal to the grand narrative of Sudanese national history\, but without dise
 ntangling South Sudan from wider historical connections across the Nile Va
 lley and Northeast Africa. With an interpretive introduction by the three 
 authors\, it offers new perspectives on historical events and personalitie
 s\, extensive coverage of recent events and current affairs\, short biogra
 phies of leading social and political figures\, an extensive chronology\, 
 a comprehensive bibliography\, and maps based on current research illustra
 ting specific issues confronting the new nation. Building on the classical
  anthropological and historical studies of South Sudanese peoples as well 
 as new research\, especially by South Sudanese authors\, it provides a fou
 ndation on which to build new research on South Sudan and new perspectives
  on its shared history with Sudan and the wider region.\nhttps://www.bloom
 sbury.com/us/historical-dictionary-of-south-sudan-9798881865979/\nHistoric
 al Dictionary of South Sudan contains a chronology\, an introduction\, and
  an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 500 cross
 -referenced entries on important personalities as well as aspects of the c
 ountry’s politics\, economy\, foreign relations\, religion\, and culture
 . This book is an excellent resource for students\, researchers\, and anyo
 ne wanting to know more about South Sudan.\nSpeakers:\nDr Douglas Johnson\
 , Dr Nicki Kindersley (Cardiff University)\, Dr Scopas Poggo (Ohio State)
LOCATION:13 Bevington Road (Seminar Room\, African Studies Centre)\, 13 Be
 vington Road OX2 6NB
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/3b545dec-3cea-494a-9441-9ee18a58d7ed/
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:Book launch: Historical Dictionary of South Sudan - Dr Do
 uglas Johnson\, Dr Nicki Kindersley (Cardiff University)\, Dr Scopas Poggo
  (Ohio State)
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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:The Unfinished Conversation: Reckoning with Colonial History
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251125T170000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251125T200000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/8394c46a-fe33-4c4e-94d5-277a9523df11/
DESCRIPTION:Exhibition of Stone Sculptures from Zimbabwe at St Mary’s Ch
 urch\, High Street\, Oxford\, 10th October-6th December\, 2025\n \nThis ex
 hibition features four stone sculptures from Zimbabwe\, with explanatory p
 osters. It addresses some of the issues raised by the protests against the
  statue of Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College in Oxford between 2015 and 2021. 
 \n\nThe sculptures are by artists working at Chitungwiza Arts Centre\, nea
 r Harare\, the capital of Zimbabwe [Chitungwiza Arts Centre]. They are a r
 esponse to a competition that was organised by the Centre and the Oxford Z
 imbabwe Arts Partnership\, funded by Oriel College.\n\nSculptors were aske
 d to reflect on the impact and legacy of Cecil Rhodes’ colonial wars [18
 90-97] on the people of Zimbabwe. They were limited to small-scale works\,
  and each provided a written narrative that explained their sculpture. Mor
 e than one hundred pieces were submitted with enormous variety: some were 
 explicitly political\, some more abstract\, and some allegorical. The judg
 es\, including two leading Zimbabwean stone sculptors\, chose these four p
 ieces.\n\nThe aims of the exhibition are to provide an African artistic pe
 rspective on the Rhodes legacy\, to educate viewers and stimulate debate\,
  and to connect Chitungwiza Arts Centre and Oxford.\n\nDiscussions will be
  held at:\n\n** St Mary’s Church\, High Street on 14th November 2025 at 
 7.30pm. Please contact Uncomfortable Oxford Booking link [www. Displacing 
 Rhodes: a Critical Conversation on Resilience\, Representation\, and Colon
 ial Legacies - Uncomfortable Oxford]\n\n** Nissan Institute Lecture Theatr
 e\, St Antony’s College\, Woodstock Road on 25th November 2025 at 5pm (s
 ponsored by the African Studies Centre). \n\nThe Winning Sculpture is Blin
 dfolded Justice by Wallace Mkankha\, who writes: The stone sculpture repre
 sents the cruel legacy of Cecil John Rhodes in Zimbabwe. The face\, shroud
 ed in anguish\, symbolizes the suffering of the Zimbabwean people. The two
  hands covering the eyes signify the forced blindness to the truth as Rhod
 es’ regime imposed its oppressive rule. The two hands struggling to remo
 ve the blindfold represent the resilience and determination of Zimbabwean 
 people to break free from oppression. The sculpture symbolizes the ongoing
  quest for justice\, equality and peace.\n\n \nSpeakers:\n Various Speaker
 s
LOCATION:St Antony's College (Nissan Institute Lecture Theatre)\, 62 Woods
 tock Road OX2 6JF
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/8394c46a-fe33-4c4e-94d5-277a9523df11/
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ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:The Unfinished Conversation: Reckoning with Colonial Hist
 ory
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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:The Soldier\, the Activist\, and the Writer: On Telling a Family S
 tory of Colonial Afterlives - Simukai Chigudu (University of Oxford)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251127T153000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251127T170000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/9222809f-98f9-48b9-9fc5-87b4680cb876/
DESCRIPTION:The Unfinished Conversation: Reckoning with Colonial History\n
 Speakers:\nSimukai Chigudu (University of Oxford)
LOCATION:St Antony's College (Dahrendorf Room)\, 62 Woodstock Road OX2 6JF
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/9222809f-98f9-48b9-9fc5-87b4680cb876/
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:The Soldier\, the Activist\, and the Writer: On Telling a
  Family Story of Colonial Afterlives - Simukai Chigudu (University of Oxfo
 rd)
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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:The making of an African tourist destination: Tourism development 
 in post-independent Kenya - Mathias Hack (Universität Leipzig/IEG Mainz)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251202T160000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251202T173000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/65cf8cfc-5b9a-4fb9-aae8-332a9aa11d13/
DESCRIPTION:In the mid-1960s\, the post-independent government of the Repu
 blic of Kenya embarked on an ambitious tourism development programme. With
  state investments in hotels and lodges\, liberal investment policies for 
 international investors\, an official promotional machinery\, and the assi
 stance of international experts\, tourism became a key element of Kenya's 
 overall development strategy and efforts in economic modernisation. The or
 igins of this programme can be traced to late-colonial development efforts
 \, as well as the momentum tourism gained during the 1960s as a panacea fo
 r world peace and the economic catch-up of developing countries. The initi
 al success of tourism development with annual visitor growth rates of 15% 
 allowed Kenya to transform its colonial economy and established itself as 
 the prime tourist destination in Sub-Saharan Africa\, yet a new economic d
 ependency on the international tourist industry dominated by Western corpo
 rations\, highly competitive and sensitive to a variety of issues\, emerge
 d visibly in the global recession of the mid-1970s. Despite mounting chall
 enges and the failure of large development projects\, the Kenyan governmen
 t remained committed to tourism development\, as not only the state but Ke
 nya's political patrons under both Kenyatta and Moi had invested in touris
 m. The presentation\, therefore\, frames tourism development not only as a
  category to analyse Kenya's economic history but also its postcolonial po
 litical regime in a national as well as global context. \n\nMathias Hack i
 s a doctoral researcher ⁠at Leipzig University. His research interests a
 re the history of European colonialism\, global tourism after 1945 and pos
 tcolonial Eastern Africa.\nSpeakers:\nMathias Hack (Universität Leipzig/I
 EG Mainz)
LOCATION:13 Bevington Road (Seminar Room\, African Studies Centre)\, 13 Be
 vington Road OX2 6NB
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/65cf8cfc-5b9a-4fb9-aae8-332a9aa11d13/
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ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:The making of an African tourist destination: Tourism dev
 elopment in post-independent Kenya - Mathias Hack (Universität Leipzig/IE
 G Mainz)
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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:The Town and Gown in Ibadan: Re-exploring the Legends of Mbari - O
 lutayo C. Adesina (University of Ibadan)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251204T153000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20251204T170000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/8a3786dd-7423-4053-930b-7723d0f6a3e7/
DESCRIPTION:\nSpeakers:\nOlutayo C. Adesina (University of Ibadan)
LOCATION:St Antony's College (Dahrendorf Room)\, 62 Woodstock Road OX2 6JF
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/8a3786dd-7423-4053-930b-7723d0f6a3e7/
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:The Town and Gown in Ibadan: Re-exploring the Legends of 
 Mbari - Olutayo C. Adesina (University of Ibadan)
TRIGGER:-PT1H
END:VALARM
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:A New ‘Playground of Europe’? Exploration\, colonisation and t
 he naturalisation of Mount Kilimanjaro at the dawn of the 20th century  - 
 Delphine Froment (Lorraine\, Nancy)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260210T160000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260210T173000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/2be71a93-7d45-49b0-95a1-e96fa9518bb9/
DESCRIPTION:At the turn of the twentieth century\, Mount Kilimanjaro was a
 n integral part of German East Africa’s colonial territory and even stoo
 d as one of its most celebrated landmarks. With its so-called ‘eternal
 ’ snows and lush forests\, it was perceived as a unique environment—a 
 veritable ‘African Eden’ that had to be preserved at all costs: as a r
 esult\, it became the subject of colonial environmental policies\, includi
 ng the establishment of reserves that laid the groundwork for environmenta
 l legislation still in effect in the postcolonial era. Furthermore\, stand
 ing at 19\,341 feet (5\,895 metres)\, the mountain attracted an increasing
  number of Western visitors\, who saw it as a new ‘playground of Europe
 ’ for mountaineering and safari activities: in this way\, it became a qu
 intessential East African topos and a key destination for the emerging tou
 rism industry in the region. Froment revisits the history of this dual pro
 cess—the development of conservation policies on Kilimanjaro and its com
 modification as a tourist destination during the colonial era—by tracing
  its origins back to the early European explorations in the 1840s\, and an
 alysing its consequences. It demonstrates how the naturalisation of the ma
 ssif systematically emptied the mountain of its inhabitants—not so much 
 to protect biodiversity as to serve new forms of exploitation defined\, im
 posed and regulated by Western actors and colonial rule. \nDr Delphine Fro
 ment is a Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Lorraine (Nancy)
 . Her doctoral research focused on the history of the construction of know
 ledge and representations about East Africa\, and more specifically about 
 Kilimanjaro\, in the 19th and early 20th centuries\, within the context of
  European (and particularly British and German) exploration and colonizati
 on of the African continent. Her current research looks at the actors\, pr
 actices\, and stakes of scientific exploration in the 19th and 20th centur
 ies.\nSpeakers:\nDelphine Froment (Lorraine\, Nancy)
LOCATION:13 Bevington Road (Seminar Room\, African Studies Centre)\, 13 Be
 vington Road OX2 6NB
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/2be71a93-7d45-49b0-95a1-e96fa9518bb9/
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:A New ‘Playground of Europe’? Exploration\, colonisat
 ion and the naturalisation of Mount Kilimanjaro at the dawn of the 20th ce
 ntury  - Delphine Froment (Lorraine\, Nancy)
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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Peasants to Paupers: Land\, Class and Kinship in Central Kenya - P
 eter Lockwood (Göttingen)\, Professor David Anderson (University of Warwi
 ck)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260217T160000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260217T173000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/b8f46a9b-a3cf-457c-9585-de53815126b7/
DESCRIPTION:Book launch & discussion with Peter Lockwood\n\nOn the norther
 n periphery of Nairobi\, in southern Kiambu County\, the city's expansion 
 into a landscape of poor smallholders is bringing new opportunities\, dile
 mmas\, and conflicts. Drawing on extensive ethnographic fieldwork\, Peter 
 Lockwood examines how Kiambu's 'workers with patches of land' struggle to 
 sustain their households as the skyrocketing price of land ratchets up gen
 dered and generational tensions within families. The sale of ancestral lan
 d by senior men turns would-be inheritors\, their young adult sons\, into 
 landless and land-poor paupers\, heightening their exposure to economic pr
 ecarity. Peasants to Paupers illuminates how these dynamics are lived at t
 he site of kinship\, how moral principles of patrilineal obligation and la
 nd retention fail in the face of market opportunity. Caught between jobles
 sness\, land poverty and the breakdown of kinship\, the book shows how Kia
 mbu's young men struggle to sustain hopes for middle-class lifestyles as t
 he economic ground shifts beneath their feet.\nhttps://doi.org/10.1017/978
 1009643467 (Open Access)\n\nDr Peter Lockwood is a Post-doctoral researche
 r at the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology\, at Göttingen Uni
 versity. Peter is an economic and political anthropologist whose research 
 sits at the intersection of political economy\, kinship studies\, and mora
 l economy. His work examines the contradictions produced by a ‘rentier
 ’ or ‘asset’ form of capitalism characterised by possession rather t
 han production\, one that simultaneously renders people’s labour surplus
  to its requirements.\n\nProf David M. Anderson FBA is Professor of Africa
 n History in the Global History & Culture Centre at the University of Warw
 ick. He has published widely on the history and politics of eastern Africa
 .\nSpeakers:\nPeter Lockwood (Göttingen)\, Professor David Anderson (Univ
 ersity of Warwick)
LOCATION:13 Bevington Road (Seminar Room\, African Studies Centre)\, 13 Be
 vington Road OX2 6NB
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/b8f46a9b-a3cf-457c-9585-de53815126b7/
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:Peasants to Paupers: Land\, Class and Kinship in Central 
 Kenya - Peter Lockwood (Göttingen)\, Professor David Anderson (University
  of Warwick)
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Immunity on Trial: Ethiopian Courts\, Chinese Corporations\, and C
 ontestations over Sovereignty  - Dr Miriam Driessen (University of Oxford)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260303T160000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260303T173000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/3f341a1c-c9bf-407f-b336-ac16db03c131/
DESCRIPTION:Book launch & discussion with Miriam Driessen.\n\nPolitical an
 d legal immunity are justified by the principle that certain social aims o
 utweigh the value of imposing liability. To be exempt from the rules\, how
 ever\, is a privilege granted to or demanded by the powerful. The structur
 al disparities that underpin immunity can turn it into an unjust prerogati
 ve\, one that is inscribed by global inequalities. Set against the backdro
 p of an extraordinary wave of litigation against Chinese corporations in E
 thiopia\, Immunity on Trial probes the question of immunity in everyday en
 counters steeped in highly asymmetrical power relations. Drawing on observ
 ations from the courthouse\, interviews with litigants\, judges\, and cour
 t support staff\, and analyses of case files\, Miriam Driessen demonstrate
 s how immunity is debated and delegitimized—or affirmed—by those who f
 ight\, exact\, grant\, or weigh it. From the construction site to the poli
 ce station\, from the registrar’s office into the courtroom\, she docume
 nts tussles over immunity\, unraveling the politics of dignity on which th
 ey are founded.\nhttps://www.ucpress.edu/books/immunity-on-trial/epub-pdf\
 n\nDr Miriam Driessen is Departmental Lecturer in Social Anthropology at t
 he University of Oxford. Miriam’s research explores Chinese-led developm
 ent from below\, looking at issues such as migration\, labour\, gender and
  sexuality\, language\, and\, more recently\, law. She is the author of Ta
 les of Hope\, Tastes of Bitterness: Chinese Road Builders in Ethiopia.\nSp
 eakers:\nDr Miriam Driessen (University of Oxford)
LOCATION:13 Bevington Road (Seminar Room\, African Studies Centre)\, 13 Be
 vington Road OX2 6NB
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/3f341a1c-c9bf-407f-b336-ac16db03c131/
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:Immunity on Trial: Ethiopian Courts\, Chinese Corporation
 s\, and Contestations over Sovereignty  - Dr Miriam Driessen (University o
 f Oxford)
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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:The Great White Circumcisers of Kenya: a parable for polarised tim
 es - Mark Lamont (Open University)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260310T160000Z
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260310T173000Z
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/2a90ae8c-57d7-40af-a538-49606b3465f7/
DESCRIPTION:This talk uses the ironic figure of the ‘Great White Circumc
 isers\,’ echoing the trope of Great White Hunters\, to rethink debates o
 n male and female circumcision in Kenya. Drawing on long-term ethnographic
  research and multi-sited archival work\, it challenges the assumption tha
 t genital cutting is a timeless\, exclusively African tradition. Instead\,
  circumcision is framed as an emergent\, entangled\, and politically charg
 ed social process shaped through sustained interaction between African act
 ors and European missionaries\, doctors\, and global health experts. Refra
 ming circumcision in terms of cultural proximity rather than alterity\, th
 e talk argues that contemporary polarisation reflects deeper struggles ove
 r moral authority\, provision\, and belonging.\nDr Mark Lamont is Lecturer
  In Sustainable Development at the Open University. Mark's research explor
 es the interplay between culture\, politics\, and health in global develop
 ment. His work engages two main areas: (a) the politics of global health\,
  particularly how biomedical knowledge\, ethics\, and power shape interven
 tions and policies\; and (b) the relationships between cultural heritage a
 nd development\, with a focus on ocean health\, blue economy\, and the tra
 nsformation of maritime communities. He is also engaged in writing a book 
 about male circumcision in Kenya from early missionary efforts to control 
 indigenous sexuality to ongoing medical male circumcision campaigns to pre
 vent HIV. His interest is understanding how race\, identity\, and sexualit
 y link these histories.\nSpeakers:\nMark Lamont (Open University)
LOCATION:13 Bevington Road (Seminar Room\, African Studies Centre)\, 13 Be
 vington Road OX2 6NB
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/2a90ae8c-57d7-40af-a538-49606b3465f7/
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ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:The Great White Circumcisers of Kenya: a parable for pola
 rised times - Mark Lamont (Open University)
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BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:African Studies Centre Annual Lecture 2026 - Decolonisation: Lesso
 ns from post-colonial Uganda - Mahmood Mamdani (Columbia University)
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260430T150000
DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260430T173000
UID:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/ef6badbc-5c21-4217-a03d-40e3ac5dac8d/
DESCRIPTION:\nSpeakers:\nMahmood Mamdani (Columbia University)
LOCATION:St Antony's College (Nissan Institute Lecture Theatre)\, 62 Woods
 tock Road OX2 6JF
TZID:Europe/London
URL:https://talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/ef6badbc-5c21-4217-a03d-40e3ac5dac8d/
BEGIN:VALARM
ACTION:display
DESCRIPTION:Talk:African Studies Centre Annual Lecture 2026 - Decolonisati
 on: Lessons from post-colonial Uganda - Mahmood Mamdani (Columbia Universi
 ty)
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