By Divine Fuh, HUMA – Institute for Humanities, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Vice President, ASAA

This is a provocation, and the resuscitation of a discussion that some will be outdated and simplistic. The idea of a united Africa may have run out its course and therefore in need of a revised framework. A pluriversal Africa is the principle on which we should transplant this idea, once a revolutionary proposition. In order to achieve this, the work on restitution and restoration needs to extend beyond art objects, artefacts, archives, literatures and other epistemic knowledge. A pluriversal Africa requires a painful dislodging of the idea of the economy, and its accessories such as the nation state, development, democracy, good governance, financial flows, etc. that give it life. As the most diverse continents on the planet, an African pluriverse will require acknowledgement and recognition of difference as the foundational basis of constitution.

By Toussaint Kafarhire Murhula, S.J., Ph.D.,
ASAA President

Introduction

Our African Studies Association of Africa has strongly condemned the appalling violence done to African migrants, many of whom died in the mishandling of Spain's Melilla border crisis. We noticed with sadness how the world cares less about African human rights and allows horrors of this kind to happen in this day and age. Racism is morally and intrinsically evil and it should be condemned. For this reason, ASAA calls on African governments to improve their institutions and structures to avoid sending its own sons and daughters to die in the desert, at sea, or on borders like the tragedy we are referring to. Those brothers and sisters of ours who need to run to Europe to feel humans are sending us a message that we cannot be bystanders to how political elites are squandering historic opportunities to make Africa again the land of life. It is obvious that others will treat African migrants the way we treat them at home. Thus, the primary responsibility in the fight against racism lies with us. African leaders should demand accountability in the recent Spain-Morocco border crisis. If people cannot see it, this incident is part of a systemic abuse and structural sin that has relegated Africans to the rank of lesser human. People might not say it to appear politically correct, but their actions towards Africans betrays it. It is this attitude, rooted in a long history of racism, in colonising structures, and in a belief that discriminates against social privileges and human treatment based on skin colour.

By Ahmet Sait Akcay
Doctoral Student, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Nowadays, any issue on Africa graps international attention and travels around the world. But when the news is circulated it is also converted or transformed somehow. This is how it works! And it is very common to say that knowledge has no borders, but this holds completely true for outside Africa. For Africa, the knowledge is a contested site that acquires affirmations, claims and dealienations. İt has to operate in many layers. Is Africa a discourse, or an idea or concept? These are the questions begging for one another. Rethinking Africa always invokes Harlem poet Countee Cullen’s calling for Africa, `What is Africa to me?` Those thoughts were preying on my mind when I reflected on this year’s ASAA Conference in Cape Town.