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2nd Outstanding African Thinkers Conference

Final Call for Papers

The Centre for Critical Thinking and Resourceful Research in Africa-CECTRRA ,Abuja(http://www.cectraafrica.org) in Collaboration with the Department of History and Archaeology, University of Abomey Calavi, Republic of Benin and African Heritage Studies Association, Ghana.

Announces and Invites papers for the 2nd Outstanding African Thinkers Conference

Theme: Theophile Obenga-Reinventing Africa though the African Intellectual Archive

Conveners-Professor Lawrence Ogbo Ugwuanyi–University of Abuja, Nigeria

Dr. Emery Patrick Effiboley-University of Benin–Cotonou

Dr. Obadele Kambon–University of Ghana

Proposed Date: June 13-15,2022

Venue-University of Abomey Calavi, Republic of Benin

The Centre for Critical thinking and Resourceful Research in Africa, in collaboration with the Department of History and Archaeology, Université d’Abomey-Calavi of Benin Republic, invites abstracts for the 2nd Outstanding African Thinkers Conference on Theophile Obenga. Aimed at locating outstanding African intellectuals who privilege African thought schemes and insist on reinventing Africa through her intellectual archive; and scholars of African extraction, whose works have multidisciplinary appeal and potentials, OAT conference creates a space for scholars and researchers of African extraction to engage the works of such intellectuals in a manner that will create more dialogue from their works and empower a more productive future scholarship through their works. In 2018, the first conference was convened by CECTRRA and held at Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, and was centered on the works of the Pan-Blackist multidisciplinary thinker Chinweizu. This second conference will engage the works of the Congolese scholar Théophile Obenga. It is scheduled for Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou.

Théophile Obenga is a Congolese intellectual and scholar-historian, linguist and philosopher whose writings reveal an attempt to lead Africa forwards by helping Africa (re)locate a neglected past. Obenga holds a Ph.D. in Letters, Arts and Humanities from Montpellier University, France, is a member of the French Association of Egyptologists (Société Française D’Egyptologie) and of the African Society of Culture (Présence Africaine). He contributed, as part of the United Nations Educational and Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO) program, to the writing of the General History of Africa and the Scientific and Cultural History of Humanity. He was, until the end of 1991, Director General of the Centre International des Civilisations Bantu (CICIBA) in Libreville, Gabon. He is the Director and Chief Editor of the journal Ankh. From January 28 to February 3, 1974, at Cairo, Egypt, Théophile Obenga accompanied Cheikh Anta Diop as Africa’s representatives (there were also numerous professors from Egypt and Sudan) to the UNESCO symposium on “The Peopling of Ancient Egypt and the Deciphering of the Meroitic Script”.

With more than 23 academic publications including Ancient Egypt and Black Africa: A Student’s Handbook for the Study of Ancient Egypt in Philosophy, Linguistics and Gender Relations, edited by Amon Saba Saakana, London: Karnak House, 1992, Théophile Obenga presents before our eyes a deliberate and innovative effort by an African intellectual to bridge the gap between the linguistic divide in Africa as he insists on a form of scholarship that (re)members Africa.

This conference will raise and engage a number of issues in relation to the works of Theophile Obenga. It will engage the future of his scholarship for African destiny and humanity. Issues that will be addressed include the following:

i. Historicising African Philosophy and Philosophising through African History–Engaging Obenga.

ii. The Language Question in African Scholarship–the Contribution of Théophile Obenga

iii. Philosophy and History in Contemporary Africa through the Works of Théophile Obenga

iv. Constructing the Intellectual History of Black Africa–From Where to Where and From When to When?

v. Egyptology and the Promise of A New Intellectual Culture

vi. Is/Should Egyptology Still Engage the Contemporary African Mind?

vii. Theorising on the African Past for an African Present.

viii. Arabization, Westernization and the Question of African identity

ix. Options for Modern African scholarship–Disciplinary, Multidisciplinary, Interdisciplinary or Trans disciplinary

x. Globalisation and the Challenge of an African Humanities

xi. The Humanities and the Challenge of an African Tradition

xii. The Language Divides in Africa-Anglophone, Francophone, Lusophone and the Challenge of Intellectual Tradition in Africa

xiii. Multiple identities and intellectual hybridity for scholarship in Africa–The Burden, the Gain

xiv. Translation and the Dilemma of producing knowledge for and on Africa

Papers could go beyond this to address other issues that reflect contemporary challenges of African scholarship. Interested participants should send abstract to oatconference@gmail.com .Deadline May 20, 2022. (Abstracts/papers could be submitted in English or French).Registration fee of $100 is attached to participation. Papers could be presented by physical presence at the conference or by virtual means.

Local organizing committee(Names/Affiliatios Written in French)

Dr. Emery Patrick Effiboley, Département d’Histoire et d’Archéologie, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr. Désiré Mèdégnon, Département de Philosophie, Université d’Abomey-Calavi,

Dr. Dieudonné Gnammankou, Département d’Histoire et d’Archéologie, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr. Mathieu Adjagbè, Département de Sciences Politiques, Université de Parakou

Dr. Ariane Djossou-Sègla, Département de Philosophie, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr. Jacques Guerra, Département de Philosophie, Université d’Abomey-Calavi.

Scientific Committee(Names/Affiliations in French)

Professeur Lawrence Ogbo Ugwuanyi-University of Abuja

Professeur Paulin HOUNTONDJI, Université d’Benin Republic

Professeur Jérôme C. ALLADAYE, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Professeur Sébastien SOTINDJO, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Professeur Rogatien M. TOSSOU, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Professeur Scholastique Dianzinga, Université Marien Ngouabi de Brazzaville

Professeur Abraham Ndinga Mbo, Université Marien Ngouabi de Brazzaville

Professeur Pascal TOSSOU, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Professeur Didier HOUENOUDE, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Professeur Romuald TCHIBOZO, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Professeur Maxime da Cruz, Laboratoire ABLODE, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr (MC) Gervais KISSEZOUNON, Formation doctorale de Philosophie à l’Ecole doctorale pluridisciplinaire, UAC)

Dr (MC) Aimé SEGLA, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr (MC) Monique OUASSA KOUARO, Université d’Abomey-Calvi

Dr (MC) Charles BABADJIDE, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr (MC) Vincent ATABAVIKPO, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr (MC) MOUFTAOU ADJERAN, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Comité d’organisation

Dr. (MA) Emery Patrick Effiboley, Département d’Histoire et d’Archéologie, Université

d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr. (MA) Patrick Joël Adjivessodé, Département d’Histoire et d’Archéologie, Université

d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr (MC) Sylvie de Chacus, Département de Psychologie, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr. (MC) Ariane Djossou-Sègla, Département de Philosophie, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr. (MC) Alain Corneille Towou, Département de Philosophie, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr. (MC) Désiré Mèdégnon, Département de Philosophie, Université d’Abomey-Calavi,

Dr. (MC) Eustache Adanhounmè, Département de Philosophie, Université d’Abomey-Calavi,

Dr (MC) Barnabé Dènon, Département de Philosophie, Université d’Abomey-Calavi,

Dr (MC) Ferdinand Kpohoué, Département d’Anglais, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr (MA) Paul Chritian Kiti, Département de Philosophie, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr. (MC) Dieudonné Gnammankou, Département d’Histoire et d’Archéologie, Université

d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr (MA) Ulrich Hindémè, Département d’Anglais, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr (MA) Raoul Ahouangassi, Département d’Anglais, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr. (MA) Michel Mehinto, Département de Psychologie, Université d’Abomey-Calavi

Dr. Mathieu Adjagbè, Département de Sciences Politiques, Université de Parakou

Dr. Jacques Guerra, Département de Philosophie, Université d’Abomey-Calavi.

Dr Placide Kocharé, Département d’Histoire et d’Archéologie, Université d’Abomey-Calavi.

Dr Clément Bah (MA), Ecole Normale Supérieure de Porto-Novo, UAC

Dr Rolland TECHOU, (MA) Grand Séminaire de Djimè, Abomey & Ecole Normale Supérieure de Porto-Novo, UAC

Dr Paterne BOSSOUSSI, Département de Philosophie & Ecole Normale Supérieure de Porto- Novo, UAC