The ongoing conflict in the western Sudanese region of Darfur has received an unprecedented amount of attention, especially in the West, from the international media and human rights organizations, and has captured the attention of millions of ordinary global citizens. Those seeking to learn about the conflict, as well as those who have reported on it, often rely on information produced by the various governmental bodies and non-governmental organizations that are involved in addressing the humanitarian crises spawned by the conflict. As a result much of what has been written about the conflict tends to be either aid-oriented or journalistic in nature and often lacks a strong understanding of the historical, economic, political, sociological and environmental factors that have contributed to the conflict. Perhaps most glaringly, with few exceptions, the literature on the conflict in Darfur is devoid of Sudanese voices, particularly women, and those that are directly affected by the war.
In conjunction with the forthcoming edited volume, Darfur and the Crisis of Governance in Sudan: A Critical Reader, this conference addresses the major lacunas in the scholarship and reportage on the war in Darfur by providing a broad, yet focused range of presentations, which explore the multiplicity of factors that have given rise to what has been called "the first genocide of the twenty first century." The presentations engage in careful analysis of the historical, geo-political, military, social, environmental, and economic roots of the conflict, and reflect on the contemporary realities that shape the experiences of those living in the region. Importantly, as several of the presentations will attest to, formidable pre-existing, as well as newly formed multi-regional and multi-ethnic movements and civil society organizations have organized themselves in Sudan around the issue of Darfur. This often neglected development is but one indication that if solutions to the conflict are to be found they must be developed in dialogue with ongoing internal efforts to deal with the range of issues that have given rise not only to the situation in Darfur, but also to the larger interlocking political crisis in Sudan.
In order to facilitate dialogue across disciplinary and occupational boundaries, this conference will bring together leading scholars, civil society members, and activists who are involved in proactively addressing the situation in Darfur and in Sudan more generally. It is our hope that this kind of cross-dialogue will foster a comprehensive, yet nuanced understanding of the root causes, manifestations, and implications of the ongoing conflict, and help generate more informed prospects for a just and comprehensive resolution of the conflict. Conference Coordinators:
Salah M. Hassan, Cornell University
Carina Ray, Fordham University
Elizabeth Giorgis, Addis Ababa University |
