Tuesday 11 March 2014

CARTA JAS 1 Cohort 4 and JAS 4 Cohort 1 opened

CARTA has entered an historical phase in its programming by the hosting of the last Joint Advanced Seminar (JAS 4) for cohort 1.  The Vice Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, Prof. George Magoha opened the session.  Prof. Magoha was represented by Prof. Enos Njeru, Principal of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Nairobi, who read the official opening statement from Prof. Magoha.  See the attached. Present during the opening were the CARTA Director Dr. Alex Ezeh, CARTA Deputy Director, Prof. Sharon Fonn and CARTA staff led by the Program Manager, Ms. Mercy Machiya.

CARTA Fellows from cohort 1 and 4 gave their testimony to the usefulness of the program. Dr. Sunday Adedini, who graduated with a PhD December last year encouraged cohort 4 fellows to work hard and put a lot their time in their studies and also have a cordial working relationship with their supervisors.  Dr. Adedini gave a personal account of his experience as a CARTA fellow and observed that he has attained the objective of CARTA. He has done 6 publications from his work 5 of them have been published in reputable high impact journals.  The remaining paper is awaiting response from publishers. He further informed the fellows that he has met and made academic networks across Africa and indeed the world, having presented his works in gatherings all over the world.  He attributed all these achievements to the rich CARTA program.

Dr. Flavia Matovu represented Cohort 1 fellows. She thanked CARTA for the opportunity and pledged that fellows in cohort 1 will work hard to attain their objectives.  Cohort 1 fellows who first came to Nairobi for JAS 1 in March 2010 have returned for the last of the 4 planned Joint Advanced Seminars (JASes).  They will be in Nairobi for the next four weeks  starting March 10, 2014. JAS 4 will end on April 4, 2014.
JAS 4 session is jointly held together with JAS 1 for the newly recruited cohort 4 fellows.  There are 27 fellows in this cohort who will hold joint sessions with cohort 1 fellows.

Friday 7 March 2014

Fogarty Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship for Sunday Adedini

Sunday Adedini graduated with a PhD at the University of the Witwatersrand, South African in December 2013.  He was in the first cohort of CARTA fellows and among the first graduands in the CARTA program, together with Nicole de Wet also of the University of the Witwatersrand.  Sunday has clinched a one year postdoctoral fellowship awarded by the Fogarty Foundation through the School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. The Fellowship runs from January to December 2014. 

Monday 3 March 2014

Statement from the University of the Witwatersrand Pertaining to Anti-homosexuality Legislation in Africa.

From: Kanina Foss On Behalf Of VCO News
Sent: 03 March 2014 12:45 PM
Subject: STATEMENT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND PERTAINING TO ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY LEGISLATION IN AFRICA

MESSAGE FROM THE OFFICE OF THE VICE-CHANCELLOR AND PRINCIPAL
DATE: MONDAY, 3 MARCH 2014
STATEMENT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND PERTAINING TO ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY LEGISLATION IN AFRICA
The University of the Witwatersrand notes with dismay and concern recent legislation in Nigeria and Uganda that criminalises women and men who express themselves through relationships other than those defined as heterosexual. It also decries the targeted violence that has accompanied this legislation in these and other countries.
While academic debates may focus on the extent to which human sexuality is a result of nature or nurture, or whether it is inherent to Western or African culture, the reality is that diversity in terms of sexual orientation is part of the recorded history of virtually all societies.
Tolerance and acceptance of such diversity has not been easily secured, but those nations that have afforded equal rights to sexual minorities alongside a multitude of other diverse identities can justifiably claim the benefits of an equitable and just environment for their citizens who live in, and actively contribute to an inclusive and productive state.
The University of the Witwatersrand values diversity and believes that its student and staff body should reflect a multiplicity of race, gender, socio-economic background, urban and rural geographic origin, culture, ethnicity, disability, religion, national origin and sexual orientation. Indeed it believes that everyone has a role to play in furthering human development and that diversity can only enhance learning and the generation human knowledge. Such principles are the foundation of university policies and are underpinned by values enshrined within the constitution of South Africa.
It is the University’s view that recent legislation in Africa and elsewhere that seeks to criminalise sexual minorities, runs counter to these values and in addition contravenes key articles contained within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is apparent that these legislations are driven, not by a desire to address true criminality but rather are projected by an incomplete understanding of human sexuality compounded by an orchestrated campaign of hate towards vulnerable groups. South Africans understand only too well the damaging legacy that hate founded on institutionalised prejudice can deliver and that while the seeds of hate are easy to sow, they can take generations to uproot once they have spread and taken hold.

Leadership carries with it a huge responsibility, not least of which is protection of minority rights from the ebb and flow of opinion amongst the “moral majority”. The University (that counts amongst its staff and students, thinkers from across the continent of Africa), stands with other academic institutions in urging leaders to reflect carefully on what they have allowed to pass and points out that history will judge harshly those who are responsible for imprisoning others as a result of whom they love. We strongly urge that these laws be rescinded and encourage others who value the sanctity of Universal Human Rights to call for the same.