Call for Papers and Abstracts

 

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Wednesday, November 4, 2020

DEADLINE FOR PAPERS/ABSTRACTS: 20 NOVEMBER 2020 | FEEDBACK ON ABSTRACTS: 20 DECEMBER 2020 | CONFERENCE DATE: 11 FEBRUARY 2021
6TH MPUMALANGA ORAL HISTORY CONFERENCE
VENUE: PROVINCIAL ARCHIVES BUILDING, CITY OF MBOMBELA, EHLANZENI DISTRICT

THEME: DECENTRALISED HISTORY, COMMUNITY NARRATIVES AND VILLAGE STORYTELLING:
REMEMBERING 30 YEARS OF THE UNBANNING OF LIBERATION MOVEMENTS.

This year's theme speaks to the need for the nation to take ownership of its history and not exclude themselves from its telling and re-telling. It
opens a space for South Africans to tell their stories beyond that of the rich, famous and powerful. The Oral History Conference intends to
decentralise history from what has been accepted as the mainstream narrative give power back to ordinary people to share stories of their own
communities, oral history, camp re tales and the evolution of societies. It also seeks to unearth stories about untold and unsung individuals,
hear more about normal communities, societies and bring them into the mainstream knowledge economy.

SUB-THEMES:

Oral history practitioners are invited to contribute papers that focus on any of the following sub-themes:

• Oral histories of the missing and untold stories
• Contextualizing the Apartheid narrative: provincial, township and village stories
• History: preserving South Africa's common heritage
• Memory as a weapon; armed and dangerous
• The role of the media during the liberation struggle
• Language: the ultimate depository of culture and knowledge
• Indigenous Knowledge Systems, a new teaching of ancestral ingenuity
• Contested legacies: how was Apartheid a crime against humanity?
• Oral History Teaching and Methodologies
• The Fourth Industrial Revolution: from orality to literature to sound and visuals
• Oral history and the theatrical performance of the past
• Labour struggle, women and oral history
• Youth and oral history
• Oral history and local histories
• Indigenous knowledge, leadership and Chieftaincy

Abstracts are invited for contribution to the 6th Mpumalanga Oral History Conference. Although the conference is primarily academic, case study
reports and other contributions are welcome. The contributions must be based on original work and have a clear focus on oral history.
The Conference will be livestreamed on departmental social media channels and interested contributors are encouraged to bring along to the
Conference papers that are ready for publication.

NB: In line with Covid-19 safety and health protocols, some presentations will be
virtual and the venue will not exceed 50% of its normal capacity.

If you are interested, please send us a short proposal, including:
1. An abstract of your paper or case study report (100-300 words)
2. The relevant conference sub-theme and a title for the paper
3. A short biography of yourself (50-100 words)
4. Your contact information (name and surname, postal address, email address, and phone numbers)
The duration of presentation will be 20 minutes and it will be followed by a 10-minute discussion.
The papers should not be longer than 5000 words.

Send proposal to:
Convener: Mr. Nkitseng Mahalefa
Department of Culture Sport & Recreation
Mpumalanga Provincial Archives
TEL: 013 766 5081,Cell: 067 429 9546, email: nfmahalefa@mpg.gov.za