A Passage to/from Africa.
Rythmic exchanges in the Western Indian Ocean

Seascapes  and  landscapes  in  the  Western  Indian  Ocean  have  long  been  intertwined.  Given  its geomorphology, the sea waters were and are an asset rather than a barrier to human exchanges and to the assertion of power.  

Communication along its shores developed forms of contiguity that overcame its expanses. Islands became bridges between continents and regions; languages such as Kiswahili cemented contacts, spread beliefs and created common heritages, seeping from coastal areas to the hinterland.

For centuries, the rhythm of such movements and exchanges was made possible but also conditioned by the seasonality of the monsoon regime. This cadence is a major structuring feature of the fluid networks linking East Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, the Persian Gulf, and the Western regions of the Indian subcontinent.

How did the rhythmic nature of these complex exchanges shape a plurality of practices and historical processes, and what of this shared heritage influences contemporaneity? Delving through its many variations, interactions and incidences is the challenge this interdisciplinary and interregional Conference aims to address. 

This Conference calls for papers on issues concerning Africa and the Indian Ocean, bringing together researchers interested in discussing the following topics:

• Interpretations and representations of cultural encounters

• Mobility as a way of life, and its local impacts

• Diversification of religious ideas and practices

• Hegemonic powers and the dialectics of dependence and resistance

• Social asymmetries, economic exchanges, and political reconstructions

• Popular culture, oral and written literary traditions

• Colonialisms and decolonizing perspectives

The Conference will be held at the University of Urbino in Italy on the 4 - 6 of April 2024

The Center for International Studies (CEI-IUL) is co-organiser of the event.

Deadline for sending abstracts is 8 January 2024. 

Accepted papers will be announced by 15 February 2024.

Please send your abstract to our secretariat at: crg.wio.urbino@gmail.com