Applications are open for the UNESCO Regional Conference 2019. UNESCO is opening a call for abstracts in preparation of a Regional Conference on the theme: Governance of Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Development and Peaceful Coexistence in Africa, to be held in Accra Ghana, from 10 to 12 October 2019.

UNESCO Regional Conference aims to provide a platform for knowledge production and experience sharing on the governance of diversity, notably cultural diversity, and exploring how best to improve both the existing scholarship and academic work in this area to nurture more effective policy environment, practices, and programmes for grounding peaceful and sustainable inclusive societies. In addition, it is about identifying and sharing of existing good practices worth leveraging on. As well as appropriate review mechanism that could be useful to monitor and inspire a more systemic approach to monitor countries efforts to lay the foundations for peaceful co-existence, unity in diversity.

Moreover, the conference is to take place over three days. Upon reception of abstracts, a Committee will analyze, select and suggest an agenda that will include a keynote to address in a broader sense the theme, and shed more light on the discussions that will be organized within plenary panels and sessions. Further, Each session will comprise panelists with a diverse background including. However,  not limited to academics, experts, government authorities, civil society organization, religious leaders, traditional rulers, as well as youth organizations. Also, methodologies, approaches, and tools offered by the UNESCO Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Programme will be throughout this process.

Conference Sub-themes

• Conceptualizing Cultural Diversity in Africa: Semantic, Epistemological and Philosophical Considerations;
• Governance of Cultural Diversity: An overview from Pre-colonial to Post-colonial African State;
• Governance of Cultural Diversity and the Shaping of National Unity;
• Indigenous peoples and minority groups: Integrating the right to difference in nation-building;
• Further, Reporting diversity, conflict, and violence in a plural-ethnic society: the role of the Media;
• Assessing, measuring, and enhancing cultural diversity: What concrete tools, mechanisms and good practices to sustain reconciliation and resilience for national unity and peaceful coexistence?

Cost

• A selected number of the scholarship will be made available to cover the cost of participation in the conference.

Eligibility

• Open to researchers and academics, as well as practitioners from across Africa.