Deadline: 05 March 2021
In partnership with the Antislavery Knowledge Network at the University of Liverpool, we are currently accepting submissions for our May-July 2021 issue, in which scholars and experts will critically discuss Modern Slavery in Africa.
Within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals and the socio-economic and political realities such as those presented by the global Covid-19 pandemic, how do we creatively respond to the challenges of modern slavery? An evolving and contested arena, the modern slavery agenda can be seen as presenting various challenges as well as opportunities, conceptually in how we frame conversations around exploitation, both historically and in the present. It also obliges us to focus on the attendant material consequences of such conceptualisations. How we cast what we claim to be a problem, a prognosis of sorts, shapes our responses.
In exploring the entanglements of the modern slavery agenda with, on the one hand, the arts and humanities, and, on the other, the development agenda, we confront questions such as: Why have such a diverse set of phenomena come to be understood and addressed as ‘modern slavery’? How, and with what effects, has this discourse become significant in the development agenda? How could, or should, the arts and humanities play a role in addressing these issues?
Given the foregoing questions, we welcome submissions with a focus on Africa on any following topics:
⎈The perceptions or understandings of modern slavery;
⎈The relationships between modern slavery and historical slavery, racism and colonialism i.e., transatlantic slave trade, slavery and its afterlives;
⎈ Modern slavery or trafficking? How does exploitation manifest in Africa?;
⎈ How have patterns of exploitation changed during the global COVID-19 pandemic?;
⎈ Africa rising? Global capitalism and modern slavery;
⎈ Modern slavery, policy and law;
⎈ The arts and modern slavery;
⎈ Migration, mobility, free movement and modern slavery;
⎈ Environmental issues, climate change, and modern slavery; and
⎈ Other relevant topics in international affairs.
We are looking for analytical and engaging essays, lectures, speeches, reading lists and book reviews that, without sacrificing analytical rigour, can serve as authoritative/definitive subject-matter guides to readers that may have limited knowledge on the issue.
We expect submissions in the range of 1,500 to 5,000 words and will be accepting first drafts until 23:59 (WAT) Friday 05 March 2021.
Authors of accepted submissions to this issue will be paid. Read our guidelines on submitting here and our style guide for details on spelling and formatting.
To submit, please upload your submission here (you will need to log in or register to fill the form).