WARA Summer Institute for College and University Faculty
Summer 2006, July 16-29
West African Research Center (WARC)
Dakar, Senegal
Program Statement: Environmental degradation is a global issue which highlights disparities between the north and south, between problems of “over development” and underdevelopment. Yet, tourism is an increasingly important source of income for West African states. Along with it come serious issues related to management of the natural environment, ecological dynamics, changing demographics, and the protection and use of national patrimonies. This institute will provide a forum for exploration, exchange of ideas, and observation of real-life applications. Discussions and readings will be concerned with the following large themes:

• Visual Tourism
• Parks and Pasturelands
• Monuments, Historic Sites and Cultural Sites
• Ethical Issues in Promoting Tourism
• Publicity, Advertising and Country Identities

Required readings will include The Ecology of Practice (Nyerges, 1997) and selected book excerpts and articles which will be distributed before the Institute. Scholars and practitioners whose work centers in West Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal) as well as East Africa (Uganda, Kenya), will also participate, providing a rich basis for comparison of experiences and ontological traditions in the field. Topics will include recent debates in academia regarding conservation studies in the Africanist agenda, local income generation issues, cultural integrity and marketing “authenticity,” and the various roles of African NGOs and American PVOs in the field and in policy development. This Institute will be of particular interest for scholars and practitioners in the fields of geography, parks and recreation studies, anthropology, economics, ecology and environment studies, rural sociology, international business and marketing, and cultural studies (particularly African studies).

Dr. Wendy Wilson-Fall, Associate Professor in Pan African Studies and Adjunct in Anthropology at Kent State University, served as Director of the West African Research Center (1999-2004) and also worked with NARS in Senegal and in Niger. As an applied anthropologist, she has provided technical support to various development initiatives, including a 2003 study on hunting concessions and conservation in Senegal. Wilson-Fall has published on Fulani pastoralists and herding (African Philosophy(1999), Nomadic Peoples (1995), (Nomads Dialogue, 1990); on rural development (Drylands Research Institute, 2000), and on applied research in Senegal (2000,1997).

Tentative Schedule and Itinerary: Based at the West African Research Center (WARC) in Dakar, time will be divided between lectures, seminars (mornings), and hands-on experiences in the field (afternoons and weekends). In addition to lectures and on-site visits to conservation and protected area sites, participants will travel to Goree Island and the city of Saint Louis, both points of touristic and historical interest. Other sites include Djoudj Bird Park, les Madelines, mangrove areas, Somone, etc.

Costs: The cost per participant is $2,500. This fee will include the full cost of the seminar sessions at the WARC); lodging, breakfasts, lunches, and approximately one half of evening meals; as well as institute-related in-country transportation. Participants will be responsible for their own airfare to and from Dakar; bar, telephone and other incidental expenses; and occasional evening meals. Application: Participation in the seminar will be limited to 15. Application forms can be downloaded from the WARA website: www.africa.ufl.edu/WARA. For more information, please contact WARA at wara@bu.edu. Applications must be received by February 1, 2006 . A $500 deposit is required to reserve a space upon notification of acceptance to the institute. This deposit will be non-refundable after 1 April 2006. The balance of $2,000 must be paid before the start of the institute. A detailed program will be sent to all participants in early May.