International Symposium at the Royal Museum for Central Africa, December 8th – 9th, 2008

Searching for and exploiting natural resources in Central Africa play an important though ambiguous part in the area overall growth. This search attracts politicians, business and mass media’s attention. With this symposium on such crucial issues, the RMCA offers an excellent meeting place and discussion forum and puts to the benefit of all parties involved its comparative advantage of being at the same time a Museum and a Research Institute devoted to both the nature and culture of Central Africa. This event seeks to trigger research on valid ways to get all participants of society benefit from the development of natural resources, while taking into account their natural environment and cultural values, and enabling these participants to access information easily.

DRC mining sector, taken as an example for its fundamental matter on peace and better future in the area, will be our case study. This, through a global, multidisciplinary and trans-sector based approach. RMCA, thanks to its multidisciplinary experience and initiative in various projects, intends to confront analysts to fieldworkers, in a hopefully original contribution, among so many past and future surveys, remarks and recommendations on that topic.

Poster Session - Call for paper A call for paper is organized by the RMCA (Belgium) in the framework of the International Symposium The Quest for Natural Resources in Central Africa. The Case of the Mining Sector in DRC

Information for authors This call is strictly aiming at students and researchers part of a university, an organisation or an institution, all disciplines concerned.

Posters will communicate about a most recent, precise and original single- or team- work, related to the themes the symposium is dealing with (see program:
http://www.africamuseum.be/research/dept4/colloquium-dec08/research/dept4/colloquium-dec08/index_html). Posters must explain what is at stake in the case of mining sector, and stress new thoughts and research results, in order to attract interest, and help circulating information to the symposium audience. Posters will be on show at the auditorium entrance, a very busy meeting point.

NB - The RMCA will take care of printing, hanging and displaying the selected posters.

- When entering their poster in this contest, the authors must bear in mind that RMCA will retain all copyrights, when reproducing, circulating and publishing, whatever medium being concerned.

- The winners will receive a formal invitation to join the symposium. However, the RMCA won’t cover the costs linked to this invitation (including among others travel fees and hotel costs), which will be at the expense of the participants.

- Whatever the reason may be, the RMCA has the right to cancel the poster session, anytime, – including during the symposium.

How to apply?

Should you consider applying, please, send strictly by e-mail, to sabine.cornelis@africamuseum.be, before August 30th 2008: - the participation proposal information document :

http://www.africamuseum.be/research/dept4/colloquium-dec08/research/dept4/colloquium-dec08/posterENG.doc - a copy of each author’s ID (student or professional)

- your final poster, as a pdf, at an approximate printable size of 100 cm high x 85 cm wide

All incomplete applications, or arriving after August 30th 2008, will be rejected. The selecting committee will meet in the second week of September and final results will be individually announced by September 30th, 2008.

For any additional information, please contact:

sabine.cornelis@africamuseum.be and mathilde.leduc@africamuseum.be

Send your poster to sabine.cornelis@africamuseum.be before August 30th 2008

By applying, each author and/or group of authors agrees to the committee’s decision regarding their application and subscribe to the rules and regulations as described above.