|
Before the twentieth century, mankind has been involved in sectionalized lethally genocidal violence directed against cultural “Others.” These genocides generally included the extermination of massive population of people; were often politically motivated; and were mostly state-sponsored or enjoyed the sympathy of the apparatuses of the state. Despite the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which came into force in 1951, the twentieth century recorded arguably the most documented genocides in history. These included the systematic decimation of the Armenian populations in the former Ottoman Empire (now, Turkey), the Jewish people in Nazi Germany, Kosovans in the former Yugoslavia, the Tutsis in Rwanda, and most recently the brutal massacre in Darfur by the government of Sudan. However, one of the least documented of the twentieth century genocides was the one committed against the Igbo people of Nigeria. The Igbo genocide was a mass carnage fomented, orchestrated, executed, and supervised by the Nigerian state.
The lessons of the Holocaust have led to the emergence of the “Never Again” consciousness of the global Jewish politics. Similarly, Armenians (though to a lesser degree) have been proactive in documenting and using the historical evidence of their own genocidal treatment by Turkey in negotiating their position in regional and international politics. However, unlike the Jews and the Armenians, Igbo scholars have neither systematically documented the genocidal experience of the Igbos in both antebellum and postbellum Nigeria nor used that experience in negotiating their participation in the contemporary Nigerian project. This edition of Mbari challenges scholars of Igbo studies and interest to facilitate this process.
The editors of Mbari: The International Journal of Igbo Studies invite submissions for a special issue of the journal to be published in 2009 focusing on the Igbo Genocide. The deadline for the submission of abstract is June 15, 2009.
Mbari is a peer reviewed scholarly journal published twice a year and the voice of scholars on all aspects of Igbo life, including topics related to the Igbo Diaspora worldwide. Its interdisciplinary approach offers readers a critical view of the socioeconomic, political, and cultural life of the Igbo people in Africa and the African Diaspora. It emphasizes original research, fresh conceptualization, and new viewpoints on a variety of topics relating to aspects of the Igbo language, history, literature, politics, philosophy, folklore, culture, economy, and the role of the Igbo in the broader African Diaspora.
Submissions in English and Igbo are welcome. Graphic submissions are also welcome. Manuscripts should be typed in Microsoft Word 12 point in Times New Roman and should be double spaced; the Chicago Manual referencing must be followed. Illustrations, figures or plates should be in excellent quality for reproduction.
Authors can send their manuscripts to the Guest Editor, Dr. Ifeanyi Ezeonu, Department of Sociology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, iezeonu@brocku.ca as an email attachment. Further details can be obtained by contacting the Editor, Dr. Chima J. Korieh, Department of History, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881. Tel: (414) 288-3563. Fax: (414) 288-5099. Email: chima.korieh@marquette.edu
|
