Being at the crossroads of several disciplines such as anthropology, literature, and sociolinguistics and so on, these three notions provide enough space for diversified scientific productions. In any event, written productions are ineluctably boosted by technological development in the field of digitized communication in order to strive in an era which is notorious for its want of piety, or sense of the past. Unsurprisingly, against such a background of globalization and transhumance and standing on the edge hybridization and heterogeneity, men have been too busy making gadgets, cars and wars to care much about other issues.

Furthermore, in these post-colonial and post-modern contexts, specifications and all form of idiosyncrasies seem to be subverted and swept by the wind of globalization. In fact, standardization has become the watchword. Within this framework, it should be recalled that both the events and their recollection help people shape their reactions and attitudes to present as well as future conditions since people are unavoidably committed to questionable assumptions about the nature of man and the world. Each of us is a product of history. Our past has brought us to where we are today. The more fully we understand that past, the better we are likely to understand ourselves.

Therefore, in an attempt to select interpret and evaluate facts, our symposium raises questions of topical interests: of what value are concepts like historiography, memory and identity in reference with Africa? And if they are useful, in what ways? What sort of discourse should be put in perspective? How to rehabilitate Africa’s past without shutting it out from the present and the future altogether? How to reconcile our identities? By using Africa as a case study, we’ll try to explore a part of the human experience.

Papers might include the following:

- Conflict and resistance in African history.
- Identity, memory and oral history in Africa.
- Receptiveness and literary writing of history, memory and identity in Africa
- Pedagogy and language sciences and their relation with history, memory and identity.

Please note that the languages of the conference are English/French/Arabic and presentation time for each paper is limited to 20 minutes.

Abstracts and a short bio notice should be sent by 31 October 2009 to: .

Our research team (Laboratoire de Langues, Littérature, Civilisation & Histoire en Afrique) offers full accommodation for 3 nights to all participants. Travel expenses will, however, be at the charge of participants.

A selection of papers will be published in the Africa & the West Journal in a volume of proceedings by the end of 2010.

Participants are kindly advised to check with the Algerian Embassy in the country of their residence whether they are required to have a visa to get to Algeria.