African nation struggles to become a democracy

CONTACT: Ellen
Chang
PHONE: (713) 348-6777
EMAIL: ellenc@rice.edu

 
AFRICAN NATION
STRUGGLES TO BECOME A DEMOCRACY
Conference to focus on changes in
Cameroon

The struggles of a
central African nation’s efforts to become a democracy will be discussed at the
Cameroon Transitions and Transformations Conference April 6-8 at Rice
University.

“What we really want to
do is take a snapshot of what is going on in Cameroon at this critical moment in
history,” said Elias Bongmba, assistant professor of religious
studies.

Cameroon has a
population of 14 million and has experienced problems with its transition to a
democracy. The country also has been plagued with human rights abuses,
environmental concerns such as the Chad-Cameroon pipeline and economic problems,
he said.

Scholars will discuss
different aspects of the Cameroon society such as ethnic conflicts, citizenship,
rituals, occult power, religion and the state and labor from historical and
analytical perspectives.

Speakers from Africa,
the Netherlands and the United States also will talk about the country’s
architecture, empowerment of women, health care, political economy, legal and
constitutional issues, land and political unity.

The conference is
sponsored by the Rockwell Colloquium, religious studies department, Dean of
Humanities, Center for the Study of Cultures and the Houston Area African
Studies Study Group. It is free and open to the public.

For more information,
see <www.ruf.rice.edu/~religion/people_events/cameroon.htm>.

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