Addis Ababa, 27 August 2021 (ECA) - The African Land Policy Centre, a joint initiative of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Union Commission and the African Development Bank is inviting young Africans on the continent and in the diaspora to submit short stories on land governance in Africa by 31st August 2021
This is part of the upcoming Conference on Land Policy in Africa CLPA 2021 under the theme “Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building Africa We Want”. It will take place in Kigali, Rwanda and online on November 2-4, 2021.
The short stories’ focus should be on the complexity of land issues in Africa and the opportunities that land provides to communities for, among others, food, identity, spirituality, culture, and heritage. The stories should also showcase how land is a site of struggle, tension and creativity.
The stories should interrogate questions such as: How would rural and urban areas in Africa look like if there was very poor land governance? How would it be fixed to support the Africa We Want? How can that experience be told artistically through the lens of African characters and sensitivity to landscapes?
The short stories are expected to be grounded on African perspectives, present or possible realities and futures as seen through the opportunities and challenges of land governance in Africa. They should capture the imagination around land issues confronting the African continent: land and spirituality in the African socio-cultural context; education and knowledge systems in inclusive land governance; women perspectives to secure tenure rights; land in African cultural heritage and creative industries; decolonization and social change, among others. At the core of the short story will be land and how it plays out in the lives of the African people. explore imaginative narratives culled from the following genres: Afrofuturism, Science Fiction, Action Adventure, Fantasy, Speculative fiction, Suspense, YA, Historical Fiction, Mystery/Crime and Literary Fiction. Stories can be submitted in English or French and should not be less than 2,000 words or exceed 3000 words.
Only one entry per submission will be accepted. All submissions must be the original work of the author. Stories that are published elsewhere (online or print form) are welcome but with a notice of publishing permissions.
Writers should introduce themselves, attach their submission in Microsoft word and send their stories to eca-info@un.org with the subject: Short Story Submission on Land Governance towards the Africa We Want. Only the selected authors will be acknowledged and invited to participate in a workshop to enhance their submissions. The winning short stories will be awarded a cash prize, while 2 others will be awarded Special Mention during the CLPA. All short-listed entries will be published in an Anthology of Short Stories on Land in Africa to be launched at the CLPA 2021 in Kigali.
The CLPA Conference theme aligns with the African Union Declaration of 2021 as "Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building Africa We Want," which is epitomized by Aspiration 5 of Agenda 2063 of the African Union. The conference focus is on African heritage and cultural dimensions of land and the potential to secure livelihoods, economic growth, and sustainable development through the creative economy in both the rural and urban settings. Aspiration 5 of Agenda 2063 also places emphasis on fostering innovation, stimulating social and economic value through creativity, talent, intellectual capital, expressions of the arts, and cultural entrepreneurship.
For more information about the Conference on Land in Africa (CLPA 2021) and the Call for Short Stories, go to https://www.uneca.org/clpa2021
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