Bordered by three nations -- Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Congo -- the densely forested Sangha River region of the Congo River basin raises complex issues of forest management. The possibilities and constraints facing these nations' management of the forests in this east African region will be explored in a three-day conference, Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 25-27, that will bring together scholars and conservation professionals from Africa, Europe, Asia and the United States.
"Natural Resource Use Relations in the Trinational Sangha River Region Northwestern Congo River Basin" has been organized by three doctoral students: Heather E. Eves of the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Rebecca Hardin and Stephanie Rupp, both from the department of anthropology.
"Through this conference we aim to create an ongoing network of scholars and conservation professionals from varied national and disciplinary backgrounds who may share research results and perspectives in order to initiate relationships of collaboration and constructive criticism in the analysis of complex equatorial African systems," note the three organizers in their brochure for the event.
The conference will begin at 4 p.m. on Thursday with a keynote address (topic and speaker to be announced) and a plenary session on "National Perspectives from Africa on the Sangha River Region." Among the speakers will be the ministers of forests for Congo, Cameroon and the Central African Republic. This event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the auditorium of Luce Hall, 34 Hillhouse Ave.
Two sessions will be offered on Friday. The first session, 9 a.m.-noon, will explore "Dynamics of the Past;" while the second session, 1-5 p.m., will revolve around the subject "Knowledge and Policy Interactions in Conservation." Among the Yale participants during these sessions are anthropologists Frank Hole, David Watts and Eric Worby, and historian Robert Harms.
On Saturday, "Conservation Approaches in the Region" will be explored in the first session, 9 a.m.-noon. The topic for the second session, 1-5 p.m., will be "Analysis of Trinational Conservation and Development Potential." The Yale affiliates participating are Stephen Kellert, Mark Ashton and Luis Gomez-Echeverri (School of Forestry & Environmental Studies); David Apter (sociology and the Council on African Studies); Robert Evenson (economics); Daniel Esty (School of Management); Owen Lynch and Enrique Mayer (anthropology); Patricia Pessar (American studies and anthropology); James Scott (political science and agrarian studies); and Andrew Willard (Law School).
All events on Friday and Saturday will take place in Room B74 of the School of Management, 55 Hillhouse Ave. Admission is $20 a day for students; $40 a day for non-students and professionals. This fee includes lunch and beverages. Those interested in attending may register on-site. For further information, visit the conference web site at http://www.concentric.net/~evesclan/sangha. For a complete schedule of conference events, send e-mail to conference coordinator Donna Perry at Donna.Perry@yale.edu or call her at 624-7502.