ASAUK Conference 2024 - Generation and Regeneration

The Nigeria-Biafra war posed significant challenges for the Igbo people between 1967 and 1970, marked by violence and inadequate sustenance. This profoundly impacted their collective memory. Despite existing literature, there's a gap in understanding how subsequent generations recall and adapt to this period. This study employs Professor Uju Anya's tweet on Queen Elizabeth II to demonstrate that succeeding Biafran survivors maintain a deep connection to their tumultuous history. My aims of this study are manifold: to understand the role of the family as a space of transmission as it is seen in the action of Uju Anya who was born few years after the Nigeria-Biafra war. This research will also explore how this traumatic experience that preceded her birth nevertheless transmitted so deeply to constitute memories of her own and that of her generation. It is important to understand what the second generation of the Biafran survivors expected from those who had the power to change the course of theirdestinies but chose silence or indifference to the Biafra woes, as represented by Queen Elizabeth II. The research draws on archival materials, extensive Southeast region interviews, and engagement with diverse social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. It also incorporates insights from literature and scholarly sources for a comprehensive comparative analysis. Situated within Marianne Hirsch's post memory framework, this research is valuable for contributing to discussions on promoting justice, peace, and conflict resolution in Africa.

ASAUK 2024  

The African Studies Association of the UK (ASAUK) is the national association for Africanists within the academic community in the UK. Founded in 1963, the objects of ASAUK as defined in its statutes are “to advance African Studies, particularly in the United Kingdom, by providing facilities for the interchange of information and ideas and the co-ordination of activities”.

A major aim of the ASAUK today is to support and strengthen connections between UK and African institutions and academics. The organisation runs a number of programmes to this end, including the biennial ASAUK Conference, the annual Teaching Fellowships and Writing Workshops for early career scholars, and a number of prestigious awards.
 
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Ngozika OBI-ANI's participation to the ASAUK Conference is sponsored by the GATES project and the French National Research Agency (ANR France 2030)