SEMAU Conference 2019

Welcome to the 2019 SEMAU Conference

What is SEMAU?

Every year, the University System of Georgia Africa Council organizes a simulation of the annual meeting of Heads of State of the African Union (AU). The simulation, which takes the form of a three day conference hosted by one of the universities/colleges in the System, is known as SEMAU or the Southeastern Model of the African Union.

Who is hosting SEMAU this year?
Kennesaw State University is proud to host this year's Southeast Model African Union

When: November 7 - 9, 2019

Agenda

Executive Council

The Assembly of Heads of State and Government will receive a report from the Council on the resolution of the crisis.

*Resolution of a crisis TBA
Committee On Democracy, Governance And Human Rights
The Committee on Democracy, Governance and Human Rights will submit to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government one consolidated resolution on each of the two agenda topics. The consolidated resolution on each topic will be based on draft resolutions on specific topics and sub-topics previously submitted and sponsored according to the rules.
1. Implementing the African Charter on Values and Principles of Public Service and Administration: Methods and Programs;
2. Ten-Year Plan of Action Promoting Democracy, Free Elections and Good Governance: Aspirations and Implementation with Special Reference to the Need and Means for Eliminating Corruption;
Committee On Economic Matters
The Committee on Social Matters will submit to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government one consolidated resolution on each of the two agenda topics. The consolidated resolution on each topic will be based on draft resolutions on specific topics and sub-topics previously submitted and sponsored according to the rules.
1. Establishing regular, transparent, comprehensive and gender-responsive labor migration policies, legislation and structures: policies and programs for implementation by the new Continental Operation Center in Sudan and the African Migration Observatory in Morocco
2. Eliminating Youth Unemployment and Promoting the Creativity, Energy and Innovation of African Youth as the Driving Force Behind the Continents Transformation: Aspirations and Implementation.
Committee On Pan-Africanism And Continental Unity
The Committee on Pan-Africanism and Continental Unity may submit to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government one consolidated resolution on each of the two agenda topics. The consolidated resolution on each topic will be based on draft resolutions on specific topics previously submitted and sponsored according to the rules.
1. Reforming the African Union to achieve the highest impact on the continent’s growth and development;
2. The role of the Diaspora in achieving the goals of Agenda 2063: definition of the role and policies and programs for its implementation.
Committee On Peace And Security
The Peace and Security Committee may submit to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government one consolidated resolution on agenda topic 1 and one resolution on each sub-topic of item 2, that is a resolution for each of 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D. The consolidated resolution on each topic and sub-topic will be based on draft resolutions previously submitted and sponsored according to the rules.
1. Toward a permanent peace: creating conditions and programs for the rehabilitation and reintegration of returnees, refugees and internally displaced populations;
2. Conflict Management and Resolution in:
- Somalia
- SADR/Morocco
- South Sudan
- Cameroon
Assembly Of Heads Of State And Government
- Receive Report of the Executive Council on Crisis Resolution
- Debate and Adoption of Resolutions from Committees
- Closing Ceremony (presentation of awards and certificates) and Adjournmen

Spring Conversation Series

Let's Talk with Dr. Krishauna Hines-Gaither

Please join us as we welcome Dr. Krishauna Hines-Gaither for our spring conversation series, "Let's Talk with Dr. Krishauna Hines-Gaither."

See the full list of virtual events along with a description and link to register. Please register in advance for the event you would like to attend. All events will be conducted virtually via Zoom.

About the Speaker

Dr. Krishauna Hines-Gaither serves as the Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. She holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has worked in the field of diversity for over 15 years. Before becoming an administrator, Dr. Hines-Gaither was a college professor for almost two decades. She taught Spanish, (Afro)Latin American Studies, African Diaspora Studies and Women and Gender Studies. She is a frequent speaker, trainer and scholar on a variety of topics related to inclusion. Dr. Hines-Gaither has been quoted in national publications, and she is a leading diversity consultant to top rated U.S. and international companies. Dr. Hines-Gaither is also a popular blogger at Cup of Diversity.com.

Engaging Black and African American Students through Culturally Responsive Lessons

Date: Tuesday, February 23
Time: 3:30 - 5 p.m.

Gain the skills to practice culturally responsive pedagogy. Gloria Ladson-Billings (1995), a forerunner in theorizing culturally responsive pedagogy, defines the term as the “dynamic or synergistic relationship between home/community culture and school culture” (p. 467). In other words, how do we bring the cultures of our students into the classroom so that learning is relevant, relatable, and transformative? This workshop focuses on Black college students (but is applicable to K-12).
How to navigate difficult dialogues on sensitive topics

Date: Tuesday, March 2
Time: 3:30 - 5 p.m.

As our world engages in difficult dialogues on a national scale, the classroom often becomes a microcosm of current events. Educators who work with diverse students online or in face-to-face settings must have tools in their repertoire for engaging difficult dialogues. In this workshop, you will gain hands-on strategies to incorporate, facilitate, and manage content related to racial tensions, social identity, and current events.
Intersectionality

Date: Wednesday, March 17
Time: 3:30 - 5 p.m.

Building on the foundational work of Kimberlé Crenshaw, this workshop examines the foundations of intersectionality in terms of multiple identities, and also intersectional failures. This workshop will also incorporate strategies for building networks of solidarity across differences, and activism from an intersectional lens.
Black women and women of color's strategic voice: How to be heard when no one is listening

Black women are often silenced and made to feel invisible in the workplace, and in other spaces. This workshop examines institutional structures in terms of power dynamics. Gain tangible tools and strategies for how Black women can come from the margin to the center. Learn how to get to the table, and how to maximize your space once there. These tools will be advantageous for women of color in general.
Stereotype Threat

Date: Wednesday, April 14
Time: 3:30 - 5 p.m.

Coined by psychologist Claude Steele, stereotype threat is the tendency to perform down to people’s expectations of a social group. In other words, people perform not based on their abilities, but based on how others perceive them, especially marginalized people. This workshop unpacks the concept of stereotype threat, its counterpart the imposter syndrome, and offers strategies for how to combat them.
Dimensions of Oppression (Personal, Interpersonal, Institutional, Systemic, Cultural)

Date: Tuesday, April 27
Time: 3:30 - 5 p.m.

This workshop presents the five dimensions of oppression and offers examples of each, as well as strategies for combating them. Many individuals are not equipped to combat oppression because they have failed to name it. Some are fighting the wrong fight. They may be attacking an issue on an interpersonal level, that really needs an institutional response. Powerful change can happen when there is a systematic understanding about the inner workings of the dimensions of oppression.