GAF - Genealogies of African Freedoms

Scientific coordinator: Prof. Bruno Riccio  

UNIBO’s role: Local research unit  

Project Team: 

Principal Investigator: Prof. Alice Bellagamba - Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca 

Partners:  

Prof. Gusman Alessandro, Università degli Studi di Torino,  

Prof. Valsecchi Pierluigi, Università degli Studi di Pavia 

Project Duration: 36 months (extended)

Start Date: 18/03/2020

End Date: 18/03/2024

Status: active 

Total Budget: 580.920,00 euro 

UNIBO Budget: 134.000,00 euro  

Project’s Topics: Freedoms, Africa, History, Diaspora 

Description :  The project explores the meanings of freedom from the standpoint of ordinary African men and women of the past and the present. The approach integrates fresh-case studies, interdisciplinary cross-fertilization and comparison across contexts and historical periods, by ushering the dialogue between African Studies, political anthropology, the history of Africa, theoretical and political philosophy, critical sociology, ethnolinguistic and psychology. 

Four research units (Milan-Bicocca, Turin, Bologna, Pavia) pursue three targets: 1) Lexicons of African freedoms (expands the knowledge of African vocabularies of freedom at the crossroad between internal an external dynamics), 2) Cross-fertilization (enhances transversal communication and interdisciplinary exchange); 3) New generation (consolidates the national research base and support the careers paths of junior scholars).  

GAF establishes an Italian network of excellence, which promises to become a point of reference for the international community. The project meets Horizon 2020 agenda for inclusive and cohesive societies by producing/disseminating knowledge that fosters models and policies options of cultural and social cohabitation.