According to a tradition that has developed over the decades, every three years the Institute of African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences holds a conference of Africanists, which is usually timed to coincide with Africa Day. The XII conference "Africa in the Context of a Paradigm Shift in Global Development" was held on May 24-26, 2011. Historians, economists, political scientists, sociologists, environmentalists, cultural scientists, linguists and anthropologists shared the latest results of their research, discussed a wide range of contemporary problems in Africa and tried to make forecasts for the continent's development.

This year's forum brought together 250 scientists from academic institutes and universities in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Kirov, Syktyvkar and Yaroslavl, as well as African studies researchers from Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. Foreign participants of the conference, which is more than 30 people, came from 15 countries in Africa, Europe, North and South America and Asia.

The opening ceremony of the conference was attended by the heads of African diplomatic missions in Moscow, representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Roszarubezhcenter, and institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The Forum of Africanists was opened by the Director of the Institute of African Studies, Corresponding member. RAS A. M. Vasiliev. Then Jibrin Abdul, Deputy Doyen of the African Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Chad to the Russian Federation, addressed the scientists with a parting speech. On behalf of the Ministry of foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation was presented by the Deputy Director of the Department of Africa V. N. Fedotov.

A. M. Vasiliev's report "Tsunami of Revolutions: New Geopolitical Realities", devoted to the global political changes of the last half-year in the Arab world, set a high bar for scientific discussion. He analyzed in detail the causes of revolutions, their nature, driving forces, methods and results. Looking consistently at the situation in three countries - Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya - he came to the conclusion that, in addition to the obvious causes of the explosion of discontent in the Arab world, such as corruption, unemployment, the gap between rich and poor, and the lack of democratic rights and freedoms, there are new acute trends in public life. We are talking about the rapid growth of general discontent in the context of widespread access to information technologies, especially among young people, who make up 40-50% of the population in Arab countries. Another conclusion is that political regimes, as a rule, are late in their evolution with overdue changes in social and economic structures. The fact that some African leaders have been in power for too long should also be seen as a destabilizing element. The outlook for North African countries is alarming: at best, the new political systems may be similar to the Turkish model: a democracy with a strong Islamic party and a military in the background. But first they will have to go through a period of post-revolutionary economic instability, fraught with new social explosions.

At the section "Africa in the context of global climate change" (heads - V. I. Gusarov and A. A. Alimov) 15 speakers discussed both pan-African environmental issues and the situation in individual countries of the continent. Experts came to the conclusion that the previously identified trends in the aggravation of the socio-ecological crisis in African countries not only persist, constantly changing, but also take on new forms. The most dangerous phenomena should be considered such as degradation of the natural environment, one of the manifestations of which is desertification, depletion of water resources in Africa, the rapid spread of the AIDS pandemic - one of the most tragic results of human-nature interaction.

Work of the section " Africa in the system of modern international relations. Russian-African Relations " (head-E. N. Korendyasov) it aroused great interest of the conference participants and became one of the most visited. 18 reports of both Russian and foreign scientists were heard. The session was attended by Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya to the Russian Federation P. K. Kurgat. Issues related to the place and role of the African continent in the system of international relations, the participation of African countries in international and regional organizations, and the position of African leaders in relation to the UN were discussed. Another important topic of scientific discussion is crisis and conflict situations on the African continent and the possibilities of their resolution. The section paid considerable attention to analyzing the state and forecasting the development of Russian-African cooperation, opportunities for Russian business in Africa, and prospects for expanding investment and trade cooperation.

The section " African Diasporas: Evolution in Time and Space "(head-T. M. Gavristova) focused on both historical issues - the formation and evolution of African diasporas, their history and cultural heritage, and discussions on topical issues related to the problems of authenticity and identity, adaptation and assimilation of Africans in European countries, America and Asia.

The problems of the reports delivered at the section " Studying the history of Africa in Russian African studies "(head-A. B. Davidson) chronologically cover the XVIII-XX centuries. Speakers and panelists paid attention to the problem of historical sources and historiography in Russian African studies, paid tribute to researchers and scientists of the imperial and Soviet periods of our history. Discussing the current trends in the development of relations between Russia and African countries, the participants came to the conclusion that it is necessary to expand and deepen mutual knowledge, both historical and regional.

The special interest of the conference participants was aroused by the work of the section " African Policy of the BRICS countries "(head-A. A. Arkhangelskaya). 11 speakers from 7 countries presented both the positions of the BRICS member states and the view of the organization's activities from the EU and the United States. The discussion was opened by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of South Africa to the Russian Federation Mandisi Mpahlwa. The participants of the discussion came to the conclusion that the role of such interstate associations as BRICS is increasing in the modern world. Without taking into account the impact of China, India, Brazil, Russia, and South Africa on international politics and the economy, it is impossible to forecast the development of the world as a whole and its individual regions. In the course of work

The section analyzed the African policy of each of the BRICS member countries in the light of the redistribution of spheres of influence on this continent due to the entry of new players into the struggle, such as China, India and Brazil.

The problems of the reports of the section " Civilizational paradigm of the world order and Africa "(head-I. V. Sledzevsky) touched upon the civilizational aspects of the transformation of the modern world order. Speakers noted that the relevance of this topic is determined by the growing contradictions of globalization, the growing importance of cultural world systems or supercultures in parallel with the multicultural component of globalization. The panelists assessed Africa's place and role in the global competition of basic values and cultural models of the world, the growing role of global regions, the growing influence of transnational institutions and social networks, and the rise of new religious and social movements. A different vision of potential threats and stabilizing mechanisms of this order, such as: the clash and dialogue of civilizations; global modernization of cultures and the conversion of archaic culture into modern culture in the form of the mythology of mass culture, the phenomenon of the "magical renaissance", neo-paganism; a break with the ethical norms of civilization and attempts to form a global ethics - made it possible to civilizational alternatives to Africa.

Within the section "Conflicts in Africa after the end of the Cold War: origins, main forms and consequences", two sub - sections worked:" Ethnicity and conflicts" (head-R. A. Shishkin). N. Ismagilova) and " Conflicts in Africa: origins and typology "(supervisor-N. D. Kosukhin). The section heard and discussed 17 reports of Russian and foreign participants. The main attention was paid to the analysis of the current model of African conflicts. It was noted that the collapse of the bipolar system of international relations did not have a stabilizing effect on the situation in the sphere of regional security, but, on the contrary, led to the aggravation of many deep historical conflicts. Speakers emphasized that the nature of African conflicts is diverse and is determined by a complex of socio-economic, historical, ethnic, confessional and civilizational factors. There is a model of a typical African conflict, which is characterized by common features: first, the crisis of statehood against the background of corruption of the government; secondly, the presence of many participants who have their own motivation in the development of the conflict. Third, the harsh tactics of the opposing forces ' behavior, including mass murder, genocide, and ethnic cleansing. Fourth, involving neighboring countries in the conflict and influencing the situation in the region as a whole.

At the section " Cultural and historical context of development in the context of changing orientations of social evolution "(headed by V. V. Gribanova, N. A. Zherlitsyna), 12 speakers from Russia, Kazakhstan, Belgium, and France mainly covered two topics: the historical aspect of relations between African countries and Russia/The USSR and the study of the cultural heritage of the peoples of the continent. Special attention was paid to the processes that emerged on the continent and in Russian-African relations at crucial moments in world history, such as the First and Second World Wars, the period of struggle for independence and the acquisition of sovereignty by African countries in the early 1960s. The debate on cultural issues led the participants of the discussion to understand the experience of intercultural interaction in the historical perspective.

The topic of almost two dozen reports on the section " Gender and public policy in Africa of the XXI century: new trends and prospects "(headed by N. L. Krylova, N. A. Ksenofontova) outlined new trends and prospects of public policy of African countries in relation to the female population of the continent. Various aspects of the gender situation and its impact on the development of African countries in the context of globalization were analyzed. Among them: the features and causes of gender inequality in different countries of the African continent; the costs of discrimination against women in fundamental rights, access to education, resources and economic opportunities, and participation in public life; gender aspects of national, social and cultural self-identification; problems of identity acquisition in the movement of migration flows. It is traditional for the work of the gender section to address the problems of compatriots who "settled" in Africa throughout the XX century.

Section " Information, education and language policy in Africa in the light of globalization and regionalization "(heads-V. S. Yagya, K. A. Pantserev) -

She focused on the problem of developing the foundations of information, education and language policy in African countries. The speakers agreed that in the modern world, the formation of a new social order based on the latest information and telecommunications technologies is increasingly clearly observed. An information society is being formed, in which the organization and processing of information and knowledge plays a crucial role. Panellists noted that the vast majority of African countries expressed concern about the nature of the emerging information and communication space and sought to play a more prominent role in the modern world.

The section " Interaction of literatures and cultures of Africa and the African Diaspora: stages, trends, prospects "(headed by N. A. Dobronravin, A. Yu. Siim) was built around the discussion of the history and current trends in the development of literatures and cultures of Africa and African diasporas in the world. Speakers and panelists addressed issues such as the role of religion in African book cultures, clarifying the boundaries between author's literature and folklore, and choosing a language and script as part of the literary process. Special attention was drawn to reports on the theory of creolization, in particular creolization of literatures and cultures in Africa and South America.

More than 15 reports were presented at the section " Islamic Challenge to the Modern World order: from civilizational identity to a global Caliphate? The experience of the Muslim world's regions "(managers-A. D. Savateev, E. F. Kisriev). Experts on modern Islam gathered at the session of the section were unanimous in their assessment of the place of this world religion in the modern world. Islam has become one of the leading factors in international relations, it is changing the geometry of the global world, offering humanity its own civilizational project. The Islamic world is expanding, and its impact on all spheres of social and political life is deepening, both in the Muslim world and in regions where other civilizations predominate. We can say that the idea of a worldwide Islamic caliphate is being implemented. This process is growing in Africa, including sub-Saharan Africa. The Muslim religion is becoming dominant for a number of peoples, for example, in Tropical Africa, where it is rapidly replacing traditional African beliefs and Christianity within a generation. The scientific debate touched upon such topics as the immediate prospects and scenarios for the formation of Islam as a civilizational and religious-political phenomenon; the reasons for the rapid expansion and strengthening of Islamic civilization.

The linguistic section "Language in the Context of changing socio-cultural paradigms in Africa" (headed by V. A. Vinogradov and V. Ya.Porkhomovsky) attracted more than 30 scientists representing linguistic schools of Russian African studies from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Syktyvkar, as well as colleagues from Great Britain and France. The discussion focused on sociolinguistic studies of cultural and linguistic situations, comparative historical studies of African languages, problems of genetic classification, African dialectology and area studies. The reports focused on specific languages and language families, and many of the reports were based on original materials obtained from field surveys in Africa.

The section "The Middle East and North Africa: Modernization in the context of globalization" (headed by A. A. Tkachenko) was attended by Arab scientists from the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as well as researchers from Sudan and the United Arab Emirates. The speakers focused on the problem of regional conflicts and civil wars in the region; transformation of traditional societies in the context of globalization; features of modernization of national economies in the light of major global trends and regional and country-specific features.

At the section" Peace agreements and strengthening political order in Africa " (head - A. Jilonen), speakers from Germany, Spain, the United States, South Africa and Russia discussed the situation in African countries that have long-standing conflicts and are trying to resolve them by concluding peace agreements. These are, for example, Sierra Leone in 2001, Angola in 2002, Liberia in 2003, Sudan in 2005-2006, the Central African Republic in 2008, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2008. However, some of these peace agreements have not been implemented. The subject of scientific discussion was the conditions necessary for overcoming conflicts, implementing peace agreements and strengthening political order in African countries.

8 reports were presented at the section " Religions in modern Tropical Africa: evolution of structures and content "(head-O. I. Kavykin). In addition to the speakers, the discussion was attended by employees of the Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The following phenomena of spiritual and religious culture of Africans were discussed: global influences and local conditions for the development of religions; the spread of monotheistic religions; traditional beliefs in modern conditions; syncretic religions, neo-paganism in Tropical Africa; new religious trends; the emergence of secular consciousness and post-Christian values in modern conditions.

At the section "South Africa: Modernization, elections, regional cooperation" (head - A. A. Tokarev), speakers from Russia, Great Britain, Germany and South Africa made 7 reports. They discussed the political processes in Southern Africa, the results of recent elections in the region, the militarization of politics and the economic consequences of the loss of state legitimacy during the apartheid period, and the role of public organizations in its elimination. A lively discussion was caused by reports related to regional cooperation (NEPAD, PALOP), assistance to the countries of Southern Africa from the USSR/Russia, the GDR and other countries at the stage of anti-colonial struggle. Attention was also paid to issues of economic development of the region, such as modernization of national economies.

At the section " State Economic Policy and Business: new phenomena "(head - E. V. Morozenskaya), 12 main reports were heard and discussed, as well as over 10 additions on the issues raised, and an active discussion was held on most of the problems raised. The main focus of the discussion was on the following issues: the change in the direction and scale of foreign investment in Africa by China, the United States and EU countries during the global financial crisis of 2008 - 2009; the policy of these States and international financial organizations towards Africa. In addition, the scientists discussed changes in the economic policies of African states, the investment climate, and budget regulation. Concern was expressed about the growing impact of Africa's most pressing problems, such as poverty and corruption, on domestic economic processes.

At the sessions of the section "Trends in the socio-economic, political and cultural development of Tropical African countries in the context of the formation of a multipolar world" (heads - T. S. Denisova, L. V. Geveling), 9 participants made presentations. They discussed the development problems of the countries of the region, the socio-economic situation in the countries of Tropical Africa. Most attention was paid to the specifics of holding general elections, their country specifics, issues of maintaining political stability in the post-election period,the alignment of political forces, and the causes of conflict situations.

The section" Zimbabwe at the Crossroads " (headed by V. G. Shubin) focused on the complex political situation that emerged as a result of the ambiguous results of the spring - summer 2011 elections in this country. Scientists from Russia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom examined the causes of the political crisis, analyzed internal and external factors that affected the situation in the country, assessed the steps taken for national reconciliation and recovery, and made forecasts for the development of the situation.

The presentations of the participants of the "Free Section" (headed by D. M. Bondarenko) reflected the diversity of scientific directions in modern African studies: historians, anthropologists, sociologists and economists took part in the work of the section. Comparison of various scientific approaches has undoubtedly made it possible to enrich the analysis of the stated problems.

The conference was closed by a brief plenary session. The results of the work were summed up by the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Russian Academy of Sciences A.M. Vasiliev and the executive secretary of the organizing committee N. A. Zherlitsyna. The conference demonstrated the growing interest in Africa in Russia and the world. This scientific event, which has been held for several decades, has confirmed its status as one of the main forums of Russian and foreign Africanists for a comprehensive discussion of African problems.

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