32nd Annual Sudan Studies Association Conference Friday, May 24, 2013 8:00 AM - Sunday, May 26, 2013 5:00 PM (Eastern Time) Greater Sudan has been receiving an extraordinary attention for the last half century from public, scholarly and political circles. Building upon serious scholarly studies, Sudanese conversations, debates and dialogue of past events in addition to forums, and conferences, many scholars, politicians and intellectual workers continued to reflect on which ways the Sudan would go. The upcoming conference will attempt to look even deeper into this phenomenon by examining intersections between past present and future of greater Sudan. We invite papers that engage with, but are not limited to, the following theme: Greater Sudan: Cross Roads to the Future. As always, we expect to bring together scholars working in different disciplines to consider the connections, comparisons, and contrasts between faces and facets of this broad issue. With this in mind, we invite scholars working on any aspect of greater Sudan in local, regional and global fields of action from antiquity to over the last two centuries to contribute theoretically innovative and empirically grounded papers, panels and presentations that might enhance our understanding of such multifaceted experiences, processes of movements and events. Though the central focus of the conference will be on that broader issue, we would welcome contributions on other topics that revolve around greater Sudan in general. You must be registered in order to participate in panels and activities of the conference. If you would like to vote and attend business meetings you must be a paid up member. Panelists may present only one paper or participate in one panel per conference. We have set this limit in order to make limited participant spaces available to as many participants as possible. For those who require additional technology arrangements for Power Point or other similar programs for presentations please notify us ahead of time so that we are better able to accommodate you. (1) Thematic Conversations: Thematic Conversations are extensions of on-going conversations among scholars while exploring new trends and approaches to current or old questions. The conference provides an intellectual venue for like-minded scholars to continue in their discussion, deliberations that they started before in websites or other forums and engage into a face-to-face open academic exchange in an informal structure and within an open though captured audience. Although, there might not be formal presentations, the conversations must have a session chair, participants and a topic. (2) Roundtable: Roundtables provide group(s) or team(s) of scholars an opportunity to sit down to discuss an issue, share opinions, or just to brainstorm through informed discussion and debate concerning the current issues and their state within the wider or the particular fields of scholarship. The roundtable format generally provides an open discussion where the chair and the participants engage themselves and the audience in active discussion. Participants might or might not prepare papers but they should not lecture to the audience. For panel proposals, thematic conversations and roundtables, an abstract of maximum 250 words should be sent together with a 250 word abstract for each paper. Please also include a proposal, names of chair and participating members of each proposed thematic conversation and roundtable. All proposals will be peer reviewed. Abstracts of proposed papers, panels and roundtables should be sent by March 1st, 2013 to Dr. Abdullahi A. Gallab, African and African-American Studies, Religious Studies, Arizona State University. Email: abdullahi.gallab@asu.edu A preliminary program will be announced by April 1s, 2013. Late proposals for papers will be considered only if space is available. Proposals and paper abstracts submitted earlier will receive preferential treatment in scheduling. Acceptance for presentation will depend on the quality of the abstract and the judgment of the program committee. Registration and conference fees must be paid before presenters will be placed in the formal conference program. Stipends of $200 are available for assistance to a limited number of graduate students. Interested persons should contact SSA President Dr. Randall Fegley, Pennsylvania State University, Berks College, Tulpehocken Road, Reading, PA, USA 19610, Tel. (610) 396-6092, e-mail raf8@psu.edu