240019 VS Anthropology of Conservation: Empirical Examples from Africa (3.2.1) (2019W)

The myth of "Wild Africa" is very much kept alive in the tourism industry and its various media of promotion. Major African airports greet their arrivals with huge billboards of lions, leopards, gorillas, elephants, or … indigenous peoples. Yet, species extinction is happening at unprecedented scale. Against the backdrop of ongoing forced evictions of local communities from national parks and game reserves. "Wilderness" and "ancient cultures" are nevertheless marketed in parallel. Rarely for their own benefit. Recently, some of those represented as authentic "Bushmen, Himbas or Zulus" took ownership of their representation and turned to entrepreneurship. Self-designed cultural villages and living museums aim to exploit the global longing for "Wild Africa". The actors’ perspectives on conservation and economic empowerment provide a starting point to probe into new emerging forms of community-centred, self-determined conservation. The Seminar takes a close look on the sale of nature and culture in the realm of ecotourism and ethno-tourism. It aims to make a contribution for increased awareness towards an emerging anthropology of conservation. The lecture part will present documentary films produced by the organiser and international filmmakers. The seminar part opens for a debate of recent developments in the field.