Tourism figures are expected to rise in July with the staging of the seventh international cultural studies conference of the Association for Cultural Studies (ACS). The ACS is bringing their biennial conference, 2008 ACS Crossroads, to the shores of the Caribbean from July 3-7.  Over 650 international participants from 68 countries expected to attend.

Professor Rex Nettleford, Vice Chancellor Emeritus at The University of the West Indies (UWI) launched the event recently at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, highlighting the significance of the seventh staging of Crossroads in the Caribbean, speaking to the nature of the Caribbean as a fundamental crossroad.

The conference site at the UWI, Mona will house a unique cultural village that will host themed entertainment nights for conference participants and the public.

Themed nights include: Revival Night on Friday, July 4, featuring a thanksgiving table in celebration of sacred aspects of Jamaican culture and the sixtieth anniversary of the UWI. Nyabinghi Night, Saturday, July 5, will feature Mystic Revelations of Rastafari, Akwaaba and Drum Xplosion in a night of drum sounds. Dancehall Night, Sunday, July 6, will feature music from Stone Love and a dancehall fashion show coordinated by the Jamaica Business Development Centre.

While the conference and its cultural village are aimed at drawing attention to Caribbean culture, the keynote speaker is Colombian-born Arturo Escobar, whose presentation on 'Latin America at a Crossroads: Moving Beyond Modernity?' moves the dialogue about culture and power to a regional perspective hardly engaged in the Anglophone Caribbean, say conference organizers. Presenting plenary addresses will be the Caribbean's best, such as Kamau Brathwaite, Rex Nettleford and Carolyn Cooper, who will all present on topics relating to the overall conference theme, 'Of Sacred Crossroads'. Visit the website for more details: www.crossroads2008.org.