AFRICAN UNION UNION AFRICAINE
UNIÃO AFRICANA
PERMANENT MISSION IN BRUSSELS MISSION PERMANENTE A BRUXELLES
Avenue Gustave Demey 72-74, 1160, Bruxelles (Belgique) Tel : +32 2 346 9747/48 Fax : +32 2 346 9728 E-mail : africanunion@skynet.be & au-brussels@africa-union.org, Website: www.au.int
2021 AFRICA DAY CELEBRATION
CO-ORGANIZED BY
THE PERMANENT MISSION OF THE AFRICAN UNION AND THE AFRICAN GROUP OF AMBASSADORS IN BRUSSELS IN PARTERSHIP WITH THE AFRICAN DIASPORA
2021 AFRICA DAY CELEBRATION CO-ORGANIZED BY THE PERMANENT MISSION OF THE AFRICAN UNION AND THE AFRICAN GROUP OF AMBASSADORS IN BRUSSELS IN PARTERSHIP WITH THE AFRICAN DIASPORA
Tuesday 25 May 2021
I. Background
1. The Permanent Mission of the African Union and the African Group of Ambassadors in Brussels have always ensured the celebration of the Africa Day by organizing various intellectual and cultural activities including; lectures, debates, panel discussions, and Art exhibitions often followed by a gala or cocktail reception, bringing together Heads of Diplomatic Missions of the African Union Member States and their personnel, representatives of the African diaspora organizations, representatives of the OACPS and all other diplomatic missions, senior Belgian Government officials and European institutions, the Mayor of the of the Municipality where the celebration is being held, Partners, members of the Academia, the United Nations representative offices and International organizations based in Belgium.
2. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Africa Day cannot be celebrated under the usual format. Therefore, the Permanent Representative proposed during the 186th Ordinary Session of the GAAB to maintain the celebration of this important day, but online and in a revisited format. His proposal was approved by all the ambassadors and representatives of member states of the African Group present at this session.
3. Therefore, the Permanent Mission is proposing the organization of online presentations and debates on issues of interest to the African continent and in relation with the African Union’s 2021 theme: “Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa we Want”. Eminent pan Africanists, Youth, Community representatives, Experts, Academia and practitioners will be invited to provide insights in their respective fields of activities of interest to the African continent and her diaspora. In line with the theme of the year, an initiative named “African Tales” organised through the support of local community representatives, youth and diaspora, from all walks of life will be formally launched on this occasion. This is a Diaspora led effort intended to instil pride and a strong sense of identity among Africans by promoting the African Cultural Heritage & History. The African Tales team engages African stakeholders to collect, document and digitally preserve Traditional Oral African Folk stories and related cultural heritage. The initiative is in line with the goals of the agenda 2063 of the African Union and Agenda 2030. Specifically, African youth from early learning are involved with the collection through competitions for the best African oral story. The guidelines require the youth to collect the stories from elderly people. Not only does the initiative promote cultural heritage and history literacy, it is equally a bridge between generations. The program has been piloted in select African countries and the Diaspora. Volunteer national coordinators have been mobilised in not less than sixty countries. The African Union and the GAAB can only support similar initiatives and encourage members to activate the African Tales initiative in their own countries for the benefit of current and future generations.
4. The presentations and panel-debates will be broadcast, inter alia, on Bel Afrika TV, a Belgian-based diaspora television and can also be followed on YouTube, Facebook and directly through the ZOOM link which will be widely shared on this occasion. In addition to the members of the GAAB who will be able to interact through the ZOOM platform, invitations will be extended to officials and staff of the AUC, representatives of the EU, the Secretariat General of the OACPS, the AU partners, UNIDO, the Arab League and representatives of diaspora organizations in Europe, the Americas, the Caribbean, pacific and Asia.
5. The debate will be moderated by professionals who will be in charge of interacting with the presenters, asking them questions on the various themes included in the program of the celebration and summarizing each of the themes addressed.
6. The celebration will be conducted as per draft-program below. In a nutshell, the Panel debate aims to 1) introduce the new African strategy of partnerships and review their future perspectives to be in line with the African Agenda; 2) to make a retrospective of the progress made since the inception of the OAU in 1963 to date in the field of Peace and Security as a means to achieve continental development; 3) popularize the AU policy in the field of arts and culture; 4) provide updates on the Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024) and on “Decade of African roots and African diaspora (2021-2031)”; 5) highlight the contribution of the African diaspora to continental integration through interaction with diaspora opinion leaders and Associations and activists 5) strengthen global African communities through African shared cultural heritage & history through a dialogue between the African continent activists and those of the diaspora from Europe, the Americas, the Caribbean, pacific and Asia.
II. Logistical Arrangements
7. For sake of time rationalization, it was agreed, during the 186th Ordinary Session of the African Group, to entrust the Permanent Mission of the African Union with the organization of the celebration of Africa Day in consultation with the President of the GAAB and to keep the African Group informed of progress made and actions taken through information notes as well as during its Bureau meetings and ordinary sessions.
III. Date and Duration of the Celebration
8. The 186th Ordinary Session of GAAB decided to ensure that Africa Day is celebrated online and on 25 May 2021. It is proposed to convene the Panel-debate as specified in the draft programme below.
2021 AFRICA DAY CELEBRATION CO-ORGANIZED BY THE PERMANENT MISSION OF THE AFRICAN UNION AND THE AFRICAN GROUP OF AMBASSADORSIN BRUSSELS IN PARTERSHIP WITH THE AFRICAN DIASPORA
Tuesday 25 May 2021
DRAFT-PROGRAMME
9H30 -10H00 Connection by participants and INVITED guests to AU Zoom Platform Mr. Linda Gumede & Mr. Patrick Kadji (Co-hosts)
10H00-10H30 Play the AU Anthem
Opening Session
- Welcome statement by H.E Ambassador Awad Sakine Ahmat, Permanent Representative of the African Union to the EU and OACPS (5mn); - Message by H.E Moussa Faki, Chairperson of the AUC; - Message by Ms. Bwalya Mwali –African Tales Initiative (Diaspora) (5mn); - Message by Guest of Honor, Hon. Iratxe Garcia Pérez, MEP, President of Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats, European Parliament (5mn). - Opening Address by H.E Abdulhafed GADDUR, Ambassador, Head of the Mission of Libya to the EU, Chairman of the African Group Ambassadors in Brussels (5mn).
10H30-10H40 Session • "Towards Partnerships in line with the African Agenda: future perspectives and challenges"
H.E. Prof. Carlos Lopes, Special Representative of the AUC Chairperson, Former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
• “The Continental Organization since 1963 to date: Achievements and Challenges”
10H40-10H50 H.E Amb. Said DJINNIT, former OAU Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Special Representative of the UN SG for West Africa and then the Great Lakes region.
10H50-11H00 Questions and Answers (direct and via chat-box)
Moderator: M. Eric M’BOUA, Master of Ceremonies / Presenter / TV-Radio-Event Producer (NCI, Orange TV, EDAN TV, Rti 2, Canal +, TV5 ...), Abidjan-Montreal- Paris. 11H00-11H05 AFRICAN MUSIC
Session 2 - “2021-2031: Decade of African roots and African diaspora”. 11H05-11H55 Speaker: - H.E Kokou Nayou M’Beou, Ambassador of Togo in Brussels.
• “International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024): Recognition, Justice & Development”.
Guest Speaker: - Ms. Dominic Day, Chairperson, UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent.
- “Amids African Diaspora in Europe”
Panelists: - Mrs. Marie-Chantal Uwitonze, President of the African Diaspora Network- Europe (ADNE); - M. Kodjo Degbey, CEO/Founder Bel Afrika TV (African diaspora television in Belgium); - Ms. Adelaide HIRWE, Secretary General of the African Union-Diaspora Youth Initiative (AU-DYI). - Ms. Modi Ntambwe, Human Rights Expert, Co-founder, PAD Belgium, Observatory.
Questions and Answers (direct and via chat-box) 11H55-12H00 AFRICAN MUSIC 12H00-12H30 Session 3
Theme of the Year: • "Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers to build the Africa we want."
Speaker: - Mr. TUBLU Komi N’Kégbé Fogâ, Coordinator of the Center for Linguistic and Historical Studies by Oral Tradition (CELHTO-UA), Niamey, Niger.
• Launch of the African Tales, a Cultural Heritage & History initiative, - Ms. Bwalya Mwali, M. Steven Blackman, M. Francois Mark.
END OF MORNING PROGRAMME
12H30-14H00 CELEBRATING OUR AFRICAN CULTURES THROUGH MUSIC, DANCE, FASHION, FOOD, ARTS AND STORY TELLING (LIVE ENTERTAINMENT)
- Tackling the pandemic with creativity”, Book “Madame Covid-19 A La Barre”. Prof. Mario Attidok, Togo - Garifuna dance from Belize & Honduras. - Kalindula music, Zambia. - Kreole Jazz, Mauritius. - Performance, TBC (INDIA or Papouasie New Guinea). - St. Lucia Masquerade. - Food is our culture, Casas Morabeza, Cabo Verde. - Poertry, Fashion etc.
AFTERNOON PROGRAMME: STRENGTHENING GLOBAL AFRICAN COMMUNITIES THROUGH SHARED AFRICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE & HISTORY. A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE AFRICAN CONTINENT AND ITS DIASPORA FROM EUROPE, THE AMERICAs, THE CARRIBEAN, PACIFIC AND ASIA. 14H00-15H30 SEGMENT COORDINATED BY THE AFRICAN TALES TEAM WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE PERMANENT MISSION OF THE AFRICAN UNION
Moderators: - Ms. Ayoko Mensah, Artistic Officer, Palais des Beaux-Arts (BOZAR); - Ms. Grace Bashige, Journalist, Blackbae Magazine, Uganda.
Introduction: Ms. Bwalya Mwali.
Opening by: His Majesty, Lubosi Imwiko the second, Traditional King tbc.
Session 1 • “Modelling technology and cultural heritage towards quality education for all”. (With live participation of children from different countries).
Speakers - Dr. Mylene Lecoq Bamboche, Mauritius ; - Dr. Ahmed Reid, Professor of History, Jamaica. - Dr. DeRico Symonds, Director of Diversity, University of Nova Scotia, Canada.
Session 2 (in parallel) • “Sustainability of African Cultural Heritage & History: stakeholder conversations on purpose & policy.”
- Presentations from Cultural sector representatives, Traditional leaders, the 14H00-15H30 Youth, Community representatives, academia, policy makers, and other partners.
Guest Speaker: Pr. Hamady Bocoum, Museum of black civilization, Senegal tbc.
Panelists: - Ms. Salome Catherine Rihata MBA, Financial expert/Cocoa grower, Papouasie New Guinea; - Amb. David Comissiong, Barbados; - M. Raymond Lawrence, Director of Culture, Dominica. - M. Prince Lekan Fadina, Director, Ijemo Gallery, Nigeria; - Ms. Edna Mendes, Executive Director, Casas Morabeza, Cabo Verde; - M. Khulekani Msweli, Director, JEREMPAUL, Eswatini; - Ms. Kesheniwa Aghaji, artist/Researcher, United Kingdom - Ms. Yvonne Apiyo Brändle-Amolo, Member of Parliament/Co-President of the migrant section of the Social Democratic Party, Switzerland; - Ms. Kensy Sambola, Lecturer Anthropology and Human Development, URACCAN, Nicaragua.
Closing Session - Report of the two sessions (rapporteur tbc). - Ms. Bwalya Mwali, African Tales; - H.E Amb. Awad Sakine Ahmat, Permanent Representative of the African Union to the EU. - H.E Abdulhafed GADDUR, Ambassador, Head of the Mission of Libya to the 15H30-16H00 EU, Chairman of the African Group Ambassadors in Brussels. END OF CELEBRATION PROGRAMME.