2019 AFRICA NIGHT CONFERENCE (the second edition)
Venue: Victor’s Residenz-Hotel Erfurt, Häßlerstraße 17, 99096 Erfurt.
Date: Saturday 21st December 2019
Time: 17:00 – 21:00
After Party: 21:00 – 24:00
Introduction
It is on the backdrop of the success of the 2018 Africa Night Conference that, we are happy to announce commencement plan for the 2019 program. Report of the 2018 program is available on our website at: www.africapartners.org/projects/2018Africanightconference/report. Also, we want to appreciate the robust discussion and request last year to legalize our initiative. Africa Partners Initiative e.V. (API) having fulfil all the legal requirements, is now a registered organization.
The outcome of the 2018 podium discussion themed: “Challenges of vaccine Acceptance in Africa and Role of Africans in Diaspora” was to create a project/campaign on Behaviour Change toward Vaccination Acceptance in Africa. We have created the project and it is currently called ‘Africans in Diaspora Frank Talk’. The Frank Talk project is a short (3 minutes) video, animation and audio clip from 40 Africans in diaspora in 40 different countries, targeting communications channels in African countries. Each person sends a short video describing self:
names, profession and country of residence;
what vaccination has achieved in his/her host country;
two significance and negative consequence of vaccine non-acceptance.
The project is at the video collation phase. Please monitor our website for the release. If you wish to partner or sponsor this project to reach wider communities in Africa via television stations, radio and other community-friendly communication channels, kindly contact us. Or if you have ideas that can enhance the impact level of this campaign, we will be glad to work with you.
Background – 2019 Africa Night Conference
In the African tradition lies the customary practice of “end of year stock-taking and thanksgiving”. End of year stock-taking or evaluation of actions and decisions over the 12 months period, not just by families, but as a society is an age-long tradition in the African culture: birthing the idea of setting new year priorities. Besides the appraisal, it is usually also an opportunity to set community development agenda for the incoming year and prioritise obligations. It is in this light; that the second edition of Africa Night program is presented to you.
The goal of the event is to use the symbolism of the period to inspire or forge collective conversation about Africa and Africans’ “development issues”. Especially, opinions built by network of Africans in diaspora and their host community of partners and friends. The theme for 2019 is:
– Addressing factors stimulating Africa-Europe illegal Migration
This event is expected to bring together African community and Germans from all works of life, to sit and discuss, socialize, engage, ask and answer, dance and share food; as a way to learn and foster deeper relations. The night will be characterized by intention to discuss sensitive subject of immense bi-national ramification and end with creating mutually collaborative synergy towards tackling 21st century challenges, not only of Africa, but Africans and Germans in general. The night will provide a free atmosphere to really delve into the Africa-Europe illegal migration problems and share ideas on how Africans in diaspora can play a role, in collaboration with German government, friends and organizations. The night will be capped with a podium discussing relating to what can be done to stem the tide of illegal migration of Africans to Europe.
Justification of the Theme
According to pew research, the population of sub-Saharan migrants increased by nearly a million asylum applications (970,000) between 2010 and 2017. While many sub-Saharan African economies are growing, many countries still continue to have economic challenges reflected by high unemployment rates and relatively low wage growth. There is no optimism that this will change anytime soon; coupled with continued high fertility level. That means even more people, competing for little available resources. These factors coupled with political instabilities and conflicts depicts a deem hope for Africa. Four out of ten respondents of a survey suggested, they will live in another country if they have the means and opportunity. The downward economic trend within the last few years has intensified the migration of Africans to Europe and other developed countries.
However, fleeing the continent cannot be the solution to achieving sustainable development in
the region. In 2016, the IMF’s World Economic Outlook reported a growing number of African migrants in OECD countries…estimated at 7 million in 2013 and could rise to 34 million by 2050. In addition, if every resourceful individual needed to support development in the region decides to migrate, who will stay behind and fix the problem? Also, why not add fuel to the conversation about Africans in diaspora establishing systematic mechanism to return home and invest their acquired expertise into development ventures in Africa? These are the debates that we intend and must begin to engineer; using platforms such as this. There is no better group best fitted for this conversation than the Africans in diaspora, in collaboration with our friends and host communities around the world.
The night promises to galvanize African and German scholars and communities; not only to celebrate culture, diversity and social cohesion, but to interact and freely brainstorm on a common subject of significant value to both Africans and Germans. E.g. deepening democracy, trade and commerce, addressing migration problem, human rights, achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Africa by 2030, climate change and renewable energy, race relations, etc. The expected outcome is to increase engagement on Africa’s development issues and build community of multipliers, inspired by Africans in diaspora and their partners.
Objectives of the Program
The objectives of the 2019 Africa Night Conference are to broaden conversations around:
1) Factors Stimulating Africa-Europe Illegal Migration
2) Partnership between African and German organisations for Africa development
3) Socio-cultural relations/Dinner party (Afro-German Style)!!!
Method
The night will comprise a podium discussion, after the keynote speech address by Prof. Dr. Harald Dörig and significance of supporting development in Africa by Africans. The podium discussion will comprise 4 expert panelists who will lead discussion on the theme: “Addressing factors stimulating migration in Africa. After the contextual background by the panelists, the audience will then join the conversation at plenary. Just like in 2018, it is expected that the outcome of the discussion and consensus build will be transformed into an implementable program.
Targeted Participants
The participants are expected to be African and German communities, African and German scholars from University of Erfurt and other parts of Germany, experts, members of African diplomatic missions in Germany, organizations working on development issues and the general public. 150 participants are expected.