Programme
This is the programme for Africa Day 2023, organised by FEPS and FMS! The day consists of four rounds full of debates, discussions, workshops, lectures, talks, and culture. In the evening, there is a film screening and a live music performance. Put together your own programme for the entire day!
Round 1 (10:30-11:30)
Election debate: the impact of your vote in Africa
Location: Grote-Zaal
Organiser:FMS & FEPS
Available:233 places left
Elections in the Netherlands are coming up! What will be the impact in Africa of your vote on the 22nd of November? Find out in this debate, where candidate MPs will debate the Dutch relationship with Africa.
Speakers: Joris Thijssen (PvdA), Marieke Koekkoek (Volt), Mpanzu Bamenga (D66), Derk Boswijk (CDA), and others!
Language: Dutch
Democracy Under Pressure in the Sahel
Location: IJzaal
Organiser:Pakhuis de Zwijger / NIMD
Available:47 places left
About the military coups which happened in rapid succession, and the loss of credibility of the West in the Sahel.
Speakers: Oyunga Pala (Kenyan journalist and editor), Tijmen Rooseboom (Sahel envoy to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Lourdes Lobede (Global Capacity Booster), Dr. Otieno Ong'ayo (Political scientist by training, with specialization in Development politics, International Relations, and International Development Corporation), Thijs Berman (NIMD) - Moderator: Babah Tarawally (journalist and writer)
Language: Dutch/English
Is the West taking enough responsibility? A youth perspective on climate justice
Location: Studio
Organiser:FMS & FEPS
Available:38 places left
Is the West taking enough responsibility for climate injustice in Africa? A question that has been central to the Africa Day Youth Think Tank for the past two months. On the basis of lectures by academics and policy officials and conversations with youth organizations in the Netherlands and youth advocates from Africa, they have formulated an answer and advice for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to this question. A tip of the hat: the focus falls on local agency. Curious about how young people think the West can take sufficient responsibility for climate injustice? Hear it from the Africa Youth Think Tank.
Speakers: Hilda Nakabuye (Fridays for Future Uganda), Mohammed Chahim (PvdA Member of European Parliament), Ruth Carlitz (Assistant Professor African Politics UVA), Julia de Wit (Africa Youth Think Tank). With Hadiatou Barry (project leader diversity and inclusion D66) as moderator.
Language: English
Just transition - not without workers!
Location: Workspace
Organiser:FNV Dutch Trade Union
Available:42 places left
"No jobs on a dead planet." The international trade union movement - both the FNV in the Netherlands and its colleagues in Africa - endorses the urgency of taking action to prevent the worst effects of the climate crisis. Why is it vital that workers, trade unions and communities are involved in shaping a sustainable society?
In sub-Saharan Africa, energy poverty is a major issue, caused by the privatization of energy supply. A just transition to energy provision to all leads through the public way. Furthermore, Nigeria is a good example of a coalition between trade union and environmental movements.
In the Netherlands, the union movement enforced the "coal fund." Workers at Tata-steel came up with their own solution for the future. Also learning from examples from Africa?
Speakers: Rhoda Boateng and Bas van Weegberg
Language: English
Introduction to humanitarian communication (and announcement of nominations HuCom Awards 2023)
Location: Ruimte Expo
Organiser:Expertise Centre Humanitarian Communic...
Available:51 places left
In this workshop, the Expertise Centre Humanitarian Communication (HuCom) explains why and how they are working to improve communication on international cooperation and humanitarian aid. This will be done, among other things, by discussing the nominations of the HuCom Awards - the annual award ceremony for the most and least successful campaign of a Dutch INGO. Which campaigns can be regarded as ethically correct and which cannot be regarded as such? And why is it important to (continue to) critically view the portrayal of Africa and other continents in relation to development issues? The Expertise Centre Humanitarian Communication is an organisation dedicated to improving communication on international cooperation and humanitarian aid. HuCom considers representation as an integral part of the production of the global South and sees communication about so-called 'developing countries' by governments, corporations, INGOs and the media in the global North as part of (the failure of) the practice of international development. In short, HuCom sees communication not as a means to an end, but as an important, if not the most important, part of the end itself.
Speakers: Dr. Wouter Oomen (UU) and Dr. Emiel Martens (UvA; EUR)
Language: English
Round 2 (12:00-13:00)
Lecture by former minister Jan Pronk
Location: Grote-Zaal
Organiser:FMS & FEPS
Available:208 places left
Former Dutch minister of Development Cooperation Jan Pronk gives a lecture on climate justice, with responses by MEP Mohammed Chahim and Milka Yemane.
Speakers: Mohammed Chahim, Milka Yemane - Moderator: Ties Huis in 't Veld
Language: Dutch
Time for people-centered security in the Sahel! But how?
Location: IJzaal
Organiser:Cordaid
Available:71 places left
The military takeover on 26 July 2023 in Niger was the sixth coup in West Africa in two years. Once again it revealed the governance crisis in the Sahel. It also confirmed the regional and continent’s collective security dilemmas and the deficiencies of its architectures for peace, security and governance. The fragility of governments in the Sahel region in countering violent extremism is evident and results in the adoption of military approaches to insecurity (hard security). Such strategies not only fail to address the root causes of conflict, but also increasingly undermine the basis for a people-centred approaches, which are better fit to respond to communities’ security needs. How can this be dealt with?
Speakers: Moderator: Mr. Jair van der Lijn (Senior Researcher and Director of the SIPRI Peace Operations and Conflict Management Programme)
Panelists:
Ibrahima Amadou Maïga (Secretary-General of RENEDEP - Réseau National pour l’Éveil Démocratique et Patriotique (national network for democratic and patriotic awakening)); Kees Matthijssen (Lieutenant-General of Dutch Armed Forces; Former Force Commander of MINUSMA mission in Mali); Iris Hartevelt (Cluster Director West Africa, Cordaid); Tijmen Rooseboom (Special Envoy for the Sahel Region, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Language: English
The Climate Crisis is a Children's Crisis
Location: Studio
Organiser:Save The Children
Available:76 places left
In this workshop, we talk to African youth and Dutch politicians and policymakers about children's rights. Climate change is putting pressure on children's rights in Africa, for example regarding access to education, food security and healthcare. While children in Africa do not contribute to the problem, the consequences for them are significant. In this panel discussion, we will take a closer look at these climate injustices and discuss with young people how they are affected by the climate crisis. We will also explore how to involve African youth in the creation of international climate policy and how Dutch politics can contribute to climate justice in Africa.
Speakers: Suzanne Kröger (MP GroenLinks-PvdA), Aoife Fleming (World Youth 4 Climate Justice), Marieke Koekkoek (MP Volt)
Language: English
Equal Trade Chocolate Tastes Better
Location: Workspace
Organiser:Africa In Motion
Available:37 places left
Poverty-free chocolate industry: Despite decades of efforts, extreme poverty among cocoa farmers in Ghana remains unchanged whilst being vital to the multi-billion dollar chocolate industry. On 18 November, Africa In Motion is launching the 'Equal Trade Chocolate Tastes Better' campaign, aiming for a poverty-free cocoa industry. This pioneering and holistic approach targets deep-seated causes in order to eliminate the symptoms of extreme poverty, such as child labour, environmental degradation, gender inequality, migration and countless other challenges.
Register now for this interactive session to become part of the generation working towards a world where inequality is a thing of the past.
Speakers: Max Koffi (Africa In Motion); Samira Rafaela (Member of the European Parliament for D66)
Language: Dutch
A Decolonial and Feminist Energy Transition
Location: Ruimte Expo
Organiser:WECF
Available:FULL
Climate justice, as a crosscutting theme in foreign policies such as the Dutch Africa Strategy, must be a priority, now more than ever. 2023 has been a devastating year in terms of climate disasters; yet the people most affected are the ones who contribute the least to CO2 emissions. This Afrikadag, join WECF and Milieudefensie to discover why climate justice should go hand in hand with a decolonial and feminist approach on the energy transition. Perspectives from Morocco, Mozambique and Ethiopia, will illustrate what a fair and inclusive transition can look like. Through an interactive engagement with the audience, we hope to generate critical and fruitful discussions.
Speakers: Tinebeb Berhane (Country Director ActionAid Ethiopia), Isabelle Geuskens (Just Energy Transition Senior Officer, Milieudefensie), Latifa Seroukh (founder of SunPowerCoop Energy Cooperative, Morocco)
Language: English
Round 3 (14:00-15:00)
Changing The Narrative: Importance of the Diaspora Lens
Location: Grote-Zaal
Organiser:International Foundation GroenLinks x ...
Available:234 places left
Join us for a session focused on reshaping the narrative about Africa through active engagement of the diaspora and Africans themselves. We aim to amplify the voices of those often sidelined in discussions about the continent – the diaspora from Africa and communities in Africa. We believe in fostering a more inclusive environment where the diaspora and people in Africa play a pivotal role in shaping and implementing Dutch trade and foreign policy. In this session, we also aim to challenge power structures and address gender imbalances in how we talk about Africa. Let's come together, empower each other, and rewrite the story to make global conversations fairer and more inclusive.
Speakers: Hilda Flavia Nakabuye (Fridays for Future Uganda), Tinebeb Berhane (Country Director, ActionAid Ethiopia); Didier Rwema (Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs); Abubakarr Bangura (Diaspora Ambassador for the IOM project CD4D2); Georgina Kwakye (Pimp My Village, Consultant for the IOM CD4Ds Ambassadors campaign)
//Moderators:// Sophie Kwizera (ActionAid) and Milka Yemane (International Foundation GroenLinks)
Language: English
Dialogue about the Dutch colonial past and slavery
Location: IJzaal
Organiser:GroenLinks / PvdA
Available:91 places left
On 1 July 2023, King of the Netherlands Willem-Alexander apologised for the Dutch history of slavery. Africa's role in this history is inescapable to highlight and so this session will seek the connection between the Netherlands, the Caribbean/Suriname and the African continent. Led by Kiza Magendane, we will explore the following: What is to happen after the apology for slavery? How do we view slavery apologies and what consequences should the Netherlands draw from them? What role can the diaspora play in making this a constructive dialogue? And how do we ensure that this does not remain just an apology and a year of dialogue but becomes part of our common history? These questions are at the centre of this session.
Speakers: John Leerdam, Samira Rafaela (D66 MEP). Moderator: Kiza Magedane
Language: Dutch
Raw Elegance: Exhibition and Fashion Show
Location: Ruimte Expo
Organiser:Marlena Blaauw
Available:FULL
Raw Elegance is a combination of an exhibition and a fashion show. Showing photos, fashion and accessories from different parts of the African continent. All inspired by the raw elegance of tribes from Africa.
Organisers: Kadogo Nyawade and Wim Verdonschot (Stichting Kadowinja), Marlena Blaauw (stylist & fashion designer)
Language: not applicable
Global climate justice: an advice to the Dutch government
Location: Studio
Organiser:Advisory Council on International Affa...
Available:FULL
In a new report, the Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV) warns that the lack of international climate justice is undermining global efforts to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement. It offers a number of urgent and concrete recommendations to the Dutch government on how to step up its efforts towards climate justice. During this session we will explore the meaning of climate justice in the African context. Africa contributed least to climate change while suffering some of its worst consequences. Furthermore, Africa has least access to the resources needed to invest in the green transition, while facing the simultaneous challenge of scaling up total energy production for its economic development. The AIV will present the main messages of the report, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A.
Speakers: Bert Koenders (president AIV), Annelies Zoomers (Utrecht University and chair of the development cooperation committee of the AIV); Fatima Denton (Director of United Nations University – Institute for Natural Resources in Africa and Prince Claus Chair on Just Transitions); Mohammed Chahim (Member of the European Parliament for the S&D)
Language: English
Round 4 (15:30-16:30)
The Polluter Must Pay: From the Niger Delta Oil Spills to EACOP
Location: Grote-Zaal
Organiser:Foundation for European Progressive St...
Available:264 places left
Concerns and anger are growing in Nigeria's Niger Delta due to recurring crude oil spills which are devastating the environment and harming people. Meanwhile, in Uganda, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) is set to begin construction in the first quarter of 2024, transporting oil from Uganda to Tanzania's Tanga port for global trade, spurring widespread efforts to #stopeacop. European companies like Shell, Eni, and Total, are in the driver’s seat in both these cases of climate injustice, and hold responsibility for destroying the hope of achieving the 1.5° global warming limit of the Paris Agreement, and for ravaging nature and harming local communities. In 2022, the European Parliament called for halting EACOP. In this panel, we will discuss how the European Union can prevent global environmental and social harm caused by European companies
Speakers: Hilda Flavia Nakabuye (Ugandan climate activist); The Rt Revd and Rt Hon the Lord Sentamu PhD (Cantab), PC, Chair of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission (BSOEC)
Language: English
Inclusive global tax reform
Location: IJzaal
Organiser:Oxfam Novib / Tax Justice NL
Available:81 places left
Challenges like climate change require enormous investments from governments. However, African countries’ governments lose billions of euros per year to tax havens like The Netherlands. Despite being hit the hardest, African countries have little to no say in the global tax discussions in the OECD, dominated by rich countries. Last year, after a proposal by 54 African countries, the United Nations decided unanimously that global tax reform should be discussed in the UN, where all countries have an equal voice. But this is only the beginning. How can we stop global tax abuse and ensure adequate financing for public services to achieve social and climate justice?
Speakers: Ishmael Zulu (Tax Justice Network Africa), Aisha Aize Isa (IBFD Centre for Studies in African Taxation), Gijs Verbraak (ActionAid), Henrique Alencar (Oxfam Novib). Moderated by Arnold Merkies (Tax Justice NL).
Language: English
Critical Raw Materials and the Future - a discourse on equality (Africa Youth Think Tank)
Location: Studio
Organiser:FMS & FEPS
Available:FULL
One of the key words in the Foreign Ministry's (MFA) Africa Strategy is "equal relations." But what does this mean, and how can we shape it? These questions were the focus of the Africa Day youth think tank over the past two months. Based on lectures by academics and policy officials and conversations with youth organizations in the Netherlands and Africa, they formulated an answer to this question and put together advice for the MFA. In their answer they do speak about equitable relations instead of equal relations and give specific examples from the theme Critical Raw Materials.
Speakers: Max Koffi (Equal Trade Alliance), Solomon G. Zori (Professor financial reporting RSM), Marieke Koekkoek (Volt), Marco Schouten (NSC) - Moderator: Milka Yemane
Language: English
A conversation with best-selling author Afua Hirsch
Location: Workspace
Organiser:Athenaeum Boekhandel
Available:31 places left
Afua Hirsch is a writer, filmmaker, and journalist. She is the author of Brit(ish), the Sunday Times bestselling book that explores Britishness, identity and belonging, for which she was awarded the Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Prize for Non-Fiction. She co-presented Enslaved, a 6-part series about the transatlantic slave trade with Samuel L Jackson. She is also the presenter of the Audible podcast series We Need To Talk About the British Empire, and Africa Rising, an ongoing flagship series about art and culture for the BBC, through the production company she founded, Born in Me Productions. She is a longtime columnist for the Guardian and is a professor of journalism at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Her new book, Decolonising My Body, is a powerful excavation of the Eurocentric beauty standards that have long shaped how people around the world are perceived and view themselves.
In this programme, Afua Hirsch will talk with journalist, writer and columnist Babah Tarawally, and with the audience, about her work.
Speakers: Afua Hirsch and Babah Tarawally
Language: English
The Power Struggle in Sudan
Location: Ruimte Expo
Organiser:FMS & FEPS
Available:10 places left
Since April 2023, Sudan has been affected by violent clashes between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF). Two years after the hopeful revolution in 2019 and the fall of long-time president Omar Al-Bashir, a subsequent military coup created political and economic turmoil, reviving old conflicts. These violent confrontations have claimed thousands of lives, injured many, and displaced more than 7 million people. During this session, politicians, experts, and members of the diaspora will take an in-depth look at this urgent conflict, discuss the regional implications, and reflect together on Sudan's future.
Speakers: Nicoline van der Torre (Senior Policy Officer Sudan - Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Francesca Caruso (researcher in the Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa Programme at the Instituto Affari Internazionali (IAI)), Adam Elhaj (CEM - Environmentalist en Sudanese activist) Thijs Reuten (PvdA Member of European Parliament) - Moderator: Kiza Magendane
Language: English
Plenaire afsluiting (17:00-18:00)
Closing ceremony with a.o. Hilda Nakabuye and Bert Koenders
Location: Grote-Zaal
With climate activist Hilda Flavia Nakabuye, former minister of foreign affairs Bert Koenders, former Labour Party leader Diederik Samsom, and best-selling British author Afua Hirsch. Moderated by Milka Yemane.
Location: Grote Zaal (Great Hall)
Avondprogramma (20:00-22:00)
Live music by Kay Slice
Organisation:FMS & FEPS
Location: Grote-Zaal
Available:503 places left
Finish off Africa Day dancing to the music of “hiphopkid with a Ghana soul” Kay Slice. There's no easy way to describe his sound. Kay effortlessly strings together different genres, such as hip-hop, afrobeat and soul – all of course packed with Ghanaian groove.
Film: Women Hold Up The Sky
Organisation:iAfrica Film Festival
Location: IJzaal
Available:76 places left
This film tells the story of how women activists affected by mining and other forms of large-scale extractives in South Africa, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are deeply engaged in resistance and an active struggle to take back control of their land, their rights, their bodies and their lives. Journeying between these three countries, this documentary reveals the experiences and activism of women in three African countries but tells a much bigger story of the ongoing exploitation of natural resources and marginalisation of poor communities, particularly women.
Practical information & Accessibility
Africa Day 2023 will take place on Saturday 18 November from 10:00 am at Pakhuis de Zwijger, Piet Heinkade 179, Amsterdam. The accessibility of Pakhuis de Zwijger is good. It is about a 10-15 minute walk from Amsterdam Central Station, or reachable by car, bus and tram.
Pakhuis de Zwijger is accessible for wheelchair users and persons with disabilities. There are facilities throughout the building for accessibility. For example, all rooms are accessible via the lift and there is an adapted toilet on the second floor. Do you need anything else from us to make the most of your experience at this event? Feel free to contact us at info@afrikadag.nl.