This House of Commons session will bring MPs into debate with young people active in the field of development cooperation in African contexts. During the Commons debate, we will discuss a number of thought-provoking statements that respond to the question, “How do we get rights right?” We will balance the perspective of Western rights advocates with local initiatives in Africa defending the same rights. Different views on how we should think about and take action for human and democratic rights in a changing world order will be discussed.

Speakers: Danielle Hirsch (GL/PvdA), Eric van der Burg (VVD), Mpanzu Bamenga (D66), Marieke Koekkoek (Volt) and Sarah Dobbe (SP). Moderator: Kido Koening (FMS)

Language: Dutch

The European Union has a longstanding commitment to supporting sustainable development in Africa. The Inequality marker, adopted in 2023 by the European Commission, represents a key instrument to ensure that any development programme, including investments, reduces inequalities by benefiting, to a large extent, most disadvantaged populations and groups in Africa. But how will this tool work in practice? How can this tool be part of a broader political action recentering development cooperation, including investments towards sustainable development and, in particular, social inclusion? This panel will bring together experts and policymakers to examine the progress made by the EU’s development policies in Africa, exploring perspectives from both European and African stakeholders. The discussion will also look at the challenges facing these partnerships amid increasing political polarization, regional instability, and the arrival of a new European Commission.

Speakers: Paul Okumo, Paddy Siyanga Knudsen, Christian Morabito, David Rinaldi

Language: English

Democratic decline is a global issue, and Africa is not immune. Why has democracy remained an illusion for many African citizens? How has it, instead of fostering self-determination, entrenched oppressive hierarchies that alienate individuals from their countries and political realities? What steps can we take to change this? Moreover, what conversations must we engage in to inspire a transformative vision of self-determining sovereignty?

Together with artists and thinkers from West Africa, we delve into these questions. “WhoseDemocracy?” is a co-creative exploration of democratic practices rooted in African traditions, particularly in the realms of peace-building and decision-making. In this session, we aim to open a dialogue on the possibility of an African democracy grounded in traditional practices of negotiation and shared humanity.

Join us for an insightful conversation with political scientist Michael Onyebuchi Eze and experience an interactive photo studio by Malian photography collective, Yamarou Photo. This setting is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of the Korèduga—initiated sages who have long used playful mediation to resolve conflicts and promote mutual understanding.

Speakers: Michael Onyebuchi Eze (Political Scientist and Philosopher), Valérie Schuit (Eyewonder Doclab), Seydou Camara, Ana N’Diaye, Abdoul Karim Diallo (Yamarou Photo)

Language: Engels

Environmental defenders take significant risks to protect nature. Worldwide, four people are killed every week for standing up for their land, forests, or waters. However, these numbers are just the tip of the iceberg: many more conservationists face violence, criminalization, and intimidation. The growing global population, combined with increasing consumption, is creating a rising demand for resources such as minerals, timber, and palm oil, which are often produced in unsustainable ways and require vast amounts of land. From Europe, we aim to secure our resource needs, but this also puts pressure on protected areas. African conservationists are fighting this, but they find themselves on the frontlines of a battle against established and powerful interests, and are seeing their rights increasingly restricted.

Speakers: MEP Raquel Garcia Hermida-van der Walle (D66) , Diana Nabiruma (AFIEGO) and more frontline voices

Language: English

Queer people have always existed. Through an interactive debate, we will explore how the colonial narrative of queerness can be transformed. Colonization was a series of brutal events and continues to be a source of complex trauma for indigenous communities in Africa. Many of the vulnerabilities LGBTI+ people experience on the continent come from this colonial history, values, norms and narratives. In this session, we will look at the influence of religion and tradition on contemporary attitudes in Africa toward people who are LGBTI+. Together we will reflect on the commitment of the Netherlands and civil society organizations to sexual rights and international cooperation, particularly in relation to (neo)colonialism. Finally, we will explore steps toward a more just world that incorporates the perspectives of communities, tradition, religion and queer rights.

Speakers: Gracie Brendah Nanyunja (Diverse Empowerment Foundation), Quinter Obiero (Equal Voices Kenya) (speaker), Robert Amoafo and Lakshita Kanhiya (Pan Africa ILGA)

Language: English