This year’s Africa Day will be marked for the 8th consecutive time in the western German city of Dortmund with the theme “Global networking & modern economy”. The Day, which commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (now African Union) in Addis Ababa on 25 May 1963, is marked both in Africa and its Diaspora communities across the globe.
The 3-day congress (24-26 May) in Dortmund, which is organised by the non-governmental organization AfricanTide Union e.V., will bring together representatives of African diaspora communities, communal politicians, ambassadors, entrepreneurs and artists.
Together they will deliberate on possible solutions to the major social challenges of our time in symposia, network events and workshops.
A major objective of the 3-day congress is to beam the searchlight on the causes of migration of young people from African countries, who seek refuge in Europe.
“How to combat the complex causes of migration from the continent are to be answered with economic solutions in the affected countries,” AfricanTide Union said.
“Economically, Africa offers many opportunities for Africans and Europeans. In many places, the economy has been growing for years, with domestic demand and the middle class continuing to develop positively. More and more investors are taking advantage of the numerous opportunities that exist on the continent,” the organisation added.
High-calibre guests expected at the event include the ambassadors of Nigeria and Zimbabwe to Germany, representatives of trade associations and the Dortmund city director Jörg Stüdemann.
Traditionally, business lunch on the last day of the event serves as an intensive exchange forum for all participants.
A high-class cultural program will accompany the conference. Vivian Timothy will exhibit a selection of her works in the Dortmund town hall. The Nigerian-born artist creates colourful and metaphorical works with an unmistakably African accent. The Germany-based painter shows African life between tradition and modernity, between struggle and triumph, between old and new homeland.
In the most traditional cinema in Dortmund, the Nigerian filmmaker Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen will screen his film Invasion 1897 about the infamous 1897 invasion of the old Benin Kingdom by British troops. The audience can expect an action-packed journey into a history of British-African encounter.
More about Africa Day 2018 Dortmund at: http://www.africantide.com
About AfricanTide Union
AfricanTide Union e.V. was founded in 2010 to promote the integration of migrants, especially from the African continent, and to make a lasting contribution to intercultural understanding and mutual respect in Germany.