THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
The bitter cold did not discourage the more than 100 guests from all parts of Germany from converging on Saturday 2 December in the prestigious Robert-Havemann-Hall in Rathaus Mitte in Berlin.
They have come to honour The African Network of Germany e.V. (TANG), which celebrated its 10th anniversary with fanfare. TANG is the umbrella group for more than 900 African associations and individuals in the country.
The event featured many activities, including inspiring keynote speeches by high-calibre guests, panel discussions on current topics affecting the African community and cultural performances and musical entertainment.
It was an evening of speeches full of inspiration and courage.
Among the dignitaries who attended the event were HE Tom Amolo, Ambassador of Kenya to Germany, who came with his wife; HE Victor Ndocki, Cameroon’s Ambassador to Germany; and senior officials of several other African diplomatic missions in Berlin.
Dr Sylvie Nantcha, the chairperson of the Federal Network of TANG, talked about how the organisation came into being and the challenges and achievements that it has experienced in the past decade.
TANG, with four offices across Germany, represents the interests of Africans in numerous specialist commissions, forums and working groups at the federal level.
It was also time to give kudos to TANG and Ms Nantcha for its achievements in such a relatively short period of its existence.
Under the leadership of Nantcha, TANG has become an octopus, consisting of more than 900 organisations and which has spread its influence into the public policy process, especially in the areas of integration and international development cooperation.
As the founding Chairperson of TANG, Dr Nantcha has repeatedly been re-elected and always unanimously by the members of the Network, a staunch endorsement of her leadership.
Ambassador Amolo charged the African nonprofit associations to offer more support to newcomers from the continent, especially those coming as skilled workers to Germany.
It wasn’t only spoken, there was also plenty of beautiful music and the grand event was a rare opportunity for networking in the African non-profit community in Germany.
TANG didn’t only celebrate its accomplishments, it used the occasion to recognise people who are doing great things for the benefit of Africans in Germany.
It bestowed the TANG Awards on, among others, Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, Member of the European Parliament representing Germany; Femi Awoniyi, Publisher of The African Courier; Raphael Kofi, founder/director of the African Music Festival Emmendingen; Amal Abbass, founder/director of Tubman Network Germany; Dr Elizabeth Kaneza, jurist and Fellow (Germany) for the UN’s International Decade for People of African Descent; and Vera Sompon of Sompon Socialservices Baden-Württemberg.
The TANG Awards were conferred on recipients in ten categories. Additionally, the organisation also honoured individuals for their service to the community in various other ways with the Award of Excellence.
Sola Jolaoso
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