Africa Month Celebrations in Berlin
This event held in May 2017 promoted African culture in Germany
June 20th, 2017“We are not Africans because we were born in Africa, but because Africa was born in us.” This statement of Kwame Nkrumah defines the theme of Africa Month celebrations held in Berlin during the month of May 2017.
The African Union (AU) declared May the month to celebrate Africa and dig deep into its future. This month gives the opportunity to promote African unity, ensure deeper regional integration and recommit Africa to a common destiny. Across Berlin, embassies, Africans living in the city with their German counterparts graced this period with celebration showcasing a thriving African culture despite living outside the continent.
The African Food Festival was held in Berlin on the 20th and 21st of May 2017. It was a two-day long festival putting African cuisine on the fore front. Those in attendance got to experience African traditions and food favourites from different parts of the continent whilst listening to African music. The festival aimed at encouraging cultural exchanges focusing on food, music, lifestyle and trends.
At policy level, the Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa in Germany, H.E. Mr Phumelele Stone Sizani, held the “German Africa Policy Dialogue: Way Forward” meeting in order to discuss the way forward with Germany’s Africa Policy an initiative referred to as “Plans with Africa”. Invited guests included fellow African Ambassadors, members of the German Government and Parliament, academics, political foundations, Think Tanks and the German-African Business Association.
The agenda was to create a space for Africans outside Africa in order to discuss issues of this area with their German counterparts. The meeting was exemplary of public-private partnerships with a mutual goal to increase investment in Africa. Representatives called for their German counterparts to augment their perceptions of Africa through visits and to work together to develop a sustainable model for German investments in Africa.