Conference: “PARADOXES OF SUSTAINABILITY – How socially equitable are ‘green’ technologies really?”, 19-20 October 2012, JugendKulturZentrum Pumpe

From 19-20 October 2012 AfricAvenir invites you to its international conference on the topic “PARADOXES OF SUSTAINABILITY – How socially equitable are ‘green’ technologies really?” Our guest speakers comprise renowned intellectuals, activists and journalists such as Judi W. Wakhungu, Executive Director of the African Center for Technology Studies (ACTS) in Nairobi (Kenya), Many Camara, representative of Faléa 21 in France (Mali/France), Nozipho Mabebe Wright, Regional Network Coordinator of ENERGIA Africa (Botswana) and Tidiane Kassé, journalist and chief editor of the French edition of Pambazuka (Senegal). n—————————————————————————————————-nProgramnFriday, 19th October 2012
5:00 pm    Registration

5:30 pm    Welcoming and introduction to the program

6:00 pm    World Café
– 6:45 pm

7:00 pm    Keynote Speech “Renewable Energies – Chances and Risks from an African Perspective” Judi W. Wakhungu, Executive Director of the African Center for Technology Studies (ACTS) in Nairobi (Kenya)n

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n8:30 pm     Dinner

9:00 pm     Filmn

nSaturday, 20th October 2012
9:15 am    Welcoming and introduction of the schedule

9:30 am    „’Green Economy’ in Africa – really green & really fair?“ Alpha Kaloga, Germanwatch (Germany)n

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n11:00 am   Coffee break

11:30 am    „Nuclear Power – No, thanks! How can the “energetic turn” also work in regions of uranium exploitation?" Many Camara, Faléa 21 (Mali/France)n

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n1:00 pm     Lunch

2:30 pm  n

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n4:30 pm     Coffee break with poster presentation of the workshop outcomen5:00 pm    Fishbowl-Discussion as evaluation of the workshop outcome with speakers and guests n6:00 pm    „Energetic Turn in 2050 – What Has to Be Done?“ Tidiane Kassé, journalist and editor of the french version of Pambazuka (Senegal)n7:00 pm     Dinnern

nJugendKulturZentrum PUMPE 
Lützowstraße 42
10785 Berlin-Mittebesides 
U 1 Kurfürstenstraße

Registration:
Hannah Hegerh.heger[at]africavenir.orgParticipation fee: 20,-€ (concessions 15,-€)

Please transfer your payment to:
AfricAvenir International e.V.
Badische Beamtenbank
BLZ 66 09 08 00
Kto. 00 16 72 13 03
Purpose: Your Name + „Conference October 2012”n—————————————————————————————————–nBackground

Against the background of the decision made by Germany’s conservative-liberal government in March 2011 to phase out nuclear energy in Germany, which envisages an incremental shift towards ‘green technologies’ for extracting energy until 2022, we wish to challenge critically the development of renewable energies from African perspectives.nGreen technologies are considered to be the solution for the steadily growing demand for energy, resource scarcity and climate change. However, even the production of, for example, biofuel or wind and solar energy requires raw materials, many of which derive from Africa. Within the framework of this international conference AfricAvenir will put the conditions and consequences of the extraction of raw materials forward for discussion:

Which consequences does the so-called “Energetic Turn” have for Africa? Are renewable energies promoting Africa’s development? How green is the “Green Economy” really? What are the social, ecological and economic consequences along the production and value added chain, in particular with regard to the promotion and trade of raw materials necessary for the production of renewable energies. Are these alternative forms of energy extraction actually accessible in Africa and if so, under which circumstances – or is the “Energetic Turn” an exclusively European project, a suspected ecological revenant of the industrial revolution conducted at the expense of Africa and its development?

Besides generating discussion the conference aims to network civil society organisations in the field of human rights, environmental protection, climate change, development cooperation, churches and trade unions that already deal with subjects to do with global raw materials policies or intend on doing so prospectively.nWe offer you the unique occasion to exchange with researchers and activists from Africa in order to formulate collectively a demand for solidary, development-oriented raw materials policies and to develop strategies, in terms of recommendations for action, to be addressed collectively and in a target-oriented manner to decision-makers in politics, the economy and development cooperation. 

Our aim is to formulate a fundamental redefinition of the terms of trade for raw materials in order to prevent the Green Economy from becoming another neo-colonial project to the detriment of the Global South.

The 2012/13 project of PARADOXES OF SUSTAINABILTY is financially supported by BMZ and the LEZ.