Workshops Critical Whiteness

Prochaines conférences, workshops & formations

Conférence "Democracy, Interests & Progress"

Conférence "Paradoxes de la durabilité"

Archives conférences, workshops & formations

Workshop sur Thomas Sankara

Conférence "ANC à 100 ans"

Série de workshops "50 and d'indépendances africaines"

Whiteness goes along with privileges, which are usually not perceived or experienced as such. Being white is an unmarked position from where Others are being described, tagged and rated. Our workshop offer the opportunity to develop an awareness of this phenomenon, learn to identify subtle racism and to react against it. They are also an opportunity to continuously deal with concepts which continously uphold the oppressive system of white "supremacy", which has to be unvovered. The methods are very interactive and there are plenty of provocations. It is almost impossible to get bored, and fun is guaranteed for all those participants to whom self-knowledge means something. AfricAvenir regularly organises such trainings and dates will be published on this page. We do also offer the service of organising trainings for other NGOs. Please contact us in this respect: info(at)africavenir.org

In cooperation with Rosa-Luxemburg-Foundation, Dafrig and SODI, AfricAvenir organised a critical conference on the future of "Development Aid" in Africa. Speakers included the political economist Demba Moussa Dembele and Bruno Sonko from the RLS office in Dakar as well as Peter Wahl from Weed/attac. The conference took place at Haus der Demokratie und Menschenrechte in Berlin.

From 19-20 October 2012 AfricAvenir organised a two-days international conference on the topic “Paradoxes of Sustainability – How socially equitable are 'green' technologies?” featuring renowned African 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). 

Besides generating discussion the conference aimed at bringing together civil society organisations in the field of human rights, environmental protection, climate change, development cooperation, churches and trade unions that already deal with subjectsrelated with global raw materials policies or intend on doing so prospectively.

The conference also offered participants a very rare occasion to exchange with researchers and activists from Africa in order to formulate collectively a demand catalogue for solidary, development-oriented raw materials policies and to develop strategies to be addressed to decision-makers in politics, the economy and development cooperation. The aim being 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.

In November 2012 AfricAvenir organised a very successful workshop with political scientist Aziz Salmone Fall on the topic “Thomas Sankara – life, vision and the international struggle against impunity” at the GLS Sprachenzentrum.  The one-day workshop was divided roughly into three parts. In the first part, participants got to know Sankara as a person and politician. What was his background? What were his political influences and ideals? In what national and international context did he come into power on 4 August 1983? In the second part of the workshop we dealt with his socio-political, economic and cultural visions and policies. Here the focus was on his vision for and successful realisation of an independent development of Burkina Faso and of Africa, for one, and also on his concrete pan-African politics and his call for a debt relief for African countries. Finally, in part three, we discussed the international campaign for a legal clarification of the circumstances of his assassination. We also debated what meaning this campaign has for Africa today in the face of widespread impunity and the selective justice of the International Criminal Court.  In this context, Aziz Fall introduced his concept of „Panafricentrage“.

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In 2012, the African National Congress - Africa's oldest political organisation - turned 100 years old. Political protest, exile, armed struggle shaped the activities of the ANC against the racist Apartheid system for more tha 80 years. Since 1994 the ANC now governs South Africa. In those 18 years, modest social improvement has occured, the institutionalised system of apartheid could be overcome and the foreign policy weight and influence of South Africa has increased. Yet, the social and economic challenges and problems are considerable and critique has become increasingly harsh. As a former liberation movement the ANC still generates meaning, a common identity and hence induces loyalty also from many poor people. The conference looked at the history of the ANC as a (liberation) movement and as a (governing) party. Which changes have occured? Where does the ANC stand today? Which concrete policies mirror the interests of which fraction?

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