By Tegan Gibaud
May 25 signifies Africa Day, which was established in 1963, the date that the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was founded. This organisation is now known as the African Union (AU), and this year marks the 60th anniversary of Africa Day celebrations.
Africa Week developed over the years under the lead of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) which specialises in promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in industries such as education, arts, science and culture. UNESCO describes Africa Week as “an annual flagship event of the Africa Group at UNESCO, a body that brings together the Member States of the African continent.” This is a week where events are held to honour African culture, science, arts and more.
Stellenbosch saw several events hosted this year in celebration of this special week by a group of four people who came together to create the community called ‘Africa Week’. ‘Africa Week’ was developed by sisters, Jasmine and Merin Raju Jacob, Alboricah Tokologo Rathupetsane and Mhlengi Khambule, and was hosted in collaboration with CoCreate Hub in central Stellenbosch.
Jasmine Raju Jacob, the primary coordinator of ‘Africa Week’, shared that “Africa Week is more a collective or network than an organisation. It is a reminder to take action, and is a network that will continue to grow, and function in intentional ways”. Merin Raju Jacob added that “Africa Week focuses on being a point of contact for education and connecting people who want to work towards a better system. It feels like a movement of hope”. They both aim to open up a space for education and networking in a local capacity, which is why they chose to partner with CoCreate Hub.
The week started off with a colloquium and discussion on 18 May, both hosted at the Centre for Sustainability Transitions in Stellenbosch Central, with the primary focuses on the opportunity of renewables and examples of African Visions. The official launch of Africa Week was hosted on the same evening at CoCreate Hub.
The week continued with many successful events including a night market which uplifted small and local businesses at the CoCreate Hub, a panel discussion with the topic of “System Change: Leadership, agency and activism”, and an African trivia night. Overall, the week served as a reminder of the strength of Africa, honoured what Africa as a continent has achieved, and opened up a space for education about Africa by voices from Africa.
References
- South African Parliament, Africa Day document. https://www.parliament.gov.za/storage/app/media/BusinessPubs/africaday2017/Africa_Day_Poster_Final.pdf
- UNESCO in Brief, UNESCO. https://www.unesco.org/en/brief
- UNESCO, Africa Week (25-29 May). https://www.unesco.org/en/weeks/africa?TSPD_101_R0=080713870fab2000f16ed1eb249656e83b57688d7daa29f327c6bc5ec6e041af3e57d5c356b3f2c10814fe03af143000f2b225ea63fe5a9a577126be667f4e2c034cf19e456ad6cbc1ec0595bf703fff86713c4757defdc2158ed462d5456ac7
