Africa Month, May 2021
The Africa Soft Power Series, an initiative of The Africa Soft Power Project, brings together some of the most prominent thought leaders and pioneers, focused and passionate about Africa. Its inaugural edition, held in 2020, was a high-level summit of over 50 global thought leaders in crucial dialogues on how Africa can harness its soft power effectively to advance strategic interests and shape global conversations.
For the past five years, May 5th has been recognized as African World Heritage Day by UNESCO. Similarly, May 25th has been recognized as Africa Day by the African Union. Like you, we agree that two days in one month is not enough to honour and engage the rich history, culture, and legacy of Africa, Africans, and African descendants in the diaspora. We believe it is time to take this a step further and establish the celebration of Africa’s rich history, culture, and dynamic contemporary industries within wider global conversations. Within this, we invite the African diaspora and global community to join the celebration of May as “Africa Month”.
This year, our flagship Africa Soft Power event was themed The Bridge: The Past, The Present, The Future. The Bridge was a month-long, high-level, global gathering of thought leaders, influencers and pioneers engaging in a longer and broader conversation on Africa’s creative power, knowledge economy, and how these assets can strengthen ties between the continent, diaspora community, and the wider world.
Beginning May 5th and ending May 25th, the Series continued along the same premise as our inaugural edition and included sessions on film, music, technology, fashion, sports, etc, and of course economic impact.
MEET THE SPEAKERS
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Susan Chapman-Hughes
Fmr. EVP, Global Head of Digital Transformation and Operations, AMEX
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Tsitsi Dangarembga
Filmmaker, Writer & Director, Institute of Creative Arts for Progress in Africa (ICAPA) Trust
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Arlene Isaacs-Lowe
Arlene Isaac-Lowe is recognized as a leading, global executive with significant expertise in ESG...
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Rama Yade
Director, Atlantic Council's Africa Center & Fmr. French Minister of State for Human Rights
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Mehret Mandefro
Award-winning Producer, Writer, Director, Founder A51 Films & Truth Aid Media (Moderator)
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Shingirai Mtero
Doctoral Candidate, Political & International Studies, Rhodes University
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Akua Gyekye
Food Enthusiast and Regional Elections Program Manager EMEA, Strategic Response, Facebook
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SESSIONS
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As Africa’s teeming youth population take decisive steps to shape their evolution into formidable global leaders, how can they move beyond talks of the continent’s potential to securing a future where Africa’s place in the global economic and cultural space is assured?
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Examining how social media has changed the landscape of activism and what the future holds for movements like EndSARS & BLM. What does the future of protests look like?
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Exploring food as a transformative tool and driver of economic growth and development: soul food and African cuisine connect the world but is just coming into its own. Surely, this is the century for black and African cuisine.
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Akua Gyekye
Food Enthusiast and Regional Elections Program Manager EMEA, Strategic Response, FacebookRead more -
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How do we empower Africans to control the narrative and what responsibility do African media platforms have to challenge the destructive stories about the continent?
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How can Africa avoid digital colonization? What are the benefits of building our own platforms and how can we ensure agency and impact when big tech platforms expand on the continent?
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Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu
Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu has almost 30 years of an eclectic career spanning enterprise solution architecture,...Read more
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As black-owned beauty businesses increase racial representation in the beauty industry, how do they navigate the industry’s limiting structures while mainstreaming black beauty standards?
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Changing the culture and structure of sports to create access and equity. How can we harness our skills to build a sustainable sports ecosystem and industries for the future? What are the opportunities at the intersection of sports, music and culture, if any?
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Should Africa have a Super League for football and how will the newly launched BAL affect the growth of Basketball on the continent? What can we do about the growing demand to make sports “compulsory” in our schools and how can we build the future for student athletes?
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From Hip-hop to Afrobeat(s) Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Reggae, Dancehall, Rock and Roll to Soul & R&B, black consciousness and culture have shaped the trajectory of global music for centuries. Have we arrived at the point where the world realizes the outsize impact of Black People in pop culture, music and dance? How do we grow the connection between music scenes and leverage digital marketplaces within Africa and the global black music industry?
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Msia Kibona Clark
Creator & Producer, the Hip Hop African Blog & Podcast and Associate Professor, Howard UniversityRead more -
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Content may be king, but without an African industry, the sector will remain largely artisanal. How can we build a sustainable African film industry? What do platforms like Netflix mean for the industry on the continent?
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Mehret Mandefro
Award-winning Producer, Writer, Director, Founder A51 Films & Truth Aid Media (Moderator)Read more -
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How has the expectation that art from black artists should speak to social issues affected funding the sector? Does Black art have to have a social dimension to be appreciated or must it always be contextual?
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Through full reconstruction, the Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA) aims to create an immersive experience for visitors while offering “visitors the opportunity to better understand the true significance of these artefacts within the traditions, political economy and rituals enshrined within the culture of Benin City.” How will this project influence the global debate on the restitution of African art? Why is this project important for West Africa and are there any negatives associated with the return of looted art back to their origins, be it in Egypt, Benin, India or China?
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Examining the journey of black feminism and its evolution in the face of changing global realities. What are the various perspectives that each generation of black and African women bring to this journey and is there any agreement on where things stand today?
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What are the connections between Africa and its diaspora and how can these links be reinforced and leveraged to our collective advantage globally?
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Tsitsi Dangarembga
Filmmaker, Writer & Director, Institute of Creative Arts for Progress in Africa (ICAPA) TrustRead more -
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In a world increasingly aware of the power of diversity and the creative industry, how are major players in the financial sector contributing to the growth of the creative industries? Who is driving this globally and on the continent? In the age of Black Lives Matter, what are the opportunities for black people and how do we ensure that the conversations are sustained and not a fad?
PARTNERS