#AfricansRising for Climate Action & Justice Workshop at the People’s Climate Summit

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Vision for a new Africa (Illustration courtesy of AfricansRising)

‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ – African proverb

Bonnections teamed up with Africans Rising for Justice, Peace & Dignity and the local Africa diaspora community to organize a workshop at the People’s Climate Summit highlighting the impacts of climate change and environmental activism in Sub-Sahara Africa.

The workshop takes place tomorrow afternoon (Nov. 6, 5-7 PM) at the Gustav-Stresemann-Institute (Langer Grabenweg 68, 53175 Bonn).

AfricansRising is a new Pan-African social and environmental movement that aims to bring a voice to the younger generation and to finish the journey of African liberation by fighting for social inclusion, climate justice, shared prosperity, women and human rights and against corruption and impunity.

Workshop participants will meet and connect with African activists, journalists and changemakers and learn about the Kilimajaro Declaration, Africa born initiatives and climate protection solutions.

  • Usman Shehu – Nigerian DW journalist, Senior Editor Africa News Desk (co-moderator)
  • Sandra Prüfer – German freelance journalist, Bonnections Initiative (co-moderator)
  • Joanita Akello – Ugandan journalist, international development student
  • Astrid Hilt – German artist, V-Day & climate activist (Respect Earth)
  • Mamadou Mbodji – Vice President of Friends of Nature International, Senegal
  • Kwami Kpondzo – Friends of Earth, Specialiste in Conflict Management, Togo
  • Godwin Uyi Ojo – Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action, Nigeria

The discussion and cross-cultural exchange will focus on the Togo uprising and other current news, climate justice, women empowerment and the intersection of climate change, natural ressource exploration, conflict and migration. 

Panelists will also highlight innovative community and women-led sustainable development projects, such as the South African impact entreprise Wonderbag and V-Day’s City of Joy project in DR Congo.

Instead of a conventional panel, we like to conduct the workshop similar to a palaver tree discussion and do a live stream via Facebook to give our friends in Africa the opportunity to particpate.

In African tradition a palaver tree is a natural gathering spot for community discussions, storytelling and problem solving. It’s a designated location (originally a large tree) where people come together to discuss in a peaceful and constructive manner issues of common interest – roughly the equivalent to the South Pacific “talanoa” concept.

Picture: AfricansRising
Bonnections is a local grassroots initiative that aims to bring new and old Bonners together and foster an intercultural dialogue, critical awareness and social change for addressing global issues. In May, we organized an Africans Rising satellite event in partnership with Deutsch-Afrikanisches Zentrum Bonn e.V. (German-African Center Bonn) for the launch of the Africans Rising movement.
For the COP23 (Nov. 6-17), we have launched an intercultural arts & storytelling project with a series of creative outreach events. The kick-off of the project on the opening day of the UN climate summit with this AfricansRising workshop and the  GreenDrinks Bula Welcome Party in the evening (7-9 PM).

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