The third Luanda Biennale, a pan-African forum for the culture of peace, will take place from 22 to 24 November and will bring together former African heads of state and representatives of UNESCO and the African Union in the Angolan capital.
The Luanda Biennale aims to promote the prevention of violence and conflict through cultural exchange between African countries and dialogue between generations, with this year’s theme “Education, a culture of peace and African citizenship as tools for the sustainable development of the continent.”
The event, which is the result of a partnership between the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Government of Angola and the African Union, will be attended by government and civil society representatives, the artistic and scientific community, and international organizations. .
At the opening of the forum, in addition to Angolan President João Lourenço and the acting President of the African Union, Azalee Assoumanin, was present the former President of Mozambique and current adviser to the African Union, Joaquim Chissano.
Also present will be former heads of state of Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Malawi and UNESCO Deputy Director-General Xing Qu.
According to João Lourenço, mentioned in the UNESCO statement, this forum “represents a privileged platform for exchange between different cultures, religions and social models through interactive and constructive sessions to identify, promote and disseminate viable and inclusive models of peaceful conflict resolution at the level of the African continent and could serve as a potentially inspiring example for other regions of the world.”
The program features six high-level panels on various topics such as the role of youth in promoting a culture of peace, technology and education as tools for achieving gender equality, the role of women in peace, security and development, transforming the education system, innovative finance in the African context, perspectives economic growth and climate change issues.
The Intergenerational Dialogue, one of the highlights of the event, will bring together young participants from several African countries to discuss with political leaders the current issues facing the African continent.
There will also be visits to historical monuments, cultural moments and side events.