The main focus of AfricanBamba is on women and children human rights issues.

Throughout the years, AfricanBamba festival has been organised and promoted by AfricanBamba in partnership with international and local partners, among which Movies   that Matter, the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands in Dakar, ActionAid International, Human Rights Nights, Marie Stopes International and La Comune de Djiddah Thiaroye Kao. Since 2014 AfricanBamba Human Rights Film Festival has become member of the Human Rights Film Network – an international network of more than 40 festivals across the world dedicated to human rights (www.humanrightsfilmnetwork.org). We are now in the process of renewing partnership for 2015 and 2016.

AfricanBamba Human Rights Film and Arts Festival – first human rights film festival in Senegal – showcases human rights films and documentaries to raise awareness and inspire change. AfricanBamba Human Rights Film Festival uses the power of cinema and the arts as a tool to address urgent social issues: primary goal is to engage youth and the community towards positive social change and empowerment by raising awareness on human rights.

AfricanBamba has successfully inaugurated its 1° edition in 2012 with a programme of film screening, music concerts, arts exhibitions, building up a very significant community event in Senegal to debate and raise awareness on social contemporary issues affecting young people, with a special focus on Migration. In 2013 the Festival has continued with a 2° edition focused on Youth and Women, introducing also community screenings in the streets of the banlieue and free health checks and vaccinations for women and children. AfricanBamba Human Rights Film and Arts Festival 3° edition in 2014 focused on Boolo – Community and Non Violence, with a strong programme of film and debates, music and theatre performance, sports  for peace, and continuing free health checks, vaccinations and family planning for women and children.

This new 4°edition will focus on: Conflicts in Africa and the Middle East and the current international humanitarian refugee crisis; Health in the banlieue‐ to continue our committment on women health, family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention and for spreading awareness and knoweldge on the urgent issue of Ebola, as well as on the emergence of Diabetes; Food & Earth – focusing on human rights issues around the right to food (food sovereignty, economic disparities in the world, sustainable agriculture), earth (climate  change, land grabbing, rights to land) and water (privatisation of water sources, water economy and  conflicts), as inspired by the manifesto that has been drafted from the African Social Forum in October 2014; Alcohol abuse and dependency, in particular with regards to this very powerful and lethal alcoholic drink called Diakarta that is destroying young people, also here in the neighbourhood.

The potential of youth in the world, and particularly of African youth in countries such as Senegal, is enourmous and unfortunately yet not at all exploited: energy, dreams and hopes are crashed under pressing poverty, lack of employment and huge unequalities in the world economic system. Gender is a main factor for development and opportunity in Senegal, and young women are unfortunately very often in severe conditions which do not allow them to emancipate and fulfill their potential. AfricanBamba itself aims to become a project where such energy could be channelled to allow for youth and women’s empowerment in the community.

Core programme of the festival are the screening of films focused on human rights. Trying to engage participation from the community, AfricanBamba  uses films as a medium to start discussion on themes that require urgent attention in the banlieue – from youth unemployment to migration, from early marriage to women’s emancipation, from street children to right to health, education and non violence. Youth resistance and women’s     empowerment are portrayed through films, to celebrate and learn from the efforts that youth and women are making in other parts of the world and in Africa, facing similar difficulties and challenges, hopefully provocking inspiration towards positive social change also at local level.

WHY A HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL in THIAROYE, SENEGAL

AfricanBamba Human Rights Film Festival – first festival in Senegal dedicated to human rights films – is becoming a very important Lopportunity for community building and for creating alliances and  networks at local and global level which facilitate also throughout the year projects towards development, empowerment, education and for the voicing of the concerns of the community, whilst offering an opportunity to debate issues – such as for instance, migration, street children exploitation, flooding, youth unemployment, gender inequality or violence. These and others key urgent themes are addressed during the festival through different artistic modalities, for then been discussed formally and informally throughout the day.

The festival is one key opportunity for us to communicate to our governors, to our people and to the world what are our dreams, our worries, how we would see a social just and peaceful world. The Festival provides us in fact with one the very few opportunities for the youth and the women of the banlieue to be exposed to socially engaged cinema – feature films and documentaries from around the world – and is an important chance for the community to be actively involved in a participatory programme of direct engagement on human rights, where films can act as tools for advocacy and voicing concerns of the community. The festival would ideally become – year after year – a permanent space where socially oriented communication, voicing of concerns, sharing of experiences and information / awareness would be happening at the local level, whilst globally connected.

The festival have a significant impact on the community of Thiaroye. For the youth and the women of Thiaroye the location of the festival in the banlieue rather than in Dakar or Goree means recognition in itself and increases the identity of the festival as a participative project rooted in the community. In Thiaroye, where is very rare the presence of NGOs or international organisations, the festival is in fact viewed as a new way for the community to engage, be recognised and express themselves on their urgent social issues.

WHEN

next 4° edition:

• 10 December 2015 – International Human    Rights Day celebration in Dakar
• 3-6 March 2016 – AfricanBamba Human Rights Film Festival in Thiaroye

WHERE

Central venue of the festival is the Centre Culturel Jacques Chirac, which is centrally located in Thiaroye and is renowned by the community, as it is an important centre for youth engagement against drugs and abuse through sports. The venue is set up with an open air screening space, a conference room, an outdoor performance stage and free health checks venues. The venue can host up to 400-500 people. The cinema screenings will happen in a dedicated area that holds from 200 to 300 people. AfricanBamba Festival organises screening also in the banlieue neighbourhood in the main squares of Thiaroye as Cinema du Quartier. Finally we organise events in collaborations with international NGOs, Embassies and Cultural Centres in the city of Dakar to further spread our message connected at international level.

FESTIVAL OBJECTIVES

• to raise awareness on human rights and social contemporary issues, using films and arts as key tools to start debates
• to strenghten community building, promote women and youth empowerment and create alliances at local and global level, for advocacy and social change
• to create spaces for participation and representation of the concerns of the community

AUDIENCE

• women
• children and youth
• local communities
• local and international NGOs, local authorities, cultural institutions and schools

AfricanBamba Thiaroye Human Rights Film and Arts Festival has now successfully completed its third edition, with 5 core festival days at the Centre Culturelle Jacques Chirac – from 12th to 16th November 2014. Further screenings are continuing throughout the following weeks in schools and in specific streets and squares of Thiaroye, such as the neighbourhood of Moussa Sy Terrain or Malika, up to the 10^th December, International Day of Human Rights.

AfricanBamba Human Rights Film Festival sur le Droit de l’Homme has been created and organised by AfricanBamba, in partnership with Human Rights Nights, with the support of Movies that Matters, ActionAid International and the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands, in collaboration with Marie Stopes International, and the associations Andando Soxoli Sunu Gox ensemble pour le development de notre quartier pour la sensibilisation des jeunes filles du quartier, Yoff Women Association, Daara Dunya, Daara de Talibè, Simb Group Serigne Fallou, Ecole de Mbao, PBC – Pikine Basket Club, Group Sope Serigne Fallou, Hip Hop de la Banlieue, Marine Family, Seven Shots and the Centre Culturelle Jacques Chirac.

A combined programme of film screenings, debates to raise awareness on human rights issues, free health consultations and HIV/AIDS prevention programmes, as well as music, performances and sport events – have confirmed this year the importance of the festival as a significant and special opportunity for the people of Thiaroye and beyond, to come together to debate and raise awareness on social contemporary issues affecting the community and in particular women and children.

The festival is an important occasion to discuss the matters that are at people’s heart, exchange feelings and experiences, get knowledge and information around human rights issues, engage actively in the festival and feeling empowered through their active participation. The  community gets together with local associations and international NGOs, to address some specific issues, aided by the means of films and performances. This year the festival has seen a renewed strong participation of women and youth of the banlieue. The elderlies of Thiaroye as well as the representatives of local authorities have made their presence to the festival to recognise the importance of such an event for the community.

All festival events were free and open to the public. The guests and staff were also invited to share meals and were offered throughout the whole day water and juices.

Festival themes and debates

AfricanBamba Thiaroye Film Festival 3° edition has focused on education and non violence. Within the framework of BOLLO = community, ‘united make strong’, AfricanBamba has gathered women men and young people of Thiaroye and surroundings to talk of education and non-violence, creating spaces for dialogue and communication.

In the banlieue, young people face many difficulties and obstacles: the rate of unemployment is huge and many have drop out of school after only a few years of education. Education tends to privatisation and increases inequalities. Street children are at risk for criminality and deviance. Within this challenging context, AfricanBamba, through its festival activities in the streets and neighbourhood of the banlieue, has engaged this year the people of Thiaroye to increase awareness on education and to debate how the community can empower itself towards social change and non violence.

Education has been addressed during a lively debate participated by school students, where education and human rights issues were debated, with the participation of the students, the teachers and the Director of the Ecole de Mbao, representatives of AfricanBamba, Human Rights Nights and the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands. Throughout the festival, AfricanBamba has raised the question of the right to education, encouraging families to pursue education for its children and authorities to act for removing inequalities and improving qualities of education, regardless of class.

With extremely high unemployment in Senegal (almost half of working-age people are unemployed), most of young people are left in the banlieue with no education, no job, and nothing to do. In Thiaroye there is a high percentage of young boys who neither work or study or train. With no money, nothing to do, and lot of time in their hands, youth are at risk to get involved in gangs, robberies and mugging, violent aggressions, drugs, alcohol dependency (with widespread killing alcoholic cheap mixtures), violence against women. Amid unfulfilled dreams and aspiration, a social context combining poverty, unemployoment, frustration and lack of opportunities, is a perfect hummus for deviance and violence in the banlieue.

The recent sadness for the violent death of a young man in Thiaroye, Diafara – who was knifed last year just a few days after the festival – has urged AfricanBamba to address this year the issue of non violence in the community. AfricanBamba has thus launched a strong call for a culture of non violence, through the aid of cinema and music, to oppose tensions and conflicts and to create opportunities for rehabilitation, offering the chance through creative alternatives to channel existing negative energies towards positive outputs. Film screenings were the catching moment to spark discussions with difficult youth and the community, involving NGOs, social workers, women associations and the youth to confront the question.  All the Hip Hop musicians of the banlieue – more than 20 groups – have organised themselves to perform one whole night at the Festival, to offer homage to Diafara. Through rap and MCs the issue of non violence was addressed in the lyrics on and beyond the stage. Non violence was also the theme of the theatre performances by the Group Sope Serigne Fallou and Daara Dunya, as well as in the Sport Day through the Football Match against violence and the final Basket Rap Attack.

Women are always at the heart of AfricanBamba committment towards human rights. Many women associations participated to the festival and took active part in the debates and the activities, also engaging directly in the festival organisation. Young and older women have shared experiences and opinions, encouraged by the festival initiative and the partner of AfricanBamba.

In particular, a very special talk was organised together with ActionAid International regarding the issue of women rights to land properties and in general on the human rights violation due to the land grabbing phenomena, also addressed at the African Social Forum. Women associations – including Andando Soxoli Sunu Gox and the Yoff Women Association – have participated actively in the empowering event, lead by Dellaphine Rauch-Houekpon, Country Director of ActionAid International in Senegal, and everyone shared their thoughts. After the screening of a reportage on the issue of landgrabbing in the region of Ndiael, ideas and thoughts were collected through a petition.

AfricanBamba Human Rights Film Festival has also renewed its committment on the issues of health, which in 2013 have allowed to diagnosticate some case of  cancer and other illnesses in the community which are now under cure. More than 400 women has taken part to the health services offered by Marie Stopes International and a lot more have participated to the debates lead by Denise Sokhna, Marie Stopes medical mobile unit officer, for raising awareness and knowledge on vaccinations, disease prevention and family planning. The festival has again been an opportunity for free immunisation and health medical examinations, as well as access to medicines for whom can not afford them, such as poor families and street children. Marie Stopes decided to stay longer than she planned as the women participation was higher than expected.

Films screenings

Core programme of the festival has been the screening of films focused on human rights, as AfricanBamba uses films as a medium to start discussion on themes that require urgent attention in the banlieue. In particular this year the cinema programme has presented films in line with the festival key issues: education and non violence. Through films, examples were  showcased from around the world, to spark discussions on the importance of education for nourishing the new generation, as well as the desire for fulfilling dreams, channeling positively one’s own energy towards non violence and self-empowerment. Film screenings has acted as the catching moments to spark discussions with difficult youth and the community, involving NGOs, social workers, women associations and the elderly to confront the question. We have screened 8 feature fiction films, 5 short fiction films, 1 short doc film – in total 14 films. All films were highly participated by an audience of around 200-300 people each screening.

On education and children rights

• Cahaya by Jan Lee – short film (Philippine)
• Barrell by Anabel Rodrìguez Rios – short film (Venezuela)
• Hungry God by Sukhada Gokhale-Bhonde – short film (India)
• Le Tableau Noir by Samira Makhmalbaf – feature fiction film (Afghanistan, Iran)
• Sur le Chemin de l’Ecole by Pascal Plisson – feature fiction film (France)

On women’s issues

• One Billion Rising – campaign film global women against violence
• Girl Effect – campaign film for girl rights to education
• Miseducation by Nadine Cloete – short film (South Africa)
• La Noir de… by Sembene Ousmane – feature fiction film (Senegal)
• Madame Brouette by Moussa Sene Absa – feature fiction film (Senegal)

On non-violence

• Mon nom est Tsotsi by Gavin Hood – feature fiction film (South Africa)
• The Restless City by Andrew Dosunmu – feature fiction film (USA)
• La Playa by Juan Andrès Arango Garcia – feature fiction film (Columbia)
• La Pirogue by Moussa Tourè – feature fiction film (Senegal) 100’

All films screened were either in Wolof, in French or with French subtitles.

Core Festival Programme – Day by Day

Opening day 12 November

Education Day – screenings of films on education and children rights, meeting with school educators and students ; starts of health checks, family planning and disease prevention by Marie Stopes International ; presentations to women’s associations by Denise Sokhna, medical officer Marie Stopes International.

13 November

Women and Children Day – presentation of report on land grabbing and women’s rights to property by ActionAid, with intervention of Country Director Dellaphine Rauch-Hoeukpan ; debate on human rights and education with school students from Mbao, with intervention by the School Director and one of the teacher, representatives of AfricanBamba, Human Rights Nights and by Clarjis Inge Diop, Cultural Representative from the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands. Screening of films on life in Dakar and beyond. Theatre performances and traditional dance of the Simb, Le Faux Lions.

14 November

Youth and Non Violence Day – debates on non violence and homage to Diafara, a young boy of the banlieue  who was brutally knifed to death last year after the festival. Strong participation of youth of the banlieue and of artists and musicians. Screening of films on life in the banlieue in other parts of the world.

15 November

Women and Non Violence -  screening of films towards women’s empowerment and against women violence, followed by informal debates with small groups of young and more elderly women. Final concert Hip Hop – Bollo – united make strong, Non Violence, organised and participated by all the hip hop groups of the banlieue, lead by Seven Shots and Marine Family.

16 November

Sport Day  for Human Rights – AfricanBamba Football match at Camp Thiaroye – a symbolic venue as the military camp that has witnessed the massacre of the Senegalese soldiers, returned as allied soldiers in the WWII and crashed down after they protested for the French army to now keep promises regarding their compensation. Basket rap attack, with final and semifinals of the local basket championship, organised by Pikine Basket Club followed by closing festival party.

Audience participation

Over 4000 people attended the festival with an audience by women, youth and the participation of the whole local community. This year the festival has truly become a very participative events made with the community, with endorsement of the elderly of Thiaroye and a very active involvement of women association. Youth groups have directly contributed to the festival as part of the organisation, volunteering and offering their creativity and resources.

The audience reflected the demography of the inhabitants of Thiaroye, which is our main focus. Together with youth participation and the few elders of the community, there was a gender balance towards women participation (women to men rate = 2:1). Visitors came night after night bringing friends and family. All reacted positively and actually some have expressed they are already looking forward to the next festival, thinking on how they could contribute next year. After the films, the audience commented and discussed the images also in the days following, and some asked for re-screening of the film to better understanding the issues portrayed in the film. As a matter of fact, due to the request of the community, AfricanBamba will continue screening films in the streets and squares of the neighbourhoods of Thiaroye, as more people would like to engage with cinema in the banlieue.

In details, we had more than 4000 visitors: from 200 to 300 visitors on average for each film screenings and debate, 500 visitors for music and dance event, 200 visitors for football match, 200 visitors for  basket rap attack, 400 visitors for the dance and theatre performances.

In general the festival has been received very well, as a very participative, community event.

For women and the elderly it was very important that the festival was also an opportunity to receive free health checks and vaccinations.

Regarding the films, the people of the Thiaroye has said several times that they were able to view through the festival films that usually they do not have the chance to see. The films that we have brought for screening have been a great new experience for the community in the banlieue, because these are films not possible to watch on TV and through is possible to learn and to thing on the issues that matter.

Regarding the sports and music events: the people of Thiaroye were very happy as they enjoyed traditional performances such as that of the Simb, the faux lions  and the dances of  Sabar and Mbalax, or had a place for collectively perform rap and hip hop lyrics to express what is at their heart in the banlieue. The basket tournament chose AfricanBamba festival to play the finals and semi-finals of the local championship, and celebrated within the festival the closing night the winning of Pikine.

Media coverage

Media attention was renewed this year, with participation every day of journalists from  major local radio, TV and press to collect interviews, have direct reportage on air and contribute to spread the message on human rights. The festival received coverage by: L’OBS, Rewmi  – printed press; Sunu Lamb, Zig FM – local radio ; Sen TV – national TV channel.

Impact of the Festival

On the whole, the festival has fully achieved this year its set objectives of raising awareness in the community on human rights and social contemporary issues, using films as key tools to start debates; to strenghten community building and create alliances at local and global level for advocacy and social change; to create spaces for direct participation and representation of the concerns of the community. We have been very happy to realise that this year there has been a much greater participation, both in numbers of visitors and quality of interventions. The festival this year was also bigger in terms of its programme, numbers of screenings and events and length of activities. We have made more films, more debates and we had more participation. We believe it has been a success and for this we are very happy.

It has all incredibly gone well. Nothing has really gone wrong. This year we have discovered things that were very beautiful throughout the whole festival experience and by sharing words and emotions with the community around the issues that are more at our heart such as women’s health and children. Everything has been successful.

This year we have seen a higher participation from the local and international organisations. The presence of representatives from the Royal Embassy of the Netherlands, Action Aid International, Human Rights Nights and Marie Stopes International, together local with women and youth associations, have made the people feel that AfricanBamba festival is recognised at international level beyond the banlieue and this has had a tremendous impact in terms of feeling less isolated and part of a network for working together towards achieving people’s rights. What we have learnt this year is in fact that more partnership are made at local and global level, more rich the festival is in terms of programme, content and participation.

In fact, a wonderful news has arrived to us just a week after the festival ended: AfricanBamba has been accepted as a new member of the Human Rights Film Network, an international network of 42 human rights film festival across the world – from London to Papua New Guinea and Kuala Lumpur, from Bologna to Seul, Johannesburg, Sarajevo and Buenos Aires… and now Thiaroye!!

As the pre-festival screenings in the squares and streets of Thiaroye were very participated by the people of the community, we have extended the festival venues to include also some specific sites of Thiaroye, as Moussa Sy Terrain or Gessut Terrain, together with the Centre Culturelle Jacques Chirac. This has increased involvement and participation and made the festival be felt even more as their own by the people of the community in Thiaroye, who directly contributed in realising the events every day. The people of the community – from the elderly of the community to the women association and the youth of the
banlieue – have participated to the festival therefore not as just audience or spectators but as active producers of an important event in their own community for human rights.

We have engaged strongly in making sure the film screenings were anticipated and followed by discussions on the themes to raise awareness and debate together on possible solutions, involving local and international organisations such as Marie Stopes International and UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), Association Andando Soxoli Sunu Gox ensemble pour le development de notre quartier pour la sensibilisation des jeunes filles du quartier, Daara des Talibès (coranic schools).

The festival was a very special opportunity for the community to receive free health checks, family planning consultations and vaccinations – thanks to the collaboration with Marie Stopes International and UNFPA (United National Population Fund), more than 500 women, girls and children have been treated by the nurses and doctors at the festival through a mobile medical unit which offered health checks, free vaccinations and consultations on family planning, early marriage and for the prevention of HIV/AIDS.

Strong links and connections have started throughout this festival that we are now emerging as a new network of organisations, community associations and actors in Thiaroye that work together for raise awareness and create social change at the local level, in connection with global international partners. This year we have infact initiated local important partnerships and started important discussions on specific issues – such as health and emancipation of women and street
children – which we will develop together throughout the year to find ways towards change in the community. We will create together next festival edition to make it even more participative and effective for a positive impact on the community.

We have screened 6 feature fiction films, 9 short fiction films, 1 short doc film, 3 feature doc films – in total 19 films throughout december 2013  and january 2014. all films were highly participated by an audience of around 200-300 people each screening.

12.00 Conference de Presse
AfricanBamba Thiaroye Film Festival sur les Droits de l’Homme, 2° edition 2014

Jeudì 16 Janvier 2014 – Terrain Moussa Sy, Touba Thiaroye

Ouverture AfricanBamba Thiaroye Film Festival sur les Droits de l’Homme

9.00 – 16.30
AfricanBamba presente les themes sur les droits de l’homme 2014: mariages precose des jeunes filles et les enfants de la rue Talibès.

Special invitèe:

• Association Andando Soxoli Sunu Gox ensemble pour le development de notre quartier pour la sensibilisation des jeunes filles du quartier.
• Daara des Talibès
• Marie Stopes International, dépistage et consultation gratuite pour la santè de la femme
  Projections des films toute la journèe.

17.00 – 20.00
Animation du quartier avec Dj set

20.00 – 21.30
Projection film GRAND COMME LE BAOBAB de Jeremy Teicher
Introduction sur le theme du mariages precose.

21.30 – 23.00
Projection film TALIBE LES ENFANTS MOINS CONSIDERÉS DU SENEGAL de Daniela Kon
Introduction sur le theme des enfants de la rue Talibè

Vendredì 17 Janvier – Terrain Moussa Sy, Touba Thiaroye

10.00 – 13.00
dépistage et consultation gratuite pour la santè de la femme, avec Marie Stopes International

13.00 – 17.00
Pause pour la priere du vendredì

17.30 – 20.00
Special Theatre et Danse Ballet Silleba

20.00 – 22.00
Projection films:
LA PETITE VENDEUSE DE SOLEIL de Djibril Diop Mambety (45’)
HUNGRY GOD de Sukhada Gokhale-Bhonde (8’)
DEWENETI de Dyana Gaye (15’)
Introduction sur le theme des enfants de la rue Talibè

22.00 – 23.00
Projection films:
Films 4 Peace, une production de Puma.Creative
DIAY DIAP de Ismael Thiam (6’)
LIFE IN THE CITY de Abdoulaye Gaye (30’)
A suivre debate sur la migration et le reve d’Europe

Samedì 18 Janvier – Terrain Gestu, Thiaroye

16.00 – 18.00
Animation pour les enfants, accompagnèe d’une kermesse

18.00 – 20.00
Theatre avec le groupe Alcost

20.30 – 22.00
Projection film:
LITTLE SENEGAL de Rachid Bouchareb

22.00 – 23.00
Projection films:
Films 4 Peace, une production de Puma.Creative
I BRING WHAT I LOVE de Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, avec Youssou N’Dour

Dimanche 19 Janvier – Camp Thiaroye, Centre Culturelle Jacques Chirac

10.00 – 13.00 Camp Thiaroye
Match de Football pour la Paix et les Droits de l’Homme

16.00 – 19.00 Centre Culturelle Jacques Chirac
Basketball pour la Paix et les Droits de l’Homme

19.00 – 21.00 Centre Culturelle Jacques Chirac
Animation Dj set

21.00 – 22.30 Centre Culturelle Jacques Chirac
Projections films:

Films 4 Peace, une production de Puma.Creative
LA PIROGUE de Moussa Tourè

22.30 – 00.30 Centre Culturelle Jacques Chirac
Special concert Hip Hop avec les groupes de la banlieue + special guest

23 – 26 Janvier 2014 – Lycee Thiaroye, Universitè Cheich Anta Diop de Dakar, Malika Plage

AfricanBamba Après Festival
Projection des films sur les Droits de l’Homme et debats sur le theme des mariages precose, les enfants de la rue et la migration.

AfricanBamba Human Rights Film & Arts Festival in Thiaroye, Senegal 3° edition took place from 12 to 16 November 2014 at the Centre Culturelle Jacques Chirac and other venues in Thiaroye, in the banlieue of Dakar. The festival presented film screenings, debates, music and sport to focus on women and children human rights issues. The festival was organised by AfricanBamba in partnership with Movies that Matter, Netherlans Embassy in Dakar, ActionAid International, Human Rights Nights, Marie Stopes International and La Comune de Djiddah Thiaroye Kao.

AfricanBamba Human Rights Film and Arts Festival – first human rights film festival in Senegal – showcases human rights and social issues documentaries to raise awareness and inspire change. AfricanBamba Human Rights Film Festival uses films as a mean to address urgent social issues: primary goal is to engage youth and the community towards positive social change and empowerment by raising awareness on human rights through the support of films screenings.

AfricanBamba had successfully inaugurated its 1° edition in 2012 with a programme of film screening, music concerts, arts exhibitions, building up a very significant community event in Senegal to debate and raise awareness on social contemporary issues affecting young people, with a special focus on Migration. In 2013 the Festival has continued with a 2° edition focused on Youth and Women, introducing also community screenings in the streets of the banlieue and free health checks and vaccinations for women and children.

AfricanBamba Human Rights Film and Arts Festival final 3rd edition was in 2014, focused on Boolo – Community and Non Violence, with a strong programme of film and debates, music and theatre performance, sports for peace, and continuing free health checks, vaccinations and family planning for women and children.

The potential of youth in the world, and particularly of African youth in countries such as Senegal, is enourmous and unfortunately yet not at all exploited: energy, dreams and hopes are crashed under pressing poverty, lack of employment and huge unequalities in the world economic system. Gender is a main factor for development and opportunity in Senegal, and young women are unfortunately very often in severe conditions which do not allow them to emancipate and fulfill their potential. AfricanBamba itself aims to become a project where such energy could be channelled to allow for youth and women’s empowerment in the community.

Core programme of the festival are the screening of films focused on human rights. Trying to engage participation from the community, AfricanBamba uses films as a medium to start discussion on themes that require urgent attention in the banlieue – from youth unemployment to migration, from early marriage to women’s emancipation, from street children to education and non violence. Youth resistance and women’s empowerment are portrayed through films, to celebrate and learn from the efforts that youth and women are making in other parts of the world and in Africa, facing similar difficulties and challenges, hopefully provocking inspiration towards positive social change also at local level.

 WHY A HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL in THIAROYE, SENEGAL

AfricanBamba Human Rights Film & Arts Festival – first festival in Senegal dedicated to human rights films – is becoming a very important opportunity for community building and for creating alliances and networks at local and global level which facilitate also throughout the year projects towards development, empowerment, education and for the voicing of the concerns of the community, whilst offering an opportunity to debate issues – such as for instance, migration, street children exploitation, flooding, youth unemployment, gender inequality or violence. These and others key urgent themes are addressed during the festival through different artistic modalities, for then been discussed formally and informally throughout the day

The festival is one key opportunity for us to communicate to our governors, to our people and to the world what are our dreams, our worries, how we would see a social just and peaceful world. The Festival provides us in fact with one the very few opportunities for the youth of the banlieue to be exposed to socially engaged cinema – feature films and documentaries from around the world – and is an important chance for the community to be actively involved in a participatory programme of direct engagement on human rights, where films can act as tools for advocacy and voicing concerns of the community. The festival would ideally become – year after year – a permanent space where socially oriented communication, voicing of concerns, sharing of experiences and information / awareness would be happening at the local level, whilst globally connected.

The festival have a significant impact on the community of Thiaroye. For the youth of Thiaroye the location of the festival in the banlieue rather than in Dakar or Goree means recognition in itself and increases the identity of the festival as a participative project rooted in the community. In Thiaroye, where is very rare the presence of NGOs or international organisations, the festival is in fact viewed as a new way for the community to engage, be recognised and express themselves on their urgent social issues.

WHEN

annually from November to Januar- next 4th edition: 10th December 2015, 3-6 March 2016

WHERE

AfricanBamba Festival hub is Centre Culturelle Jacques Chirac, a community centre Central venue of the festival is Centre Culturelle Jacques Chirac, which is centrally located in Thiaroye and is renowned by the community, as it is a centre for youth engagement against drugs and abuse through sports. The venue will be set up with an open air screening space, a conference room, an outdoor performance stage and a bistrot cafè. The venue can host up to 400-500 people. The cinema screenings will happen in an area that is dedicated and that holds from 100 to 200 people. AfricanBamba Festival organises screening also in the banlieue neighbourhood,   in the streets and main squares of Thiaroye and the last after festival screening on the Malika beach.

FESTIVAL OBJECTIVES

• to raise awareness on human rights and social contemporary issues, using films as key tools to start debates
• to strenghten community building and create alliances at local and global level, for advocacy and social change
• to create spaces for participation and representation of the concerns of the community

AUDIENCE

• young people of Thiaroye
• women and children (specific screenings and projects designed for involvement)
• local community (for raising awareness projects on social issues and human rights and
• the environment)

PROGRAMME

AfricanBamba Human Rights Film & Arts Festival features 5 full days of film screenings and 3 debates dedicated to the issues of human rights. In anticipation to the festival we organise 5 film community screenings in the banlieue neighborhood, schools and the university to promote the festival and start to engage the audience. We will also organise one final screening event on the beach of Malika. Alongside a few collateral events will be organised: an opening concert of traditional

Senegalese music, 1 theatre performance, 1 closing sport event.

3 debates on the main themes of the festival are organised during the festival by AfricanBamba in partnership with international NGOs, local association and the participation of local authorities and human rights activists to debate within the community of the issues that are more urgent for the people. In 2012 the theme was Migration, in 2013 the themes were Youth and Women, in 2014 the theme were Boolo – Community and Non Violence.