The Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Nathi Mthethwa, invites members of the media to the launch of the Charter for African Renaissance and the consultation on the African Union Agenda 2063 taking place under the theme “ Pan Africanism and African Cultural Renaissance – Towards Agenda 2063”. The launch, which includes a two days seminar, will be held on Thursday, 2 October 2014 at Ditsong Museum of Cultural History, Pretoria.
The Charter for African Renaissance was endorsed by the first African Union Conference of Ministers of Culture held in Nairobi on 10 -14 December 2005 and adopted by the 6th ordinary session of the African Union Assembly that was held in Khartoum, Sudan on 24 January 2006. The Charter is a tool developed to empower Member States to promote Pan Africanism, culture renewal and identity. It is seen as an instrument to encourage the use of African languages and heighten the role of states in cultural development.
The seminar is part of a consultative process on the Charter that will serve as a platform to promote the effective implementation of the charter in South Africa. The event aims to bring academics, arts experts and policy makers under one roof to discuss and finalise the strategy on the implementation of the charter in South Africa. The expected participants will include Ms Angela Martinis, Head of Culture in the African Union Commission, Dr Mathole Motshekga of the Kara Institute, and Ms Simphiwe Dana amongst others.
The seminar is expected to conclude with the adoption of the implementation strategy on the Charter, the establishment of a Charter Committee to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Charter and the consolidation of the SA Cultural position on the AU Agenda 2063.
Currently there are 22 countries that have signed the Charter. South Africa is the 8th country that has endorsed the Charter from the total of 54 member states of the Union including Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Republic of Congo, Chad, Ethiopia and Niger. The outcomes of these discussions will form part of the report to the Cabinet, Parliament and AU.
The event details are as follows:
Date: 2 October 2014
Time: 9h00
Venue: Ditsong Museum of Cultural History, 149 Visagie Street, Pretoria, 0001
RVPs:
Madimetja Moleba
Tel: 012 441 3737
Cell: 072 842 6594
E-mail: MadimetjaM@dac.gov.za
Enquiries:
Sandile Memela
Cell: 082 800 3750
Lisa Combrinck
Cell: 082 821 4886
