Evaluation 2015 et Perspectives 2016

AMANI FESTIVAL
Evaluation 2015/ Perspectives 2016
PLAYING FOR CHANGE, SINGING FOR PEACE
A music and dance Festival
that aims at bringing together
all the people
of the African Great Lakes region
for peace and reconciliation
”
„
AMANI FESTIVAL 2016
01
Great Lakes Region. February 13th, 14th and 15th 2015 were a moment where civil society,
> FOREWORDS
political authorities, humanitarian agencies and all people met to sing and dance together.
The Amani music and dance Festival is a cultural event that aims to promote peace,
The need and the wish to perpetuate the event have been felt at all levels, and the
reconciliation and change in the Great Lake Regions. The word Amani means peace in
organizers decided to prepare a third edition for 2016.
Swahili. The Foyer Culturel de Goma, a local cultural center, initiated this festival that
draws in Goma, the capital of the province of North Kivu in Eastern DR Congo, people and
> Eric de Lamotte, Promoter of the Festival Amani artists from the region during three days.
> Guillaume Bisimwa, Director of Festival Amani
“Dancing for change, Singing for peace”
The first edition of the festival took place in February 2014 and gathered 25,000
festival-goers around the world music star Lokua Kanza, as well as singers from the DRC,
Rwanda, Burundi and traditional dancing groups of the region. One year later, the second
edition of the festival was even more successful.
29,000 people came to sing and dance with the African reggae icon Ivorian Tiken Jah
Fakoly, the formidable Malian vocalist Habib Koité, the Congolese showman Didier Kalonji
(known as Bill Clinton), and with many more musicians coming from Rwanda, Burundi,
North-Kivu and South-Kivu. Dance was also honored with traditional dancers from the
AMANI FESTIVAL 2016
> CONTEXT
02
Secondly, the festival wants to send across the world a different picture of Goma and
Eastern DRC, a picture that is not only warring, rape and looting lands. This region is
Since 1994 and the Rwandan genocide, Eastern DRC has been at the center of
fraught with talents and committed young people who are able and willing to change
multiple humanitarian disasters: massive displacement of population, attacks, rapes,
the reality in which they were born. Changing the world’s vision of the Great Lakes
wars, looting, ethnic confrontations, all these supported and worsened by national and
Region, showing the richness of the population and its incredible potential, and calling for
international actors interested in controlling resources of the rich region. The situation
a change towards a better world are challenges the Amani Festival wants to tackle.
is now, slowly, improving. Located at the border with Rwanda, Goma is the capital city of
the province of North Kivu and counts more than one million inhabitants. It is in that city,
located in the center of the conflicts, that Amani festival takes place.
> OBJECTIVES
The Festival has two main objectives:
Firstly, through culture, the festival wishes to reweave peaceful relations between
people and encourage the reconstruction of a society where each of us finds her/
his place. A festival of music and dance allows everyone to experience a different
atmosphere, away from the conflicts that did not stop tearing apart the Great Lakes
Region for more than 20 years. A music festival ‘normalizes’ this environment that really
needs it. The first couple of editions confirmed that, around a cultural event, this link
between people is real. For the inhabitants of Goma, the festival now epitomizes peace,
party, and hope.
The festival is a non-profit event, everybody is welcome and the entry fee is only $1/day.
AMANI FESTIVAL 2016
> ORGANIZATION
03
> Discovering traditional artists of the region: staff members from the “Foyer Culturel” travel
to villages around Goma to discover hidden cultural talents and organize small concerts.
A team of about twenty volunteers of the Foyer Culturel and their friends start working on
the events months ahead. They are coordinated by Eric de Lamotte, a Belgian entrepreneur
> Marathon: together with partners, a 17km run is organized. The participants run
very active in the Kivu and the promoter of the festival, and Guillaume Bisimwa, a Congolese
through the city with Amani Festival T-shirts. This activity enables to reach sport club
national, former Director of the “Foyer Culturel de Goma” and director of Amani Festival.
affiliates that are not necessarily among the public of Sana Weekends and encourages the
The team can count on multiples supports, both from the local authorities of North Kivu and
gathering of everybody during the 3 days of the festival. In 2015, the marathon was organized in
of Goma town and from Monusco and Congolese police as well as from numerous NGO and
partnership with Vodacom, TMB and Uhaki Safi.
private partners whose names are mentioned below. During the festival, no less than 350
volunteers ensures that the event goes smoothly.
> Plays: this year, in collaboration with Uhaki Safi and ULPGL, a theater play on gender-based
violence was presented at local universities. This activity promoted the festival and its
In order to prepare the population for this new event and to the philosophy of peace and living
philosophy, as well as the link between the festival and other important themes for the
together through culture, numerous activities are put into place during the months preceding
social and economic development of the North Kivu Province. Hundreds of students came
the event:
to the play.
> The “Sanaa weekends” are organized at the “Foyer Culturel de Goma”. They are a space
Other means of communication such as posters, streamers, flyers, billboard advertisements,
for artistic promotion for singers, dancers, musicians, acrobats and others. They perform
radio and television broadcasts are used to promote the festival. They give partners and
every Saturday in front of 2 to 3,000 people. In 2015, more than 150 musicians and traditional
sponsors a high visibility for many months.
dancers enrolled in the contest, hoping to be selected for the second edition of Amani Festival.
> The “caravans” (street concerts) organized by dancers and musicians selected for the festival drive around all neighborhoods of the city to promote peace and the festival. The artists
share their moments of joy with the population while manifesting values of different cultures.
AMANI FESTIVAL 2016
> AMANI FESTIVAL 2015
04
pop; Mani Martin, a Rwandese Afro-Soul artist and a real friend of the festival who
promotes understanding among people; Lion Story, the headlight group of reggae
29,000 festival-goers met on February 13th, 14th, and 15TH at Collège Mwanga in Goma,
from Burundi that sings the life of Burundians after years of conflicts; Mayaya Santa,
DRC. During these three days, 29 musicians, traditional and modern dance groups, and
a popular musician in Butembo North-Kivu who, through reggae music, sings for peace and
acrobats coming from the Ivory-Coast, Italy, Burundi, Mali, Rwanda and of course DRC
consolation of the oppressed people, and finally Fabrice Mufaritsa who with his
sang and danced!
tradi-modern style promotes the hunde tradition (people living in Masisi, North-Kivu).
http://www.amanifestival.com/en/programme-amani-2015
Young artists who were selected during the sanaa weekends were also given a chance
ARTISTS
to perform at Amani Festival. The nominees were Back Man, Hip Hop, Mista Faba, Voldie
Mapenzi, Will’ Stone, RnB and Hip Hop, and Suzette Shagasha.
The most famous among the international artists of the 2015 edition was the emblematic
African reggae man Tiken Jah Fakoly. The Ivorian is also a spokesman of the young Africa
Traditional dancing groups of all the Great Lakes Region completed the agenda.
generation who often faces political and economic difficulties. He unified the crowd as no
They performed on the second stage of the festival. The many groups included: Matakiyo,
one and invited people to dance and think about Africa and its future.
Rhina Grew, Intercommunity Folk, Black dancers, Arsenic Dance Crew, Les Immortels,
Intore, the traditional Ingomeza Mihigo, Busara Dance company … and of course the
Malian folk artist of international fame Habib Koité was also present. Habib skillfully
famous drum-players from Burundi Batimbo Percussion Magique.
married the weight of its African poetry heritage with instrumental virtuosity. Finally
‘Bill Clinton’ Kalonji, the famous “party animal” from Kinshasa, set the place on fire on
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, together with tens of thousands of festival-goers.
In addition to these three stars, different Congolese, Rwandese, Burundians
artists superbly occupied the stage during these three days of party. Among them were:
Junior Grigo, a Congolese living in Italy who mixes folk, funk, reggae and contemporaneous
For more information on these artists: http://www.amanifestival.com/en/artists
AMANI FESTIVAL 2016
> “KWA KESHO BORA” VILLAGE (For a better tomorrow” in Swahili)
A ‘humanitarian village’ was organized inside the College Mwanga where the festival
took place.
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> MEDIAS
One of the two objectives of the festival is to show to the world another image of Goma
and Eastern DRC and call out to the national and international decision-makers to take
necessary actions for sustainable peace in the region. This peace is crucial to improve the
70 local and international organizations participated and exchanged with festival-goers
welfare of the thousands of inhabitants of this region rich in natural resources.
through dances, plays, photo exhibitions, debates, advisory services, psychological
accompaniment and workshops on questions related to peace, development,
The 2015 edition was a success in terms of media coverage: there were not less than 20
environmental protection, justice and education.
international media, 30 local and national media that covered the event.
This hosts all NGOs acting for peace in the region and wanting a space to exchange with
To name only the major ones: RFI, RTNC, FR24, Digital Congo, Le Monde, Jeune Afrique,
the population on their actions on the field. These organizations are invited to carry out
TV5 Monde, Al Jazeera, Okapi…Rwandese, Burundians, Belgian Press representatives,
sensitization activities engaging in concrete terms the festival-goers in topics linked with
and of course all Congolese media.
reconciliation and peace.
Numerous videos of programs that broadcasted the show as well as press magazines
The NGOs taking part at humanitarian village:
and articles are available at:
http://www.amanifestival.com/en/humanitarian-village
http://www.amanifestival.com/en/pictures-and-videos
AMANI FESTIVAL 2016
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PARTNERS
A festival that costs the public one dollar a day could not be carried out without partners and sponsors. Below are all the organizations that supported us in 2015…
may they be warmly thanked! The festival success is also theirs. The Festival organization team makes its best to ensure that their support is as visible as possible -and their feedback
shows that they have been very happy with the visibility they got. We count on them -and maybe you- for the 2016 edition!
http://www.amanifestival.com/en/partners
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> UNV
> POSITIVE PRODUCTION
> KIVU TRAVEL
> FOYER CULTUREL OF GOMA
The volunteering program of the United
Positive Production (Events Management
Kivu Travel is a tourism agency that
Its objective is to bring artistic response
Nations (UNV) is the UN program that
/Engineering) is an event management
specializes
in
to social issues that meet the youth of
promotes voluntary service to support
company based in Kigali. It was founded
Eastern DRC and on the African Great
the city. Trainers teach music, dance,
peace and development around the world.
by Kanobana R. Judo and has worked
Lakes region in general. Its objective is
spoken arts and drumming to more than
The UN volunteers in the DRC organize
with many big names; such as Gaby
to promote this beautiful region and its
300 young people. Foyer Culturel of Goma
diverse activities for peace promotion.
Kamanzi, Vieux Farka Touré, Ismael
welcoming inhabitants and help travel-
would like to be a gathering place of young
In Goma and Kinshasa,they contributed
Lo, Ikobe, Sean Paul, Shaggy, Kassav,
ers discover its unique fauna and flora
people over the question of love of culture
to supporting the festival.
Lokua Kanza, and Tumi among others.
(www.kivutravel.com)
and peace. (www.foyercultureldegoma.com)
> FRANCOFOLIES OF KINSHASA
> Imperial Communication & Events (ICE)
> UNICEF
> PROMO JEUNE BASKET
An offshoot of the Francophiles of Spa,
ICE is a communication and event
Guided by convention on Children’s Rights,
Promo Jeune Basket (PJB) is a Congolese
the biggest Belgian festival that is held in
company. It is quite known in Kinshasa
UNICEF promotes children participation in
organization founded in 2007. It uses
July, the Francofolies of Kinshasa is going
and was founded and is still ran by
communities and the support of children’s life
basketball as a vector to instill civic values
to be held for the first time in September
Nzi Rwakabuba. ICE organizes the
through intensive care, education and child
in young people. Its founders believe
2015 in Kinshasa. A partnership was
communication of Amani festival in
protection programs. Among other initiatives,
that sport, and the dynamics attached
established between the Francofolies and
Kinshasa and helps the festival search for
UNICEF collaborates with DRC government
to it, can teach important lessons to young
Amani festival for beaming culture in DRC
partners
in a program called “children reporters” in all
people who grew up in unstable conditions
and making it a peace instrument.
Congolese artists.
provinces in the country.
during wartime. (www.pjbacademy.com) and
negotiate
deals
with
on
the
Kivu
region
AMANI FESTIVAL 2016
> FESTIVAL AMANI IN 2016
The Amani Festival has ambitions: it wants to become a cultural event that cannot be
ignored and an actor for peace in this African region. It will grow and innovate, in order to
improve the population’s well-being.
This Festival wants to be an international sounding box for peace and change in the African
Great Lakes region.
The evaluation of the 2015 edition is ongoing. The aim is to best prepare the 2016 edition,
and improve it with novelties. The third edition of the festival will be held in February 2016,
at a date which will be set according to school vacations.
We are welcoming all the volunteers, artists and partners who would like to join us in
carrying out this event because they believe that culture and gathering people around
music and dance serves peace.
DO NOT HESITATE IN CONTACTING US!
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AMANI FESTIVAL 2016
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> TO CONTACT US
> Eric de Lamotte, Promoter of the Festival Amani
Phone: +32 495 58 68 07 | +243 82 09 21 215
Mail: ericdelamotte@amanifestival.com
> Guillaume Bisimwa, Director of the Festival Amani
Phone: +243 99 34 98 376 | +243 82 09 21 215 | + 33 62 30 30 547
Mail: guillaume@amanifestival.com
> Anne-Laure Van der Wielen > Media Officer
Phone: +243 82 02 13 783 | +243 97 58 02 866
Mail: annelaure@amanifestival.com
> Jean Claude Wenga > Media Officer
Phone: + 243 82 34 96 737 | +243 99 42 52 532
Mail: jeanclaude@amanifestival.com
> Jean-Benoît Falisse > Multimedia & Outreach Manager
Phone: +44 7776751483 | +32 43687071
Mail: jeanbenoit@amanifestival.com
> Fred Bauma > Manager of the Humanitarian Village
Phone: + 243 99 07 21 762 | +243 820006321
Mail: fred@amanifestival.com
> Vianney Bisimwa > Partner Manager
Phone: + 243 81 63 65 994
Mail: vianney@amanifestival.com
> Antoine Durieux, Art Director / Graphic Designer
Phone: +32 486 67 98 92 | +39 389 84 08 072 | +243 99 53 58 129
Mail: anto.durieux@amanifestival.com
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