Bayreuth Academy of Advanced African Studies
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Project
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• Forerunner of the project
Forerunner of the project:
The day after tomorrow - Trendsetter Africa
| The essential groundwork for the project "Future Africa" was the Symposium "ÜberMorgen - Trendsetter Afrika" on the scale of the "Zukunftsforum 2011" of the University of Bayreuth. It was organized by the Institute of African Studies (IAS) conducted by Prof. Dr. Achim v. Oppen in November 2011.
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Far too long, Africa has mainly been associated with a long-lived past and with intricate problems in the present. It is much less known, at least in European publics, that this continent has become a laboratory of bold and sometimes stunning departures into the future. Beyond the familiar patterns of “planned development” by national governments and foreign donors, the current speed of change raises the question whether Africa allows us to glimpse not only into the cradle, but also into the future of humanity – or at least some possible ways into that future: |
| With decreasing certainty “from above” and with an increased momentum for creativity “from below”... During the two-day Symposium, an impressive range of initiatives from different fields of society, culture and politics were presented, showing rather unexpected aspects of Africa that may fascinate also a wider public not normally interested in that part of the world. Without denying the variety and contradictions of the current African experience, these presentations have alerted us that Africa is about to take on new roles in the global concert. ... The poster advertising the event featured a still from an artistic video produced by Jyoti Mistry with Kgafela oa Magogodi in South Africa. A young man somewhere on the street seems to dream about that future, about the paths to choose and its meanings for Africa and the world, challenging established powers and politicians, along with so many youths in Africa today. | |
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