Thursday 24 April 2008

WHAT:   China- Africa Civil Society Dialogue Public Forum in Nairobi

WHO: The Heinrich Boll Foundation and Fahau

WHERE:    Nairobi Safari Club, Lillian Towers

DATE:      Thursday 24th April 2008

TIME:     4.00 pm. 

The Heinrich Böll Foundation and Fahamu have hosted a group of Chinese academics specializing in African studies to Nairobi for a workshop and visitor’s programme called the “China – Africa Society Dialogue”, which has been taking place (in various events and venues) in Nairobi during the week April 21-25, 2008.

The culmination of the visit will be a Public Forum at Nairobi Safari Club (Lillian Towers) on Thursday 24th April 2008 from 4pm. The occasion will be graced by His Excellency, Mr. Zhang Ming the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Kenya and leading academics from the University of Beijing, the Chinese Academy of Social Science and other think-tanks that advise the Chinese government on its relationships towards Africa. 

The essence of the visit is to get Chinese experts on Africa in touch with the Africa’s non-governmental world and establish a platform for dialogue that goes beyond the usual government and business level contacts which are well established by now.  As such, the African civil society representatives are drawn from Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique, Sudan, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zimbabwe etc, countries where Chinese engagement has thrived over the last few years. 

The week long dialogue has various objectives. It initially hopes to develop a coordinated strategy for African civil society engagement on issues relating to China in Africa. It also hopes to provide a platform from which to launch a network of African civil society and citizens working on China in Africa. The initiative will also try to develop a joint strategy for research and advocacy on China in Africa as well as forge an African common position on the guiding principles that should govern Chinese and other powers’ relation in Africa. In the same light, the dialogue will create Chinese-African civil society linkages, establishing channels for African based organizations to achieve their advocacy objectives within China as they have in Europe and other parts of the world. 

A broader objective of the dialogue is having a greater understanding and exchange of ideas on the various dynamics of Chinese involvement in Africa.

The conference will help to map the various Chinese projects/programs that have taken place across Africa, assessing the impact of these initiatives on the investment climate, trade, finance, aid, labour market, immigration, environment, governance and human rights concerns of African states. At the same time, China’s growing responsibilities in Africa will be under inquiry as well as its engagement with regional organs such as the African Union.
 

For more information contact:

Heinrich Böll Foundation, East & Horn of Africa Office

Forest Rd., Parklands, P.O. Box 10799-00100 GPO, Nairobi, Kenya

Tel: +254-20-3750329, +254-20-3744227, fax: +254-20-3749132; email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; web: www.hbfha.com 

Fahamu Kenya

Block C, 3rd Floor, Peponi Plaza, Westlands, P.O. Box 47158-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

Tel: +254 20 3749346, fax: +254 20 3749347; email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; web: www.aumonitor.org / www.fahamu.org