Program 2025
It gives us great pleasure to welcome you to the 3rd African Social Movements Baraza! We’ve curated an experience which we believe will benefit you immensely through enabling you to interact with fellow delegates, establish new networks and strengthen resources to support your advocacy efforts. As we reflect on the many challenges and changes that social movements have faced in recent times, and are likely to continue to face, we remain positive for what will emanate from our time together at this edition of the Baraza, and believe that bold ideas, deeper solidarity and renewed hope for the future will be ignited.
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8:30 am |
Traditional Dance Opening |
Nkabomye Cultural – Troupe |
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9:00 am
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Official Opening and Welcome Host: Coumba Toure, TrustAfrica Invocation: Rose Toure, The Selma Jubilee
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Ebrima Sall – TrustAfrica Kojo Asante – Ghana Center for Democratic Development Vivienne Mentor – Lalu Steering Committee representative
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9:45 am |
Framing the Baraza The global moment, ASM Baraza and key questions for African social movements |
Briggs Bomba – TrustAfrica |
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10:00 am |
Plenary Session #1 Seizing the Moment The politics of now and the path ahead for movements Host: Ikal Angelei, Friends of Turkana |
Phumi Mtetwa – Just Associates Barzini Gyekye Tanoh – Political Economist, Lecturer, Organizer Fadel Barro Y’en a Marre and Afrikki Kim Poole – Teaching Artist Institute |
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11:45 am |
Plenary Session #2 Ignite Talk: When #GenZ rose up in Kenya |
Hanifa Safia Adan #RejectFinanceBill Rim Mathlouti North African Food Sovereignty |
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12:00 pm |
Plenary Session #3 Organising To Win! Host: Abiola Akiyode Afolabi, WARDC and former Chair West African Social Forum |
Rachael Mwikali – Pussy Power! Kwezilomso Mbandazayo – Call2Action Leonard Quartey Africa Water Justice Network Ainka Jackson Selma Jubilee and Selma – Non-Violence Center |
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Lunch @ 1:00 pm |
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1:55 pm |
Creative Pop-up Performance |
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2:00 pm |
Plenary Session #4 Where do we go from here? Host: Shereen Essof, Just Associates Nicolette Naylor and Halima Mohamed will present a report on constituency-based organizing on the continent. |
Bhekinkosi Moyo – Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) Luam Kidane – Open Society Foundations. |
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Break @ 3:30 pm |
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3:45 pm |
Plenary Session #5 Ignite Talk |
Namata Serumaga – Economic Fighters League |
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4:00 pm |
Plenary Session #6 Movements Open Mic session |
Provocations and reflections from all participants |
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7:00 pm |
End of daytime program |
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Punching Barriers Together… Storytelling exhibition opening and networking cocktail |
Curated by Thrive Afrika featuring artists and poets from across Africa |
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Fire-side chat
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Zukiswa Wanner – Novelist, editor, publisher and curator Kamau Wandungu – Film maker and artivist |
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8:55 am |
Creative Pop-up Performance |
Dark Shadow |
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9:00 am
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Graphic Harvesting and Reflections |
Building the thread from mural on hopes and aspirations
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9:30 am
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Creative Pop-up Performance |
Bhanshee |
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9:35 am |
Plenary Session #7 Ignite Talk |
Maurice Mitchel – Working Families Party and Movement for Black Lives |
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9:50 am |
Plenary Session #8 Baraza TV Chat Show Movements and Political Power What has our relationship with State power been? Movement activists taking public office: lessons, costs, contradictions and inspirations for winning for our causes? Host: Apiorkor |
Simamkele Dlakavu – Feminist activist Boniface Mwangi – Activist, photojournalist and independent candidate for parliament in Kenya Raveloarimisa Mbolatiana Gift Ostallos Siziva – Organiser, former opposition member of parliament in Zimbabwe |
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Break @ 11:00 am |
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11:30 am |
Plenary Session #9 Ignite Talk |
Vanessa Thomas – Black Feminist Fund |
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11:45 am – 1:00 pm |
Movement Streams Delegates will engage with critical questions on movement infrastructure and theories of change, through the lenses of the 6 facilitated streams: Stream 1: Power. Movements. Change. Facilitator: Vivienne Mantor-Lalu, Just Associates Stream 2: Safety, Security and Protection of Defenders. Facilitator: Gloria Mandegwa, Defenders’ Coalition Stream 3: Movements and Resourcing. Co-facilitators: Alice D. Kanengoni, Southern Africa Trust, Bhekinkosi Moyo, CAPSI & Hanifa Safia Adan, #RejectFinanceBill. Stream 4: Building from below / Grassroots organizing. Co-facilitators: Muthoni Ngige, Minority Women in Action & Ghislain Muhiwa, La Lucha Stream 5: Narrative Framing and Political Education. Co-facilitators: Mazibuko Jara, Zabalaza Pathways Institute & El Hadji Demba Dia, Filmmaker Stream 6: Pan African and International Solidarity. Co-facilitators: Hardi Yakubu, Africans Rising & Kim Poole, Teaching Artist Institute |
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Lunch @ 1:00 pm |
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2:00 pm – 5:00 pm |
Inspirational Site Visits Registration: https://shorturl.at/VtUmQ Location 1: Dikan Center and Artist Alliance Gallery: These two art spaces will be visited together by one group.
Location 2: Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park: The final resting place of Ghana’s first president featuring a museum that chronicles his life, leadership and legacy. Location 3: Osu Castle: A site of deep historical significance, this former colonial fort and presidential residence offers insight into Ghana’s political past and transformation. |
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| End of daytime program | ||
| 7:00 pm |
Self-organized evening Africans Rising Vigil African Rising will host a solidarity vigil and fireside conversation which will be in a remembrance of all activists and movement people who have died or been killed while working for a better Africa. This will be followed by a conversation on how solidarity can be effectively organized on a continental scale to defend rights, push back on civic space shrinking and respond to crises. Ghana Night Life Enjoy the Afro-urban sprawl that Accra is so popular for. Delegates can find a list of recommended spots in the logistics note. |
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8:55 am |
Graphic Harvesting and Reflections |
Building the thread from mural on hopes and aspirations |
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9:30 am
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Creative Pop-up Performance |
Vitali Maembe
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9:35 am
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Plenary Session #10 Ignite Talk |
Ketia Onema |
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9:50 am |
Plenary Session #11 Joy and Holistic Care as a form of resistance Caring for Ourselves and Our Movements: Artivism, Health and Wellbeing as Movement Strategy Host: Coumba Toure, TrustAfrica |
Dirk Shaka – La Lucha and movements wellbeing facilitator Tsitsi Midzi – Urgent Action Fund-Africa Heran Tadesse Afrikan Kemetic Yoga Lalaina Randriarimanana – African Stories for Social Change |
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Break @ 11:00 am |
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11:30am |
Plenary Session #12 Ignite Talk: How we used hip-hop and Satire to fight Big Oil |
Samm Farai Monro – Magamba Network |
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11:45 am – 1:00 pm |
Campaigns Open Space: Africa-wide campaigns and coalitions breakout sessions structured into the following topics: Stream 1: Africa Water Justice Coalition Stream 2: Countering Anti-Rights Actors in Africa Stream 3: Digital Storytelling for Movements Stream 4: Discrimination based on Work and Descent Stream 5: Borderless Africa Campaign Stream 6: Climate Justice, Land and Food Sovereignty Stream 7: Fighting Fossil Fuel Companies in Africa |
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Lunch @ 1:00 pm |
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1:55 pm |
Creative Pop-up Performance |
Bhanshee |
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2:00 pm |
Plenary Session #13 Solidarity messages |
Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson – Working Families Party and Movement for Black Lives Marcia Thomas – USA for Africa |
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2:15 pm |
Plenary Session #14 The Power of Movements Our shared commitments and action plan |
Movements World Café |
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4:00 pm |
Creative Pop-up Performance |
Xuman |
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4:05 pm |
Convergence Closing Plenary The Power of Movements Declaration, joint actions, key takeaways and celebration |
Mazibuko Jara – Rapporteur Diakhoumba Gassama – Hewlett Foundation Phumi Mtetwa – Baraza Steering Committee Briggs Bomba – TrustAfrica |
| End of daytime program | ||
| 7:00 pm |
Africa Without Borders Concert Live music and DJs, featuring conscious African artists MC: Vera Chisvo Artists: Koffi Awuku Sao, DJ Ali G, Killer Ace, Naakeyet, Bhanshee, Worlasi, Martial Pa’nussi, Xuman and Lamisi |
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