George Ehusani on Nigeria's Minimum Wage Debate
How can anyone who earns 200,000 300,000 400,500 thousand, not to talk of people who earn 1 million 2 million how can they go to sleep in good conscience? How can they go to sleep in good conscience and come out to sit down in a boardroom to discuss the sustainability or otherwise of paying 60,000 to the poorest of workers?
Excerpts from Rev Fr George Ehusani. Sermon on Nigeria's Minimum Wage Debate.
Lux Terra Leadership Center Abuja, June 2024.
I have been sick of this controversy over living wage or minimum wage, and I believe that something is seriously wrong with the heads of many of our leaders.How can anyone who earns 200,000 300,000 400,500 thousand, not to talk of people who earn 1 million 2 million how can they go to sleep in good conscience? How can they go to sleep in good conscience and come out to sit down in a boardroom to discuss the sustainability or otherwise of paying 60,000 to the poorest of workers?
I watch people on TV experts, economic experts, corporate executives, government officials who are taking home more than a million and the amount and they are debating 60,000 or over will destroy the economy and is not sustainable. How wicked.
How can we give 60,000 to a poor worker for his poor worker who may have a family of two or three or four for his feeding, for his accommodation, for his house rent for his medical care for his children's school fees? How can we be blind? How can we do that? And we think that God will bless our country?
We think that it is by bringing a new national anthem for God to bless our country. How can you commit this crime against humanity? For me this is a crime against humanity.
Because the poor people who cannot afford to buy Garri, I'm saying poor people who cannot buy Gary, I'm not talking of meat or fish. People are dying because they have no money to cure malaria. How can you go to sleep in good conscience, those of us who belong to the elite? How can we go to sleep with good conscience?
I see this as a new form of apartheid. Nigeria is one of the most unequal societies in the entire world. A society where it's like the Animal Farm, a society where we have conspicuously rich people, people who are living in conspicuous consumption and others who are in deplorable, dehumanizing poverty.
If you have somebody in this country that takes home, 1 million naira, I mean 1 million I'm not talking about 30 million naira 1 million naira in the month and he can open his mouth. I say anyone who earns up to 1 million should keep his or her mouth shut when he hears them debating about paying 60,000 for the poor.
More than 60 years after independence, we are running an apartheid society. This time is not racial apartheid, iis economic apartheid.
We are running an apartheid society of people of conspicuous consumption flying in private jets around at government expense. People who are riding four or 567 SUVs with pilot vehicles chasing the poor out of the road.
You insulted the poor by saying 30,000, and later you say 48,000, and now you say 60,000. Actually you will pay more than 60,000. You come out with 62,000. You insult poor Nigerians.
There is hardly any society I know that is as divided as the Nigerian society and a society that is so divided is just sitting on a keg of gunpowder. I have warned here before that the revenge of the poor is at the corner. The revenge of the poor is at the corner. I am not calling for it, but it will happen as night follows the day.
Because when you reduce people to this dehumanizing level, nature does not allow a situation of islands of affluence amidst a sea of poverty. Nature does not allow it.
Let me warn those in the elites. Let me warn those in the apartheid committee of government. Let me warn that it is in the course of nature that when a predator continues to devour the various resources that the predator needs more for his sustenance, nature will take out the predator in order to have a measure of equilibrium. Nature is about balance, you know.
When a predator continues to devour the various resources that the predator needs more for its sustenance, nature will take out the predator in order to have an equilibrium in order to have a measure of equilibrium. Nature is about balance, you know. All of nature is about balance and human beings are part of nature. And Nigerians are part of nature
If the predator who needs the animals in the kingdom to survive is recklessly devouring the very animals for its own survival, nature will step in and remove the predictor so that there can be balance in the system in the ecosystem.
Let me one that all those who are in government, I hear I have not confirmed that there are people taking home almost 30 million naira in the month and you have the guts and you have the temerity. Your conscience allows you to sit down to discuss about 60,000 Naira for a poor worker for the whole month, and you are the one that has all the opportunities of excess.
You sit down to discuss about 60,000 and come out and say this is not sustainable. How is that 30 million Naira sustainable economy? How is this sustainable that a leader has 100 SUVs going with him to the airport? How is this sustainable? How is it sustainable that leaders merely junket around the world? How is that sustainable?
I say we are committing a crime against humanity. And if we do not repent and retrace our steps immediately Revenge of the poor is at the corner. Do not hold me responsible because while the devastation was on, I did not keep quiet. Do not hold me responsible. Because while the madness was on, I did not sit on the fence. I kept on shouting, that the revenge of the poor is at the corner unless we change our course. And if we do not change our course we will end up where we are headed. And where we are headed is devastation, disruption, violent revolution.
I rest my case.
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Celebrating a remarkable and extraordinary visit to Lanre Olagoke's Regent Street Studio in London
Celebrating a remarkable and extraordinary visit to Lanre Olagoke's Regent Street Studio in London, where I had the privilege of spending time with the esteemed artist and painter, Lanre Olagoke MBE.
Celebrating a remarkable and extraordinary visit to Lanre Olagoke's Regent Street Studio in London
Witnessing the enchanting space where Lanre, a true emblem of Nigerian pride, crafts his masterpieces was an absolute honour.
Lanre is also founder of the Art-Alive Art Trust (AAAT) since 1997 and has been a transformative force, offering access to the arts for young people from diverse backgrounds, including in primary schools and prisons. Through his art, he has not only been inspiring but also a beacon of hope for many.
Mudiare Onobrakpeya
London, U.K.
April 11th 2024
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THE IAS-UNN 2024 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
The Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in collaboration with the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Conflict, University of Chicago, The Transatlantic Research Group, and the Whelan Research Academy for Religion, Culture and Society, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, invites scholars and graduate students to an international conference entitled Continuity and Change: Rethinking African European Encounters. The conference is scheduled for 18-20 July 2024, with a pre conference workshop on Research and Fieldwork Methodology for graduate students on 17 July 2024 at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka Campus.
CALL FOR PAPERS:
THE IAS-UNN 2024 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
The Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in collaboration with the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Conflict, University of Chicago, The Transatlantic Research Group, and the Whelan Research Academy for Religion, Culture and Society, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, invites scholars and graduate students to an international conference entitled Continuity and Change: Rethinking African European Encounters. The conference is scheduled for 18-20 July 2024, with a pre conference workshop on Research and Fieldwork Methodology for graduate students on 17 July 2024 at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka Campus.
Continuity and Change: Rethinking African-European Encounters
Institute of African Studies
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
July 18-20, 2024
In recent decades, there have been intense debates on and around the role of European encounters in transforming African societies. Scholars of the African colonial experience agree that the historic arrival of Europeans in Africa, especially during the colonial period, produced an unprecedented change and transformation in African societies. What happened when Europeans encountered and mingled with African societies and people? What role did Europeans (Missionaries, Traders, Administrators, and Scholars) play in facilitating these encounters? In what ways did Africans respond and react to these encounters? In what specific ways have Africans improved (or discarded) the systems introduced (or imposed) by the Europeans? How is the current global power balance reflected in the unfolding continuity or change within Africa? How can one speak to the present by engaging with the history of these encounters? We will explore these questions at the Rethinking African-European Encounters Conference, a three day-long scholars meeting at the Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Sub-themes will include, but not limited to, the following:
Control, restriction, and colonial hegemony
Colonial ethnography and representation of Africa
Construction of identity and difference
Christianity, Islam and spirituality in Africa
Decolonial thinkers and critique of Eurocentrism
Colonial economic models and their aftermath
Indigenous forms of slavery
Neo-slavery and other forms of servitude
European languages and language ideologies
Labour and production relations
Reproducing colonial political economy
The nation-state and loss of indigenous autonomy
Texts, images, and colonial representation
Otherness and Othering in the colonial context
African resistance and colonial Institution
Modern bordering and migration encounters
Reinterpretations of cultural encounters
Intersections of race and gender biases
Women, motherhood and colonial ideology
Mapping gender in the colonial context
Pre-and post-colonial social organisations
Elections and liberal democracy in the post-colonial era
Art, education, literature, music, theatre, film and society in postcolonial Africa
Art and art markets as playgrounds of European fancy in Africa?
The arts as a platform/tool for the unbalanced Europe-Africa encounter
The conference honours the life and work of Professor Felix Ekechi (1934-2023), whose illustrious historic career as a teacher and scholar centred on Africa’s engagement with Europeans. Ekechi’s most influential works include Missionary Enterprise and Rivalry in Igboland, 1857-1914 (nominated for the African Studies Association Herskovit’s Award); Tradition and Transformation in Eastern Nigeria: A Sociopolitical History of Owerri and Its Hinterland, 1902-1947; and Pioneer, Patriot, and Nigerian Nationalist: A Biography of the Reverend M.D. Opara, 1915-1965. These groundbreaking works show how European encounters with Africa shaped history, indigenous responses, and identities.
Abstracts of 200 words or less should be sent as attached Microsoft Word files to ias.conference@unn.edu.ng on or before 20 May 2024. The author’s name, institutional affiliation, email address, and contact phone number should be provided under the proposed paper title before the abstract. Successful abstracts will be announced by May 27, 2024. Completed papers are required no later than 30 June 2024.
THE CONFERENCE PRESENTATION FORMAT SHALL BE IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL.
Conference Fees
Participants from outside Africa: $100
Africa-based scholars and researchers: N15,000
Africa-based student participants: N5,000
All inquiries regarding submissions should be directed to ias.conference@unn.edu.ng Prospective participants whose papers or panel proposals are accepted will receive further registration and payment details.
Contact Info:
Prof. Chima Korieh
Institute of African Studies
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Contact Email: ias.conference@unn.edu.ng
Chief Host:
Professor Charles Arizechukwu Igwe
Vice-Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Host:
Professor Ozioma Onuzulike
Director, Institute of African Studies,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Tel/Whatsapp: +234-8064566346
IG: @ozioma.onuzulike
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The 31st New York African Film Festival lineup announced
NEW YORK — Film at Lincoln Center (FLC) and African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) will celebrate the 31st edition of the New York African Film Festival (NYAFF) from May 8 to May 14. Since its inception in 1993, the festival has been at the forefront of showcasing African and diaspora filmmakers’ unique storytelling through the moving image. This year’s theme, “Convergence of Time,” explores the intersection of historical and contemporary roles played by individuals representing Africa and its diaspora in art. With more than 50 films from more than 25 countries, the festival invites audiences to delve into the convergence of archival and modern experimentalism, transcending both space and time.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FILM AT LINCOLN CENTER AND AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCE THE COMPLETE LINEUP FOR THE 31ST NEW YORK AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL, MAY 8–14
Featuring the North American premiere of Tolu Ajayi’s Over the Bridge
and the New York premiere of Dibakar Das Roy’s Dilli Dark
Harold George’s short Making Men
to be accompanied by the director’s dance troupe, a first-time event for NYAFF
Mirah, After the Long Rains, Fight Like a Girl, Dynamite, and Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense
NEW YORK — Film at Lincoln Center (FLC) and African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) will celebrate the 31st edition of the New York African Film Festival (NYAFF) from May 8 to May 14. Since its inception in 1993, the festival has been at the forefront of showcasing African and diaspora filmmakers’ unique storytelling through the moving image. This year’s theme, “Convergence of Time,” explores the intersection of historical and contemporary roles played by individuals representing Africa and its diaspora in art. With more than 50 films from more than 25 countries, the festival invites audiences to delve into the convergence of archival and modern experimentalism, transcending both space and time.
“The 31st New York African Film Festival has so much to offer in terms of honoring the origins of homegrown, beloved African and diaspora film industry, as well as celebrating their references in modern masterpieces,” said Mahen Bonetti, NYAFF Founder and AFF Executive Director.
The Opening Night selection is the North American premiere of Over the Bridge, Tolu Ajayi’s feature about corruption in Lagos as Folarin, a successful investment banker whose company is contracted by the government to oversee a high-profile project, searches for answers when the project goes awry, which leads him to a remote fishing village to put the pieces of the mystery together.
The Closing Night selection features the New York premiere of Dibakar Das Roy’s riveting and uproarious Dilli Dark, which shows the boundaries Nigerian MBA candidate Michael Okeke will push to succeed as he lives a double life as a student and drug dealer amidst the backdrop of India’s history of colonialism, racism, and xenophobia.
The festival will also host the North American premieres of Matthew Leutwyler’s Fight Like a Girl, depicting the true story of a young Congolese woman (Ama Qamata from the hit Netflix series Blood and Water) who finds liberation after joining an all-women’s boxing club in Goma, led by an ex-child-soldier coach; and Oyiza Adaba’s biographical documentary DELA: The Making of El Anatsui, which delves into the life of El Anatsui, the world-renowned sculptor from Ghana, and triumphantly acknowledges the importance of Africa’s rich artistic and cultural heritage.
Three festival features are U.S. premieres: Yajaira De La Espada’s documentary Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense, showcasing the life and empowering legacy of the founding father of Tanzania, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, and the recent presidency of Dr. John Pombe Magufuli; Clive Will’s Time Spent with Cats Is Never Wasted, a stark piece of slow-burning cinema featuring a small-town worker who finds success after selling a helicopter he made out of scrap and found objects, while having to fight off the local townsfolk who insist on a cut of the profits; and Perivi Katjavivi’s Under the Hanging Tree, a hard-boiled crime thriller following police officer Christina, as she seeks to uncover details of a murder on a German-owned farm in present-day Namibia, set against echoes of the country’s history of genocide.
Five features making their New York debut are: Damien Hauser’s After the Long Rains, a touching account of 10-year-old Aisha, who longs to become a fisher so she can travel to Europe, and befriends an alcoholic fisherman who promises to teach her; Uche Aguh’s musical romance Dynamite, which finds musician Kiki in an unhappy marriage with her husband/manager and beginning a whirlwind romance with a replacement bassist in her band; Osvalde Lewat’s documentary MK: Mandela’s Secret Army, the little-known story of the military avant-garde founded by global icon Nelson Mandela, screening for the 30th anniversary of South African Freedom Day; This Is Lagos, Kenneth Gyang’s dark comedy featuring aspiring rapper Stevo navigating the dangers of his criminal past after an escape from a heist goes wrong; and The Rhythm and the Blues, the true-life story of legendary bluesman Eddie Taylor and his fight against obscurity, industry corruption, and cultural appropriation, starring actor and musician Leon.
An exciting addition to this year’s festival is La Chapelle, Jean-Michel Tchissoukou’s surreal take on the relationship between Africa, Christianity, and colonialism. A classic feature shot in 1980s Congo, this enchantingly bizarre and bitingly funny satire leaves one questioning the relevance of space and time.
Among many shorts premiering at NYAFF, not to be missed is Harold George’s Making Men. In a first for NYAFF, the screening of George’s film will be accompanied by a live dance performance from George and members of his dance troupe, as well as a discussion afterwards. A brilliant question of masculinity, visually probed via imagery of traditional customs, the film supplies modern questions with ancestral answers. Another, Love Taps, directed by Derrick Woodyard and executive produced by Spike Lee, offers another comment on masculinity, secrets, and family ties.
NYAFF will present an “Art & Activism” Town Hall at The Africa Center on Thursday, May 2, at 6:00pm, featuring artists Christian Nyampeta, Adama Delphine Fawundu, and Taiwo Aloba, moderated by cultural anthropologist, curator, and scholar Paulette Young.
This year’s Master Class presented by AFF will feature veteran independent filmmaker Ngozi Onwurah, who will discuss the craft of utilizing cinema as a tool for unmasking the dynamics of the socioeconomic status quo. The event takes place in the Amphitheater at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center with tickets available through africanfilmny.org.
“A litany for past suns labeled rituals / A star lit any and all possible futures,” a digital art exhibit of the work of Zainab Aliyu, will run in the Amphitheater at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center May 9–14 beginning 30 minutes before the first NYAFF screening of the day. The exhibit is inspired by Nikki Giovanni’s “A Litany for Peppe” (1970) and Audre Lorde’s “A Litany for Survival” (1978), two poems written years apart, yet converging thematically through time. As the title suggests, the piece is structured as a litany, a repetitive and rhythmic form often used in ceremonial settings. In this context, Aliyu’s litany serves as a call to action for her communities to alchemize their shared histories toward shared futures.
Tickets go on sale Thursday, April 11 at noon ET. Ticket prices are $17 for the general public; $14 for students, seniors, and persons with disabilities; and $12 for FLC Members. See more and save with a 3+ Film Package ($15 for general public; $12 for students, seniors (62+), and persons with disabilities; and $10 for FLC Members), the $99 All-Access Pass, or the $79 Student All-Access Pass. Contact info@africanfilmny.org for information about attending the Opening Night Party.
The festival continues at Maysles Documentary Center in Harlem from May 17 to 19 and culminates at Brooklyn Academy of Music under the name Film Africa from May 24 to May 30 during Dance Africa.
The programs of AFF are made possible by the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, New York Community Trust, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Bradley Family Foundation, Domenico Paulon Foundation, NYC & Company, French Cultural Services, Manhattan Portage, Black Hawk Imports, Essentia Water, South African Consulate General, National Film and Video Foundation, and Motion Picture Enterprises.
FILMS & DESCRIPTIONS
The Opening Night premiere of Over the Bridge will take place at
the Walter Reade Theater (165 W. 65th Street).
All other films will screen at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center (144 W. 65th Street).
Opening Night
Over the Bridge
Tolu Ajayi, 2023, Nigeria, 99m
English and Yoruba with English subtitles
North American Premiere
Folarin is an accomplished investment banker with a beautiful wife and a life most people can only dream of. When a high-profile government project his company was hired to manage goes awry, he starts to question everything he’s ever known to be true. After going missing, he discovers himself in a remote fishing village and starts to put together the missing pieces—but will he ever find his way back home?
Wednesday, May 8 at 6:30pm – Q&A with Tolu Ajayi
Thursday, May 9 at 2:00pm
Closing Night
Dilli Dark
Dibakar Das Roy, 2023, India, 100m
English, Hindi, Yoruba, Pidgin, Bengali, and Gujarati with English subtitles
New York Premiere
New Delhi is not as “new” as the name might suggest. It is an ancient, cosmopolitan city that has seen many rulers, invaders, and settlers over the centuries. It is a city that is multicultural, yet hostile—forever playing out the battle between insider and outsider. But though Delhi has seen many kings, one can say that the city is the only true monarch, a god in itself. Michael Okeke is one of the many Nigerians living in the city, part of a larger African diaspora that is often looked down upon by the locals and accused of being criminals, cannibals, and more. He is studying for his MBA and dreams of joining the booming corporate sector in India, but in the meantime works as a small-time drug delivery guy to make ends meet. Living on the fringes of society, the only person who takes him in is a sketchy woman by the name of Maansi, someone who does not discriminate between black and white—but also seems to find no difference between right and wrong, a sentiment being echoed in every aspect of the city’s DNA. As Michael navigates this tricky landscape and tries to please the god that is Delhi, we are taken on a journey into Indian society’s tricky relationship with race, color, and identity.
Tuesday, May 14 at 8:15pm – Q&A with Dibakar Das Roy
After the Long Rains
Damien Hauser, 2023, Switzerland/Kenya, 90m
Swahili with English subtitles
New York Premiere
Ten-year-old Aisha is given a school assignment to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up. She soon realizes that everyone is taking over their parents’ businesses and professions, but she has bigger dreams: She wants to go to Europe and become an actress. Her plan is to become a fisher so that she can sail to Europe, but her mother thinks that fishing should be left to men. Despite all this, she meets an alcoholic fisherman named Hassan, who promises to teach her how to fish.
Preceded by
Timis / Dusk
Awa Moctar Gueye, 2023, Senegal, 16m
Wolof with English subtitles
New York Premiere
Pa Kong-Kong is a mysterious man who lives alone in a deserted, gloomy market in the suburbs of Kajar. Rumor has it he tortures little thieves, runaways, and naughty children. Binta, a curious and courageous girl, decides to confront Pa Kong-Kong in the middle of the night, determined to prove to her friends that girls have the bravery to lead.
Sunday, May 12 at 1:00pm – Q&A with Damien Hauser
Monday, May 13 at 2:30pm
La Chapelle
Jean-Michel Tchissoukou, 1980, Congo, 80m
Lingala and French with English subtitles
Set in 1930s Congo, director Jean-Michel Tchissoukou’s comedy La Chapelle humorously portrays the conflicts between African traditions and the Catholic Church during the construction of a chapel. Tensions rise as the village priest clashes with a young teacher, while the villagers navigate the establishment of a school and chapel, frustrating the parish priest.
Preceded by
Jabari
Francis Y. Brown, 2023, Ghana, 6m
English
New York Premiere
Jabari, an orphan raised by seer Hem-Netjer, grows to uncover the mystery behind his birth and the demise of his parents. He takes on mystical giants summoned from the dark realms of the underworld in the course of fulfilling his discovered purpose and saving the innocent people of Aksum.
Thursday, May 9 at 5:30pm
Friday, May 10 at 3:00pm
DELA: The Making of El Anatsui
Oyiza Adaba, 2023, Nigeria, 120m
English, French, and Ewe with English subtitles
North American Premiere
DELA: The Making of El Anatsui is a biographical documentary delving into the life of an extraordinary artist, El Anatsui, the world-renowned sculptor from Ghana. His inner musings find vivid expression in art that defies borders and limitations, reshaping the very concept of sculpture. Oyiza Adaba’s directorial debut triumphantly acknowledges and emphasizes the importance of Africa’s rich artistic and cultural heritage in the pantheon of global contemporary art.
Sunday, May 12 at 3:30pm – Q&A with Oyiza Adaba
Dynamite
Uche Aguh, 2023, Ghana, 60m
English
New York Premiere
Kiki, a songstress managed by her controlling and strong-willed husband Mark, is set to release her latest album when a replacement bassist, Kofi, comes in for a rehearsal with Kiki and her band. Sparks immediately fly, and Kiki is forced to make a difficult decision when she finds herself thrust into this new love affair.
Preceded by
Last Night
Peter Oti Asamoah, 2023, Ghana, 17m
No dialogue
World Premiere
A man’s desire for a beautiful stranger leads him down a dark and dangerous path, where he discovers a terrifying secret lurking beneath the surface. As he searches for the woman who stole his heart, a battle for survival ensues, and the man’s fate hangs in the balance as he fights to uncover the truth about the woman and her secrets. This gripping tale will keep you on the edge of your seat until the shocking finale.
Friday, May 10 at 5:45pm – Q&A with Uche Aguh
Tuesday, May 14 at 2:00pm
Fight Like a Girl
Matthew Leutwyler, 2023, Rwanda/Democratic Republic of the Congo, 118m
English and Swahili with English subtitles
North American Premiere
A young Congolese woman (Ama Qamata from the hit Netflix series Blood and Water) forced to work in an illegal mineral mine escapes her captors and finds a new life for herself after joining a renowned all-women’s boxing club in the border city of Goma. Based on the true story of an East Congo all-women’s boxing club and their ex-child-soldier coach, Fight Like a Girl was shot on location in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.
Friday, May 10 at 8:15pm – Q&A with Ama Qamata
Making Men with Discussion + Dance Performance
Antoine Panier, 2019, Belgium/Zimbabwe, 60m
English
New York Premiere
Examining the question of masculinity, this dance film zooms in on four individuals in the process of becoming men. As is expected, they proceed unquestioningly into manhood through various stages of their lives, adopting the clearly coded characteristics dictated by society. However, they’re oppressed by a feeling of unease in the very depths of their being, feeling uncertainty but also something else, harder to define…. Shot in the breathtaking landscape of Zimbabwe, Making Men features strong and rhythmical choreography but also special camerawork that intensifies emotions inspired by the movement. This special hour-long event will feature the New York premiere of the 24-minute film Making Men, followed by a discussion and a special dance performance by Harold George and Berrette Macaulay.
Saturday, May 11 at 1:30pm at Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center Amphitheater – Q&A and live dance performance by Harold George and Berette Macaulay
MK: Mandela’s Secret Army
Osvalde Lewat, 2022, South Africa/France, 57m
English, German, and French with English subtitles
New York Premiere
MK: Mandela’s Secret Army chronicles the lives of former members of uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the armed wing of the African National Congress. The documentary is an intergenerational reflection on the all-consuming call to take up arms for South Africa’s liberation, heeded by young men and women—some barely in their teens—who gave up their lives and any future to risk death for the dream of a free South Africa. The young guerilla fighters of yesteryear are now aging veterans. How will history remember them? Where are they now, and how have they reconciled a past committed to liberation with a present-day reality that their contribution to a free South Africa has almost been forgotten?
Preceded by
Neighborhood Alert
Ngozi Onwurah, 2024, U.S., 30m
English
North American Premiere
Inspired by a true story, Neighborhood Alert tells the story of a Black mother that is forced to take extraordinary action in order to ensure the safety of her teenage son.
Monday, May 13 at 5:30pm – Q&A with MK: Mandela’s Secret Army producer Zola Maseko and Ngozi Onwurah
The Rhythm and The Blues
Darryl Pitts, 2024, U.S., 59m
English
New York Premiere
A tale of passion, struggle, and the enduring power of music in an ever-changing world, The Rhythm and The Blues is the true-life story of legendary bluesman Eddie Taylor and his fight for recognition against obscurity, industry corruption, and the British Invasion’s cultural appropriation. Portrayed by actor and musician Leon, Taylor’s battles extend to his family, where an ambitious young wife and idolizing stepson complicate his quest for musical respect.
Preceded by
Funmi!
Siji Awoyinka, 2024, U.S., 12m
English
World Premiere
Funmi! is a visual praise song for a radiant soul on the occasion of his transcendence from man to melody, from brother to memory.
Saturday, May 11 at 5:30pm – Q&A with Darryl Pitts, Leon Robinson, Adesiji Awoyinka and Funmi Ononaiye's mom
Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense
Yajaira De La Espada, 2023, U.S./Tanzania, 75m
English and Swahili with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense is a documentary that gives voice to the growing trend of Afro-descendants moving back to the continent of Africa to live. It highlights the life of a professional educator and their journey through the Texas school system to find freedom amid issues surrounding school equity, racism, and miseducation. This is juxtaposed against the life and legacy of the founding father of Tanzania, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, who enacted empowering policies such as Ujamaa and Education for Self-Reliance, and the life and times of Dr. John Pombe Magufuli, the president who denounced COVID-19. While the American education system has left more to be desired in teaching about African leaders such as Nyerere and Magufuli, this documentary dissects the issues of culturally unresponsive curricula and harmful teaching practices in the U.S., providing solutions centered on the history of independence and contemporary political policies of Tanzania. Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense helps viewers to imagine a society governed by teachers and the positive impact they bring.
Co-presented by Cinema Tropical
Saturday, May 11 at 3:00pm – Q&A with Yajaira De La Espada
This Is Lagos
Kenneth Gyang, 2023, Nigeria, 91m
Pidgin and English with English subtitles
New York Premiere
Needing quick cash for studio time, aspiring rapper Stevo works for the psychotic Kojack and his “shoot-rob-run” gang. When their escape from a heist goes wrong, Stevo is separated from the gang. Luckily, he’s the one carrying the loot. In this dark comedy about a musician and his smart city girl, Stevo must navigate the dangers of his criminal past while pursuing his music dreams.
Sunday, May 12 at 9:00pm – Q&A with Kenneth Gyang
Time Spent with Cats Is Never Wasted
Clive Will, 2021, South Africa, 171m
Xhosa with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
This stark piece of slow cinema captures one man’s battle with the world around him. Joe, a small-town abattoir worker, leads us on this allegorical journey. His dream to fly has impelled him to construct his own helicopter, a ramshackle assembly of scrap and found objects with no real practical capability aside from standing as a monument to his individuality. When an art buyer offers to purchase the flamboyant creation, it is a mixed blessing that causes a fracas among the people of his community, who unjustifiably demand a stake in the potential spoils. Joe is forced to fight off the avaricious townsfolk or lose all he has worked for.
Monday, May 13 at 8:15pm – Q&A with Clive Will
Under the Hanging Tree
Perivi Katjavivi, 2023, Namibia, 93m
English, German, Afrikaans, Otjiherero, and Khoekhoegowab with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
In this first-of-its-kind film that dissects Namibia’s colonial past, Christina Mureti, a hard-boiled police officer from the city, is transferred to a small desert village in Namibia, where she uncovers a series of grisly animal sacrifices perhaps linked to the disappearance of the villagers’ children. Then a German farmer is found hung on the same tree where Christina’s ancestors were hung a century ago during Germany’s colonial war and genocide. It is only when Christina begins to learn about her people’s history and embraces some of its cultural wisdom that she will be able to solve the case.
Tuesday, May 14 at 5:30pm – Q&A with Perivi Katjavivi
NEW YORK AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL SHORTS PROGRAMS:
ETERNAL SOULS, TRANSIENT BODIES (84m)
Sometimes It Was Beautiful
Christian Nyampeta, 2018, Sweden/Democratic Republic of the Congo, 3m
English and Swedish with English subtitles
A group of unlikely friends gather in a time-knot to watch and critique films made by Swedish cinematographer Sven Nykvist in the Congo between 1948 and 1952. Their discussion highlights enduring tensions surrounding social transformation, cultural property, and who has the right to representation.
Mångata
Maja Costa, 2023, Germany/Italy, 16m
English, Italian, and Yoruba with English subtitles
New York Premiere
As a child, little Alya is the only survivor of a tragic Mediterranean crossing from Africa to Europe. Many years later, as an astronaut on an important lunar mission, Alya loses communication with her base. She is confronted with her past trauma, and now Mångata—“the road to the moon,” which already saved her life once, will help her again.
For Those That Lived There
Shawn Antoine II, 2023, U.S., 6m
English
New York Premiere
For Those That Lived There weaves a visual tapestry, navigating the poignant impacts of gentrification, the displacement of Black legacies and the emergent migrant narratives.
The Prophecy
Rehanna Ngom, 2023, Senegal/U.S., 20m
English and Wolof with English subtitles
World Premiere
Tabara, a second-generation immigrant from Senegal living in America, suffers from the consequences of a rape, with her trauma manifested in nightmares where a monstrous creature, mutilated above recognition, mocks her. After unsuccessful therapy and advice from her traditional grandmother, Tabara decides to travel to Senegal for the first time to seek treatment from an unorthodox source—an African marabout, a holy man who is believed to have supernatural power.
The Last Bash
Diego de Jesus, 2023, Brazil, 24m
Portuguese with English subtitles
New York Premiere
Young people gather for a party before going into COVID-19 lockdown. They talk about music, arts, work, and the uncertain future, not knowing when they will be able to meet again.
The Wait
Imran Hamdulay, 2023, South Africa, 15m
English, Xhosa, and Afrikaans with English subtitles
World Premiere
After arriving at a Cape Town police station to report a crime, Mzu finds an elderly man has been overlooked while waiting at the back of the queue. The station is busy and the old man is confused with no one to assist him. Mzu takes it upon himself to see that this man is helped but quickly finds resistance from those ahead in line and the stifling bureaucratic system. The Wait is an allegory of South Africa’s complex society, where a sense of powerlessness and hope exist together at all times.
Thursday, May 9 at 8:30pm – Q&A with Rehanna Ngom and Christian Nyampeta
PERPETUAL CONNECTIONS (98m)
Love Taps
Derrick Woodyard, 2023, U.S., 14m
English
New York Premiere
A young boy trying to cope with his parents’ separation gains a new perspective of his father after discovering his affair with another man.
The Last Joint
Devin Powell, 2024, U.S., 7m
English
World Premiere
Iman indulges in a last joint before he takes a tolerance break. Once all of the herbs are gone, his phone starts to blow up. Texts from his supplier and from his love interest, Tori, pressure Iman to succumb to his environment and pursue more stress-relieving medicine. Through this journey Iman learns if the collapse of his discipline was worth it.
Jeanne
Antoine Paley, 2023, France, 12m
French with English subtitles
New York Premiere
Jeanne Duval, the mixed-race muse and partner of Charles Baudelaire has been forgotten by time and erased by history. But she refuses to remain silenced. In this short we see April 27, 1842: a day in the life of Duval and Baudelaire. As the day goes on, the weight of Charles’s words and needs becomes increasingly difficult for Jeanne to bear.
Mirah
Ahmed Samir, 2024, Egypt/Germany, 18m
English, Arabic, and German with English subtitles
World Premiere
Inspired by a true story, Mirah, an Egyptian immigrant living in Germany, finds a unique way to adapt to the fast life of Berlin. Through the fictional story of Mirah and her journey of self-discovery, the film invites audiences to question the social masks we wear to feel safe.
Papi
Ashley L. Canfield, 2024, U.S., 23m
English and Spanish with English subtitles
North American Premiere
Hector Jr. tries to navigate the complexities of reconciling his self-identity amidst his father’s COVID-19 crisis.
Addis, My Father
Kitoko Diva, 2023, France/U.S., 8m
Amharic and English with English subtitles
U.S. Premiere
A sense of the inevitable fills the silence between Addis and Rahel, a father and daughter, as they work tirelessly in their empty clock and antique repair shop.
Black Dreams
Chiemeka Offor, 2024, U.S., 16m
English
New York Premiere
In a realm of darkness, a young woman harnesses divine visions of God, light, and water to manifest her dreams, unlocking a mesmerizing inner universe of art, beauty, and movement beyond imagination. Black Dreams is a surreal, experimental documentary, an artistic testament to young, Black, queer artists in New York. As they peel back the layers, they unearth their own brilliance, discovering solace and kinship within their community, and a newfound sense that they are never truly alone. Black Dreams is evidence of our magic.
Saturday, May 11 at 8:00pm – Q&A with Ashley L. Canfield, Naima Hebrail Kidjo, Devin Powell, Ahmed Samir, and Derrick Woordward
VESSELS OF FORTITUDE (101m)
A Quiet Monday
Dika Ofoma, 2023, Nigeria, 22m
Igbo and English
U.S. Premiere
When the leader of a secessionist group in southeastern Nigeria is jailed, his loyalists mandate a compulsory “sit-at-home” on Mondays in protest. Siblings Kamnonu and Ogbonna face danger when they defy the Monday restrictions.
I Promise You Paradise
Morad Mostafa, 2023, Egypt, 25m
Arabic with English subtitles
New York Premiere
Following a violent incident, Eissa, a 17-year-old African migrant in Egypt is in a quest against time to save his loved ones—no matter what it takes.
Bege (Yearning)
Umar Turaki, 2023, Nigeria, 14m
Hausa with English subtitles
North American Premiere
When Sanda shows up at her front door years after their breakup, Amina plays the perfect host. As the conversation unfolds, they acknowledge the things that time has made plain. But do they have the courage to confront the elephant in the room? Bege (Yearning) shines a light on the oft-unspoken emotional toll that comes about when love falls out of bounds for medical reasons, and examines what happens when the body betrays the heart.
Cape Town Royalty Program
Max Fouchee, 2023, South Africa, 7m
English
New York Premiere
An ad presenter has to sell the dream of the South African city Cape Town as a luxurious yet cost-effective new home to wealthy Europeans. Once she realizes her script is problematic, she tries her best to let the prospective audience know about the daily reality of Cape Town’s citizens.
Wèrè
Dolapo Marinho, 2023, Nigeria, 24m
Pidgin and Yoruba with English subtitles
North American Premiere
A homeless woman relies on the kindness of a stranger to survive. When her lifeline disappears, she is forced to ensure her own survival in a perilous city with devastating consequences.
Where My Memory Began
Priscillia Kounkou Hoveyda, 2023, Sierra Leone, 9m
Krio with English subtitles
New York Premiere
Where My Memory Began follows elder Ballu as she tries to remember a 400-year-old cotton tree.
Sunday, May 12 at 6:30pm
Master Class: Ngozi Onwurah
Join AFF as veteran independent filmmaker Ngozi Onruwah discusses the craft of utilizing cinema as a tool for unmasking the dynamics of the socioeconomic status quo in an intimate conversation with Ashley Clark, Curatorial Director at the Criterion Collection, in the Amphitheater in the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center.
Thursday, May 11, at 11:30am at Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center Amphitheater
FILM AT LINCOLN CENTER
Film at Lincoln Center (FLC) is a nonprofit organization that celebrates cinema as an essential art form and fosters a vibrant home for film culture to thrive. FLC presents premier film festivals, retrospectives, new releases, and restorations year-round in state-of-the-art theaters at New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. FLC offers audiences the opportunity to discover works from established and emerging directors from around the world with a passionate community of film lovers at marquee events including the New York Film Festival and New Directors/New Films.
Founded in 1969, FLC is committed to preserving the excitement of the theatrical experience for all audiences, advancing high-quality film journalism through the publication of Film Comment, cultivating the next generation of film industry professionals through our FLC Academies, and enriching the lives of all who engage with our programs.
Film at Lincoln Center receives generous, year-round support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Film at Lincoln Center. For more information, visit filmlinc.org and follow @filmlinc on X and Instagram.
AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL, INC.
Since 1990, African Film Festival, Inc. (AFF) has bridged the divide between postcolonial Africa and the American public through the powerful medium of film and video. AFF's unique place in the international arts community is distinguished not only by leadership in festival management, but also by a comprehensive approach to the advocacy of African film and culture. AFF established the New York African Film Festival (NYAFF) in 1993 with Film at Lincoln Center. The New York African Film Festival is presented annually by the African Film Festival, Inc. and Film at Lincoln Center, in association with Brooklyn Academy of Music and Maysles Cinema. AFF also produces a series of local, national, and international programs throughout the year. More information about AFF can be found on the Web at www.africanfilmny.org. You can follow AFF at @africanfilmfest on X and Instagram.
For press inquiries regarding Film at Lincoln Center, please contact:
John Kwiatkowski, Film at Lincoln Center, JKwiatkowski@filmlinc.org
Eva Tooley, Film at Lincoln Center, ETooley@filmlinc.org
For press inquiries regarding African Film Festival, Inc., please contact:
Cheryl Duncan, Cheryl Duncan & Company Inc., cheryl@cdcprnews.com
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OJAHH Opening Soon!!!
In honor of the late musical genius ORLANDO JULIUS. His legacy is carries on through his devoted loving wife Latoya Aduke - Afro Soul
By Oyiza Adaba, New York
OJAHH Opening Soon!!!
In honor of the late musical genius ORLANDO JULIUS. His legacy is carries on through his devoted loving wife Latoya Aduke - Afro Soul
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STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN: U.S. Abstention from UN Security Council Resolution on Gaza
Today, the United States abstained on UN Security Council resolution 2728. This abstention, which comes on the heels of the Russian and Chinese veto of our comprehensive draft resolution in the Council, reaffirms the U.S. position that a ceasefire of any duration come as part of an agreement to release hostages in Gaza. While we do not agree with all provisions included in this text, adjustments made by the resolution’s sponsors over recent days are consistent with our principled position that any ceasefire text must be paired with text on the release of the hostages.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesperson
For Immediate Release
STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN
March 25, 2024
U.S. Abstention from UN Security Council Resolution on Gaza
Today, the United States abstained on UN Security Council resolution 2728. This abstention, which comes on the heels of the Russian and Chinese veto of our comprehensive draft resolution in the Council, reaffirms the U.S. position that a ceasefire of any duration come as part of an agreement to release hostages in Gaza. While we do not agree with all provisions included in this text, adjustments made by the resolution’s sponsors over recent days are consistent with our principled position that any ceasefire text must be paired with text on the release of the hostages. This resolution further explicitly recognizes the painstaking, non-stop negotiations being conducted by the Governments of Egypt, Israel, Qatar, and the United States to achieve such a release in the context of a ceasefire, which would also create space to surge more lifesaving humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians, and to build something more enduring.
Because the final text does not have key language we view as essential, notably a condemnation of Hamas, we could not support it. This failure to condemn Hamas is particularly difficult to understand coming days after the world once again witnessed the horrific acts terrorist groups commit.
We reiterate the need to accelerate and sustain the provision of humanitarian assistance through all available routes – land, sea, and air. We continue to discuss with partners a pathway to the establishment of a Palestinian state with real security guarantees for Israel to establish long-term peace and security.
As reflected in my most recent travels to the region, we have been working very closely with our Arab partners to realize these important outcomes. We have also been working to with Israel to ensure October 7 can never be repeated, its security needs are met, and it is further integrated into a more secure and prosperous region. There is consensus on these priorities – a ceasefire, the release of hostages, a surge in humanitarian assistance, and a clear pathway planned for the future. And importantly, there is a growing consensus on the steps needed to achieve these priorities. We will continue our close collaboration with our regional partners to achieve these shared objectives.
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iREPRESENT International Documentary Film Festival 2024
iREP 2024, the 14th edition of the annual ritual, will feature conversations, screenings, workshops, networking sessions, and other related activities. Over 45 films are expected to be screened at the two venues hosting the festival this year vis: Freedom Park, 1 Hospital Road, Lagos Island, and Alliance Francaise, Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi.
iREP2024 || PLENARY SESSIONS || RIGHTING THE FUTURE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBigPVzEoBY
Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/74493263775?pwd=KxqUV26vS8J37aevDwJMbLMuR2sY82.1
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68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
On March 13, on the margins of the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the Government of the United States alongside the Governments of Canada, Colombia, and the United Kingdom, co-sponsored a high-level meeting at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations to discuss shared priorities for advancing women’s political participation and leadership, including by tackling new threats, such as technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Participants included senior leaders from governments, civil society, philanthropy, multilateral organizations, and the private sector.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesperson
For Immediate Release
MEDIA NOTE
March 15, 2024
68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women - High-Level Meeting To Advance Women’s Political Participation and Leadership in the Digital Age
On March 13, on the margins of the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the Government of the United States alongside the Governments of Canada, Colombia, and the United Kingdom, co-sponsored a high-level meeting at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations to discuss shared priorities for advancing women’s political participation and leadership, including by tackling new threats, such as technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Participants included senior leaders from governments, civil society, philanthropy, multilateral organizations, and the private sector.
This high-level meeting focused on opportunities for collaboration to address the consistent underrepresentation of women at all levels of public life, politics and government, including peace and security decision-making processes. Women leaders, researchers, and experts from civil society highlighted how longstanding barriers to women’s political participation and leadership—including lack of access to political networks and resources as well as gender-based violence both online and offline—continue to undermine their inclusion and advancement in democratic processes. Several participants noted that threats to women leaders have proliferated with the increased adoption of digital technologies and are likely to continue to grow with new and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.Participants noted the urgency of addressing these systemic barriers to ensure a level playing field for elections set to take place around the world this year.
To address these issues, senior leaders from the Biden-Harris Administration invited partners to join a new multistakeholder initiative to advance women’s political participation and leadership in the digital age. This initiative, which the United States intends to launch on the margins of the 75th NATO Summit, will convene governments, philanthropy, civil society, private sector, and multilateral organizations to develop commitments focused on closing the gender gap in leadership, including through programs that address threats to women leaders on and offline. It will build shared commitments and priorities, including the U.S. Strategy and National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, the U.S. Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal, the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse, the Summit for Democracy Gender Cohort, and the Network for Gender Inclusive Democracy.
For more information, please contact StateGWI@state.gov.
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USAID and IFRC to Host First Global Summit on Extreme Heat
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) will host the first Global Summit on Extreme Heat on March 28, 2024 at 8:30 AM ET. This virtual summit will bring together global leaders and changemakers to discuss solutions and strategies to protect communities and workers from extreme heat.
UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Office of Press Relations
For Immediate Release
March 8, 2024
PRESS RELEASE
USAID and IFRC to Host First Global Summit on Extreme Heat
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) will host the first Global Summit on Extreme Heat on March 28, 2024 at 8:30 AM ET. This virtual summit will bring together global leaders and changemakers to discuss solutions and strategies to protect communities and workers from extreme heat.
USAID Administrator Samantha Power and IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain will be joined by government and private sector leaders from across the globe, including NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad and the Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, who are developing innovative solutions to reduce the impacts of extreme heat events and increase climate preparedness plans for all, saving lives and livelihoods.
Extreme heat is a growing threat. 2023 marked the hottest year on record, coinciding with deadly heat waves on nearly every continent, from Pakistan to Tunisia to Texas. The 10 hottest years on record have all come in the past decade (2014-2023) and scientists expect temperatures to continue to rise. Extreme heat events are becoming more frequent and intense, resulting in more deaths and exacerbating other climate disasters such as drought and wildfires.
The virtual summit will take place online and will be livestreamed and open to the public. You can register and find additional information at www.USAID.gov/HeatSummit. The Summit is in coordination with the Biden-Harris Administration’s PREPARE initiative.
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Abandoned And Forgotten - Pilgrimage to Leah Sharibu’s School on 6th Anniversary
Leah, the world’s youngest prisoner of conscience designated by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (she was 14 on Feb 19, 2018) may be world famous but it hasn’t helped her school.
Abandoned and forgotten - pilgrimage to Leah Sharibu’s school on 6th anniversary
MEDIA ADVISORY
Please find below U.S. Nigeria Law Group’s Fact-finding report on Leah Sharibu’s 6th abduction anniversary specially released for International Women’s Day 2024.
USNLG IWD 2024 SPECIAL FACT-FINDING REPORT:
Abandoned and forgotten - pilgrimage to Leah Sharibu’s school on 6th year abduction anniversary - Part 1
On the sixth anniversary of heroine Christian teenager Leah’s abduction, a visit to her school in Yobe State, Nigeria shows abject neglect just like her.
Leah, the world’s youngest prisoner of conscience designated by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (she was 14 on Feb 19, 2018) may be world famous but it hasn’t helped her school.
The Government Girls Science School Dapchi is a shadow of its former self, decrepit and overgrown with weeds since that fateful day, as discovered on our recent fact finding mission.
Below is the school dormitory where Leah Sharibu was tending a sick student just before she was abducted
School dormitory
Below is the classroom drawing board still showing the last thing written on February 18, 2018 - the eve of the terror attack
Classroom drawing board
Below is the computer lab of the Govt Girls Science Sch Dapchi
Computer lab of the Govt Girls Science School
Below is Leah’s classroom
Leah’s classroom
Birds now occupy the staff room as goats and other animals roam free where schoolgirls used to be.
But it is not just infrastructural decay that devastated the school after the terror attack.
Many of the girls have been unable to complete or continue their education.
Several were displaced during subsequent attacks by Boko Haram on Dapchi leading to our intervention.
One of Leah’s schoolmates who went to school in Bauchi was abducted, forcefully converted and wedded by one of her lecturers leading to our intervention last year.
Another schoolmate was impregnated by a military personnel on security deployment to Dapchi who refused to take responsibility for the baby leading to our intervention last year.
Ironically as for Leah herself who was impregnated twice by her abductors, her children are being catered for by the terrorists but a Nigerian soldier abandoned responsibility for his daughter from impregnating Leah’s classmate.
Leah’s widowed birthmom and blood siblings in the village close to Sambisa forest have experienced displacement too from continuing terror attacks leading to our intervention.
Leah’s eldest sister has also had two children while Leah was in captivity which she remains unaware of. Incidentally Leah birthed a boy and a girl in captivity and her sister also birthed a boy and a girl as well.
Sadly despite the infamous Dapchi and Chibok school mass abductions six and years ago, over 600 women and schoolchildren were kidnapped this IWD week in just two incidents in Borno and Kaduna. Each atrocity exceeds the Chibok mass abductions of 276 students a decade ago
To be continued
Emmanuel Ogebe
US NIGERIA LAW GROUP
Washington
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HARLEM HOSTS GLOBAL AFRICAN WOMEN’S DAY
On March 16, a special Pan-African gala will take place in Harlem to celebrate Global African Women’s Day with African women and women of African descent from around the world, spanning; Africa, Latin America, Europe and the Caribbean.
If you're in New York and looking for a striking statement piece or a versatile staple, international culture and entertainment, the Global African Women’s Day gala is the place to be.
PRESS RELEASE
New York, New York: February 20, 2024
On March 16, a special Pan-African gala will take place in Harlem to celebrate Global African Women’s Day with African women and women of African descent from around the world, spanning; Africa, Latin America, Europe and the Caribbean.
The cultural gala will be held at historic Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem during the annual two-week UN Women’s Conference, Commission on the Status of Women, when New York city streets will swell with parliamentarians, activists, and NGO delegates representing their countries from around the world.
The keynote speaker and honoree for the afternoon will be Her Excellency Verónica Nathaniel Macamo Dlhovo - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Mozambique. Also being honored are: Chief Mrs. Nike Okundaye, a renowned Nigerian textile artist and gallery owner / Dr. Gina Paige, Co-Founder & President, African Ancestry, Inc. Pioneer, Entrepreneur, Black Identity Influencer / and special recognition to a soul-fusion performing artist and founding fellow of the Teaching Artist Institute, Ms. Kim Poole.
Distinguished guests include Dr. Epsy Campbell, the former Vice President of Costa Rica and Minister of Foreign Affairs. and current member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent who will deliver a special message.
Also, on hand will be live performances by the incomparable Red Sahara and others. As well as, products for sale by Shayee Textiles which produces a range of wearable art, from intricately designed clothing to statement-making accessories. If you're looking for a striking statement piece or a versatile staple, international culture and entertainment, the Global African Women’s Day gala is the place to be.
A portion of the proceeds will support travel grants for women living in rural areas and distressed communities to participate in forums where their issues can be represented.
Registration is $90 For sponsorship and ticket information, Eventbrite: https://bit.ly/3vYoW3q or, contact Deborah C. Nelson at GlobalAWD@gmail.com Message line only 646-535-0755. Global African Women's Day is an activity supporting the UN Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024)
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NYWIFT - Photos From First In-Person Gathering in 2024
JANUARY 22, 2024
Members of New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT), an advocacy and support organization for equality in the moving image industry, recently met at Tito Murphy's NYC, for a “Night Out” of cocktails, networking and laughs.
Members of the New York Women In Film & Television (NYWIFT) Night Out at Tito Murphy's NYC. Photo by Africa-Related
BY Oyiza Adaba, New York
JANUARY 22, 2024
Members of New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT), an advocacy and support organization for equality in the moving image industry, recently met at Tito Murphy's NYC, for a “Night Out” of cocktails, networking and laughs.
Jamire Bell & Toni Israel of REALEMN Productions
Membership is open to this incredible, vibrant, supportive community, with a discounted offer for new applications. Download it here and email to membership@nywift.org to get started.
New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) advocates for equality in the moving image industry and supports women in every stage of their careers. As the preeminent entertainment industry association for women in New York, NYWIFT energizes women by illuminating their achievements, presenting training and professional development programs, awarding scholarships and grants, and providing access to a supportive community of peers.
Photos by @africarelated