African voices and views on Europe

Brussels, 16 October. The book 'African voices' and exhibition 'emerging views on Europe' are important complementary initiatives expressing Africa's ideas on Europe's influence on its continent. They came together tonight in the European Parliament with a photo exhibition and a presentation also featuring a keynote speech by Joseph Borrell, President of the European Parliament.

Organised by Concord, the 'emerging views' photo exibition - that will tour Europe - brings together images taken by African partners to represent how they see European development cooperation and its impact. These images range from those showing European exploitation of Africa, with a lizard eating a praying Mantis, to those promoting European ideals. Others show European support to Africa in practice, with European NGOs risking lives to support water pumps in conflict regions.

Concord's Director Olivier Consolo explains the objectives of the 'emerging views' exhibition:

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The 'African voices' project is managed by BOND, the British NGDO platform. This publication, available in English, French and Portuguese, stresses the need for true partnership between Europe and Africa. It synthesizes African views on trade justice, human security, African government accountability and the role the African diaspora in Europe can play. It concludes by voicing concerns that the EU Strategy for Africa becomes a truly joint EU-Africa strategy. While there has been internet-based and some face to face consultation with African and European civil society groups, the authors of the publication express concern that this has fallen short of what was necessary.

Gillian Ayong introduces the 'africa voices' publication and comments on the joint EU-Africa strategy:

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See also the Euforic dossier on EU-Africa cooperation

Can Europe lead where G8 failed? One million voices call on European leaders to end poverty now!

As EU leaders gather in Brussels to discuss the future of Europe, campaigners are reminding them of their obligations in the fight against global poverty.

Over the past few months,in a petition coordinated by the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), more than one million people have demanded German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other EU leaders take urgent action on aid, debt cancellation, trade justice and climate change. Last week, despite intense public pressure, many of these same leaders failed to make any meaningful progress on the issues when they met at the G8 summit in Germany

Alison Marshall, Advocacy Manager at BOND, said:
"Europe is so important in the worldwide battle against global poverty. EU countries currently provide 52% of all development aid. Europe is also the world's largest trade block, so is pivotal to efforts to make trade fair and just for developing countries."

In 2005, European and G8 governments pledged to increase aid dramatically, particularly to Africa, and 80% of this new aid was to come from the EU. Yet overall aid increases have been very slow, and aid volumes to Africa have been static since 2004.

In 2007, Europe aims to conclude trade negotiations with 76 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific - the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) -. A number of countries have made it clear that more time is needed for pro-development trade agreements to be negotiated, and campaigners are asking the European Commission to stop using aggressive negotiation tactics to push unfair trade deals.

Alison Marshall, Advocacy Manager at BOND, added:
"G8 leaders have already responded to campaigners with a disgraceful lack of urgency. For millions of people around the world, giving up the fight against poverty is not an option. In Africa, 6,000 people die of AIDS every day. A woman dies in childbirth every minute. Our message to EU leaders is clear: play your role in the world and act against poverty now."

Source: BOND press release.