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Africa 2005

By Henri Epessé
Aminata Niane, president of Africa 2005

For many Africans and for those who know the reality of Africa, there is a huge disparity between the diversity of the African continent and the global perception of Africa, which is too often limited to images of wars, starvation, disease and poverty.

This negative perception is seen as unfounded and unjust by many Africans and non-Africans. For this reason, Africa 2005 was created in 2002 to challenge negative perceptions of Africa and to promote efforts toward a better understanding of the continent. The organization has initiated a yearlong international campaign to promote Africa in a positive light throughout 2005.

Diversity and Cooperation

When Africa 2005 was created, its aim was to gather people from various backgrounds and profiles but who share the same vision: Mrs. Aminata Niane who is general manager of the agency for promotion of investment in infrastructure projects in Senegal, Mr. Joseph C. Wilson, former U.S. ambassador in Africa, African students, young African and European managers and businesspeople, journalists both in Europe and Africa.

Africa 2005 has grown into an international nonprofit organization which is politically and religiously neutral and independent. It has representatives and contacts in more than 20 countries, in Africa (including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Mali, Senegal, South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco, Tunisia), Europe (France, Belgium and the U.K.) and North America (U.S.A. and Canada). Africa 2005 has also grown thanks to the support and confidence of private sponsors and institutions such as Herbert Smith (an international law firm with a strong African practice), Petrolin (an African oil company), Espace Afrique Foundation (a private foundation dedicated to supporting projects for the development of Africa), the African Business Roundtable and key members of the media who have supported the organization's activities since the very beginning (the Jeune Afrique Group-the leading French-speaking press group dedicated to Africa, RFI and various African-based media).

Thanks to the Internet, Africa 2005 is able to function as a flexible organization coordinated by an international secretariat, with Mrs. Aminata Niane as president.

Key Values

The founders of Africa 2005 consider that each individual has the right to dignity and that the current negative perception of Africa as a whole constitutes an injustice. It is up to each citizen of the world to give their time, attention and their energy to try to contribute to a better understanding of each other. For this reason, the campaign focuses on ordinary individuals and members of the private sector.Commitment, citizenship and responsibility are also key values of the Africa 2005 initiative.

Members of the Africa 2005 international secretariat

The campaign aims to promote, encourage and provide media support for the many tangible, positive and real initiatives proposed by African individuals and organizations and the African private sector.

Our intention is to get the public to take a real and active role in this campaign. Each positive action, whether it is based in Africa or not, whether it has been initiated by an NGO, an institution, a company or an individual, can contribute to the success of the campaign.

The campaign will try to put the spotlight on a different African country during each week of 2005 (53 weeks/53 countries) and on the initiatives and events which may contribute to the proper appreciation of Africa's economies, cultures and societies in non-African countries. Benin, where Africa 2005 has an active club coordinated by a young journalist, Mr. Sessi Tonoukouin, and support from the Espace Afrique Foundation, will open the year of Africa. The week's program will include an opening ceremony for the media, business representatives and the public, training sessions for young entrepreneurs in how to set up and manage business projects, a forum dedicated to the agro-industrial sector and a closing gala highlighting Benin's cuisine, arts and culture.

Let us hope that this campaign will make people see Africa with open eyes and help them discard preconceived negative ideas about the continent.

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