27th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival
Despite the fact that Africa has been facing challenges in the post-colonial world, it is a progressive and in many ways rich continent with a huge potential for change. A number of new trends have developed in the field of technological innovation, agriculture, international relations as well as education. New movements emerge, together with new possibilities in terms of work mobility and migration, and the middle class is growing. Climate change also brings an important stimulus. What are the challenges Africa is facing and how will the continent deal with these challenges?
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Africa, Our NeighbourThe world’s fastest growing continent, Africa, is facing climate change, security conflicts, unemployment, massive internal migration and growing dissatisfaction of the young population that calls for better government and more justice and social emancipation. The continent is also becoming one of the priorities of the Czech and European foreign policies. The stronger Africa is, the stronger we are too. Why should we care about maintaining an equal partnership with our African neighbour and what are our shared perspectives and opportunities for us to use? Guests: Tomáš Petříček, Kalifa Samaké, Ifesinachi Comedy Nwanyanwu, Arkia Touré |
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What Moves AfricaAfrica is often associated with a high degree of migration. But we only see images capturing the situation along European shores, while ninety percent of the migration occurs inside Africa. Knowledge of economic and geopolitical trends will enable us to better comprehend the reasons why some Africans choose to leave their country or region or even the continent. How is (internal) migration affected by the security situation or climate change? What role does urbanization and labour migration play in this context? And how to devise functioning migration policies that would reflect the complex realities burdened with the legacy of colonialism? Guests: Peter Tinti, Tereza Němečková |
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For Africa CoolerAgriculture is a topic that is critical across continents. Africa, too, shares our efforts to find ways of adapting agriculture to the changing conditions in the context of climate change. It is not only about agricultural strategies but also about political and economical tools to reform agriculture towards a more resilient landscape, sustainable prosperity and good management of human labour and knowledge. What can we learn from each other in this respect? Keynote: Ndoni Mcunu |
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Imagination at ScaleModern technologies have opened possibilities people had never dreamed of. Suddenly, many of our problems can be easily solved. Technology does not change our lives only in Europe, but it also brings change to remote parts of Africa. Tailor-made innovations for Africa often challenge our imagination and fall within the realm of science fiction. What exactly are they? Do they help inhabitants solve their problems or do they produce new problems? Does Africa give rise to unique innovations that reflect on the local life experience? Guest: Jonathan Ledgard |
GUESTS
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Alexander Ač (SK)A researcher at the Academy of Sciences' Global Change Research Institute in Brno. He focuses on the isotope analysis of tree-rings and soil carbon emissions inventory. He studied environmental ecology at Pavel Josef Šafařík University in Košice, Slovakia. Later, he earned his PhD in applied ecology at South Bohemia University in České Budějovice, Czech Republic. He has co-edited a book called Věk nerovnováhy (The Age of Imbalance) about global and local impacts of climate change. He has translated a book called Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air by David J. C. MacKay into Czech. How would you describe your work and your goals in the context of plant ecology and global climate change? What do you consider important in the light of the current situation and what issues do you think we, as a society, should take seriously? What resonated with you the most from this year's literature and artistic releases? |
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Andrea Filipi (CZ)PhD candidate in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge, specialized in the politics of protest and in the Great Lakes region in Africa. She spent ten years as an international civil servant with the United Nations, working as a political officer and special assistant in the UN's peacekeeping department. Andrea has lived and worked in Burundi, South Sudan, Sudan (Darfur), and East Timor. Andrea currently teaches on the "UN and the Politics of Peace" paper for the Pembroke-King's Summer Programme at Cambridge, and co-directs an introductory course on African Studies at the Masaryk Democratic Academy, a think tank in Prague, Czech Republic. |
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Tereza Hronová (CZ)She is a media coordinator of People In Need. She also makes audio-documentaries for Czech Radio and news reports for TV programme Objektiv. She has been to Africa more than 15 times, visiting Zambia, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Angola, DR Congo, etc. She prefers to travel with a video camera and enjoys spending time with locals, listening to their stories in order to retell them back in the Czech Republic. How would you describe your work and your goals in the context of Africa? What do you consider important in the light of the current situation and what issues do you think we, as a society, should take seriously? What resonated with you the most from this year's literature and artistic releases? |
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Tomas Lindner (CZ)Since 2008, Tomas Lindner has been working for weekly periodical Respekt where he runs the foreign editorial section. He mainly focuses on Germany, geopolitics, contemporary Africa, migration, and integration. He is the author of a book of reports from South Africa entitled Waiting for the Rain Season (2008), and together with Ondřej Kundra he wrote a book on the causes of radicalisation amongst young European Muslims entitled My Son, A Terrorist (2017). How would you describe your work and your goals with regard to writing about Africa? What do you consider to be important in light of the current situation and what issues do you think we, as a society, should take seriously? What resonated with you the most from this year's literature and artistic releases? |
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Jonathan Ledgard (UK)A leading thinker on risk, technology, and nature in Africa. He mobilises investments in artificial intelligence and robotics in emerging markets and advises to head of state level. How would you describe your work and your goals with regard to developments in the field of AI? What do you consider to be important in light of the current situation and what issues do you think we, as a society, should take seriously? What resonated with you the most from this year's literature and artistic releases? |
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Ndoni Mcunu (South Africa)Researcher focusing on climate change, agriculture, biodiversity. Currently pursuing a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) at the Global Change Institute at Witwatersrand University in South Africa. She is also a founder & chief executive officer of Black Women in Science (BWIS) a non-profit organization which aims to deliver capacity development interventions that target young black women scientists and researchers. How would you describe your work and your goals with regard to environmental sustainability? What do you consider to be important in light of the current situation and what issues do you think we, as a society, should take seriously? What resonated with you the most from this year's literature and artistic releases? |
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Tereza Němečková (CZ)Works as a teacher and researcher at the Department of International Trade at the Metropolitan University of Prague and has long since been involved in the economic development of Africa. In recent years, after taking numerous trips to Morocco, she has become more interested in how the country of Morocco has been developing in comparison to the overall economic development of the North African region. How would you describe your work and your goals in terms of the development of African studies? What do you consider to be important in light of the current situation and what issues do you think we, as a society, should take seriously? |
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Ifesinachi Comedy Nwanyanwu (NG)Award winning self taught visual artist, poet, philosopher, environmental activist and Nigeria cultural Ambassador. His works are exploratory, mostly using waste and found objects to create conversational art pieces modelling labyrinthine creative growth that intervolve socio-political texture and spirituality. He works and lives between Abuja and Prague. How would you describe your work and your goals in the context of building relations between the Czech Republic and African countries? What do you consider important in the light of the current situation and what issues do you think we, as a society, should take seriously? What resonated with you the most out of this year’s literature and artistic releases? |
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Tomáš Petříček (CZ)Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic for the Czech Social Democratic Party. He previously worked at the same ministry as a deputy, as well as at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. In addition, he has advised members of the European Parliament. He has a doctorate in international relations from Charles University in Prague. In the field of science, he deals with the topics of energy policy, sustainable development, and political economy. |
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Michael Rozsypal (CZ)Journalist and moderator. For a period of eight years, he worked at Czech Radio where he led political talks on the analytical journalism station ČRo Plus and moderated debates and morning broadcasts. He majored in political science at FSV UK. He enjoys the theatre and James Bond. How would you describe your work and professional goals in the media? What do you consider to be important in light of the current situation and what issues do you think we, as a society, should take seriously? |
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Kalifa Samaké (ML)PhD student in molecular and cell biology, genetics and virology at Charles University in Prague. Kalifa is working on researching the immunogenetics of animals. His long-term goal is to improve the availability of food in the tropics. He is the founder of the initiative Pour l’environnement et le developpement (IAD - Initiative for Environment and Development), which focuses on educating young people on the importance of environmental protection and development. How would you describe your work and goals in terms of reflection on the relation between Czechia and African countries? What do you consider important in the light of the current situation and what issues do you think we, as a society, should take seriously? |
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Barbora Sedová (SK)A researcher focusing on the mechanisms of climate impacts on human migration, inequality and conflict risk in developing countries. She co-runs FutureLab – Security, Ethnic Conflicts and Migration at the Climate Change Research Institute in Potsdam, Germany. She also pursues her PhD in economy at Potsdam University and works for Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) in Berlin. In the past, she worked for consulting company PwC in the Netherlands, the Slovak Ministry of Environment, the German Bundestag and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). How would you describe your work and your goals at the intersection of migration and climate change? What do you consider important in the light of the current situation and what issues do you think we, as a society, should take seriously? |
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Peter Tinti (USA)An award-winning journalist focusing on conflict, security, human rights, and organized crime. Among other outlets, Tinti’s writing and photography has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, World Politics Review and Vice. He is the author, with Tuesday Reitano, of Migrant, Refugee, Smuggler, Savior. How would you describe your work and your goals as a journalist? What do you consider to be important in light of the current situation and what issues do you think we, as a society, should take seriously? What resonated with you the most from this year's literature and artistic releases? |
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Arkia Touré (ML)She has been working as a journalist in Mali for more than 15 years. As a reporter for the national radio and television station Mali (ORTM), she covered news in the fields of development, healthcare, economics and education. Currently, she works at Studio Tamani, a radio station based in Bamako, which broadcasts programs offering analysis of the socio-political and security situation through 70 partner stations throughout Mali. In her work, she also focuses on women's rights. |
FILM SELECTIONZAHO ZAY (Maéva Ranaivojaona, Georg Tiller, Austria, France, Madagascar, 2020) |
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READING LIST |
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If you want to delve deeper into this topic, we offer you a selection of the most interesting sources that we came across while thinking through the program of this year's Inspiration Forum. YOMI KAZEEM: THE BIGGEST TRENDS IN AFRICAN TECH AND STARTUPS IN 2019 (QUARTZ AFRICA)
The spread of innovation culture across Africa in recent years has been accompanied by a boom in startups and tech hubs, which play a crucial role not only for future business development, but also for the development of local communities. However, technological development in certain regions remains affected by high prices of mobile data, lack of access to fast Internet connections and dictators shutting off the Internet in places ruled by them. This article, which belongs to the Africa Innovators series, also describes Africa’s largest tech company and the role of China in African financial technologies. The broader series focuses on people, companies and strategies that seek, use and implement African solutions for global issues. “As startup and tech ecosystems mature across the continent, local talent will have increasingly growing work opportunities on the continent. Data however shows the best African country to be a startup CEO or developer is South Africa.”CHESNEY MCOMBER: WOMEN AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE SAHEL (WEST AFRICAN PAPERS)
In her study for the OECD, Chesney McOmber from the University of Florida focuses on how climate change affects women living in the area of Sahel. She identified women, along with youths, the elderly and disabled people, as the most vulnerable population group. This is because women in countries such as Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Niger are very economically dependent on agriculture, food processing and distribution. Lack of access to natural resources (such as water) due to the climate crisis could not only significantly affect their ability to perform the labour that sustains their livelihood, but could also make them face more danger as they venture farther out for water. “Out of necessity, those with the resources to do so shift livelihood strategies and adapt to changing socio-economic pressures. Those without such resources are left vulnerable to these changes and less equipped to respond to current and future climate crises. Among those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change are women.“AHMADOU ALY MBAYE: AFRICA'S CLIMATE CRISIS, CONFLICT, AND MIGRATION CHALLENGES (THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION)
A number of studies from recent years (such as this one) show that the vast majority of migration in Africa happens between different African countries. People most often move into other countries within their region of Africa and only a small fraction of them leave the continent. In his article about West African migration, Ahmadou Aly Mbaye not only describes the various factors that motivate or force people to move – from demographic changes and the worsening security situation in certain countries to the rather dramatic impact of climate change on people’s livelihoods – but also presents alternative strategies that could help with solving some of these problems. “Finding alternative coping strategies beyond migration and fights over scarce resources is difficult but essential. It requires focusing development policy (and donor support) on more sustainable adaptation strategies. This will require diversifying economic activities away from weather-dependent activities like artisanal fishing and traditional agriculture, which can be achieved through modern agricultural, horticulture, and livestock techniques, and by adding value to traditional crops and primary products through integration into global value chains.”The book Migrant, Refugee, Smuggler, Saviour, co-written (with Tuesday Reitano) by the IF guest Peter Tinti, offers a fascinating view of Sub-Saharan migration through the eyes of smugglers while also reflecting on the current state of global asylum policies. It describes how the development of local smuggling networks was prompted by a large number of comparatively well-off Syrians fleeing from war and how the economic impact of transit migration helped with developing infrastructures in some local communities. WILL 2020 BE A PIVOTAL YEAR FOR AFRICA-EU RELATIONS? NOT WITHOUT DIALOGUE AND MUTUAL RESPECT (EURONEWS)
The new European Commission has decided to dramatically change the EU's relations with Africa. According to the Commission’s president, Ursula von der Leyen, the EU would like to treat its neighbour, the world’s second most populous continent, as an equal partner with a promising future and reconsider the old narrative dominated by terms such as “development aid.” However, some observers view the proposed steps as insufficient and fear that they will fail to account for the historically unequal relationship. “The new strategy talks about fighting illicit financial flows, but does not propose a fair tax system in which European companies pay taxes in the African countries where they make their wealth, which could give an important push to those economies. It talks about building peace, but does not foresee sanctions on EU members that break the rules regarding arms sales, which would support the AU’s Silence the Guns 2020 campaign. It talks about ways to protect forcibly displaced populations in Africa, but does not put forward specific actions to expand safe and legal pathways for migration to Europe.” |