Zinduka is a Swahili word which means a re-awakening. In this context it is used as a clarion call for a re-awakening of the consciousness of the East African people regarding their great duty in shaping their destiny within the integration and development processes especially in defining the agenda and priorities in East Africa Festival is a Pan Africanist forum dedicated to re-awakening the consciousness of the people and catalyzing their active engagement with the East African integration. Zinduka focuses on the people's common struggles for socio-economic and political transformation and advancement. It offers the people a unique opportunity to contribute to the East African integration process through art and culture, policy dialogue and movement building. It also offers space to celebrate the vibrant East African diversities as well as share successes and challenges as we pursue intellectual, economic, social and political fulfillment.
Zinduka takes the view that the people have a right to transform their role from that of passive subjects to active citizens and to actively and intelligently shape their priorities and destiny. Zinduka is a space to share and celebrate individual and collective triumphs as much as to share and learn from our challenges and failures in the pursuit for change and development. Herein is a robust space for people's direct participation in the East Africa Community integration process – in and outside the official processes.
Zinduka provides a unique opportunity to plug into a regional movement of East Africans committed to development, human rights and social justice and provides a massive platform to tap into their creative energies and community networks and expand outreach beyond traditional/existing frontiers. The inter-disciplinary and inter-sectoral, cross-border nature of the Festival provide an incredible opportunity to reach to multiple new audiences.
Zinduka Festival is organized and managed by the Zinduka Organizing Committee (ZOC) that is made up of members from different organizations from the five East African Countries. ZOC executes its work through the following five specialized sub-committees;
1. Programs and Logistics Sub Committee
2. Publicity Sub Committee
3. Credentials Sub Committee
4. Artists Sub committee
5. Resource Mobilization Sub-Committee
2015 Theme
“Integration: People First”
2015 Zinduka Objectives
The following are the core objectives of Zinduka Festival 2015;
- Provide a platform for people of East Africa to robustly engage with the integration process; participants will specifically engage with the EAC Treaty and the EAC Development Strategy in the context of sustainable development and Pan Africanism.
- Present a platform for East Africans to interact, appreciate and celebrate the regions rich diversity and unity of purpose through their arts and cultures. In addition to performing artists, the Festival will feature technology and food bazaars
- Facilitate the people to establish collaborations with other regional organizations in strengthening their advocacy campaigns around the integration process and sustainable development.
- Strengthen the linkages between theory and practice in policy advocacy, movement building and human rights and democratic governance
- Develop strategies for advancing effective participation of the people in the integration process at the intersection of development and governance, human rights and social justice; art, culture, technology and policy dialogues.
Festival activities
a) 2-day East Africa Academy at Arusha bringing together public intellectuals, activists and artists
b) Daily road shows and community outreach for the 2 weeks preceding the Festival
c) Solidarity speeches at the Stadium
d) Zinduka East African Caravan
e) Solidarity marches in Arusha City
f) Self-organizing Convenings
g) Performance by artists
h) Cultural events
i) Football matches and the Zinduka Marathon
j) Cultural and technology exhibitions.
2015 Convenings
a) Pan-Africanism and EAC Integration.
b) Swahili and Integration Forum.
c) Women's Forum.
d) Resource Governance Forum.
e) Tourism Forum.
f) Social Entrepreneurship Forum.
g) Sports for Development Forum.
h) Constitutionalism in East Africa Forum.
i) Human Rights Defenders Forum.
j) Social Justice Forum.
k) Youth Forum.
l) Movement Building.
m) Trade Forum (and Cross-Border Traders can feed into this).
Participants
The Zinduka Festival 2015 will bring together participants from the five East African countries from different backgrounds and sectors including: academia, activism, civil society, social movements, business, women, youth, farming communities, fisher-folks, techies, the arts, culture and sports. Zinduka is an inclusive space and will therefore be open to people and representatives from all walks of life. However the Zinduka Organizing Committee will sponsor representatives from minority and disadvantaged communities and demographics to ensure that voices from the margins are represented and heard. The Committee will, as in the previous editions, encourage, promote and support effective representation and participation of youth, women and people with disabilities.
Contacts
Zinduka Festival Organizing Committee
Wing
3C, K Rep Center, Kilimani
Box
27611-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Mobile,
Festival Director: +254726797402
E-mail:
zinduka@akibauhaki.org
Tweets:
#ZindukaFestival2015
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/zindukafestival
FB:
zindukafestivalEA
Web:
www.zindukafestival.com
By Irene, Akiba Uhaki Foundation
