AU CONVENING PAN AFRICAN CULTURAL CONGRESS

UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 003843

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/RSA AND AF/E. LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA
WATCHERS.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPAO SCUL XA AF UNION
SUBJECT: AU CONVENING PAN AFRICAN CULTURAL CONGRESS



1. Summary/Action Request: The African Union (AU) is
convening a Pan African Cultural Congress in Nairobi from
December 4-9, 2005 to "review and assess the cultural sector
in Africa, and consider the stakes, challenges and
opportunities" to develop appropriate programs. The USG has
been invited to send an observer to both the Congress and a
regular Ministerial Conference (December 10-14). Post
requests Department feedback on U.S. participation. End
summary/action request.

BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER

The African Union Commission presents its compliments to the
Embassy of the United States of America in Addis Ababa and
has the honor to inform the latter that it is organizing the
1st Edition of the Pan African Cultural Congress, which is
scheduled to take place from 4th to 9th December 2005 in
Nairobi, Kenya. The objectives of the Congress are to review
and assess the cultural sector in Africa, and consider the
stakes, challenges and opportunities in order to draw
orientations, strategies and appropriate programs. About
three hundred fifty (350) experts, dignitaries including
ministers, professionals and observers in the field of
culture are invited to attend in their own capacity.

Given the importance of the Congress and the opportunity it
provides for cultural exchange, your Country/Government is
cordially invited to participate at its own expense as an
Observer to the Congress and to the regular Ministerial
Conference which will also take place from 10 to 14 December
2005 in Nairobi. The general theme of both the Congress and
the Ministerial Conference is "Culture, Integration and
African Renaissance."

The themes of the Congress are as follows:

-- Theme 1: Identity, citizenship and common African vision

-- Theme 2: Culture and Education

-- Theme 3: Memory and Heritage

-- Theme 4: Cultural Freedoms and Rights; Legislation

-- Theme 5: Cultural Development

-- Theme 6: Cultural Dimension of development, economic
stakes of Culture; other challenges of development:
environment, health, poverty reduction.

-- Theme 7: Africa and the World: Role and place of Culture

-- Theme 8: Cultural policies in Africa: Theories and
Practices

-- Cross-Cutting Theme: African culture and new
technologies: Stakes, challenges and opportunities.

The outcomes of the Congress will be presented to the Fifth
Session of the Ministerial Conference on Culture and to the
Special Session of the AU Summit devoted to Culture and
Education to be held in January 2006 in Khartoum, Sudan.

END TEXT OF LETTER.



HUDDLESTON