Biennale of Luanda: Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace

To gain access to the Biennale of Luanda Report, please click on the cover page:

To access a video recording of the launch please click here

In Africa, the concept of the Culture of Peace is enriched by the values, belief systems, traditions, and cultural and artistic forms of expression that contribute to the respect of human rights, cultural diversity, solidarity and the rejection of violence to build democratic societies.

The Biennale for the Culture of Peace drew from Pan-African Forum “Sources and Resources for a Culture of Peace” held in Luanda, Angola, in 2013, and aimed to expand and sustain the Pan-African Movement for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence.

The first edition of the Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace, Biennale of Luanda, was held in the Angolan capital from 18 to 22 September 2019.

This continental initiative intended to serve as:

A global platform for the promotion of cultural diversity and African unity;
A venue of international and intra-African cultural exchanges;
A special meeting that brings together – every two years – actors and partners of a Pan-African movement for the prevention of violence and conflict, and the consolidation of peace;
An opportunity to build sustainable partnerships between governments, civil society, the private sector, the artistic and scientific community, academic institutions, and international organizations.

The Biennale also aimed to give a voice to African women and young people and to facilitate the launch of public awareness campaigns as part of the World Day of Peace (21 September).

The Biennale was organized around three main axes:

Partners' Forum: Alliance for Africa : a major opportunity to engage in strategic programmes for Africa through the scaling up of initiatives and projects for peace and sustainable development throughout the continent;
Forum of Ideas - Youth and Women's Forums: three platforms of reflection on the future of Africa, focusing on the dissemination of good practices and solutions for the prevention of crises, and the resolution and attenuation of conflicts;
Festival of Cultures: showcasing the cultural diversity of African countries and the African diaspora, demonstrating thereby the resilience of the African people in face of conflict and violence.

Edition 2019 was held from 18 - 22 September

The Official Communique of the Biennale of Luanda is available here

The Preliminary Report of the Biennale of Luanda is available here

List of all the Official Partners and Sponsors of the Biennale of Luanda