About the Alliance
The Biennale of Luanda’s overall objective is to strengthen the Pan-African Movement for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence. Conceived as the main tool to create a multi-stakeholder and intersectoral partnership, the Alliance of Partners will support the scaling up of flagship initiatives that have proven successful at local or sub-regional level in Africa.
The Alliance will also allow for the definition, concertation and implementation of flagship programmes for Africa, envisaging that each of the Biennale’s Thematic and Best Practices Forums will generate at least one flagship initiative for the Culture of Peace in Africa.
It’s a major opportunity for governments, civil society, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the artistic and scientific communities, public and private companies, foundations and philanthropic organizations, development banks, and international organizations to not only commit to the promotion of a lasting and resilient culture of peace in the region, but also to act upon in.
Adopted in the Pan-African Forum on Sources and Resources for a Culture of Peace (2013), the Plan of Action for a Culture of Peace in Africa/Make Peace Happen called for the creation of a continental and sustainable peace movement.
To follow up on this call, networks of civil society organizations from Africa and the Diaspora were established under the aegis of UNESCO and the African Union, with the support of a number of Member States.
Precisely, the movement was sparked by the conception of the Network of Foundations and Research Institutions for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace in Africa (2013), the Pan-African Youth Network for a Culture of Peace (2014), and the Pan-African Women's Network for Culture of Peace and Sustainable Development (2018).
In the first edition of the Biennale of Luanda, which took place in 2019, the first UNESCO Partners’ Forum in Africa highlighted the importance of a multi-stakeholder alliance for the improvement of Africa’s future in support of initiatives to tackle the challenges of violence and underdevelopment in the continent. At the time, stakeholders reaffirmed their support to the Organization’s two priorities - Africa and Gender Equality.
The Alliance of Partners aims to achieve three main goals:
- Federating of different partners and positioning the Biennale as the main intersectoral platform for the culture of peace across the African continent.
- Identifying the best practices whose purpose is to foster lasting peace for Africa and offering them grounds and means for maximized visibility - which will be catapulted by the participation and commitment of the Alliance members.
- Mobilizing diverse resources - namely in-kind contributions, technical assistance, expertise or financial contributions - to enable the realization of these programs and ensure the sustainability of the Biennale.