Afro Heritage and Culture Program

First, it is worth noting that the Afro-Descent Program within the Ministry of Culture of Argentina began in 2013, with the creation of the Under-Secretary Office for Sociocultural Policies, Resolution SC No. 6675/13, and operated as such until December 2015, when it was closed by President Macri's administration. President Macri's administration also downgraded the ministry to a secretariat and deactivated this program, which resulted in a restructuring of the organization chart, reducing it to just one line of action. Thanks to the resistance and support of activists and Afro-Argentine organizations, as well as Afro-descendants and African individuals in the country, some actions were sustained.
The Program has been established within the framework of the "International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024)", led by the UN's OHCHR, whose main objective is to strengthen actions and measures to ensure the full exercise of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights for people of African descent, as well as their full and equitable participation in society.
In this context, there were activities and guided actions to:
* Promote and consolidate spaces and mechanisms for participation and communication that enable exchanges, reflection and calls on civil organizations and their representatives as active interlocutors, aimed at strengthening agendas, celebrations and public policies.
* Strengthen coordination with the various ministries, agencies and areas of the public sector that work on the subject.
* Develop activities aimed at making the cultural, spiritual and artistic heritage of the Afro-Argentine, Afro-descendant and/or African community visible.
Specific actions:

2016

Support to the Federal Working Day for the Afro Community in Argentina at Casa de la Cultura Villa 21 in Barracas, organized by the 8N Committee.
Goals:
* Reflect on the main priorities at the national level for Afro-Argentines and Afro-descendants at the beginning of the Decade.
* Think about the main action lines in the fight against racism, discrimination and xenophobia.
* Draw up public policy proposals on the cultural, social and economic areas.
* Plan the celebration of Afro-Argentines' and Afro Culture Day (November 8)

Conference and Awareness Day "Afro Contributions to the Cultural Construction of Argentina".
* Secondary schools in the City of Buenos Aires
* Sarmiento Historical Museum
* Corrientes School (a province where the activity was declared of Provincial Interest by the Vice Governor Office of Corrientes)
* School of Arts, Design and Culture Sciences of the National University of the Northeast, based in Resistencia, Chaco
* Show Africa is Present at Casa Martinez, Corrientes

Afro Women's Day in the Auditorium of the Library of Congress, Argentina. July 25, 2016.
Quilombo, Afro Heritage Festival
It was organized in the City of Buenos Aires as a novel way of commemorating November 8, National Afro-Argentines' and Afro Culture Day.
There were exhibitions of crafts, hairstyles and costumes as well as music and dance performances and other Afro culture identity expressions at Parque Lezama on Saturday, November 12, 2016.

2017

January 6: Saint Balthazar Day, Parque Cambacua, Corrientes.
The festival was organized by the Brotherhood of Saint Balthazar, by the Caballero family, custodians of the image of Saint Balthazar, in collaboration with the Government of Corrientes. This celebration is an homage to Saint Balthazar, patron saint of candombe (Afro-Uruguayan music style), who was one of the three Wise Men in the Christian Epiphany, and whose festival is celebrated as a secular and religious festival in the provinces of Corrientes, Chaco, North of Santa Fe and Formosa and in the neighboring countries of Paraguay and Uruguay. Since it is a cultural event organized by the Afro community, the objective is to give these expressions visibility before the general public.

Afro Women Day in the province of Tucuman
This event aims at raising awareness and focuses on the commemoration of the International Afro Women Day. It was held at the Historical Independence House/Museum in the province of Tucuman.

Heroes and Heroines of Independence Mural
* A mural was painted at Casa Cuna in the province of Tucuman.
* There were cultural activities at the Historical Independence House/Museum, in coordination with the Secretariat of Human Rights.
* Visit to the Afro Community in San Felix (Santiago del Estero)

Articulation with Cultural Programs
Call for Afro organizations in the provinces of Corrientes and Chaco.

Show "Argentine Afro-Descendent Heroes who have been made Invisible"
At the Caloi Space, there was an exhibit coordinated by the Argentine Institute for Equality, Diversity, and Integration (IARPIDI) that consisted of 20 portraits of African descent figures in the history of Argentina.

Afro short film competition (Ibercultura Viva)
Works were submitted on the basis, content and call conditions set for the regional competition.

Tribute to Gabino Ezeiza, in the centennial of his death
Homage to the Afro descendant payador (a sort of troubadour of the Pampas), 100 years after his death

Conference and Awareness Event on "Afro Contributions to the Cultural Construction of Argentina"
Secondary schools in the City of Buenos Aires

November 8 Memorial Day, Afro-Argentines' and Afro Culture National Day
The activities were carried out at the Jesuit Ranch of Alta Gracia and Viceroy Liniers Historical House (World Heritage, UNESCO, 2000), member of the International Project called "The Slave Route" (UNESCO). The purpose of this Memorial Day is to promote respect for cultural diversity and highlight the contribution of people of African descent to the construction and development of our nation.

2018

Argentina celebrates the centennial of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela's birth
An artistic intervention was carried out via a flash mob on the streets, at Retiro Station and the National University of La Matanza, coordinated together with the South African Embassy in Argentina and other national agencies. The staging was the result of a collaboration between the different ministerial areas involved. Around 80 people participated, including dancers and musicians, plus the technical team (press, production, sound, cameras, catering staff, etc.).

Voices of diversity
The Voices of Diversity project is an intervention of Retiro Station, in the form of a flash mob carried out with the artistic collaboration of the Youth Choir of the Ministry of Culture of Argentina.
"Voices of Diversity" is a performance that seeks to raise awareness about respect for cultural diversity through our folk music.

Afro Culture Workshops during the winter holidays
* Casa de la Cultura Villa 21, Barracas
* Meeting of children and youth orchestras in Tandil.

2019

* We worked on the planning, pre-production and production of an audiovisual called "This is who I am" to commemorate Afro Women Day. The performance premiered in 2020.
* "Beat Time" is an audiovisual production that premiered on January 6, 2020 to encourage the new generations to get familiar with and appropriate this Saint Balthazar practice, through the rite of "charanda" (Afro-Argentine dance), which only takes place in the City of Empedrado, province of Corrientes.