This year's World Social Forum took place in Kenya. Thanks to our partner, HIVOS, OYO staff Philippe Talavera and Evelina Ashipala, attended the event.
Thousands of people were expected in Nairobi, and the stadium where the event took place was crowded. The forum was fairly disorganized – it was impossible to get hold of a program and in many cases events kept on changing time and venue. However, it was a great opportunity to meet with new people and put OYO on the map.
Philippe presented OYO’s philosophy during a workshop organized by Alliance 2015 on the theme ‘Act Now or Pay Later’ while Evelina presented OYO’s work during another workshop, also organized by Alliance 2015, on the theme ‘Towards a virus free generation’. Alliance 2015 is a partnership of six non-governmental organisation working in the field of development, and one of OYO’s major supporters, HIVOS , is a member. Those workshops where an opportunity to meet other partners of the Alliance 2015 team, exchange ideas and brainstorm on some of the most pressing issues.
Evelina attended sessions on child labour, sexual diversity, migration, racism and Stop the Wars. She also attended a workshop on Artists Activists. Finally she learnt more about the virus free generation EU project, which uses the arts and cultural events to inform young people in Europe about HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa. Philippe had the chance to attend a session with three female Nobel Prize winners that was very inspiring. He also had the chance to meet and interact with the K-PAG (Kenya Performing Arts Group) both at the World Social Forum and the National Theatre.
K-PAG is a fairly young NGO training young Kenyans in the Arts of Drama and Dance. Not unlike OYO, it helps young talented people to develop new skills. It focuses on cultural and artistic performances, but more and more addresses social issues through its performances. It presented a 30-minutes show on HIV/AIDS, stigma and discrimination, rape and romance during the opening evening organized by Alliance 2015. This very powerful performance will leave a long-lasting impression on the audience. OYO and K-PAG hope to organize an exchange program, despite the distance, in order to learn more about each other’s work and approach. It could be an opportunity for young Kenyans and Namibians to learn new skills and for K-PAG and OYO directors to get new sources of inspiration. There may even be a chance, one day, to create a Kenyan/Namibian performance to be presented during one of the World Social Forums.
Many performances were organized, both informal, like the impressive Poverty Requiem , a massive youth choir, and formal, such as the powerful poetry evening as part of the ‘moving people’ program, also supported by HIVOS.
It is important for OYO to be represented at such forums. It reminds us that we are part of civil society, and what that means. It reminds us that there are great values many NGOs fight for: equality, freedom, security, basic human rights. It reminds us why we are here, and what we should fight for. OYO therefore wishes to thank HIVOS and the Alliance 2015 for this great opportunity.
