Africa Day 2024: Global Solidarity Network Hosts Commemorative Events

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In commemoration of this year’s Africa Day, celebrated every May 25 in honour of the day of the founding of the defunct Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union, the Global Solidarity Network, which includes the Nile Valley Peoples’ Solidarity Initiative, the AfroMedia Initiative for African Journalism and Media and the Nasser Youth Movement, hosted a series of activities to mark the event.

The Global Solidarity Network’s Africa Day 2024 activities included a series of articles published on the “Articles and Opinions” portal on the official website of the Nasser Youth Movement from May 15 to May 25 in preparation for Africa Day, just as the Nile Valley Peoples’ Solidarity Initiative hosted a two-day workshop and commemorative event for young people titled “Peaceful Coexistence and Combating Hate Speech” which included handicrafts, a visual arts exhibition and a concert at the Sultan Qaytbay Complex in Historic Cairo.

Similarly, The AfroMedia Initiative for African Journalism and Media hosted a media training course named after the late broadcaster Hazem Abdel Wahab from May 26 to May 28, 2024, in Cairo, Egypt, for African journalists and media professionals, which honoured several prominent figures in African affairs, including researchers, journalists, and community leaders.

In a press release, Hassan Ghazaly, international activist and Founder of the Global Solidarity Network, said the network, which was established over 13 years ago, has been implementing a diverse set of programs, projects, community initiatives, and educational activities at global, continental, regional, and local levels, aimed at empowering youth, building their capacities and boosting their participation in public life and decision-making processes.

Ghazaly said the Network was committed to immortalizing the founding of the Organization of African Unity through its diverse projects and programs, each according to its specialization. In Egypt, the Network’s “Bozoor Project” trains students in Swahili and has encouraged university students studying African languages to produce articles and translation works for Africa Day to be published on the Nasser Youth Movement’s official website. 

Ghazaly further explained the role of the Global Solidarity Network in reviving the principles of African unity at the regional level through a series of events organized by the Nile Valley Peoples’ Solidarity Initiative in collaboration with the Mahrousa Foundation for Development and Participation. These events targeted Nile Valley residents living in Egypt.

Ghazaly noted that the AfroMedia Initiative’s Hazem Abdel Wahab’s 3-day media training course was hosted under the auspices of the African Union and led by a group of prominent African journalists and media experts, including Dr. Ramadan Qarni, an expert in African affairs at the Egyptian State Information Service; Mr. Hisham Younis, deputy head of the Journalists’ Syndicate.

Others were journalist Mohamed Zidan, a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists; journalist Osama El Deeb, a journalism trainer at the American University; journalist Iman El Waraky, founder of the Artificial Intelligence Revolution Initiative; journalist Ahmed Ashour, a digital media lecturer at Cairo University; as well as journalist Maha Salah El Din, head of the data validation department at Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper.

At the conclusion of the 2024 Africa Day celebrations, Ghazaly stressed the Global Solidarity Network was keen to continue its legacy of recognizing the intellectual contributions of individuals aimed at promoting African culture and unity. 

Among the honorees was the late broadcaster Hazem Abdel Wahab, former general director of Africa-targeted radio stations; Dr. Mohamed Abdel Karim, journalist and African affairs researcher; journalist Saif El Borov for his journalistic role and support of the Sudanese community in Egypt, especially those displaced by war; journalist Randa Khaled, head of the African Affairs section at Al-Wafd newspaper for her journalistic awareness creation on African issues 

Others were trainer Tarek Tawer, director of Ganj Center, for his role in assisting the integration of Sudanese citizens resident in Egypt, and director Mahmoud Al-Adawi, who contributed to producing a series of artistic works in collaboration with Ganj Training Center, participating in 16 international festivals as a result of workshops with Egyptian and Sudanese children.