AFRICAphonie

AFRICAphonie’s Latest Telefilm: A Classical Tri-therapy Against the HIV/AIDS Pandemic

By Donatus Fai Tangem* 

The Cameroonian Telefilm scene has once more been adorned by yet another AFRICAphonie production entitled “Positive living” (live and let’s live). Coming on the heels of “Nkuma” a film on female Genital Mutilation, (FGM), the awe-inspiring movie announces itself through a captivating poster design shaped like a hose shoe and hemmed by the beaming faces of mature actors and actresses.

The prominence of good old reliables like Mejame Njikang, Pa Ngalla (of the Musinga drama group fame) and the venerated Mah Fese among other fine actors and actresses foretells swell times for potential viewers.

Cameroonian Cultural Industries: Potentials and Promises

By Mwalimu George Ngwane (Originally published in Cameroon Tribune, October 31, 2007)

'Only those nations which are culturally solid ever indelibly influence the course of history’ - Professor Kountchou Kouomegni former Minister of Information and Culture)

The three main links that constitute the Cultural Industry chain are Production, Promotion and Consumption. These links represent the culture triangle needed to energise an industry whose aesthetic nature and artistic values mirror the essence of human civilization. Attempts by both civil society actors and governments have aimed at transforming Africa’s indigenous culture from mere populist folklore to a national character.

Africaphonie Introduces Tele Films in the Cameroon Movie Industry

By Juliana Ndolo Mbua (Originally published in The Entrepreneur)

The world of showbiz in a multi facial composition of Fashion designing acting and modeling cultures beckon Cameroon’s vibrant unemployed youth market. Africa with a diversity of cultures stands a better chance of harboring varieties of modest film and theater resorts. Created in 1998, Africaphonie is a Pan-African association with the vision of democracy and economic development, to Show case the world of films in Cameroon they introduced their “Tele films.” The chairman of the board of trustee Dr Jacqueline Okay and her 26 member association believes that Africa can only be what Africans want it to be. Africaphonie organizes conferences and workshops in a sporadic and project based approach for stakeholders.

Is the United States of Africa Necessary?

The Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, at its 8th Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa from 29-30 January 2007 decided that the next ordinary session of the Assembly to be held in Accra, Ghana in July 2007, will be devoted to a “Grand Debate on the Union Government”. This decision is inspired by the fact that Africa now needs a Union of the African people and not merely a Union of states and governments and that ‘the ultimate goal of the African Union is the political and economic integration of the continent leading to the creation of the United States of Africa’.

Having this in mind, the Assembly of Heads of States, in compliance with the policy of popular participation through civil society endeavours requested Member States of the African Union to carry out the necessary national consultations within their countries on the Grand Debate on the Union Government. It is for this reason that AFRICAphonie-Cameroon under the auspices of the African Civil Society Organisation is putting the following questions to you:

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Using Movies to Fight Female Genital Mutilation

Mwalimu George Ngwane explains why he decided to produce a film on female genital mutilation.

Interviewed by Nkeze Mbonwoh (Cameroon Tribune)

Cameroon Tribune: What prompted you to produce this telefilm on Female Genital Mutilation called "Nkuma"?

GeorgeNgwane: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is an age-old practice that is perpetuated in many parts fo the world. In Africa alone, there are 27 countries that have been battling with the controversial practice that not only draws a dichotomy between traditionalists and modernists but has placed Cameroon in the storm of practices that impair women's wellbeing. As a matter of fact, a UN report estimates that about 20% of women in Cameroon go through a form of Female Genital Mutilation  called infibulations. Certain areas of the South West and North provinces have been cited as championing this practice.

Click here to print or download complete interview in PDF format

Movie Review: NKUMA (Female Genital Mutilation)

By Ebenezer Tabot-Tabot, Development Practitioner (Originally published in The Post)

Nkuma (Female Genital Mutilation). An AFRICAphonie Production in Collaboration with OSIWA

There have been many interventions purporting to sensitise communities on the necessity to put an end to the practice of female circumcision, pompously referred to as 'Female Genital Mutilation' (FGM) by development practitioners.

Despite these numerous interventions, the practice still continues in many parts ofCameroon, essentially because the practice is portrayed as an entrenched negative cultural tendency (which it is), and the methods utilised to combat it are necessarily confrontational.

Peace Education Manual Published

By Brenda Yufeh (Cameroon Tribune, May 30, 2005)

Africaphonie. Peace Education. For Junior Secondary School in Cameroon. Yaounde: Africaphonie, 2005.

A Peace Education Reader for junior secondary schools accompanied by a Teacher's Manual has been produced in Cameroon. Put together by the non-governmental and Pan African Association (Africaphonie), the student's reader and teacher's manual are fallouts of a workshop organised at the Norbert Kenne Memorial Peace House last year in Yaounde on the theme "Designing curriculum and training of teachers for Peace education in Cameroon".

Projects in the Pipeline (Pending Sponsorship)

• Training of trainers’ workshop on the production and marketing of contemporary African Arts and cultural cooperation in West and Central Africa. Part 1 of this workshop (focus on Cameroon) was sponsored by the P.C.F. Netherlands;
• Workshop with film producers, T.V. producers and the Ministry of culture on the production of a T.V. film series in English for private Cameroonian Television;
• Designing Curriculum and training of teacher trainers for Peace Education in Cameroon (Francophone system);
  Empowering disadvantaged book sectors in Cameron (the cases of women and children’s writing) 2006 – 2008;
  Books for Development A workshop bringing together all book stakeholders in Cameroon with the aim of strengthening the book industry through a book policy;
  Building a Peace Resource Centre in Cameroon.

Peace Education Curriculum Design & Training

Designing Curriculum and training of teacher trainers for Peace Education in Cameroon (Anglophone system)

AFRICAphonie organized a one-week training workshop bringing together more than 70 teachers, educationists and curriculum developers to design the content of a teachers’ manual and students’ reader on Peace Education for Junior Secondary School in Cameroon (Anglophone system). A core group is currently working on the Reader and Manual. Publication is due January 2005. The Ministry will be contacted later on for lobbying and advocacy. The Project, which will end in July 2005, is sponsored by U.S.I.P America.

Conference of Intellectuals from Africa and the Diaspora (CIAD)

From 7 to 9 October 2004, Dakar, Senegal

Background: Initiative of H.E. Maître Abdoulaye Wade, President of the Republic of Senegal, supported by the Summits of Lome 2000, Maputo 2003 and Addis Ababa 2004.

Objective: Mobilize the Intellectuals from Africa and the Diaspora about the African Union and NEPAD.

General Theme: Africa in the 21st Century Integration and Renaissance.

AFRICAphonie Mission Statement

AFRICAphonie is a Pan African Association which operates on the premise that AFRICA can only be what AFRICANS and their friends want AFRICA to be.Towards fulfilling it's mission, AFRICAphonie aims:1. To promote person to person dialogue through seminars,workshops and conferences between main political actors ,vulnerable sectors,and grassroots organisations.2. To expose the public to documentation (video,audio,paint) on Peace and PanAfricanism3. To act as advocates and lobbyist for a peaceful Africa Renaissance

Conferences and Seminars

Since its creation, AFRICAphonie has organized numerous seminars on African-related issues in Cameroon. The organization has also been invited to numerous conferences across Africa. A non-exhaustive list of conferences attended or organized follows:Seminar/Conferences Organised:

• AFRICAN RENAISSANCE WEEK, Buea, Cameroon May 1998
• Africa's Image in Western Media,Buea, Cameroon, March 1999
• Self-reliance in an emerging Africa,Buea, Cameroon May 1999
• African week, Buea ,Cameroon, June 1999
• Kwanzaa cultural nite, Buea Cameroon
• Pan African CONGRESS -Cameroon,December 1999
• Creation of African Union clubs in State Universities, 2002
• Arts and Culture Forum, Muea, 2003

Contact

AFRICAphonie P.O Box 364 Buea ,South West Province CAMEROON -AFRICA PHONE (237) 766 84 79 EMAILAfricaphonie2000@yahoo.co.uk