In light of the unparalleled success of our launch event, we the organisers of FACE, (Forever Africa Conference and Events), are now turning our hands to planning FACE 2019. [Some of the points here are included in the previous FACE post, but it occurs to me that only the strong will read that post all the way to the bottom!]
FACE is committed to building on what we have done with FACE 2018. Looking forward, FACE is currently putting in place plans for shorter events that will culminate in FACE 2019. The theme for FACE 2019 is ‘Building the Pan-African Inspired Multiversity.’
FACE is currently recruiting a team to deliver FACE 2019. You can apply to join any of the following teams/fill any of the following positions:
- Assistant to FACE Director and Head of student organizing committee
- Finance and fundraising team
- Publicity team
- Communications team
- Logistics and coordinating team
If you would like to join the team, email the conference director, Dr Foluke Adebisi, with a written expression of interest foluke.adebisi@bristol.ac.uk (FACE is an inclusive initiative and we welcome applications from all sections of society.)
In 2019 we will be focusing on public education on histories and the present-day legacies of colonialism and enslavement, especially as articulated by the official UN programme for IDPAD. The focus for FACE 2019 will be on the content and experiences of education, most especially within the context of a university.
FACE 2019 will focus on listening to African voices and seeking ways to illuminate and empower them in our various spheres and sectors. The object of the conference will be to collectively produce a policy document with recommendations to government bodies, institutions, universities and other educational organisations for structural changes in the following areas:
- The student (learning) experience
- Teaching (content and process)
- Research
- Careers and enterprise
The plan is taken from the colloquium that concluded FACE 2018. It was held in the fashion of an indaba (Zulu ‘family business meeting’), a place where everyone has a voice and where there is an attempt to find a common mind or a common story that everyone is able to tell when they go away from it.
What can you do to support FACE?
I am glad you asked…
- Plan to attend FACE 2019, tell at least 5 people about FACE. Bring people with you when you attend,
- If you are a student at Bristol or nearby, contact the FACE Director, (email above and below) and ask to be on the organising team for FACE 2019. And tell people to come along with you,
- If you an academic, business person, career coach or other professional, there will be more opportunities to showcase pan-African businesses at the next FACE, e.g. there will be space for black booksellers, fashion items, Pan-African food at the next FACE. Contact the FACE director, (email below). Contact early as space will be limited. Bring your business cards.
- If you are at another university and you would like us to partner with you to host a Pan-African event. Let us know. Email below!
- Put us in contact with sponsors, speakers, advocates and people of influence. Contact the FACE Director, (email below)
- Check out and share our pictures from FACE 2018 which are in our Flikcr FACE 2018 album
- We hope to keep tickets free at point of sale. So to fund all the above and to help to publicise FACE we have set up a gofundme page for FACE. We would appreciate it if you could share our gofundme as widely as possible. Let people know that we are happening and our gofundme is happening. This is a Pan-African initiative which is founded on traditional principles of African philosophy. Ubuntu. I am because you are. Ujamaa. We are one African family. We succeed by doing things together. Give £5 and send the link to 5 people. Or give nothing and send the link to 10 people or 20. Keep sending, keep telling people. Give what you can. We are forever Africa. FACE is our community project and over and above financial contributions, we desire that you give of your time, your influence, your talent, your enthusiasm. We need to all have a stake in each other’s success. We have got this.
Most importantly we want anyone who wants to be involved in the vision of FACE to contact us by emailing foluke.adebisi@bristol.ac.uk. There is a lot to be done, but there are enough of us to do it. We just have to put our energies behind our ideas.
We look forward to hearing from you and working together. We are forever Africa.
