FACE is seeking new members to join its planning committee. The planning committee is tasked with, among other things:
- Sharing ideas in committee planning,
- Designing publicity material,
- Managing the website and social medial channels,
- Handling correspondence,
- Ambassadorial work – telling people about FACE, through private social media channels, and
- Building a nurturing community.
If you would like to join/know more, email us: foreverafrica@outlook.com
Forever Africa Conference and Events (FACE) is a Pan-African initiative brought together by staff and students at the University of Bristol. FACE was established in 2017. It has an interdisciplinary, cross-sector, intergenerational, intercommunity, intercontinental vision to dialogue for the purpose bringing change through cooperation. FACE’s goals include- closing the attainment gap that affects Black students, addressing reduced student satisfaction of Black students, encouraging interdisciplinary dialogue in ‘decolonising the curriculum’, encouraging more Black students to consider academia as a career choice, and ensuring institutional engagement with marginalised communities in Bristol and beyond. Organisation of FACE relies on a vibrant student volunteer group as well as support and guidance from an International Advisory Committee. Check out our website foreverafrica.org for more information. In the video below, recorded during FACE 2020, I outline the aims and visions of FACE:
We have had annual conferences in 2018 and 2019. In 2020 due to the global Pandemic, the annual conference was replaced by a series of online webinars. In 2021, we engaged in the use of Twitter Spaces and Clubhouse to have online conversations.
We have relied on Pan-Africanism as a guiding principle to build solidarity and collective action across Africa and her Diasporas. Here are some thoughts from delegates about the key challenges for Pan-Africanism:
In 2019, we also set up a student prize for students who are involved in activities that promote our guiding principles. The FACE Pius Adesanmi Memorial Student Award for Outstanding Pan-Africanism recognises student(s) who have made a substantial contribution to the Pan-African community anywhere in the world. This contribution can be through academic excellence, enterprise, community work or activism. The award can be given to a student or group of students. In 2020, the awardees for first, second and third prize were: Chanelle Smith, Biniyam Lombe and Michelle Jideofor.
We hope to soon be able to return to planning and executing our proposed African ‘Cape Town to Cairo’ Road trip. A summary of our vision for is contained in the video below. In it you can see where we expect to travel and why we trip is necessary.
Looking Forward: 2022 and Beyond
Over the last year or so, we have been [re]thinking how people of African descent move and exist within Higher Education, how these have been affected by the protests in response to the killing of George Floyd and other victims of state violence, as well as the responses to those protests. This direction is also a reflection on the global administration within the pandemic as well as the disparities that have been uncovered and implicated in this, and how these have affected ways of living.
Our theme for the year: Learning, Teaching and Researching an Anti-Black World
Among other things across this academic year, we want to examine the following questions/issues:
- Does BHM still have value in universities?
- Anti-Blackness and Higher Education in the UK.
- Performing Remorse in HE- Attention and Engagement after the Killing of George Floyd and other Anti-Black Violence
We would also like to invite blogs and other contributions to the website from around the world. Contributions could be, poems, songs, pictures from anywhere in the world. Form is dynamic. As long as the contribution is thematic and not contrary to our values, it is welcome.
We will end the academic year, hopefully, with a hybrid summer conference in 2022.
Our social media channels are as follow:
- T: @ForeverAfrica_
- I: @foreverafrica2019
- W: http://foreverafrica.org/
- F: Forever Africa Conference and Events
- E: ForeverAfrica@outlook.com
We look forward to hearing from you.
‘Blackness is an immense and defiant joy.’ Imani Perry.
