After stops in Lyon and Madrid, the Afrofem Tour was welcomed in Liege by Afrofeminism in Progress for Wawa Aba Fest’.
WAWA ABA (seed of the Wawa tree) is a symbol of fortitude, resistance and perseverance. Afrofem Tour is a two year project where Mwasi does a 3-day stop in a different European city co-organising workshops, trainings, debates and networking with local afrofeminist and Black organisations. The tour is the culmination of link building and teamwork, and mutual understanding of afrofeminist work and struggle in the European context. At the end of February 2020, Mwasi spent a few days in Liege and took over some iconic spaces known for their role in liegeois counter-culture: La Zone, KulturA and Barricades. The programme included talks and workshops for European Black feminists including: a round table on Afro-futurist and afrofeminist utopias in fantasy and science-fiction with Peggy PIerrot, Nontokozo Tshabalala, Fania Noel, Emmanuelle Nsunda, artivism with Anne Wetsi Mpoma, and an examination of colonial memory Collectif Mémoire Coloniale et Lutte contre les Discriminations et Steph Anie. Of course in true Mwasi flamboyance we had dance battles and DJs and our traditional Sunday morning Afrofeminist brunch.
PROGRAM: VENDREDI febuary 28th, 2020 à La zone Quai de l’Ourthe, 42b 4020 LIège :
6.30 p.m .: ROUND TABLE Afro-feminist imaginary to get out of fear: Afro-futuristic & Afro-feminist utopias of fantasy and science fiction
Peggy PIerrot Nontokozo Tshabalala Fania Noel Emmanuelle Nsunda
10:30 p.m .: Dance battle with the krump group BBF, followed by a DJ Set by Bo Meng @ KulturA.
Saturday, febuary 29th @ Barricade asbl Rue pierreuse, 21 4000 Liège Between 11 am and 1 pm: 1- Black women and artivism with Anne Wetsi Mpoma 2 – Investing in the memory of colonialism with Collectif Mémoire Coloniale et Lutte contre les Discriminations and Steph Anie 3 – Writing workshop “our we” in 10 years: for divergent people and with attention deficit disorder) with Lisette Lombe and MWASI – Afrofeminist collective
Between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.: 1- Black women facing validism with Marianne – MULAKOZè: Blogger & Afro-handi-feminist artist 2 – Black women and mental health with Gloria DM (Afro-feminist activist, blogger, director) and Johanna Bofaya. 3 – Anti-carceralism / prison: Afro-feminist position against prison – with MWASI – Collectif Afroféministe
4.30 p.m .: ROUND TABLE II: Climate justice an Afro-feminist issue: Link between racism, capitalism and climate Ruth Grace Paluku-Atoka Maïmouna Yokessa – Doctor in economics specializing in agricultural and environmental issues
SUNDAY March 1st: Between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Afro-feminist buffet Spanish hostel, everyone brought a little something to share. It was an opportunity to consolidate the links created during the weekend and to debrief.