On its 20th anniversary, Harambee launches a symposium on experimental designs to tackle the current global crises. The Symposium will bring together authoritative figures from different backgrounds to identify innovative and common responses to the most current challenges. Rome, 5 July 2022. Harambee Africa International (a project created on the occasion of the canonisation of Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei) is celebrating 20 years of commitment to international solidarity by bringing together authoritative personalities engaged in the research and application of innovative solutions to the most current global social problems.
The pandemic and conflict in Europe, as well as the climate emergency, are affecting a variety of sectors and spheres of life across the board. On the other hand, the third sector has always contributed significantly to solving important social problems. In the face of a growing sense of uncertainty about the near future, it is essential to strengthen unity and collaboration in order to create solidarity-based and sustainable responses. Harambee wishes, therefore, to offer a space for reflection and confrontation to explore innovative strategies and actions between actors from public or private, local, national or international, religiously inspired or civically motivated organisations, in a climate of collaboration and within common objectives.
The Symposium
It will take place in Rome on 28-29 and 30 September 2022 and will consist of several sessions:
The first day -Listen and learn- will be dedicated to a dialogue and confrontation between people of different beliefs and responsibilities. Two panel discussions will take place: in one, social challenges faced and effective project responses will be analysed; in the other, professionals will share their experiences in different fields and international contexts.
The second day – share to co-create – will feature a workshop on ‘solidarity initiatives inspired by Josemaría’. Harambee was born as an expression of many people’s commitment to the African continent and is a legacy of solidarity, the fruit of an ecclesial event. On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, and with the centenary of Opus Dei just around the corner, we wish to invite people who, inspired by Saint Josemaría or encouraged by his teachings, work professionally in initiatives of a social nature. This second day proposes to open a dialogue to share experiences and learnings, recognise the challenges of the present and imagine solutions for the future through an exercise in co-creation.
The final day -Appreciate and celebrate- will address the theme of “social innovation and youth in Africa”: an opportunity to meet, recall the origins and rethink Harambee’s mission and objectives, looking to the future with the eyes and heart of a continent full of young people. During the third day of this symposium, the good ideas and projects of some young African entrepreneurs will be celebrated and awarded, and documentaries and reportages will be presented that offer the world an accurate image of lands rich in humanity. Finally, it will also be an opportunity to thank all those who have contributed their grains of sand in an atmosphere of hope over the past 20 years.
Participants will include: Rafaelle Izzo -President Harambee Africa International (Italy), Anna Claire Pache – ESSEC Business School Paris (France),Leonardo Becchetti -Roma Torvergata (Italy), Marta Pedrajas -Dicastero Sviluppo Umano Integrale (Vatican), Vincent Ogutu -Strathmore University (Kenya), Stefano Orlando -Comunità Sant’Egidio (Italy), Jumana Trad – Fundación Promoción Social (Spain), Enase Okonedo – Pan-Atlantic University (Nigeria), Pietro Cum – Centro ELIS (Italy), Fabio Andrés Montoya – Interactuar (Colombia), Carlo Papa -Enel Foundation (Italy).
More information on the speakers and the detailed programme are available on the website dedicated to the initiative: www.betocare.org