Week of 4th March: Ghana Independence Day, Lenny Henry, Womens Day, Kizomba, Best of Africa Festival and Africa Masterclass

Ete sen everybody!!!

Thats hello in Akan as Ghana celebrates 56 years of independence this week. In honour of this Proud to be African Clothing is knocking 5% of all sales with the code CHALE5. So get your Proud to be Ghanaian T shirts in time for the weekend.
Other than Ghana's Day we have a series of conferences in the Houses of Parliament about Women in Africa and Nigeria. Talks on aid, land and fair trade. Lenny Henry in a new play as well as a South African play, comedy and a Masterclass at the School of Oriental and African Studies.

Monday 4^th March

From 5.30pm to 7.00pm The Institute of Commonwealth Studies will be presenting London 1909: the ANC, the Labour Party and the Indian Congress a presentation by Martin Plaut chaired by Professor Philip Murphy in Room 261, Senate House, University of London, Malet Street, WC1E 7HU  

At 6.30pm the Royal Africa Society will be hosting Women as Leaders in Africa: Participation.. Power and Progress in Committee Room 9, Houses of Parliament, Westminster, SW1A 0AA. The event seeks to explore the link between women’s political participation and increased gender rights and development. Chaired by Baroness Kinnock speakers are Ambassador Carlos dos Santos (High Commissioner of Mozambique), Olabunmi Ajayi (The African Commission for Local Government Improvement and Hadeel Ibrahim (Mo Ibrahim Foundation). Register for this FREE event here. 

At 7.00pm IRIE! Dance Theatre holds Dance Yourself Fit at the Moonshot Centre, Angus Street, New Cross, SE14 6LU. This ia program of dance activities designed to help you improve your health and fitness through dance and dance related moves. This class is FREE, reserve a place by calling 020 8691 6099 or check the website. 

Tuesday 5^th March

At 5.30pm Diane Abbot MP and BEN TV hosts the British African Diaspora Conference on Nigeria at the Grand Committee Room, Westminster Hall, Westminster, SW1A 0AA. The conference seeks to ask after 14 years of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria how stable is democracy and the economy. Guest speakers include Muhammadu Buhari (former Military Head of State and CPC Presidential candidate), Abdullahi Dikko Inde (Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service), Diane Abbott MP (Member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington). To register for this FREE and fascinating conference email Tunde Alagbi.

At 6.30pm the Royal Africa Society presents Beyond Aid: Does Higher Education in the UK benefit Africa? at the Jon Snow Lecture Theatre,  London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, WC1E 7HT. Chaired by Jeff Waage (London International Development Centre) with Professor Graham Furniss (SOAS), Dr Mpalive Msiska (Birkbeck), Lesley Coldham (Tullow Oil), Kwalombota Kwalombota (Public Health Consultant) and Professor David Simon (Canon Collins). This debate seeks to ask what is the impact for the UK and Africa of the huge number of African students in UK universities of which almost 20,000 are Nigerian the 3^rd highest after China and India. Is this another form of brain drain or is it a more nuanced relationship. Register for this FREE event here.

At 6.30pm Paceworking presents the Paceworking Conference Celebrating International Women’s Week at LB Southwark, 160 Tooley Street, SE1 2QH themed Agents of Change: Womens organisations, Women’s Leaders and Mothers, the speakers are Dr Karen Brewer (Widows Rights International), Mrs Folurunsho Alakija (Rose of Sharon Foundation), Councillor Kate Anolue (The Worshipful Mayor of LB Enfield), Yinka Essien (Christian Support Group for African and Caribbean Widows), Beverley De-Gale OBE (African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust), Perez Ochieng (Sahara Communities Abroad) and Celine Loader (Central Bank of Nigeria). Hosted by Michael Situ tickets are £20.00 from here.

Proud to be South African

At 6.30pm the Queen Mary School of Law hosts Confessions of a Judicial activist by Justice Albie Sachs at The Peoples Palace, Queen Mary, University of London. Mile End Road, E1 4NS. This event marks the launch of the Human Rights Collegium with Justice Albie Sachs activist and retired judge from the South African Constitutional Court who started his career as a young lawyer defending people from South Africa’s Apartheid laws, going into exile and working in the UK and Mozambique until he lost an arm and sight in one eye in a South African car bomb. In 1994 he was appointed by President Mandela to the South African Constitutional Court. Chaired by Professor Geraldine Van Beuren (Queen Marys) this FREE event is preceded by a lecture by the Raphael Samuel History Centre and followed by a drinks reception. RSVP here.

At 7.00pm Black History Studies presents Celebrating the Role of the Black Women in the Family and the Community, a presentation by Sis Anneta Bennett at PCS Headquarters, 160 Falcon Road, Clapham Junction, SW11 2LN will discuss how black women balance their roles and support each other for the benefit of their families and communities. Admission is £5.00

At 7.30pm Lenny Henry will be starring in Fences at the Richmond Theatre, The Green, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 1QJ as Troy Maxson a former gifted athlete now struggling with daily life in Pittsburgh and taking out his anger in his loyal wife an sports obsessed son. Set between the Korean and Vietnam Wars this award winning play runs till 9^th March with 2.30pm matinees on Wednesday and Saturday. Tickets range from £10.00 to £39.50 from here.

Wednesday 6^th March HAPPY BIRTHDAY GHANA!!!!!

Thursday 7^th March

At 5.00pm the Institute of Commonwealth Studies presents The Political Dynamics of Large Scale land deals in Ethiopia: Experience of the Gambella Regional State in Room G26, Senate House, Malet Street, WC1E 7HU. This event seeks to argue that the current trend of large scale land deals in Ethiopia not only challenges indigenous people’s right to land and natural resources but threatens the post 1991 social contract between the Ethiopian state and its diverse ethnic groups. FREE event

At 6.30pm the Institute of International Visual Arts hosts Art and Activism in Contemporary South Africa at 1 Rivington Place, EC2A 3BA. This lecture by Professor Annie E. Coombes (Birkbeck College) explores the effectiveness of women’s art practice in South Africa as an alternative political space. Admission is £6.00 from here. 

At 6.30pm City University will be holding a Fairtrade Panel Discussion  at College Building, City University, St John Street, EC12V 4PB to discuss whether big business is welcome in the Fairtrade market. The panel discussion will be chaired by Rosalind Shrpe (PhD Research Student) will consist of Tim Lang (City University London), Dan Crossley (Food Ethics Council), Atif Choudhury (Zaytoun CIC), Vidya Rangan (Fairtrade Doundation) and Ian Bretman ( ex Fairtrade International). There will be refreshments and an opportunity to network. Register for this FREE event here.

At 8.00pm the South African play Mies Julie starts at Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, W6 9RL, set in the kitchen of a remote South African farmhouse 18 years after the end of apartheid a night of brutality and tenderness unfolds as a black farm labourers and his bosses’ daughter battle of power, sexuality memory, mothers and land. Running till 19^th May, with weekend matinees, tickets are £25.00 (£20.00 concs) from here. 

Friday 8^th March

At 7.00pm the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust presents the Stephen Lawrence Women Awards at Lewisham College, Lewisham Way, Brockley, SE4 1UT. This event seeks to honour the achievements of women in Lewisham, Southwark and Greenwich and will feature keynote speakers such as Shami Chakrabati (Liberty), Doreen Lawrence and Joan Ruddock (MP for Lewisham Deptford). This will be the final event celebrating women’s week at the centre. RSVP for this FREE event here. 

At 7.30pm West African superstars Angelique Kidjo and Fatoumata Diawara will be performing at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX. The Grammy award winning veteran Beninoise singer will be singing alongside the Malian whose debut album ‘Fatou’ was voted album of the year in 2011. For those who love African music this is unmissable. Tickets are £27.50 (£10.00 concs) from here.     

At 8.00pm Focus Organisation and Global Local Present The Best from Africa Festival at Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch, E1 6LA, with live performances by Ballet Nimba, the No 1 West African Dance company in the UK, Afrik Bawantu the 8 piece Afrobeat- Afrofunk orchestra, AkaWe a new London based 10 piece Afrobeat band from Congo and Nigeria, Sir Loui will be holding an Azonto Decale workshop with DJ Freestyle from Colourful Radio on the decks. Tickets for this jam packed fun event are £7.00 in advance from here and £9.00 on the door

Saturday 9^th March

From 10.00am to 5.00pm ReConnect Africa will be hosting Masterclass: Africa at SOAS, Thornhaugh  Street, Russel Square, WC1H 0XG. This event will consist of 3 master classes; 1- Your Career in Africa, giving an overview of career opportunities in Africa and an understanding of the African job market and how to market your skills, 2- Planning your Business in Africa: giving essential information on business planning in Africa, understanding business strategy and tips for business expansion and 3- Making the move to Africa (Case Study: Ghana)- using Ghana as a study this class will cover how to plan your finances, the key practical elements to be aware of, tips and advice for the move etc. The classes will be facilitated by Frances Mensah Wiliams (Interims for Development Ltd), Griselda Kumordzie Togobo (Consultant Engineer) and Elvina Quaison (Silk Solutions). Eric-Vincent Guichard CEO of Homestrings will give a key note speech on ‘Entering the Investment Arena: Opportunities for the Disapora’ and Carol Hondonga (Rio Tinto) will share her perspective on careers in Africa in ‘What matters to Employers Recruiting for Africa’. Tickets for this packed and informative event are £120.00 from here. 

From 12.00 to 4.00pm Nigeria Dialogue hosts Investing in Energy: The Road Ahead in Lecture Theatre 1, the Blackett Building, Imperial College, South Kensington Campus, SW7 2AZ. Hosted by Tonye Cole (CEO Sahara Energy Group) the event will give a rare insight into the workings of the Nigerian energy sector and associated investment opportunities. Following a presentation on the title topic there will be a Q&A followed by refreshments. Tickets are £30.00 from here.

At 2.00pm African Odysseys Film Programme presents Maluala and Jende Ri Palenge at BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, South bank, SE1 8XT. Maluala (Cuba, 1979) is set in a palenque a settlement of escaped slaves in Cuba’s eastern mountains and tells the story of the leadership as it is pitted against each other by agents of the Spanish colonialists. Jende Ri Palenge (People of the Palenque) is a documentary about the music and culture of the people of the Palenque, the first free slave community in the Americas. The screenings will be presented by Michael La Rose, admission is £5.00.

From 3.00pm to 6.00pm the Sentinel Poetry Movement will Launching 5 Books at Media Partners, Waterloo Action Centre, 14 Baylis Road, Waterloo, SE1 7AA. The books are All the Invisibles a collection of poetry by Mandy Pannett, Marking Time  a collection of one of the UK’s most successful poets and literary editors, Letters Home and Biafran Times by Afram Akeh, The Bridge Selection- Poems for the Road by Nnorom Azuonye and Sentinel Annual Literature Anthology edited by Nnorom Azuonye, Unoma Azuah, Amand Sington-Williams. Hosted by Nnorom Azuonye with live music by Jazz folk singer Aletia Upstairs, admission is FREE from here but if you buy a raffle ticket for £2.50 you could win one of the 5 books.

At 7.30pm we have the Ghana Independence Celebration Party at Mama Jumbe’s 350 Katherine Road, E7 8NW. With a special buffet menu by Zoe-Ghana Kitchen and music by DJ Mcusa (Hot FM London) playing Afriobeat, Hi life and Old School classics with a book signing by Clarissa Mudukuti author of Kwame Nkrumah: The Man. More details here.

At 8.00pm is the GB Kizomba Competition Finals 2013 at The Dome, Junction Road, Tufnell Park, N19 5QQ, in which 3 couples will win to get to be part of Team GB Kizomba and represent GB at the 6^th Championship International of Kizomba (CIK) in Lisbon. Judges will be Adriana Neves, David Flor, Eddy Vents, Nathalie Leyif and Nelson Campos, with DJ Sub e Karga. Tickets are £8.00 in advance from here and £10.00 on the door.

Sunday 10^th March

From 2.30pm to 4.30pm the Africa Centre, 38 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JT will be screening the Senegalese Film Faat Kine, starring Venus Seye as Kine the manager of a successful petrol station and unmarried mother of two children of different delinquent fathers the film follows her as she goes about her daily life and flits between her friends, family and job, a cheerful film that still somehow manages to be a metaphor on Senegal, tickets are FREE from here although a donation of £3.00 is appreciated.

At 3.00pm Black History Walks and National Association of Black Saturday Schools presents Is there a movement for African reparations in the UK in Room B36, Birbeck University, Torrington Square, Malet Street, WC1E 7HX. This lecture by Esther Stanford-Xosei covers what are reparations, who has received reparations and why, how far back does the UK reparation movement go etc. Register for this FREE event here.

At 6.30pm is Kojo’s Comedy Fun House at The Sports Bar, 80 Haymarket, Westminster, SW1Y 4TE. This monthly show is hosted by Choice FM’s Kojo the Fun house players are Jazzie, A Sqeezy, Jay Savage, KG Comedian, Jade Avia, Jamie Howard, Kae Kurd, Elisha Myton, Darcy and Thaniya Moore, with England and West Ham Footballer Carlton Cole as the special guest and stand up comedy from Mr Cee and Mikey Carpenter. Table bookings are £12.00 (£10.00 concs) call 07930108794 or BB-222D67B4.

At 6.30pm is a world exclusive première of Alice Walker: Beauty In Truth at the Southbank Centre, Belvedere Roads, SE1 8XX. This documentary about the life and art of the Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Color Purple will be followed by a conversation with Alice Walker and the director Pratibha Parmar. Tickets are £10.00-20.00 from here.