Film Screening Sambizanga
Thursday 28 March at 20u15
As part of Black History Month, the Faculty of Arts, in collaboration with the Centre for Urban History (CSG), Power in History: the Centre for Political History (PoHis), Research Centre for Visual and Digital Cultures (ViDi), Decolonial Dialogues and USOS, is organising a public film screening of Sambizanga (Sarah Maldoror) at De Cinema, combined with lectures and talks about the film.
Catapa: Mining in Colombia
Monday 25th of March 2024
Carolina and Wilder, two activists from Falan, Colombia, are building a movement to defend their region against mining companies and their colonialism. They have the right to say no to the destruction of their region. Join the events during The Right to Say No Tour to hear about the experiences of these environmental defenders, how our “green” transition is impacting their lives and how degrowth might help their struggle.
Carolina and Wilder are here to share their experience fighting against mining in Colombia and how standing up for their rights comes with the risk and fear of being intimidated, stigmatised and persecuted.The Right to Say No Tour is meant to bring awareness to this injustice and to also provide a network of support for the environmental defenders so that, when they return, they do so with the necessary tools to protect their home!
Come meet Wilder for an engaging lecture followed by a Q&A session. Join us on March 25 (2024) from 19:30 - 21:00 at University of Antwerp, Stadscampus - Zomaar een dak, Prinsstraat 32.
Participation is free, but make sure to register using the link below:
Europe and the rush to cobalt
Docu screening & panel talk on 6 March from 19:30 to 21:45 at Stadscampus - R.004, in presence of MEP Sara Matthieu
Cobalt plays a critical role in the global low-carbon transition to combat climate change, and in the diffusion of information technology. It is an essential element in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and consumer electronics.
Over the past decade, there has been a boom in cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Two thirds of the global supply of cobalt comes from the DRC, and a considerable portion of this supply is mined by an informal workforce of artisanal miners, called “creuseurs”, who face dangerous working conditions, human rights abuses and are paid poverty wages. They are the ‘invisible face’ of a multi-billion dollar industry supporting our demand for the electric vehicles that we rely on to meet Net Zero Carbon targets.
The panel discussion will zoom in on how Europe struggles with the dilemma to secure its raw material supply chain for the sake of its green transition and energy sovereignty, at the cost of human rights abuses, more pollution, ecosystem destruction and handshakes with undemocratic resource-rich countries.
The evening starts with screening of the award-winning and University of Antwerp-linked documentary Cobalt Rush, followed by a debriefing by some the makers of the film. The issues they raise will be taken to a panel with a Member of the European Parliament, an international development professional and a post-doctoral researcher. The event will be closed with an open Q&A with questions from the audience.
This event is an initiative of the USOS student representatives of Hanne De Boe (Social and Economic Sciences) and Céline Vanden Abbeele (International Relations and Diplomacy). USOS chairwoman prof. Sara Geenen will be moderating the panel talk.
All of this is made possible by financial support from the VIR-UOS Global Minds Programme, which is part of the Belgian Development Cooperation.
March is University of Antwerp's ethnic-cultural inclusion and global engagement month. Find more about it
You can optionally submit a question to the panel beforehand on registration.
Global Pen Friends
Engage in a dialogue about a global development topic
Global Pen Friends is an exchange project between nine universities located in India, Suriname, Nicaragua, Brazil, DR Congo, Morocco and Belgium where students are matched with a Pen Friend to write each other letters about topics related to one of the 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).
"The project gave me a renewed interest in writing and corresponding, something I had not done since high school. The project also allowed us not only to discuss important issues in society with a lot of freedom, but also to understand the way of thinking and seeing the world of our pen friends who live in other parts of the world." (anonymous participant)
What is the goal of Global Pen Friends?
The project aims to stimulate an interpersonal exchange between students that wouldn’t otherwise easily get in touch with each other, about topics that affect their environment and personal life in sometimes different and sometimes similar ways. Creating a space of expression, curiosity, mutual respect and learning. All letter exchanges are then published on the Global Pen Friends Blog for many people to read and share the articles.
Why should you join Global Pen Friends?
- Reflect and exchange on sustainable development and become more involved with the conversations about the Sustainable Development Goals
- Stimulate thoughtful and trough-provoking dialogue
- Learn from different perspectives
- Learn about a countries’ context trough someone’s personal experiences
- Possibly exchange in a language that is different than your native tongue
- Get to know another person from the other side of the world on a deeper level through an open dialogue
- Practice writing skills
- Have the opportunity to share your exchange on a University blog
- Widen your network through a WhatsApp group with Pen Friends from all over the world