US embassy cable - 05ADDISABABA3843

UNCLAS ADDIS ABABA 003843 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/RSA AND AF/E. LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA 
WATCHERS. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, SCUL, XA, AF UNION 
SUBJECT: AU CONVENING PAN AFRICAN CULTURAL CONGRESS 
 
 
1.  Summary/Action Request:  The African Union (AU) is 
convening a Pan African Cultural Congress in Nairobi from 
December 4-9, 2005 to "review and assess the cultural sector 
in Africa, and consider the stakes, challenges and 
opportunities" to develop appropriate programs.  The USG has 
been invited to send an observer to both the Congress and a 
regular Ministerial Conference (December 10-14).  Post 
requests Department feedback on U.S. participation.  End 
summary/action request. 
 
BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER 
 
The African Union Commission presents its compliments to the 
Embassy of the United States of America in Addis Ababa and 
has the honor to inform the latter that it is organizing the 
1st Edition of the Pan African Cultural Congress, which is 
scheduled to take place from 4th to 9th December 2005 in 
Nairobi, Kenya.  The objectives of the Congress are to review 
and assess the cultural sector in Africa, and consider the 
stakes, challenges and opportunities in order to draw 
orientations, strategies and appropriate programs.  About 
three hundred fifty (350) experts, dignitaries including 
ministers, professionals and observers in the field of 
culture are invited to attend in their own capacity. 
 
Given the importance of the Congress and the opportunity it 
provides for cultural exchange, your Country/Government is 
cordially invited to participate at its own expense as an 
Observer to the Congress and to the regular Ministerial 
Conference which will also take place from 10 to 14 December 
2005 in Nairobi.  The general theme of both the Congress and 
the Ministerial Conference is "Culture, Integration and 
African Renaissance." 
 
The themes of the Congress are as follows: 
 
-- Theme 1:  Identity, citizenship and common African vision 
 
-- Theme 2:  Culture and Education 
 
-- Theme 3:  Memory and Heritage 
 
-- Theme 4:  Cultural Freedoms and Rights; Legislation 
 
-- Theme 5:  Cultural Development 
 
-- Theme 6:  Cultural Dimension of development, economic 
stakes of Culture; other challenges of development: 
environment, health, poverty reduction. 
 
-- Theme 7:  Africa and the World:  Role and place of Culture 
 
-- Theme 8:  Cultural policies in Africa:  Theories and 
Practices 
 
-- Cross-Cutting Theme:  African culture and new 
technologies:  Stakes, challenges and opportunities. 
 
The outcomes of the Congress will be presented to the Fifth 
Session of the Ministerial Conference on Culture and to the 
Special Session of the AU Summit devoted to Culture and 
Education to be held in January 2006 in Khartoum, Sudan. 
 
END TEXT OF LETTER. 
 
 
 
HUDDLESTON