The theme for the 2016 African Economic Conference (AEC) is “Feeding Africa: Towards Agro-Allied Industrialization for Inclusive Growth”. This theme is timely and in line with the current African and international development agenda. Ending poverty and overcoming hunger and food insecurity permanently come first and second, respectively, in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) endorsed in September 2015 by UN member States. This commitment is also stressed by the African Union Agenda 2063 that recognizes the right of all Africans to be well-nourished and lead healthy and productive lives. Furthermore, the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), as well as the June 2014 Malabo declaration, highlight that a structural transformation of African agriculture is central to growth and poverty eradication on the continent. Consistent with these goals, agriculture and industrialization are at the heart of the work by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and their vision and long-term strategy for a prospered and inclusive Africa.
The second Conference on Land Policy in Africa will be hosted by the Land Policy Initiative (LPI) which is a joint initiative of the African Union Commission, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and the African Development Bank. The Conference is a policy and learning event whose goal is to deepen capacity for land policy in Africa through improved access to knowledge and information on land policy development and implementation. This Conference follows an inaugural Conference held in November 2014 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia that was attended by close to 400 participants.
The Conference of November 2017, dubbed CLPA-2017, will be held under the theme: “The Africa We Want: Achieving socioeconomic transformation through inclusive and equitable access to land by the youth.” This theme supports the declaration of 2017 by the African Union as the Year of Youth under the theme “Harnessing Africa’s Demographic Dividend through Investment in youth”. The format of the Conference will include plenary and parallel sessions, side events, exhibitions, and the use of social media to reach a broader audience, including youth.
Young African practitioners will have the unique opportunity to learn from world renowned international experts in Aikido, embodied leadership, somatic education, and conflict resolution. In addition, the summit will bring respected East African traditional elders to share their wisdom and ancient traditions in resolving conflict. Together, these two facets of the workshop will provide African young adults, as well as their non-African peers, a rich perspective on the wealth of the ancient traditions of African nations, while they also benefit from the global perspective of non-African teachers. International experts and African elders will share their knowledge and practices with one another, providing a unique stage that places African tools and approaches to leadership and conflict resolution on par with Western and Asian practice and perspectives. The workshops will serve as an unprecedented cultural exchange and collaboration for peace.