The Shukuma Mzansi International Community Arts Centres Conference 2017 took place from 22 to 24 March, and was hosted by the Sibikwa Arts Centre in Benoni, in collaboration with the Department of Arts and Culture. This conference, funded under the SA-EU Strategic Partnership Dialogue Facility, provides a forum for dialogue between various Irish, Flemish, French and South African community cultural centres. Topics that were covered include capacity building, programming, sourcing funding and policy implementation, and involved an exchange of ideas and strategies between the participants.

On 24 February the Government of Flanders decided to grant a new contribution of 900.000 euros to one of its two trust funds at Unesco. For over 15 years Flanders has been supporting both scientific projects and  the protection of cultural heritage, with a specific focus on Africa, through these trust funds. It was the cultural heritage fund that was replenished now. Since 2000, Flanders has supported UNESCO for around 35 million euros.

Please note the following ILO vacancy for the position of Chief Technical Advisor for the Social Economy Policy (SEP) Project, funded by the Government of Flanders and implemented by the EDD with technical support from the ILO. The deadline is 22 February 2017. Interested parties can apply online at https://erecruit.ilo.org/public/hrd-cl-vac-view.asp?jobinfo_uid_c=35213&vaclng=en

On 16 December, the governments of Catalonia and Flanders signed a foreign aid agreement to work together in Mozambique on a project that will contribute to reducing gender violence.
The Director General of Catalonia’s Foreign Development Aid and Development programme, Mr. Manel Vila, and the Secretary General of the Foreign Affairs Department of Flanders, Mr. Koen Verlaeckt, signed the agreement. The Mozambican ambassador Ms. Ana Nemba, as well as Catalonia´s Permanent Representative to the European Union, Mr. Amadeu Altafaj, attended the signing ceremony in Brussels.