Culture in the Sudans has for some time been relegated to the scholarly margins, yet the expressive arts play an important role in inspiring reflection, challenging power, promoting identities and restoring individual and community morale.

This panel will feature Ali Mahdi Nouri and John Martin, two prominent practitioners of theatre for social development, whose work with child soldiers and between victims and aggressors in Darfur and South Sudan respectively aims to facilitate social reintegration and to promote peace and reconciliation.

Speakers: Ali Mahdi Nour (Albuggaa Theatre Sudan, Unesco Artist for Peace)

John Martin (PanArts, London)

Chair: Angela Impey (SOAS)

Visit the CAS website for more information

To register contact: cas@soas.ac.uk 5.15-7pm, Room 4429, Collage Building

Dorcas, a woman who made garments for the poor (Bible: Acts chapter 9, versus 36-42), gave her name to countless Dorcas societies. These societies and clubs became embedded carriers of knowledge exchange and culture in textiles.  For women migrating from the Caribbean to Britain in the 1950s and 60s they continued to provide a space to share ‘church’ and textile expertise and much more within the front room, a space where these particular textiles were produced. Rose Sinclair presents a curated talk about the hidden history of Dorcas clubs and the contribution of Caribbean women to a British textiles aesthetic through what they describe as the 'gift' of textiles.

Rose Sinclair is a Lecturer (Textiles) in the Design Department at Goldsmiths, University of London, and her current PhD research explores the relationship between textiles practice and communities, including those found in Dorcas Clubs. Her own textiles practice explores the relationship between artisan practices and new technologies.  For further information go to http://www.gold.ac.uk/design/staff/sinclair/ 14.30 – 16.00 Free, Booking TBA

No Colour Bar focuses on Black British cultural heritage explored through the lens of the Black Art Movement of the 1960s to the 1990s –a flowering of popular as well as fine art, music, poetry and literature which came out of what were then called Black and Third World migrant-settler communities – African-Caribbean, continental African, Asian and Latin American. The centrepiece of No Colour Bar is the stunning six-month exhibition at Guildhall Art Gallery which takes place from July and followed by a touring exhibition in 2016.

No Colour Bar: Black British Art in Action 1960 to 1990 is a dynamic multimedia exhibition and tour, with an arts & cultural heritage programme developed by the Friends of the Huntley Archives at LMA in partnership with London Metropolitan Archives and Guildhall Art Gallery with generous support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

http://huntleysonline.com/f-h-a-l-m-a/bbaa-art-exhibition/

Transport in megacities like Dar es Salaam is always going to be a challenge - made worse when the cities are ports with only a few main roads out.  Since the late 1980s the majority of commuters in the city have travelled in overloaded daladalas, small buses owned by individuals or small companies and operated by informal workers.

With funding from the World Bank, to the tune of over 290m USD, Dar es Salaam embarked on Bus Rapid Transit, a huge project to bring in state of the art bendy buses on exclusive lanes, and to relegate daladalas to the outskirts of the city. Bus Rapid Transit has implied a huge investment in transport infrastructure, including the widening of the city's main roads. Drawing on fieldwork, this seminar will explore the political and economic interests behind the Bus Rapid Transit project, and how a number of Tanzanian actors are to be affected, and in turn attempt to affect, the project.

Speaker:  Matteo Rizzo, SOAS - 5.15-7.00pm |

The Powering Africa: Summit (PA:S) is an investment conference where African ministers of finance and energy and US government agencies behind the Power Africa initiative meet with private sector investors and power developers from across North America and Africa. The first meeting, held in January 2015, saw 17 African countries represented with 57% of attendees originating from North America.

The aim of the meeting is to drive forward strategic partnerships between investors, project developers, governments, utilities and regulators to achieve the goal of bringing power to Africa.Following a surge of private equity interest across Sub-Saharan Africa, PA:S will explore the power & infrastructure projects currently piquing the interest of investors, including the gas to power supply chain. Attendees will also receive an update on the South African Gas IPP programme and the opportunity this presents to investors. Industry and agriculture will feature on the 2016 agenda, examining the role transmission plays in the success of these industries.

Targeted workshops will examine the landscape for investment in Morocco, South Africa and Nigeria, as well as exploring industry-specific themes such as Public Private Partnerships and "Innovation time"- a workshop for innovators to meet with private equity investors.

The 2016 Summit will launch a networking app to enhance participants’ experience by allowing them to set up private meetings and meet with the right contacts more easily.

For details and to register: www.PoweringAfrica-Summit.com

Awareness of the issues around sedentary working has rocketed. There is now weekly media coverage given to the expanding scientific evidence linking prolonged sitting to both increased employee health risks and productivity issues.

The Active Working Summit™ 2016 will dig deep into the issues, solutions and business case for change. Learn some ground breaking insights.

The Summit is aimed at senior professionals and decision makers responsible for wellbeing, productivity, engagement and office workplace.

Take this opportunity to learn more about how Active Working may deliver measurable improvements in employee health, productivity & engagement.

We are delighted to feature:

Prof. James Levine(Medical Director, Mayo Clinic)

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson (Chair, ukactive)

An exhibition celebrating literature and music – from the great empires of the Middle Ages to the cultural dynamism of West Africa today

Fascinating stories from the region’s 17 nations show how West Africans have harnessed the power of words to build societies, drive political movements, sustain religious belief and fight injustice.

Beautiful manuscripts, historic film and sound recordings, books, photographs, and woven and printed textiles offer a unique insight into a profound and engaging literary culture with centuries-old written heritage existing alongside ancient oral traditions.

Hear the myth of the founding of ancient Mali in recorded performance. See the influence of religion through colourful fabric and the ‘saddlebag Qur’an’. Celebrate writers and artists including Africa’s first Nobel prize winner, Wole Soyinka, and internationally acclaimed musician and human rights activist Fela Kuti.

See more at: http://www.bl.uk/events/west-africa-word-symbol-song#sthash.sw5mOqNY.dpuf

Imagining the Georgian period awakens images from Jane Austen’s parlour to Hogarth’s Gin Lane. Black Cultural Archives’ new exhibition Black Georgians: The Shock of the Familiar takes you on a journey a long way from these quintessential English images. This new exhibition interrogates the seams between the all-too-often prettified costume period dramas and the very different existance of hardship, grime, disease, and violence that was the reality for many.

This exhibition will reveal the everyday lives of Black people during the Georgian period (1714-1830). It will offer a rich array of historical evidence and archival materials that present a surprising, sometimes shocking, and inspiring picture of Georgian Britain.

The Black Georgian narrative not only challenges preconceptions of the Black presence in Britain being restricted to post World War II, but it speaks to us of a growing population that forged a new identity with creativity, adaptability, and remarkable fortitude. It is a complex picture: while there was much oppression and restriction, there was also a degree of social mobility and integration.

Explore, consider and take the opportunity to challenge perspectives on the past and how it shaped the Britain we live in today.

Free admission.

Opening times: Tues-Sat, 10am – 6pm

Twitter: @bcaheritage #BlackGeorgians

Facebook: facebook.com/bcaheritage

http://bcaheritage.org.uk/programme/exhibitions/black-georgians-the-shock-of-the-familiar/

GTR will return to Lagos for the West Africa Trade & Export Finance Conference 2016, recognised as the largest gathering of trade finance professionals in the region.

Bringing together delegates from corporate, banking and financial services organisations, the conference will seek to explore key market issues within agribusiness, hard commodities, risk mitigation and infrastructural development. The event will feature dedicated networking sessions, where attendees will have the chance to establish new working relationships and re-acquaint themselves with old contacts, with the prospect of developing business within Nigeria and beyond. GTR are giving all ReConnect Africa readers a 15% discount with the code RCA15 For further information and to register:

http://www.gtreview.com/events/africa/west-africa-trade-export-finance-conference-2016/

We re-focus the lens on Charlie's role not only as an internationally acclaimed photographer but also as a cultural activist and community ambassador.

Through and in conversation with Professor Gus John, films, archive display, and a response to his work by young people, Charlie will give an insight into a life lived through photography, and the heart of the African-Caribbean community he documented in his vivid, personal photographic record of 1960’s London. 14.30 – 17.00

All tickets £5, no concessions – booking details TBA

Charlie Roots Archive is a project supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Africa Energy Indaba receives global recognition as the foremost African energy event for energy professionals from across the globe.  The 2015 Africa Energy Indaba brought together international and continental experts to share their insights and solutions to Africa’s energy crisis, while simultaneously exploring the vast energy development opportunities on offer in Africa.

www.africaenergyindaba.com

The eCommerce Africa Confex is proving to be Africa's most influential eCommerce gathering.

We secure the best that eCommerce in Africa has to offer, bringing eCommerce enthusiasts and key industry individuals face to face. The conference covers the A to Z of eCommerce, from the survival and flourishing of SME's and small businesses to expanding your business into Africa. The eCommerce Africa Confex is more than just another eCommerce event, It is designed with those entrenched in eCommerce in mind. Leaders in the industry have been consulted to tailor an agenda that is both current and topical. The eCommerce Africa Confex prides itself on bringing you the latest trends and industry developments. Through keeping our finger on the eCommerce pulse we are able to give you a deeper understanding of what is happening in the world of selling online, while introducing you to the pioneering suppliers.

The event will feature a topical blend of compelling conference sessions combined with an exhibition showcase. All sessions will be led by some of today’s key individuals who are shaping the eCommerce landscape in Africa. Today’s consumers are as informed and switched on as their high-tech smart devices that keep them connected to the ever changing digital commerce landscape no matter where in the world they are.

The eCommerce Africa Confex will offer an exciting exhibition, conference program, technology demonstrations, networking opportunities, cocktail functions and supplier demonstrations.

For details and to register: http://www.ecommerce-africa.com/content/overview

For the first time in its history, Europe’s longest running international corporate Diversity & Inclusion event, will move beyond its previous home of Barcelona, to the beautiful city of Zurich and we are proud to collaborate with the Office for the Equality of Men and Women, from the Canton of Zurich, in delivering this 9th international edition.

For many Global Heads and practitioners of diversity & inclusion, these questions are high on the agenda and apart from a lived culture of acceptance, flexible working models and a focus on a healthy work-life balance, there exists future-oriented characteristics of a modern company with an open and tolerant culture. On February 18th and 19th, we aim to present a robust collection of best and “next” practices presented by global heads of D&I, thought leaders, C-suite executives, everyday practitioners and business leaders along with authors and professors from some of the world’s most recognised companies and institutions.

We invite you and your colleagues to join us for this globally recognised event that has become a major benchmark event for senior level D&I executives, HR minds, experts and practitioners worldwide. We are convinced that irrespective of where you are on your inclusion and diversity journey, this event will support your goals and provide you with a unique opportunity to learn, network and benchmark with your peers on the international stage.

For further details and to register: http://www.icongroupltd.com/9th-global-diversity-inclusion-seminar-2/

Take part in the 5th Zambia International Investment Forum - ZIIF 2016 which will take place from 18th to 19th February 2016 in Lusaka, Republic of Zambia. ZIIF 2016 is organised by Homestrings Ltd in partnership with Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) and supported by the Government of Zambia.

The Zambia International Investment Forum has already established itself as one of the largest investment events in Africa. ZIIF returns in 2016 with a new feature: An exhibition will be held simultaneously alongside the conference, allowing companies to demonstrate and market their products and services to potential investors.

ZIIF 2016 is your opportunity to meet with Ministers and Government Representatives, Infrastructure Contractors and Developers, Asset Owners, Financial and Technical Analysts and Legal Experts, and the International Development Community.

For further information on sponsorship, exhibition and participating opportunities at the event, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Click here to visit our website

Many measures of poverty suggest that recent economic growth has benefitted a fortunate few, but not many of the worst off, particularly in rural areas. Professor Brockington will present a different picture. His work, based on revisiting households first visited in the early 1990s, suggests that many of the poorest households are now much better off than they were. If so this has important implications for agricultural and anti-poverty policies in rural areas.

All our events are open to anyone interested in Tanzania.  There is no need to book in advance – just come if you can – but it would assist in planning if you could let Dr Coulson know you are coming – contact details below.

Speaker:  Dan Brockington, University of Sheffield, 5.15pm-7.00pm

The dates for Africa's most strategic pharmaceutical event have been set. The Summit will take place on Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th February 2016 at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya.

APS 2016  follows on from three successful Summits, held in London, United Kingdom; Hammamet, Tunisia and most recently, Accra, Ghana. Bringing together policy makers, senior pharmaceutical and healthcare industry executives, investors and stakeholders, APS has become established as one of the most important events in the pharmaceutical calendar in Africa, a unique platform and meeting place in this fast growing and evolving region.

Theme

Building a competitive agenda can have a major influence on investment decisions, and is an ideal platform for the pharmaceutical industry to invest, contributing to the health of everyone living in Africa, and to the economy. A sophisticated partnership and regular dialogue between industry and government adds value to this agenda.

APS 2016 will be held under the theme 'Building competitiveness and enhancing markets'

Click here to view the image and video gallery from this year's Summit.

Click here for further information about this year's Summit