The date has already been set: May 22, 2012. That is what the Ambassadors of Algeria, Angola, South-Africa, Egypt and Nigeria, the high ranking officials of the Moroccan and Tunisian Embassy decided upon at a preparatory meeting in the office of the African-Hungarian Union. The venue and the details of the program will be determined later.
25 May has been the national holiday of Africa since 1963 when the Organisation of African Unity was formed and announced the “Africa Day” as the closing day of the summit. The successor of the Organisation of African Unity has been the African Union (AU) since 2002, which represents Africa worldwide. Its aim is to strengthen political, economic, cultural and social co-operation. Its main principle is the policy of equal rights and non-intervention.
The Africa Day has been celebrated in Hungary every year since 2005. The participants – diplomatic representations, business and civil organisations – can learn about the culture of Africa: while listening to African music and drums, they are presented with exhibitions of jewellery, sculptures, and objects of everyday life. Participants can also taste a wide variety of dishes, drinks and wines of different African countries. Many countries are also preparing spectacular performances for the stage.
Although only outlines of the final program have been determined yet, Peter Morenth, Deputy CEO of Africa Holding, Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Lesotho says, the participants can expect the traditional programs of the day. According to previous years’ experience, although the Africa Day is a real celebration with considerable press presence, in Hungary the event does not really attract the attention of the media. It is the organisers’ goal to change this, so this year the Spouses of the Ambassadors are also involved in the preparations. For the common goals.