Malaki ma Kongo Cultural Association -
which in Europe is: in Italy in Vicenza and Reggio Emilia, in France in Berck sur Mer;
in Africa in the two Congoes, Burkina Faso;
in America in Haïti, Dominican Republic, Guadaloupe, Martinique, Venezuela, Cuba, Guyana
operates mainly in two ways:
-in the West - and in the whole international environment in general - on a cultural level promoting and diffusing African cultural roots. In this way Malaki ma Kongo wishes to create intercultural exchanges with Africa for a better knowledge of this marvellous continent.
We have any different ACTIVITIES that we promote:
not only the Film Festival, but also Cineforum and Video Projections,
Trips to Congo with a responsible level of tourism:
(Malaki Live: going to Africa not to sympathize with crocodiles,
giraffes or lions, but to fraternize with human beings!)
Theatre,
Conferences and Debates,
Ethnic Dance Courses,
Ethnic Dinners,
African Art Exhibits, etc.
The funds raised by our activities are to support our Projects for Life in Congo.
- in Africa: on the cultural level, with the continuation of the yearly Malaki ma Kongo Festival Production and of the activities that Malaki already created:
Kongo Cultural Centre
Kongo Dia Ntotela Theatre
Malaki Ma Kongo Festival
Malaki School Festival
African Roots Library
Renewed Box of Pharaohs
On the development level, with our Responsible Development Projects
Malaki ma Kongo operates in the field of Culture at the service of Development
We believe indeed that art is the cultural heritage of a people. The destruction of our villages caused by war in Congo means the destruction of our inland basis of inspiration.
Being culture at the basis of development, Malaki ma Kongo's artists and men of culture founded this project: raising microcredit in Congo to return hope and confidence in life to the women, mothers and families that are victims of the horrors of war, therefore giving rebirth of life in our villages. That's the reason why we opened an account (pro-account) at
Banca Popolare Etica,
Vicenza Branch, Italy
conto - pro n.:
IBAN: EU IT 07 X050 1811 8000 0000 0511 470
BIC: CCR TIT 2184E
where funds raised through our activities and donations are collected, an account to which everybody can make a contribution.
The African cultural roots that artists present are, in general, the cultural heritage of a people. MALAKI MA KONGO is in charge of finding the economical means to ensure the survival of ancestral life in a natural place (African villages).
During this decade all MALAKI's projects are to follow the orientation fixed by our 10 years of programs for Africa's development.
OBJECTIVES:
- Spreading the Culture of service for Responsible Development for Congo and Black Africa
- Africa's contribution to humanity's common heritage
- the promotion of Africa's quest for peace
- participating to the fight against delinquency
- promoting Africa's rebirth, giving value to Africa's culture
- promoting African sports
- the preservation of collective memory to promote and teach African Ancestors'
wisdom, through cultural and sport days, songs, theatre, conferences, sculpture,
percussions accompanied by all that witnesses the existence and the greatness of African identity.
..."another" Africa is possible !
MALAKI DEVELOPMENT
SEWING EDUCATION CENTER PROJECT
The people of Congo Brazzaville have been through many years of difficulty, because of various wars that have ravaged their country. In order to break free, the International community must lend a hand, so we can build a bridge of solidarity together.
This is exactly the reason we dedicate our Association to the promotion of African cultural roots and the responsible development of “Malaki Ma Kongo.”
Since 2002 this Association has worked hard to give hope and trust back to the Congo, through the creation of a microcredit bank for single mothers, victims of the war.
Out of these initiatives our project was born:
“MALAKI DEVELOPMENT: SEWING SCHOOL PROJECT
The work we do responds to the needs of the population of Ponte Noire, the economic capital of Congo-Brazzaville, particularly young women, young mothers, victims of the war that has recently rocked the country. The goal of the project is to contribute to the sewing education of these young women of the school – an education that, even outside the school, can create both independence for these women who need it as well as internal development for the Congo and for the Malaki Development Center for the production and commercialization of clothes and accessories (purses, scarves, etc), “Made in Congo.” The revenue of these products goes to sustaining the Malaki Development Education Center.
This project will contribute towards the consolidation of the Malaki Development Education Center, which creates employment for 25 women that will be part of both the sewing education itself, and the actual production of the garments.
The project foresees various phases: the logistical organization with a local center of employment, the purchase of construction material and the refurbishing of various building structures, the purchase and quality control of materials and equipment, the educational structure and production, the organization and management of human resources for the commercialization, and finally the support for business management and commercialization of the clothes through the Free Trade market.
COUNTRY: Republic of Congo Brazzaville.
CITY: Pointe Noire.
PROMOTING ASSOCIATIONS: Malaki ma Kongo (Italy) Malaki Development (Congo Brazzaville).
SPONSOR: Province of Savona (Italy).
PARTNER IN THE REPUBLIC OF CONGO BRAZZAVILLE: Malaki Developpement.
OTHER PARTNERS IN ITALY:
Association “Malaki ma Kongo” of Reggio Emilia, “Savona nel cuore dell’Africa” ONLUS, “S.M.S. “Cantagalletto”, “Bottega della Solidarietà” Cooperativa Sociale ONLUS from Savona and Cairo Montenotte and the Association “Bottega Kikoa” of Albenga, some of Banca Etica's GIT (groups of territorial intervention)
OBJECTIVE: Professional sewing education for young mothers, victims of the war.
DESTINATION OF FUNDS: 25 women.
Cheikh Anta Diop
" The essential for a people
is not much being able to glorify itself
by a past more or less majestic,
but it is more about discovering
and taking consciousness
of this past's continuity,
whatever this past was."
Preface to the 1964 edition
of Negro's Nation and Culture
(Paris, African presence, I edition, 1954).
L. Bilolo
In homage to Cheikh Anta Diop
To cure our inferiority complexes
To discover the hidden but real face
of the deep and eternal Africa
To give ourselves the means
for a development
autocentered on Man rooted
in his ancestral culture
Zunga Mvuala:
febr.8th 1948 :
Telling our grandsons' grandsons
what our grandparents' grandparents
saw and lived
Masengo Ma Mbongolo:
Recreating in Africa
the moral, intellectual
and geopolitical conditions
for the Pharaons' Renaissance
MALAKI MA KONGO
Anthem
And for Malaki ma Kongo
and for the whole world
Start again
Start again
Even if you feel the fatigue
Even if an error hurts you
Even if a treachery wounds you
Even if an illusion dies out
Start again
Start again
Even if pain burns your eyes
Even if your efforts are ignored
Even if tears of defeat
run down your eyes
Even if you feel misunderstood
Start again
Start again
Start again
Even if injustice always seems
to have the better
Even if you feel fear
in the deepest of yourself
Even if the others abandon you
Even if they make you pay a price
Start again
Start again
Start again
every day with patience and love
Start again
in sunny days as in storm days
Start again
with love and never discouraging yourself
For God
with God
like God
For your people
with your people
like your people
Those who sow in pain
harvest singing
O. Sangui Lutondo (Malaki 96)
«Make quickly a tam-tam, if you don't want your people to disappear», says a Native American proverb.
Each people has its own name Each people has its own territory
Each people has its own culture
A name identifies a people, and reveals its primary essence, the quintessence of the way traced to them by God.
Their name is their compass. Culture is each people's divine path's code.
Culture is each people's initiatic walk, according to God's will.
Culture is each people's true religion.
All people who lost their culture lost their religion, their God, and they are lost forever.
Using others' culture is auto-damnation in eternity.
It is not given to use it other than to appropriate ourselves of a temporary necessity.
All people who minimized their culture, their language to think in others' culture and language have accepted the chains of underdevelopment, slavery.
Territory is the virtual space donated by God. It is the vase from which the products that will nourish God's sons will come out.
It happens that an historical force obliges you to migrate out of your fronteers, but free people always have to return to the paths' crossing where God waits for them to walk on the divine path.
Our territory is also our body of which culture is the soul.
Masengo Ma Mbongolo (Malaki '99)
Created in april 1991 in M’foa, Brazzaville, Rep. Congo, Malaki Ma Kongo was initially born as an African culture roots' festival, including different kinds of shows, story-telling etc.
However, its main axis has always been theatre.
The omonimous Malaki ma Kongo association was born as a continuation and integration of the festival, which is always celebrated annually.
Even though it's inspired by Kongo culture - which we want to be known and appreciated in the world - Malaki ma Kongo festival is open to all cultures of the world... The first and last shows are always performed outdoor, around a big campfire. Malaki Ma Kongo is a festival “pret à porter”, able to move not only from a Country to another, but recently from a Continent to another:
1991-1996 Brazzaville, Rep. Congo
1997 Kinshasa, Rep. Dem. Congo, ex Zaire
1998 Brazzaville, Rep. Congo
1999 Forest of Mbanza Ndunga, Rep. Congo
2001 Nove di Bassano (VI), Italy
2002 tricontinental:
Europe (Italy-Nove, may)
Africa (Congo-Kinshasa, sept.; Brazzaville oct.)
America (Haïti dicember - january)
2003 tricontinental:
Europe (France, Berck sur Mer, july)
Africa (Congo Brazzaville, august)
America (Haïtidicember - january)
2004 tricontinental:
Europe (France, Berck sur Mer, july)
Africa (Congo Brazzaville, august)
America (Haïtidicember - january)
2005 tricontinental:
Europe (France, Berck sur Mer, july)
Africa (Congo Brazzaville, august)
America (Haïtidicember - january)
2006 tricontinental:
Europe (France, Berck sur Mer, july)
Africa (Congo Brazzaville, august)
America (Haïtidicember - april)
2007 (...)
Malaki knew the participation of artists and men of culture from both the Congoes, from Angola, Cameroun, Zambie, France, Ghana, Guadaloupe, South Africa, Italy and Dominican Republic. Malaki is linked to “CARE” festival (Carrefour des Arts Religieux et Educatifs) of Rep. Dem. Congo, to “Grap a Kongo” of Guadaloupe, to “ARCA” of Camerun, to "Los Congos de Villa Mella" of Santo Domingo, Los Musundi de Cuba, Kongo de Martinique...
Malaki ma Kongo background canvas is the rebirth of true Africa's culture, and it means:
- researching the origins of cultural identity of African people and diaspora
- revealing all evil that mines Africa
- thinking over the approach of solutions.
MALAKI MA KONGO
http://www.malakimakongo.net/
info@malakimakongo.net
via Treccani 14
Reggio Emilia, Italy
Mi piacerebbe conoscere:
You can contribute to Malaki ma Kongo in several ways.
By becoming an associate (write us);
supporting our projects through a donation via bank transfer:
account holder: Malaki ma Kongo
Bank: Banca popolare Etica, Vicenza, Italy, n:
IBAN: EU IT 07 X050 1811 8000 0000 0511 470
BIC: CCR TIT 2184E
participating in our activities;
which are:
- Intercultural and Peace Education in the schools, through the correct dissemination of information regarding the history, reality and culture of the Congo (the country in particular but also the Central and Black African continent in general), contacting schools and didactical/educational structures etc, to organize meetings between students, teachers and our field of experts.
- Promotion of Responsible Development (through various activities, to be decided)
- Promotion of the Department of Internal Revenue, Ethical Microcredit Projects
- Sharing in evolution of our Cooperation Projects (in Congo Brazzaville) and Malaki Development. Everyone can bring their own contribution, both of ideas and of direct sharing, through elaboration and creation of different phases of these projects of development, in his/her own Country or in the Congo itself.
- Organization of Events to fundraise for these Projects like Cineforum, Ethnic Dinners, African Theater, Banquets, Solidarity Initiatives, etc.
- Organization of African Theater Groups, Dances and Percussion of Central Africa, for moments of fun, creativeness and direct close examination of some aspects of African culture, also through moments of discussion and exchange of experiences
- Organization and updating of the Kongo Documentation Center - translation into various languages (French, Italian, English, Spanish, Kikongo, etc) of the material :Books, video, fliers and posters, e-mail, Internet site, studies and searches, etc.
- Organization of current events related to Malaki Ma Kongo: Website, news-bulletin, informative material, etc.
- Creating groups of local support of our Cooperation/Projects and of our activities in your home town
- Spreading the re-valorization of the roots of African Culture, of Responsible Development, Ethical Micro-Credit, etc.
- Promoting, through personal contact, our Projects
-joining our Trips to the Congo;
-Purchasing Malaki Development Products: Purses and bags, kitchen accessories, African-style clothes
-Spreading the word about Malaki ma Kongo.
