aris - Dakar launches in Senegal

ActionAid is organising a unique collaboration between young people in France and Senegal to force international action to end the current world food crisis.

Young campaigners in both countries will unite to urge governments across the world to combat the crisis.

Nearly 40 countries across the world are facing a full blown emergency after prices of basic foods soared by up to 40% over the last 9 months.

In Senegal ActionAid is organising a Kaa Konko KÉLÉ or HungerFREE Festival to urge young people to pressure on their government and the international community so that they honour their commitment to halve hunger by 2015.

The Dakar-based festival will be followed by the launch of the HungerFREE campaign in Paris, which will put added pressure on the French government which will hold the presidency of the European Union during the second part of 2008.

In Dakar, artist Kalidou Kassé and rapper Didier Awadi will headline the festival and work with young people to put pressure on the decision makers to implement policies to fight hunger in Senegal.
In Paris, Didier Awadi and Ivory Coast legend, Tiken-Jah Fakoly will hold a concert and urge young people to ask the French government to:

Reform the EU Common Agricultural Policy which continues to subsidise huge agriculture businesses that undermine the competitiveness of African products.
Stop forcing Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) governments to sign Economic Partnership agreements (EPAs) which weaken efforts by small farmers to grow their own food.
These events will be organised in collaboration with “Peuples Solidaires”, ActionAid’s partner in France.

ActionAid’s HungerFREE campaign, launched last year in over 20 countries, is a global campaign which aims to force governments to deliver on their commitment to halve world hunger by 2015.

In Senegal it is called Kaa Konko KÉLÉ and aims to force the government to:

Guarantee women’s rights access to land. In Africa, women produce around 80% of food but own only 2% of land. According to the FAO: “If we give women a better access to land and credit, we would make a big step towards the achievement of the millennium development goals“.
Reduce the number of middlemen that prevent small producers from selling their c crops at a fair price in order to feed their families.

A full programme can be found here