João Lourenço: Angola is learning to deal with differences in an evolving democratic context

While speaking at the start of the work of the Luanda Biennial 2021 - Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace, João Lourenço said that Angola "has been learning to deal better and better with the differences of a democratic context in constant evolution and deepening" .

The biennial began this Saturday and will run until Tuesday in the capital, and the head of state hopes that "it will be a worthy success with a beneficial and lasting impact" in building a path to peace that can be felt in the "African continent and in all mankind".

João Lourenço hopes that this biennial, which takes place for the second time in the capital, may come to "constitute a reference platform, bringing together government, civil society, artistic and scientific communities, the private sector and international organizations ", in achieving "and maintaining peace and preventing conflict".

Similar to his Portuguese counterpart, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa highlighted that the various governments must learn to deal with and take advantage of the vast young community, as well as the cultural and demographic differences that make the African continent unique.

The head of state lamented that "many of the children of Africa" ​​have left "the continent in inhumane conditions and at the risk of their own lives by fleeing conflict zones or in search of jobs and better living conditions."

"Regardless of your age, academic or professional background, they are all important and necessary for the development of our continent", he added.

The expectation, he continued, is that they may one day return "voluntarily" and contribute to the development of Africa: "This step would mark the re-encounter with their lands, their people, so that, in a fraternal embrace to the homeland that saw them born , face the challenge of being protagonists of the progress and development of their respective countries".

The important thing now, he said, is to "objectively identify the real causes of our difficulties, the paths to be followed and the partners truly interested in supporting the development of Africa".

According to the Government, the involvement of young people as "actors of social transformation for the prevention of conflicts", Africa and its diasporas in the face of conflicts, crises and inequalities and the exploration of the potential of the oceans for sustainable development and peace, complete the objectives of the Bienal.

The contingencies dictated by the covid-19 pandemic force the Bienal to take place in a hybrid way: face-to-face and virtual.

The Bienal's program is based on three axes: Intergenerational Dialogue between Leaders and Youth; Festival of Cultures and Launch of the Partners Alliance for a Culture of Peace.