Interview with Richard Nawezi

Richard Nawezi: I was motivated when I started learning about the story of Anton Wilhelm Amo, the first renowned African philosopher and lawyer in Germany who focused on people who had lived in Germany and, despite their contributions, were not taken seriously. These people have fought in Germany for their equality. To me, Amo’s story was not a story from the past, but rather a story that is taking place today. My motivation is also to observe the role of the bridge builder between the Congo and Germany. And not only to look at what we are doing in Germany, but also what kinds of effects these activities have for other countries.

Richard Nawezi: Mutoto Chaud’s five tours (2005, 2007, 2011, 2014 and 2017) in different cities in Germany and in the Münsterland belong to its special experiences. This year, “Mutoto Chaud” will reach approximately 30,000 people within the course of three months, as we did in 2014. Experiencing the “Mutoto Chaud” group can push the audience and participants towards cultural self-reflection. The interlinking of other activities is not only limited to the time in which the group visits a school. The active school partnership of the Anne-Frank-Gesamtschule in Havixbeck with Mutoto e.V. is another success. There have already been multiple exchange trips and at every meeting, we work together on common topics. Above all, friendships are enhanced and prejudices are dismantled.

Richard Nawezi: Yes, there were numerous inquiries and not only in the artistic area, like the inquiry from the Bremer Shakespeare Company. The Stadtteilverein Blau-Weiß Aasee e.V. (city organisation of Aasee/Münster) from Münster was interested in a sport exchange with the Congo, and multiple schools and associations wanted to do a school exchange with the Congo.

Richard Nawezi: During our meetings where we perform acrobatic or theatre, a mutual shift in perspective takes place that positively impacts individuals’ development. Furthermore, the teenagers are trained to be multiplicators of international youth work and can later function as ambassadors of social transformation in their immediate surroundings in line with the AGYI. After the teenagers return from the meetings, for example, they go to neighbouring schools in Lubumbashi to report about their experiences and offer the students media workshops to pass on what they have already learned.

Richard Nawezi: The participating German teenagers in this case are often “thrown into cold water”, as they are suddenly in an acrobatic workshop and are expected to do acrobatics with people whose language they do not understand. Therefore, everyone is forced to come out of their comfort zone to be able to do this task. Although, due to the language barrier, lots of content cannot be communicated, still lots of communication can be transmitted without language. Ever participant, whether German or Congolese, gets at least something out of this workshop. More important is, that the students don’t learn about life from the Congolese, but rather from and with them.

Richard Nawezi: From young Africans who are eager to learn, I learn constantly that there are not enough opportunities for them to broaden their knowledge and expand on their experiences in Europe. We really need more of these meetings and training opportunities. The AGYI should work towards the founding of a large European-African Youth Foundation that systematically focuses on training opportunities and meetings for young Africans with young Europeans. And in this project, the AGYI should strongly include the diaspora as a bridge builder.

Richard Nawezi: An equitable partnership means that the advantage of an exchange is not only expressed in Germany, but also in African countries. Acting as a partner towards this goal means that the north should no longer dominate the south and then see what happens. Instead the partners should rather plan and implement things together from the very beginning. Acting as an equitable partner means that, in both African countries and in Germany, players in the civil sector create space for meetings and develop activities together. The goal of being an equitable partner is to bring together potential and competence in order to develop common ideas and to learn from one another within the context of a mutual exchange.

Richard Nawezi: Theoretically, Congolese and Germans mean that same thing when they say “equitable partner.” But which challenges are encountered in practice? Regarding structural disparities, it is very difficult to achieve an equitable partnership in practice. If Germany wants to work as an equitable partner with African countries, it uses the necessary budget resources to do so. This results in a structural imbalance, as the funds are only flowing from one side. For a significant change in this matter African nations would need to equitably contribute to the financing of joint projects. That is why I very much welcome the AGYI’s plan for the strengthening and development of an African partner structure.