Global Literary Actions for Free Africa by World Poetry Movement 

By WPM Correspondent

CAIRO: For centuries, the African continent has suffered from the slave trade and colonialism, and it still suffering from the absence of democracy and civil wars, and today it is going through an ordeal of military coups and environmental disasters; a scene that requires word guardians to move.

Our world is experiencing a wave of human rights violations globally, especially on the African continent. It is time we stand for our freedom, for auto determination and human rights. Our power, as poets, is the poetic word that changes the vision of the world and opens new horizons for the future.

It is on this premise that WPM Africa proposes to initiate a poetic event for the motherland with a theme about the protection of all human rights in Africa.

All are invited to add to the vision of the production and to participate in the call out to other poets in your countries. It’s up to you, dear poets, to offer your power of imagination for mother Africa, the cradle of humanity, lest the world feign to forget.

It is our call for freedom and human rights, against war, hegemonies, violence, exploitation, injustice, and marginalization. It is a call for life for all humanity. Nature of the activity: online poetic readings Motto: Free Africa, date: 21 September – The International Day for Peace.

Meeting of World Poetry Movement (WPM) Colombia organized by iconic poet Fernando Rendon, WPM General Coordinator, planned poetic activities in the context of action “ Africa FREE!”.

More than 100 poetry events have been programmed across the world, some of which are in-person and some are virtual.

Mónica Lucía Suárez said that their commitment to WPM Colombia to support free Africa will be as follows: 10 in-person poetry readings, 2 virtual readings with live guest African poets, 3 live radio programs to talk about the topic and read some poems and 15 capsule videos supporting Free Africa, from the poets of WPM Colombia.

In Cuba, iconic poet Alex Pausides said that “Poetic Actions of the World Poetry Movement” will be in Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Manzanillo, Bayamo, Guisa, San Pablo de Yao, Holguín, Ciego de Ávila, Matanzas, Mayabeque, Nueva Gerona and Pinar del Río: “Together with the poets and the people of Africa, Always.

WPM GREECE and WPM MALAYSIA together for Africa we want to make an event and invite 6African poets to recite their poetry and Africa problems. The online event is being planned by Christos Koukis, national coordinator of WPM GREECE and Shivani Sivagurunathan, national coordinator of WPM Malaysia on 27 September for Free Africa.

To answer this global call to the world poets in India, poet Rati Saxena, Asia and India WPM Coordinator, said that to support “Free Africa” poetic event, we have eight events in India, with four special guests from Africa: Ismael Diadie Haidra, Siphiwe Nzima, Saley Boube Bali and Omar Farouk Sesay.

India announced this timetable accordingly: 21 September-Delhi chapter 14.30 GMT- coordinator Pooja Priyamvada, spacial guest – Siphiwe Nzima, 22 September – Odisha Chapter 14 GMT – Coordinator- Basudev, 23 September – Deli NCR chapter-14 GMT  Coordinator -Brajesh Singh- Spacial guest -Farouk Sesay, 24-NorthEast States of India – ( off line)- coordinator -Jamuna Bini, 24- Himachal Pradesh-coordinator – Kamayani Bishth  14 GMT, Special Guest Saley Boube Bali, 25 – Rajasthan – Coordinator – Uma – 14 GMT, 26- Marathi language-Coordinator Prithiraj (zoom) !4 GMT, by General Coordinator India Rati Saxena

In Egypt, The Silk Road Literature Anthology publishes its edition of “Nano Poems for Africa” in a postcard form as a part of World Poetry Movement (WPM) campaign “Free Africa”.

The Anthology’s editor Ashraf Aboul-Yazid , WPM National Coordinator- Egypt, said that 152 authors of the Silk Road Anthology, who joined (Nano Poems for Africa), came from almost 50 countries in Africa (Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria, Mali, Kenya, Sierra Leone, and South Africa), Asia (Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Jammu and Kashmir, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Brunei Darussalam, The Philippines, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, and the Kingdom Saudi Arabia), Europe (Bulgaria, Switzerland, Greece, Italy, Serbia, North Macedonia, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sicily, Croatia, Belarus, Portugal, Montenegro, Germany and Spain), North America (Canada, USA and Mexico), South America (Argentina, Guatemala, Brazil and Bolivia) and Australia (one entry) while a single poet chose to mention he belongs to Planet Earth.

On September 21, readings of the anthology will be live online from Cairo, with its international participants.

Dorothy Payne, WPM coordinator in San Francisco, USA wrote: “FREE AFRICA!” Event will be held on Sept 29th from 6:00-8:00 at Senegalese Restaurant Bissop Baobab in The Mission District of San Francisco. We will be collaborating with LA event as well.

From Kathmandu, Nepal’s WPM National Coordinator, Dr. Keshab Sigdel, said that WPM Nepal will organize a solidarity poetry action to support the Free Africa campaign, and details will come soon. As the editor of “Poetry Planetariat”, the official publication of the World Poetry Movement (WPM) dedicated to promoting humanitarian values, peace, justice, and concern for the planet Earth through poetry and art, he invited poets to submit their poems, criticisms of poetry, poetry book reviews, and artworks for the 9th issue of Poetry Planetariat.

This issue will have special focus on Africa, corroborating the Free Africa Poetry Campaign initiated by WPM. Submissions should arrive to us before 30th December 2023, to: poetryplanetariat@gmail.com

WPM Coordinator Gloria Chvatal mentioned that text and audiovisual material that can be recoded from the readings should be shared to and sent to the World Poetry Movement (WPM) page to this email: worldpoetrymovement@gmail.com

For those who have not yet defined what material they can contribute regularly, they reminded them of the categories: Samples of poems (with biography and photography), texts, essays, interviews, articles, poetic and artistic works, Calendar of recommended events, workshops and seminars. They can also collaborate in the planning and development of content for the web and networks: images, videos, and podcasts.

Regarding the campaign (FREE AFRICA), audiovisual material that can be recoded from the readings should be shared to and sent to the World Poetry Movement (WPM) page to this email (karelalexei@gmail.com ) , through Google Drive and Mr. Karel Leyva Ferrer will publish them.