Luanda - On the 22nd, 23rd and 24th of this month, the city of Luanda will become the African capital of the culture of peace, which will translate into an intergenerational dialogue between heads of state and young Africans.
In this 3rd edition of the Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace, participants will address, in six panels, themes such as 'Youth, actors in the promotion of the culture of peace and social transformation of the continent - high-level dialogue' and 'Technology and Education as tools to achieve gender equality”.
“The Role of Women in Peace, Security and Development Processes', 'The Process of Transformation of Education Systems: Innovative Practices and Financing in the African Context”, “The Challenges and Opportunities of African Continent Integration and Economic Growth Prospects” and 'Climate Change Ethical Challenges, Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability', also fill the agenda of the Luanfda Biennale.
The event, co-organized by Angola, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the African Union (AU), will focus on Intergenerational Dialogue, which will bring together Heads of State and Government and young Africans.
During the meeting, participants will also focus on the challenges of building bridges between generations dedicated to a peaceful Africa, as well as engaging young people to contribute effectively, in the medium and long term, to the Pan-African Movement for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence.
Luanda: the cosmopolitan city
With 113 km2 (city) / 18,826 km2 (province), Luanda has more than 7 million inhabitants.
Bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, the Angolan capital has a tropical climate with a hot and humid season from October to May and a cold and dry season, the cacimbo, from June to September.
Capital of the Republic of Angola and capital of the homonymous province, it has been the largest city in the country since 1627. The story goes that, around 1974/1975, Luanda had a population of approximately 500,000 people.
During the years of armed conflict, there was a huge exodus of populations from the interior to the coast and, in particular, to the capital.
From 2011 onwards, the former “greater Luanda” gave rise to three municipalities: Luanda, Belas, Cazenga, Viana, Quiçama, Cacuaco and Ícolo e Bengo, to which Kilamba Kiaxi and Talatona were added.
The municipality of Luanda is made up of 5 districts: Ingombota, Maianga, Rangel, Samba and Sambizanga.
Economy
Luanda is the fastest growing city in Angola, particularly since the country achieved peace and political and social stability in 2002.
The large investments, national or in partnership with private and institutional international financiers, particularly in the area of civil construction and telecommunications, make the city and the municipality a fast-growing metropolis, with sophisticated residential and office buildings.
It is the main financial, commercial and economic centre of Angola, accounting for about 90% of the country's GDP (Gross Domestic Product). This city is home to the largest Angolan companies and delegations and subsidiaries of several multinationals.
The port of Luanda, located in the bay of Luanda, is the main port in the country, handling more than 70% of Angolan imports and exports (oil/crude excluded).
Tourism
One of Luanda's most beautiful postcards, Avenida 4 de Fevereiro, known simply as Marginal, displays the contrast between the natural beauty of Luanda Bay and the modern buildings around it. The island of Luanda, at the entrance to the bay of Luanda, has beautiful white sand beaches and clear waters, adorned by coconut trees. On the island there is an excellent entertainment structure, with many bars and restaurants. The city's carnival has been increasingly sought after by visitors.
The Marginal is well known for the numerous passers-by who stroll and do sports there daily.
Culture/gastronomy
The cosmopolitan character of Luanda makes the city a meeting point for all shades and ethnic-linguistic, religious, artistic, musical, gastronomic and folkloric manifestations of Angola and even Africa. Added to this is the immense architectural and historical heritage.
The ethnic miscellany of the population of Luanda is also reflected in the interaction observed in the cultural elements of the city, where the various traditions of the different peoples interacted and took on their own characteristics in the city. This cultural mixture can be seen in the typical dishes (fish stew with okra (Calulu), cassava leaves with peanut butter (kizaca), cassava and corn porridge (funge), grilled fish (mufete), beans with palm oil (feijoa de óleo de palma) and chicken stew.
Of the dishes, the one that most represents Luanda for its popularity is the mufete, which is a typical Angolan dish consisting of grilled fish, palm oil beans, manioc, banana bread, sweet potatoes and roasted cassava flour developed by the people of Luanda.
In the musical and dance artistic manifestations there are the kizomba, the kuduro, the semba, the kazukuta, the rebita and the cabetula. Kuduro was the first eminently Angolan (and Luandan) genre to become popular worldwide, while rebita goes back to the roots of local music and dance.
Luanda is, among the other provinces of the country, the holder of a considerable heritage that constitutes the most eloquent testimony of the historical path, activity and sensitivity of the Angolan people in the different historical periods and situations.
The province offers its inhabitants and visitors a wide range of options. The architecture of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is well represented with the churches of Nª Sr.ª do Carmo, among other historical and cultural monuments. A huge set of museums and places of historical interest and landscaping dazzle its visitors, such as the National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of Anthropology, the National Museum of Slavery, Museum of Military History, the Kifangondo Historical Landmark, among others.
The capital is also the main university center of the country, with a considerable number of universities, including: Agostinho Neto University, Catholic University, Independent University, Jean Piaget University and Lusíada University.
The inhabitants of Luanda are, for the most part, of Bantu origin, mainly Ambundu, Ovimbundu and Bakongo.
Currently, it hosts several foreign communities, such as Portuguese, Brazilian, Chinese and West African.
The most widely spoken language in Luanda is Portuguese, which is also the official language of the country, and several languages of the Bantu group are also spoken, mainly Kimbundu.
Luanda was formally founded by Paulo Dias de Novais on 25 January 1576 under the name of São Paulo da Assunção de “Loanda”.
The choice of the site was influenced by three main factors: the existence of a magnificent natural harbour, located in a bay open to the sea but protected by an island, drinking water, the waters of the Maianga wells in what was the Elephant Lagoon and the excellent defense conditions offered by the São Paulo hill.
Biennale of Luanda
The Luanda Biennale, which is held every two years in the Angolan capital, aims to promote the prevention of violence and the peaceful resolution of conflicts, encouraging education, cultural exchange in Africa and intergenerational dialogue.
The event brings together Heads of State and Government, representatives of International Organizations and Financial Institutions from around the world, investors, artistic and scientific communities, young people, women and members of civil society, and was conceived as a space for reflection on the main challenges of sustainable development on the African continent and the importance of the arts in raising awareness of the value of the culture of peace. ideas and good practices related to social and economic progress on the continent.
It is a platform for the implementation of the 'Plan of Action for a Culture of Peace in Africa/Let's Act for Peace', adopted in March 2013 in Luanda at the Pan-African Forum 'Sources and Resources for a Culture of Peace'.
It also serves as a space to foster the commitment of African leaders and civil society on the continent based on the aspirations of the African Union Agenda 2063, the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda and, finally, the “UNESCO Operational Strategy for the Africa Priority 2022-2029”. VM/DOJ
