São Paulo – After two online editions, in 2020 and 2021, the Brazil Africa Forum 2022 will be held in person on November 29 and 30, at WTC Events, in São Paulo. The theme of the tenth edition will be ‘Sustainable Cities: Global challenges, local solutions.’ Held by the Brazil Africa Institute (IBRAF), the event promotes good practices and the exchange of experiences and fosters partnerships between Brazil and the African continent.
This year’s Brazil Africa Forum (BAF) aims to inspire Brazilian and African authorities towards a more just, democratic, and sustainable urban plan and bring together heads of state, government agents, leaders of development agencies and financial institutions, in addition to representatives of the private sector and civil society.
The founder and president of IBRAF, João Bosco Monte (pictured above), informed the program will have nine key theme axes: Infrastructure, Health & Sanitation, Urban Mobility, Renewable Energies, Waste Management, Urban Agriculture, PPPs, Sports, and Creative Industry.
Also included in the program are plenary sessions with guest speakers in their areas of expertise, parallel events, and showcases on public policies and urban planning topics.
The forum will be broadcast live with simultaneous translation (into French, English, and Portuguese) through IBRAF’s social networks, allowing people to participate from anywhere in the world. Registration is open for in-person participation on the event’s website.
The BAF consolidates itself as a meeting to create opportunities between Brazil and African countries, seeking improvements and advancements, both in physical installations, with infrastructure, energy & sanitation — in addition to educational and technical training related to technology — with the presence of African and Brazilian leaders, as well as a specialized team of speakers over the years.
João Bosco Monte is a professor, Education Ph.D. from the Federal University of Ceará (UFC) and has a postdoctoral degree from the University of Brasília (UnB), with research focused on the integration of the African continent. He has been to 46 of the 54 African countries. The IBRAF president said, “of the ten economies that grew the most, seven are on the African continent. Today, the population is around 1.4 billion inhabitants. In 2050, we expect to have almost 3 billion people living there. We need to turn our eyes to Africa. There are significant potential businesses there,” he declared.
Monte stated, “Brazil and Africa are home to several of the most important cities in the world, some with tens of millions of inhabitants and others with unparalleled natural endowments, unique political dynamics, and significant economic development. São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza, Brasília, and Porto Alegre, on the Brazilian side; Lagos, Kinshasa, Johannesburg, Nairobi, and Cairo, on the African side, to name a few, are great examples of what can be achieved in terms of sustainable development. These cities face common barriers and are thriving with innovative ideas, just needing a spark to shake up the status quo and transform the lives of countless citizens,” he said.
Check the full schedule on the event website
The secretary-general of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), Tamer Mansour, will participate in the panel ‘The progress of renewable energies for the future of cities’ at 11:00 am BRT on November 30. The plenary will also feature Frannie Léautier, CEO of SouthBridge Investments Group; Eduardo Pimentel, deputy mayor of Curitiba; Jorge Samek, former Brazilian general director of Itaipu Binacional hydroelectric plant; Henrique Pissaia, general coordinator of Strategic Alliances of the Financial Fund for the Development of the River Plate Basin (Fonplata); Francisco Carvalho, Mayor of Praia (capital city of Cape Verde); and moderation by Pablo Ribeiro.
The plenary will discuss how renewable energies can contribute to solving urgent urban issues, such as waste management, energy, and air pollution, improving the population’s quality of life, and what policies could be adopted to promote renewable energy projects in urban areas.
Quick facts:
Brazil Africa Forum 2022
November 29 and 30 (Tuesday and Wednesday)
November 29, from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm (cocktail from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm)
November 30, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
WTC Events Center, São Paulo
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
