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Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Betty Amongi, Uganda’s Minister of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, has invited over 120 artists from all over the world to hold one of their next congresses in Uganda, where they can enjoy the hospitality of the “Pearl of Africa.”
The minister was recently speaking in Dresden (Germany) as guest of honour at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Congress of the International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists (IAPMA) following the invitation of IAPMA President Franziska Leischker aka Fides Linien and The Xsabo Foundation.
With 652 members from 56 countries across the globe, IAPMA is the world’s leading organisation for paper artists.
PAPER ALIVE!, the accompanying exhibition of 82 artworks from more than 30 countries that came to the limelight at the opening ceremony, provided a unique opportunity for the general public and art enthusiasts, in particular, to engage in the intricate interplay between papermaking, contemporary art, and society.
In it, paper is depicted as a valuable resource and powerful medium that can initiate social comment and political change.
The Xsabo Foundation, the Ugandan non-profit organization that funded the IAPMA Congress 2023 and all the related events in Germany, is the corporate social responsibility arm of The Xsabo Group, a leading player in Afro-European commercial diplomacy and renewable energy initiatives for zero-net economic growth in Africa.
For once, an organization from the Global South was fully funding a big international event in the rich European Union (EU).
Matthias Roessler, President of Parliament, who accompanied Minister Amongi said: “The fact that a Uganda-based Afro-European foundation is financially supporting such a major international event in Germany is largely unusual, I agree. But it says a lot about how globalisation enables economic success regardless of national borders today.”
Addressing the over 120 congress participants from more than 30 countries from all parts of the world, Amongi said the visit of her delegation to Germany is important to Uganda because the creative sector is still practically in its budding stage and she is benchmarking internationally to offer the leadership support within her ministerial mandate to give them the most optimal support.
“We are here, therefore, to identify with you and to create awareness of each other’s culture and heritage,” she said, adding that the IAPMA Congress 2023 is an important eye-opener about the value of art and cultural heritage not only for Uganda as a nation but also as pivotal instruments of international understanding and cooperation among peoples across the world.
She committed to using her good offices to promote art in Africa through exchanges with other ministers in charge of art in Africa and at international fora.
Speaking at the same function, Parliament President Matthias Roessler described the presence of the Ugandan minister in Dresden as an excellent opportunity to further cement the mutually beneficial bilateral relationship between Uganda and Germany, Uganda being the country of focus for the economic cooperation activities of the Free State of Saxony.
Alobo (CEO/Managing Director of The Xsabo Group and Chairman of The Xsabo Foundation), informed journalists that some of the discussions
Amongi also provided valuable insights into Uganda’s successful endeavours in creating a safe and supportive environment for displaced individuals from troubled neighboring countries and beyond.
