MULTIMEMO DISSEMINATION EVENT

Event program

The MultiMemo dissemination event 2 took place on Thursday, February 20th in Brussels.
It was aiming at:
Mainstreaming the concept of multidirectional memory and its possible applications ;
Disseminating the MultiMemo project activities and results to relevant stakeholders - working with memory, promoting social justice, cultural diversity and tolerance - at Belgian and European levels ;
Applying the framework of multidirectional memory by opening a dialogical space exploring the intersection of Jewish and afrodescendant memories in relation and beyond the Belgian context, with cross-sectorial cooperation involving arts, academia, urbanism, activism and policy making.   

The event was structured in 3 parts.
The first one focused on introducing the concept of multidirectional memory from a theoretical perspective. By doing so, our intention was to establish the conceptual frame of the event by providing the audience with an understanding of the driving approach of the project. After that introduction, Agnieska Jablonska from the Urban Memory Foundation made a presentation of some project activities and results thus showing the multidirectional memory concept could be put into practice. The 1st part was closed with an introduction of the exhibition panels ‘The forgotten of wars” by Georgine Dibua, cultural operator, independent researcher, militant and activist, she is the coordinator and project manager of Bakushinta, which promotes and enhances the richness and diversity of Congolese cultures. The exhibition tells the stories of Congolese resistants in Belgium during WWII, including individuals who helped save Jewish lives.

The second part of the event started with a presentation by Georgine Dibua on the state of play regarding the restitution of looted Congolese goods from a Belgian perspective as well as the rationale of bringing communities together for such a dialogue.
It was followed by a panel discussion “Afrodescendant and Jewish communities: Dialogue on cultural heritages and restitution post WWII and colonization” The panel gathered 4 speakers:
Anne Wetsi Mpoma, art historian, curator and founder of Wetsi Art Gallery, contributed to an exhibition and a book on the provenance of objects on display at the Africa Museum in Tervuren (BE), former museum of the colony.
Joanna Peczenik is a coordinating member of the Golem Belgique collective, launched in February 2024 with the aim of remobilizing the left in the fight against antisemitism. Throughout her career, Joanna has been involved in combating racism and antisemitism, defending human rights and promoting intercultural understanding.
Ronny Naftaniel, director of CIDI from 1980 to 2013. Co-founder and spokesperson for the Central Jewish Board of the Netherlands. From 1998–2001, he was one of the main negotiators on restitution issues with Dutch government and the financial sector.
Sanchou Kiansumba, volunteer member of the Collectif Mémoire Coloniale et Lutte contre les Discriminations for 7 years. He has been in charge of the teaching and education unit, whose mission is to work towards an epistemological shift in the treatment of the colonial question in Belgium.
The panel was moderated by Cathy Del Rizzo and Stéphanie Lecesne from CEJI.
The discussion was rich and showed how collaboration between communities could help achieve better recognition of the specific struggles and violences faced by each. The importance of memory activism and commemoration practice as a way towards recognition and repair was highlighted. It also stressed practical ways to enhance that collaboration such as the sharing of resources and networks or the advocacy for the recognition of colonization as a crime against humanity. Expectations of further discussions that would allow more detailed, specific strategies to be developed were voiced by some panelists and participants.

Finally, the third part of the event was the screening of a documentary movie “Destin croisés, Solidarités entre Juifs et Noirs aux Etats-Unis" directed by Rokhaya Diallo & David Rybojad which talks about the convergence of struggles and the collaboration between Jews and Afro-Americans in the fight for civic rights.
To conclude the event, Robin Sclafani, the Executive Director of CEJI talked about the historical links between the communities and how those started to shift after the Durban World Conference against Racism in 2001. She highlighted that, as we are witnessing polarization and rise in right-wings policies, collaboration between communities is essential and that memory could be a way to foster that collaboration and solidarity again.