The Continent of Africa is very diversified resulting from the mixed cultural heritage that you will find across the different states that make up the whole. Even African themselves are amazed by the rich arts and culture that is found among them. This heritage has been, and it is still very visible from one generation to another. Their cultural heritage seems to shape their way of life and define their sense of belonging. Even though they find themselves all over the world and interact with other cultures and habits, they have managed to preserve their strong socio-cultural heritage. They easily build a community of their own and are always very happy to reach out and share with others from other nationalities and ethnicities wherever they find themselves.
Recently there has been a conflict of interest pushed by the presence of modernity, especially by those born abroad who happen to have acquired a new way of life influenced by their new environment. This generation of young people has increased in number and their presence can be felt in almost all activities within the realm of arts and culture, advocacy and other relative disciplines. This may explain why the initiative to form African Civil Society (ACSF) in Finland evolved out of the need to bring people of African origin under one umbrella to enhance the ability of Africans to face up to the integration challenges and social inclusion within Finland. This organization will be the platform through which young Africans will be dedicated to enhancing youth participation, impacting policy makers and youth policies, and helping to shape the life of young people of African descent living in Finland. This will be used as a base for capacity building and to interact with other players with a common vision that focuses on socio-cultural issues and advocacy.
Our goal will be to provide a gateway for Africans and youths living in Finland to:
– Be youth-led and youth-driven, responsible and having inspirational leaders and citizens that exhibit bravery and hold a positive image of Africa and Africans living in Finland and Europe.
– Aspire for positive change and excellence in all disciplines and work in mutual understanding and respect, in a learning environment and evolving in the process.
– Preserve as well as promote African cultures and heritage and imbibe the knowledge that emanates from our rich identity and diversity and further strengthens our identity in the African Diaspora.
– Live and share the spirit of “Ubuntu” that recognizes co-existence, humanity, belonging, accountability and aims to serve and respect each other.
Vision
To contribute to the inter-cultural aspirations of Finnish society that is totally free of regional or continental segregation.
Our values
Equality and respect for humanity.
Realizing the vision
– Creating and promoting social-economic awareness and knowledge of Africa through inter-cultural dialogue.
– Seeking to liaise with both local and national communities in order to bridge the cultural communication gap between immigrants of African descent.
The spirit behind setting up this organization is to:
-Create an atmosphere of mutual understanding among Africans living in Finland and Finnish society.
-Forge an environment of mutual respect for all
-Foster a friendly multicultural atmosphere that enhances positive integration of Africans into Finnish society in a way that will enable both the Finnish society and other institutions to tap into the skills that Africans have to offer.
