1st Generation Empowerment Network Event
A full-day First Gen community conference at EOTO e.V. focused on strengthening African-descendant communities through education, technology, political participation, economic agency, history, and intergenerational exchange.
On 20 April 2024, First Gen returned to EOTO e.V. in Berlin for the 1st Generation Empowerment Network Event, a community conference for first-generation people of African descent and wider African-descendant communities in Germany. The programme invited participants to think together about how communities are built, how knowledge is passed on, and what forms of education, technology, political engagement, and economic strategy are needed for the future.
The day opened with lunch, welcome remarks, and sessions on strengthening communities during the UN Decade for People of African Descent. Speakers included Dr. Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana and Prof. Dr. Maisha Auma, followed by a group discussion with Saraya Gomis, Daniel Kalibe, Philipp Opong Spenner, moderated by Karen Taylor. A short film, First Gen - Bridges of Our History by Paul Taylor and Valerie Ngom, connected the day’s conversations to memory, heritage, and generational continuity.
The second half centered education and future-oriented action. Professor Mame-Fatou Niang spoke on “Centering Education” and joined the open panel “The Education We Need” with Cindy Viehweg from EOTO Jugend. Prof. Koudzo Sewodo Komlanvi then presented “Technology Looking Into the Future,” emphasizing the need for African communities and institutions to invest in advanced education, digital skills, infrastructure, and opportunities for young people.
The final panel, “Political Education and Economics,” connected education to representation, employment, entrepreneurship, and the importance of African-descendant people participating in political decision-making in Germany. The event also reached beyond Berlin: in cooperation with Afrotopia Center in Hamburg, Prof. Komlanvi helped mobilize 50 participants from Hamburg, including students and professionals.
The evening closed with dinner, an African menu, and further networking. The contributor report described the conference as productive and worthwhile, recommending that gatherings of this kind happen regularly because they bring together people across African backgrounds and turn shared ideas into calls for action.