The International Association of Francophone Mayors is strengthening its support for the fight against Covid-19, true to its vocation of solidarity. In parallel with its general assembly in Tunis, it awarded Marie du Chastel, founder of AfriKIKK, and Aude Nyadanu, coordinator of the Lowpital project.
The AIMF (International Association of French-speaking Mayors) held its congress from Tunis, on December 9 and 10, 2020. Beyond the technical debates (election of the Bureau, preparation of the general assembly) this meeting – in large part virtual – was the scene of a symposium on the city. And took concrete decisions to better support local elected officials in the fight against the coronavirus crisis.
The event brought together 130 delegations of mayors and international partners from 33 countries in Africa, America, Asia and Europe. In an innovative format, which combined face-to-face and distance learning, the debates focused on the role of the city during and after the pandemic crisis. After a year marked by crises, “this event is a symbol of the mayors’ determination to strengthen solidarity and dialogue between cultures from the regions”, underlines the final press release of the association.
Note the presence of the Tunisian Head of Government, Hichem Mechichi, the President of the AIMF, the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, and the Mayor of Tunis Souad Abderrahim. As well as the Secretary General of the Arab Maghreb Union, Taïeb Baccouche, and the Director General of Development (Devco) for the European Commission, Koen Doens.
Data, housing, health, education, mobility… digital technology is increasingly impacting urban governance. A new reality to be taken into account for mayors who must exploit the development and attractiveness potential offered by the sector, while preventing the risk of abuses. These questions were at the heart of the work, which ended two months of preparatory workshops held by videoconference with local authorities, start-ups, academics …
The AIMF 2020 Francophone Woman Prize was awarded to two citizens committed to digital: Marie du Chastel, curator of the KIKK festival in Namur and creator of the AfriKIKK project, and Aude Nyadanu, creator of the Lowpital project.
Concrete actions!
Marie du Chastel hosts KIKK festival which explores digital and creative cultures through a program of conferences, artistic exhibitions and technological innovations, as well as networking events. In Africa, she leads the AfriKIKK project, in collaboration with an exhibition curator based in Dakar, in which the digital creativity of Africa and its diaspora is highlighted.
For her part, Aude Nyadanu launched the Lowpital project (a contraction of “low tech” and “hospital”), in parallel with her thesis. Project which organizes health hackathons. The principle is to bring together, for 48 hours, people from all backgrounds and backgrounds, on a subject, in order to propose innovative solutions.
The Tunis meeting was an opportunity to take stock of the actions taken by the AIMF to support the response plans of cities to the Covid-19 crisis. A total of 2.5 million euros were mobilized by the association to support 178 cities in 19 countries. To meet future needs and while the health crisis will affect the territories for a long time to come, the Association’s Office has decided to strengthen the AIMF Emergency Fund by contributing operating savings.
The association’s office has adopted a program of support to cities for the implementation of urban development projects. It pronounced on the allocation of more than one million euros in grants for fourteen projects that will improve access to culture and education, water and sanitation, health services, but also to boost entrepreneurship.
These grants from the AIMF will play a seed role in forming financial partnerships for an amount exceeding 8 million euros. The Bureau will also examine the progress of cooperation programs carried out by the AIMF in support of local governance, with co-financing from the European Union.
For two more years, the Association’s Bureau will be chaired by Anne Hidalgo. The mayors of Cotonou, Douala, Nice and Saint-Denis de la Réunion make their entry into the Bureau. The next general assembly will be held in Kigali (DR Congo). On the other hand, Taïeb Baccouche, secretary general of the Arab Maghreb Union and the president of the AIMF signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation between their organizations.
