Italy's foreign ministry will mark this year's Africa Day on Monday with an innovative online programme of cultural and artistic events to comply with Covid-19 distancing requirements, the ministry said in a statement.
A "virtual marathon" on the ministry's Youtube, Facebook and Instagram channels and its website will celebrate the anniversary of the African Union's birth and the friendship and solidarity between Africa and Italy in the face of the Covid-19 emergency, said the statement.
A video containing contributions from 50 African and Italian artists including Niccolo Fabi, Tommy Kuti, Kandy Guira, the Mezzotono quintet and Baba Sissoko will be uploaded to the ministry's Youtube channel, the statement said.
The music clips will be interspersed with short messages by politicians that will seek to underline Italy's historical ties with Africa, the statement added.
The messages include greetings from Di Maio, Del Re, Naledi Pandor, foreign minister of South Africa (which currently holds the AU presidency), United Nations deputy-secretary-general Amina Mohammed, Somalia's president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo, AU Commission vice-president Kwesi Quartey and UN Economic Commission for Africa executive secretary Vera Songwe.
The commemorative video will be highlighted on the foreign ministry's Facebook channel and on its website, according to the statement.
The initiative has already aroused strong interest from African embassies in Italy, which have contributed clips from artists from their countries and from international organisations and civil society organisations engaged with Africa. UNECA, ICCROM, AICS, Somali University, Auditorium Parco della Musica, the Aurora Foundation, the Sylvestro Ganassi School of Music and Italia-Africa Business Week have all offered support.
A virtual photography exhibition on Africa will also launch on Monday in cooperation with embassies and Italian cultural institutes and will include images from Italian photographers. The photos will be available on the ministry's website and its Instagram channel, the statement concluded.
