Cultural Festivals

For example, in 2020 the Geneva Water Hub partnered with the "Festival à Sahel Ouvert”, which was held in Mboumba, Senegal, on the banks of the Senegal River. The objective was to heighten awareness and promote the commitment to water challenges through art, culture and music. experience of the festival was captured in the film "Water and Peace at the Heart of the "Festival à Sahel Ouvert" which sheds a local, philosophical and cultural light on the challenges of water in the Sahel. Some of the highlights from this festival were the following:

• Cinema and photography : Young people from this region were invited to develop their ideas and their talents by making a short film on water under the supervision of film professionals. The short film “Daali-O, The Day Nature Spoke", is a work produced during the movie workshops of the Festival, which addresses the relationship the community has to the river and their related development issues.

• Open exchange on the issue of water : Held at the Mayor of Mboumba's home, this talk featured an opening speech by eminent Senegalese philosopher Prof. Souleymane Bachir Diagne and brought together diverse participants, including the fishermen community leader, the Geneva Water Hub Director, the Swiss Ambassador to Senegal, and representatives from the University Gaston Berger and the Society of development and use of the delta land. The discussion, facilitated by the festival's artistic director, Xavier Simonin, focused on water as a vital element and its role in "making humanity together," aligning with Nelson Mandela's Ubuntu philosophy, while addressing both local and global challenges, raising awareness among all attendees.