Since its creation in 1977, the NGO Cooperation Education Culture (CEC) has developed cultural action with culture as the basis for sustainable human development and sees cultural diversity as a source of tolerance and rapprochement between peoples.
Promoting contemporary literature from Africa and the Caribbean
The book and literature are powerful vectors of knowledge of the Other. Much more than non-fiction, literature (novels, theatre, poetry, fairy tales, etc.) acts as a true social mirror reflecting the complexity of contemporary societies. The discovery of new literary expressions and imaginations is a factor of rapprochement and dialogue. By making them accessible to as many people as possible, CEC places itself as an actor of emancipation, democratisation, and encouragement to participate in civic debate.
In this context, since 2013, CEC and the Maison de la Francité have joined forces around ‘Espace Césaire’, a unique space in the heart of Brussels. This lending library, born from the merger of the CEC and Maison de la Francité collections, houses more than 8,000 books from African, Caribbean and diaspora literature, as well as books on the French language, its history and its presence in the world. The Espace Césaire is part of the LITTAFCAR.org network and programmes many activities to discover contemporary literature from Africa and the Caribbean.
Focus on the project LITTAFCAR.org
LITTAFCAR.ORG is a network of cultural centres (Belgium, Rwanda, Benin, Haiti) that, throughout the world, want to promote literature from Africa and the Caribbean. Achievements: strengthening the libraries of partner centres, development of a website promoting literature, online courses, events and promotion of literature.
Questioning North-South stereotypes
Whether it is the "colonial legacy", the perception of immigration, North-South relations or the lack of knowledge about the cultures of the South. Given the increasing forms of folding back on one's own identity, both individually and collectively, leading to exclusion, racism and xenophobia, a new questioning is much needed. To contribute to these challenges, CEC has developed educational tools (exhibitions, workshops, trainings, publications) and supports critical reflection on Western prejudices, inherited or contemporary, adapted to different target groups (schools, youth associations, NGOs, the general public).
Cultural mediation, North and South
CEC aims to support the dissemination of cultural works (film, theatre, literature, exhibitions) by encouraging discussions on interculturalism, cultural diversity, North-South and South-North exchange, the impact of prejudice in our relations with the Other and the importance of culture for development. CEC offers these services to schools, libraries, cultural centres, etc.
CEC's offer on cultural mediation:
- Training of literary professionals in contemporary African and Caribbean literature
- Organisation of debates with authors and cultural actors
- Development of cultural projects with educational or artistic purposes (exhibitions, educational events, etc.) to question our imagination and dispel prejudices
- Strengthening partners in their creative approach and cultural mediation
- Networking between cultural actors from different countries and regions through LITTAFCAR.ORG (Belgium, Benin, Haiti, Rwanda), an innovative project on cultural cooperation.
