RomAfrica Film Festival focuses on magatrends

(AGI) Rome, Jul 15 - Italy needs to let go of stereotyped information on Africa and focus on an approach that can better describe a vast and diversified continent with 55 Countries all going at different speeds, in light of major trends that show Africa is growing rapidly in terms of population, urbanization rate and markets. These themes were discussed at 'Megatrends in Africa - demography, urbanization and markets', a round table organized by the magazine 'Africa e Affari', in collaboration with Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo, an intersectorial business association, on the occasion of the RomAfrica Film Festival. Ambassadors of some of the countries most represented in the Festival (Angola, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, South Africa and Tunisia) were invited to participate in the meeting. "We decided to discuss economic issues at a film festival because we feel Italy needs to know more about Africa and understand it better. We must change the stereotype-based narrative," explained Massimo Zaurrini, InfoAfrica director. "We are talking about a continent with 55 countries advancing at different speeds, 20 of which are in the forefront while others have yet to start their journey." Alessandro Pica, Chief Executive Officer of AGI, spoke about the need to overcome a "stereotyped information" which "must not be tied only to migration flows or violence." He pointed out that "Africa is changing at a rapid pace and we have to be able to identify such change and report it." This is the view informing the agreement on which the AGI news agency and InfoAfrica rests. "We want to hear the voice of Africa and its professionals, and to this end colleagues working in those countries with a deep knowledge of the Continent's social fabric will do the talking," Mr Pica explained. "It is a story that goes well beyond an agency's take and provides a real narration that remains constant over time, not just fragmented information that can only portray single parts to a story or single events." Mr Pica said he believed that the ultimate goal was to "have the extraordinary propelling energy of the Continent come to the surface." In such a scenario, the AGI Chief Executive Officer said, "We cannot forget there is a suffering Africa dealing with its migration flows." This is the reason why "we are promoting an initiative aimed at telling the stories of migrants, 'Tu Non Sai Chi Sono Io' (You don't Know Who I am). It is a way for migrants to speak up in a video report." Additionally, Raffaele de Lutio, Deputy Director General for Global Affairs/Principal Director for the Countries of Sub-Saharan Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, reaffirmed Italy's renewed attention to Africa, focusing on the importance of "interacting, getting to know each other and networking.". .