Integrity charter

Extract

1. As an organization dedicated to culture and creativity, Africalia places creators and artists at the heart of its action. Africalia is committed to assert the specific rights to the exercise of their profession as well as to contribute to fight for the protection of their professional, moral and physical integrity in all the countries of intervention of Africalia.

2. Aware of the fundamental role of minorities (socio-economic, ethnic, sexual, linguistic, etc), Africalia actively fights against Eurocentrism, sexism, paternalistic visions and the maintenance of dominant class power systems. This list explains what for Africalia is understood by ;

  • Sexism and Gender discrimination : sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on a person’s sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone. It has been linked to stereotypes and gender roles, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is intrinsically superior to another. Extreme sexism may foster sexual harassment, rape, and other forms of sexual violence. Gender discrimination may encompass sexism, and is discrimination toward people based on their gender identity or their gender or sex differences. Gender discrimination is especially defined in terms of workplace inequality. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexism

3. Africalia respects and commits itself to cultural diversity, the fight against all forms of racism and discrimination as described in Protocol 12 to the European Convention on Human Rights, to freedom of expression and protection of the environment.

4. Integrity and respect are fundamental values of Africalia. They guide our actions and are asked of all those who work with and for Africalia (collaborators, volunteer members and leaders). Therefore Africalia encourages respectful behavior. By respect Africalia means the ability to value and honor another person, both his or her words and actions, even if we do not approve or share everything he or she does. It is accepting the other person and not trying to change them. Respecting another person is not judging them by their attitudes, behaviors or thoughts. It is not expecting for someone to be otherwise. (source : https://blog.cognifit.com/respect/)

5. The word "Africa" in Africalia unambiguously indicates the cultural cooperation that our organization wants to perpetuate with Africa. It goes without saying that the organization is extremely vigilant about the position of the African diaspora in Belgium (and Europe) given their sensitivity to the history of Belgian colonization. Africalia therefore asks all its partners to treat people of African origin as equal interlocutors instead of (exotic) objects that are not able to represent themselves.

6. Regarding our code of conduct ;

  • Africalia condemns behaviour or actions that contradict the above-mentioned values, both within the organisation, among its partners and in the context of the interventions it finances.
  • Africalia condemns the violation of moral and financial integrity (abuse, fraud, corruption) of its partners and service providers and will cease all forms of collaboration with them if the violation of integrity is proven.
  • Africalia is committed, through its director and legal representative, to undertake a path of integrity as defined by the guidelines of the professional sector of development cooperation.

7. Settlement of Disputes - Person of Trust ;

  • In the event of abuse or breach of integrity on the part of or towards a member employee, volunteer or manager, the witness(es) or victim(s) may contact the Trusted Person of the Association (...) referred to the www.africalia.be website.
  • If you feel you have been subject to unethical behavior or victim of discrimination from Africalia, please send a mail to integrity@africalia.be