INDIAFRICA: A Shared Future

 Acting director of public service university of dar es salaam Dr Thomas J Lyimo addressing the campus outreach programme.

 Marketing manager of the university of dar es salaam, Omaru Mbura moderating the programme.

 Dr Ulingeta Mbamba Dean university of dar es salaam business school official proclainmed the indiafrica outreach programme open on 12 May at the nkr.

 Young visionary entreprenuer from tanzania Emelda mwamanga mtunga stressing a point whilst addressing the students.

 Creative Entreprenuer Mustafa Hassanali making a point during the Indiafrica Campus Outreach Programme.

 indian entreprenuers rustam dasgupta responding to question posed by one of the students.

 Young entreprenuer Neha juneja addressing the youth attending the indiafrica campus outreach programme.young student posing a question to one of the panel members.

 Seema kundra director of theindeaworks launching the indiaafrica programme ton 12 mAY in dar es salaam.

 Cross section of young visionary entreprenuers panel discusiion.

 Young student posing a question to one of the panel members.

 Attendance at the indiafrica campus outreach programme.

Cross section of students following the proceedings of the indiafrica campus outreach programme on may 12.

 The aerial view of cross section of audience during indiafrica campus outreach programme.

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In a path breaking initiative, India is adopting a unique approach to foster a People-to-People (P2P) understanding with Africa.

Implemented by theIdeaWorks, a design and strategy firm headquartered in NCR, and supported by the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, ‘INDIAFRICA: A Shared Future ‘is a three year initiative.

Launched in 2011, ‘INDIAFRICA: A Shared Future’ invites creative exchange between young Africans and Indians through a multidisciplinary contest series and a Young Visionaries fellowship program. This people to people initiative aims to create a dynamic platform for students and professionals across India and Africa to collaborate through competition, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The multidisciplinary contest series, in the areas of Business Plans, Essay Writing, Photography and Poster Design, will help create a platform for talented young Indians and Africans to exchange ideas about emergent realities, successes and challenges, and explore future collaborations in business, design and culture.

 It also includes a Young Visionaries Fellowship programme, which identifies promising young entrepreneurs in India & Africa and offers them opportunities for growth and collaboration. The driving vision is to encourage cross-fertilization of ideas, increased future trade, and a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities of doing business in the two geographies.

 For each contest category, cash prizes of US$1,000 will be awarded to three winners from each of the following areas: Eastern Africa, Western Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa and India.

Each winning Young Visionary will be awarded a five-day tour of India or Africa (depending on country of origin) that will comprise relevant meetings, seminars and trade shows, as well as platforms to interact with potential contacts for commercial or collaborative purposes. The final short listed participants will be eligible to compete for a financial grant of US$10,000 to develop a collaborative project with India/Africa.

 INDIAFRICA will help forge meaningful bonds between youth from both geographies; inspire new possibilities of collaboration to evolve our shared industries; and encourage recognition of diverse nations as interdependent creative problem solvers with unique and invaluable resources and talents.

Increasingly, cultural competency and convergent ideologies become necessary for success as more and more young people become global citizens, sharing the same hopes, dreams and aspirations across countries and continents. In this perspective, people especially the youth of a country can play a vital role in creating a more connected world and in turn a better future for all. When two billion people of Africa and India start to build a dream together, a new history can be scripted.

The INDIAFRICA initiative is born out of recognition of shared sensibilities, histories and intertwined cultures between India and the African Continent. The connection between India and Africa, home to an over-two-million-strong Indian diaspora, has been a continuous process of socio-cultural and economic exchange.

Providing a platform to young students, entrepreneurs and visionaries for dialogue, showcasing their talent and collaborative work as much in the creative fields as in business, the INDIAFRICA initiative is a continuing chain in a relationship which dates back to centuries.

The Tanzania Campus Outreach was held on May 12 at Nkrumah hall at the University of Dar Es Salaam which saw more than 500 students who participated  at an event where young Visionary Entreprenuers from India Neha Juneja and Rustam Sengupta and from Tanzania Mustafa HAssanali and Emelda Mwamanga spoke of their vision passion and challenges.