Africalia condemns behaviour or actions that go against the mentioned values, both within the organisation and among its partners, as well as in the context of the interventions it finances. The list of values below is neither exhaustive nor exclusive and Africalia will take into account all actions and behaviours likely to compromise the rights and the protection of its staff and direct and indirect beneficiaries. 

1.1 Integrity

Africalia is committed to contributing to the fight to protect the professional, moral and physical integrity of all those who work with and for Africalia in all countries.

• Moral and physical integrity

All those who work with and for Africalia in all countries must contribute positively, in accordance with their training and the instructions given by the employer, to the prevention policy put in place to protect workers against violence and sexual or moral harassment at work, and refrain from any act of violence or sexual or moral harassment at work. Moreover, they must refrain from any abuse of the complaints procedure mentioned below.

In order to avoid as much as possible the risk, occurrence and harm of psychosocial risks (burn-out, stress, turnover, anxiety, depression, violence and moral and sexual harassment), Africalia concludes a contract with an external service for prevention and protection at work, which provides a psychosocial prevention advisor to Africalia. Contact details for this service are provided in the appendices to the employees' contracts. 

• Financial integrity 

Africalia attaches particular importance to sound financial management. It requires anyone working with or for Africalia to comply with all applicable laws, regulations and codes relating to the fight against corruption. Africalia's staff ensures that the association's finances are managed in a responsible and ethical manner. 

The beneficiary(ies) as well as their sub-contractors, representatives or staff members may neither receive or agree to receive from anyone, nor offer or propose to give or procure for anyone, a commission or remuneration as an incentive or reward for performing or refraining from performing acts relating to the execution of the contract, or in order to favour or disadvantage anyone.

Any gift to Africalia employees must be declared in a gift register made available to them. 

Fraud and corruption are avoided in all circumstances and actively countered. 

• Avoiding conflicts of interest

Africalia’s governance, management and staff take care to avoid any situation of personal conflict of interest and in any case refrain from actively seeking one, in order to be able to fulfil their function or mandate in an impartial and objective manner and to respect the existing internal procedures and applicable regulations. By personal interest, we also mean any form of interest for family members, acquaintances, friends, organisations or companies of one's own, and political or other relations. Any indication of a conflict of interest must be avoided. If such an indication arises, the necessary steps will be taken to find a solution.

1.2 Respect

• Respect for culture, creators, and their creations

It is Africalia’s mission to promote sustainable development through cultural exchange. Africalia aims to make culture a key sector of development cooperation and thus strengthen international solidarity.

In Africalia's vision, culture is both the foundation and the goal of human development. Culture and creativity are essential elements of sustainable human development and important economic factors in Africa. Indeed, the production and distribution of cultural goods and services are important economic levers in the fight against poverty.

As an organisation dedicated to culture and creativity, Africalia places creators and artists at the centre of its work. Artists play a crucial role in promoting freedom of expression and democratic debate. Through film, dance and song, they bring stories to life and encourage society to engage in reflection. The cultural sector is a dynamic sector that testifies to the vitality and independence of a society.

Africalia will ensure that intellectual property issues, including copyright and related rights, are always respected. Advocacy in this area is part of the activities of Africalia and its partners.

• Respect for cultural diversity

Africalia respects and is committed to cultural diversity. We also engage with the cultural sector in Belgium to encourage these institutions to make their audiences more aware of all expressions of creativity in Africa. It goes without saying that the organisation is extremely vigilant about the position of the African diaspora in Belgium (and in Europe), given its sensitivity to the history of Belgian (and European) colonisation. Africalia therefore asks anyone working with or for Africalia to consider people of African origin as interlocutors in their own right.

Africalia's commitment to decolonisation is manifest in its internal organisation, in its activities and programmes and in its relations with its partners.

Africalia's policy note on Decolonisation outlines our commitment to defending this value.

• Respect for the environment: towards sustainable, inclusive, fair and environmentally friendly human development

Culture and creativity generate dignified and sustainable employment. They contribute to sustainable growth on a human scale, free of natural resources and non-polluting, based on the knowledge economy.

Africalia is committed to protecting the environment, in line with European and international commitments in this field, while bearing in mind the complexity and interconnectedness of contemporary challenges - environmental as well as social, economic and political - and the need to contextualise the considerations and solutions put forward.

Accordingly, Africalia’s environmental policy is hence based on the following principles:

• The environment is a global commons, just like art and culture, which must be protected by distributing responsibilities equitably.

• The environment must be considered from a decolonial perspective.

• The environment is a transversal issue.

• The environment must be considered from an intersectional perspective, meaning that it is interconnected with other systems of oppression in our societies. 
  

Africalia’s commitment to the environment is manifest in its internal organisation, in its activities and programmes and in its relations with its partners.

Africalia’s policy note on the Environment outlines our commitment to defending this value. With this policy note, Africalia recognises the intersectionality of the issues and pledges to promote sustainable, inclusive, fair and environmentally friendly human development.

Equity

Aware of the fundamental role of minorities (social class, ethnicity, age, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+, etc.) and of intersectionality, Africalia is particularly committed to the fight against racism and discrimination, sexism, the (neo)colonialist approach and eurocentrism, paternalistic visions and the ensuing upholding of systems of power of the dominant classes, approaches threatening democracy, and (socio-economic) inequalities that prevent access to culture. 

Culture helps to advance equity between all people. By offering access to culture to the majority, it contributes to limiting the brain drain and promoting local consumption.

1.3.1 Gender equity

Africalia is committed to gender equity and recognises the following principles as fundamental in guiding its policy and actions to promote equity:

• Gender equity is a fundamental human right, necessary for the peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable development of societies.

• The fight for gender equity cannot be waged without taking into account all other forms of exclusion and discrimination based on age, social class, skin colour, sexual orientation, etc. Africalia embraces the principles of intersectionality and ‘LNOB’ (Leave No One Behind).

• The representation and participation of women must be encouraged and promoted at every level of the organisation (executive board, management, staff, partners, etc.) and in its activities.

• Gender stereotypes must be eliminated to achieve gender equity.

"Gender mainstreaming": Africalia adopts a gender approach at all levels and in all its activities. and in all its activities.

Africalia’s policy notes on Gender, Decolonisation and the Environment contain more details on our commitment in this field.

1.4 Transparency

Africalia’s communication strategy aims to render correct, relevant, up-to-date and understandable information available, easily accessible and in a timely manner, and to do so in a transparent, reliable, and clear manner, to all its stakeholders, including its members, employees, partners, audience, sponsors, and donors.

In this context, we are committed to communicating yearly on integrity. 

Africalia’s note on Transparency management outlines our commitment to defending this value.

1.5 Empowerment

Africalia pursues the socio-economic empowerment (autonomisation) – with its four dimensions (wanting, knowing, being able, having) – of partnering cultural actors as a lever for different societal impacts (peace, democracy, gender equality, environment). Empowerment is achieved through 6 axes: (1) strengthened advocacy, (2) sound governance and networking of cultural players, (3) professionalisation of skills, (4) production of quality cultural and artistic works, (5) wider dissemination of works and (6) improved capacity to generate income.

An essential strategy in Africalia's programmes is the empowerment (autonomisation) and professionalisation of its partners, with a view to improving the supply of and access to quality cultural products and services. In this way, cultural actors contribute to social, economic and political innovation and creativity. 

Africalia’s Partnership policy note outlines our commitment and interpretation regarding this principle.

1.6 Participation

Africalia aims to support artistic and creative forces, to encourage them to collaborate and foster networks, so that culture and creative capacity are at the heart of economic innovation and social change in Africa.

Africalia seeks to have a tangible and lasting impact on the creative sector by collaborating closely with a wide range of associations, networks and umbrella organisations, both nationally and internationally. The reference to ‘Africa’ in Africalia's name unambiguously indicates the cultural cooperation that the organisation wishes to perpetuate with Africa. 

Consequently, Africalia attaches particular importance to the participation of its partners and resource persons in the organisation's strategic decisions and interventions. As far as possible, programmes and projects are designed in consultation with partners and all stakeholders in order to meet the needs of partners and beneficiaries as best as possible. The monitoring and evaluation processes for programmes and projects also include a firm commitment from partners.  

1.7 Professionalism

The members of Africalia’s staff and its executive board are committed to carry out their work in a professional and qualitative way. 

Together, we strive to achieve the best possible results in our various activities, based on a considerable sense of responsibility. In this sense, we rely on solidarity at work between the various employees and board members.

We are aware that our behaviour has an impact on the image of Africalia, as well as on those who work with us. In this respect, we undertake to avoid any behaviour, in or out of the workplace, which could damage Africalia's image.