Together, to be stronger and aim for prosperity. This is one of the goals of the second Æfrotopia, organized by the International Black Economic Forum (FEIN). The virtual, bilingual and free event takes place this Saturday and Sunday. It offers economic innovation labs, a virtual trade mission and intensive business courses offered by entrepreneurs, teachers, ministers and diplomats from various countries.
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Participants from Canada, the United States, but also from Jamaica, Haiti, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Niger, among others, will ignore distant time zones to exchange their knowledge, discuss their history, the particularities of their country and their contacts. “People are gathered around 13 different paths, says Kerlande Mibel, founding president of FEIN. For two days, we want to share knowledge and incite action to develop a prosperous collective future. »
“I like the collective and international aspect of the event, continues Stanley Victor, CEO of Groupe Stanley Victor. We have to realize that we have leaders everywhere who surpass themselves in different areas. We must discuss collective wealth. Kerlande has created a space to dream. This is important, because great ideas come from dreams. But we have to make sure that we don’t stay at the stage of dreams. »
The event, a platform for promoting black talent, is open to everyone. More than 400 people are registered. Until Sunday, there will be relays in particular, from Quebec and Canada, Greg Fergus, Member of Parliament for Hull-Aylmer, Déborah Cherenfant, Regional Director of the TD Bank, Justine Hendricks, Senior Vice-President, Sustainable Trade and Business Facilitation of ‘EDC, Louis-Edgar Jean-François, CEO of Groupe 3737, Yolanda Banks, Director, Corporate Affairs and Operations of FinDev Canada, and Nadine Girault, Caquiste MP and member of the Council of Ministers.
Create sustainable institutions
With Æfrotopia, more than the meeting of diverse ideas within the black community, Stanley Victor hopes that we can find a way to sow seeds that will bear fruit for life.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE INTERNATIONAL BLACK ECONOMIC FORUM
Stanley Victor, CEO of Stanley Victor Group
Entrepreneurship is a good way to break cycles of poverty, for example. There is no finish line for me. We must feed a reflection to leave something that lasts, even after our death. We lack strong institutions for our communities. We have to create some that will become dynamic and be able to live for a long time.
Stanley Victor, CEO of Stanley Victor Group
“There are 1.2 billion people in Africa,” he adds. There are amazing opportunities that can arise there, but it’s good to understand the growth in Africa, the markets. There are great challenges and we can contribute, but the elements are scattered. Hence the importance of such an event. »
Kerlande Mibel wants everyone to have equal opportunities to get involved, not just people at the top of organisations. “There was the death of George Floyd, two years ago,” she said. In the process, most companies have committed to having more diversity in senior management and on boards of directors. Very few have acted at the intermediate level. For the moment, it is very superficial, what has been done. We just fixed something. However, we can act at other levels, think about international trade to solve problems here. If countries are prosperous, immigration and the outflow of talent will decrease, for example, because there will be more opportunities for people in their country of origin. Everyone will win. »