Youth Meeting –Picnic Edition

Organised within the framework of the Youth Gathering, this program will take the form of a picnic designed to strengthen social and cultural interactions. The main theme is: “African Festivals: Between Tradition and Modernity.” African festivals cannot be reduced to mere ritualistic or festive events; they constitute genuine cultural institutions repositories of collective memory, agents of identity formation, and vectors of social cohesion. Inscribed within a long historical trajectory, they have evolved alongside political, economic, and social transformations, preserving certain symbolic foundations while continually reinventing their forms, functions, and meanings. From this perspective, the roundtable will examine the historical continuity of traditional festivals, their dynamics of transformation in the face of modernisation and globalisation, and their roles within contemporary African societies. The discussion will be structured around the productive tension between cultural continuity and social change, explored through the concepts of preservation, adaptation, and reinvention. The program thus seeks to combine a rigorous academic forum with convivial social activities, fostering a space for exchange that is both intellectual and communal. It aims to encourage the active engagement of young participants, strengthen their cultural awareness, stimulate critical thinking, and consolidate their sense of collective belonging. The central objective of this initiative is to bring together young people of African descent in order to reinforce social bonds and cultivate a shared cultural consciousness through dialogue and exchange. Specific Objectives To discuss and exchange perspectives on the theme “African Festivals: Between Tradition and Modernity,” by analysing th