Change ASBL is an association of young Afropeans in Belgium working to share the culture and history of Africa with Afro-descendants and the rest of the world.
It’s an organization that’s inspired, in part, by those who face identity issues between their African origins and European upbringing, as reported in EFE.
“We have seen that if a person does not have a balanced identity, they can develop personality and integration problems. As an Afro-European they must be balanced and assume their Western European side as well as their past, customs, and culture of their parents,” Dido Lakama, coordinator of Change ASBL association, said.
There are no exact numbers of how many people of African descent reside in Belgium, but a majority migrated from Congo, Rwanda, or Burundi due to Belgium’s colonial past.
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Lakama says most Afro-Europeans fall in one of three categories: those who renounce their African origins to integrate into European society; those who never find their place in Europe and suffer from discrimination and racism; or those who embrace their identity as Afro-Europeans.
“We try to teach them their history and their customs and also to rebalance their double culture because they are, first, Belgians,” Lakama said.
“We believe that we also have the noble task as representative of new generations, of giving them the means to re-appropriate their historical and intellectual heritage so as to deconstruct negative and stereotypical images,” a mission statement of on Change ASBL’s website reads. “Solidarity, citizenship, transmission and education are therefore all values intrinsic to our association and these structures each of the actions we carry out.”
As we previously reported, Afro-Italians are making their mark in the music scene, all while shedding light on racism and identity in Italy.
You can find more information about Change ASBL on its website.
