Africa

The Nile Project: harmonies instead of conflicts

The Nile flows through eleven African countries. He is regarded as the most important source of drinking water, the Sharing is difficult. A project attempt to resolve conflicts and promotes a sustainable use, with music.

Minai Girgis firmly believes that music connects people of different origins – and that is exactly what the Land needs, the Egyptian-American ethnomusicologist. Girgis stressed that it is the longest river of the earth flows through eleven different countries in Africa. And their dependence on the Nile as the main source of drinking water has often led to conflicts.

Girgis wants to help to resolve these conflicts – with the power of music. Five years ago, he was a co-founder of the Initiative
“The Nile Project”, to musicians, to bring together from all eleven Nile countries. For what? In order to connect the regions beyond borders, to leave their conflicts behind, and a sustainable use of the river.

“We want to use music, the many traditions combines to make this a discussion about the challenges around the Nile, and our role as citizens initiate,” explains Girgis of the DW.

About 437 million people live on the Banks of the Nile. The Nile basin is a “complex Ecosystem” – not only ecologically, but also politically, says the music Director of “The Nile Project”, the Mekonnen Ethiopian-American Saxophonist Danny.

“Especially in Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, the people of the conflicts around water are aware of,” says Mekonnen of the DW.

The conflict had been brewing since the early 20th century. A century later, when an agreement was signed, attributed the lion’s share of the Nile water to Egypt. Currently, a dam will be built in Ethiopia, which is quite controversial, says Mekonnen. “This is a huge area with over 400 million people. There is not enough water for all, and it is not distributed fairly.”

The conflict over the water of the Nile lasted for more than a decade

The perception of the Nile’s change

The Nile traverses so many countries, such as Uganda, Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia, and is for these countries of varying importance. In Egypt, the people will see the Nile river as a matter of course, Girgis.

“Like any other Egyptian citizen who grew up on the river, we cross it every day – but we don’t think about it until the will be questioned,” says Girgis.

The same is true for Kasiva Mutua from Kenya, in “The Nile Project” for the Percussion. In her home she is one of Kenya’s best percussionists and one of the few women who is successful in this area.

“Kenyans are not normally considered part of the Nile,” she says of the DW. “I was not aware that the lake Victoria plays such a big role for the river. It was only when I joined the project, has changed my view on the Nile completely,” says Mutua.

Encourage people, the river as a protection to the needy and to appreciate part of the resource, according to Mekonnen, one of the main objectives of the project. “What we are trying to do is to create a kind of community, whereby the people of the eleven countries feel connected to each other. And Act one of the ways is through our cooperation in the music.”

The members of “The Nile Project” do not want to encourage a creative, cross-border cooperation in the Nile basin

Climate change-together we can fight

East Africa is one of the regions in the world, is already feeling the effects of climate change. Kasiva Mutua is concerned with the future of the continent, should provide the international community that the warming of the earth to stop.

“I have seen many of the consequences of climate change. Everyone can feel the heat. The seasons have changed,” she says.

Girgis, co-founder of “The Nile Project” to true. He says that climate change has exacerbated the problems that prevail already in a Region, in which the conflict of water supply has become a fact of life.

“The sea level rise in the Nile Delta of Egypt is to say a clearly a result of climate change,” he said.

Kasiva Mutua, in the middle, is one of the few known female percussionists in Kenya

“The people need to do something”

Girgis is convinced that governments alone can not solve the Problem. According to him, it needs a reliable infrastructure – all levels of stakeholders.

Citizens, the private sector and civil society all have a profound role as a supporter, says Girgis. “And with “The Nile Project”, we want to show these different actors, how they fit into this larger Puzzle.”

Mutua concurs, and stresses the Power of action. “It all begins with Talking – and that’s what we do. We make music and speak to the curiosity in the people, to talk about sustainable solutions, and to realize what is really happening.”

And to do something for the Nile, have to work together, the people of the various regions, as do the musicians of the project. “What we are is a creative collaboration is in need of, beyond the borders, in the whole of the Nile basin,” says Girgis.

“That’s why our music is sort of a metaphor for a creative solution to the problem,” he adds.

Musicians from different countries together means also, different instruments, different tuning systems, different scales, rhythms and languages. “The Nile Project” is trying to combine all of this with a Nile Sound that represents the entire Region.

“The Nile Project” brings together 16 musicians from nine different African countries

“It is a blueprint of how the citizens of all these different countries can self-organize, to develop something that none of us could alone,” concludes Girgis.