ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳

Events

Growth and solidarity: cities reimagining human mobility in Africa and Europe

Hosted by the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ European Institute

Online public event

Speakers

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr

Giuseppe Sala

Giuseppe Sala

Marta Foresti

Marta Foresti

Professor Ricky Burdett

Professor Ricky Burdett

Discussant

Chair

Dr Angelo Martelli

Dr Angelo Martelli

The Mayors Dialogue on Growth and Solidarity, spearheaded by the mayors of Freetown, Yvonne Aki -Sawyerr and Milan, Giuseppe Sala, engages about 20 cities from both continents to develop a joint vision, practical actions, and operational partnerships to support urban development and create enabling conditions for human mobility in their communities. As cities grapple with the impact of the Covid pandemic the Mayors Dialogue will chart a path forward by highlighting and testing innovations for inclusive local governance, access to basic services for all, the transition to a green economy, and fairer, more equitable trade, mobility, and a stronger partnership between Africa and Europe.

Alongside Milan and Freetown, other cities participating in the Dialogue currently include; Accra, Agadez, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bristol, Dakar, Durban, Kampala, Kanifing, Lisbon, Mannheim, Maputo, Paris, Tunis and Zurich. Further cities from across Africa and Europe will be joining the Dialogue during 2020. This event will offer an insight into the Growth and Solidarity Initiative and discuss some of challenges that lie ahead.

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE () has been the Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, since May 2018. She is a former finance professional with over 25 years of private sector experience, and has previously worked as Delivery Team Lead (from 2014-15) for the second phase of a multi-stakeholder programme to drive socio-economic recovery in Sierra Leone post Ebola. Mayor Aki-Sawyerr is an ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ alumna, and holds an MSc in Politics of the World Economy.

Giuseppe Sala () has been the Mayor of Milan, Italy, since June 2016. From 2010 - 2015 he was CEO of the 2015 Universal Exposition in Milan.

Marta Foresti () is the Director of ODI Europe and she also leads their Human Mobility Initiative, managing the institute engagement on migration at global, regional and local level. She is Visiting Senior Research Fellow at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳'s Institute of Global Affairs and she is acting as senior policy advisor for the consultation of the Global Compact For Migration and to the IOM’s Research Syndicate.

Ricky Burdett () is Professor of Urban Studies at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ and Director of the Urban Age and ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Cities.

Angelo Martelli () is Assistant Professor in European and International Political Economy at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳'s European Institute.

The  () is a centre for research and graduate teaching on the processes of integration and fragmentation within Europe. In the most recent national Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) the Institute was ranked first for research in its sector.

This event is part of the ‘ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ European Institute Series: Beyond Eurocentrism’. Understanding Europe requires going beyond Eurocentrism. And yet studies of Europe may still retain the traces of Eurocentric assumptions and prejudices. This event series aims to explore how the shape and shaping of Europe – its political-economy, its political policy making, or its political culture – needs to be rethought in a time of the exhaustion of Eurocentrism.

This event also forms part of ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳’s Shaping the Post-COVID World initiative, convening a series of debates about the direction the world could and should be taking after the crisis, collaboratively producing a roadmap for the future. 

Twitter Hashtags for this event: #ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳Eurocentrism #ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳COVID19

Podcast & Video

A podcast of this event is available to download from .

A shortcast (20 minute digested version) of this event is available to download at

A video of this event is available to watch at .

Podcasts and videos of many ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ events can be found at the .

Social Media

Follow ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ public events on for notification on the availability of an event podcast, the posting of transcripts and videos, the announcement of new events and other important event updates. Event updates and other information about what’s happening at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ can be found on the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳'s page and for live photos from events and around campus, follow us on . For live webcasts and archive video of lectures, follow us on . 

is a selection of images taken by the school photographer.

From time to time there are changes to event details so we strongly recommend that if you plan to attend this event you check back on this listing on the day of the event.