Echos Communication
www.echoscommunication.org

According to a wise old Kenyan man, “the problem with regard to North/South relations, is not that the South has no voice, but that the North does not have any ears.” This is why we are trying to increase the interest of public “ears” in the North with regard to questions of development. 

We are a Belgian non-governmental organisation which carries out communication projects on international relations. Our role is to communicate the potential, the skills and the creativity of people wherever they come from in order for them to be able to mutually discover each other, to learn from one another and to form their own development based on what they have learnt. 

We liked the book “1000 families” because its author and designer, Uwe Ommer, took the same generous view of all families in the world no matter where they come from. When reading this book, we have a feeling of unity, through the close proximity of families and people, yet also a feeling of diversity through the many differences (cultural, religious, economic, etc.) which distinguish them from each other. Everyone possesses its own ingenuity, which they would like to use to create a future which will bring wealth and a sustainable world. 

We believe that development cooperation will increasingly become a space for exchange of knowledge, of co-management of the world and of mutual learning between people and cultures of the world. 

At present, a large number of the world’s inhabitants, especially those in the South, are economically poor and cannot sufficiently promote their material wealth. In addition, they do not often have the chance to raise awareness of their cultural, social and spiritual wealth amongst other inhabitants of the “global village.”

We are trying to give them a voice within the international media so that they become aware of their own strengths and their own wealth, which they can offer to the rest of the world. 

For example, within the framework of the “Building Unity Through Diversity” project, we are organising a communication campaign with the international press, so that local African representatives (mayors, business managers, etc.) can show the European public the way in which Africa is on the move, the way in which it is creating wealth and why it is worth regarding Africa as a partner for the future. 

We also believe that one of the key factors of poor development is the relationship of dominator/dominated, of dependence and/or exploitation which link the people of the North and the South. 

It is within this framework that we are, on the one hand, trying to set up projects for which the management is based on collective intelligence and valuing the knowledge that everyone possesses. On the other hand, we also want to be active in formulating new ways of working together, ways which allow each and every one of us to develop ourselves in a harmonious and equal way.
Consequently, we are organising a Euro-African business partnership competition within the framework of the same “Building Unity Through Diversity” project, which aims to prove that it is possible to create wealth together, through valuing each person’s knowledge and sharing this knowledge in an equitable way. 

If you are interested in knowing more about our projects, if you would like us to become involved in your activities or if you would like to become a partner of the “Building Unity Through Diversity” network, for which we are the coordinators, then contact us at info@echoscommunication.org or by telephone on +322 387 53 55.