URUNANI Africa Network Takes Center Stage at RIEPS 2026 in Douala

For five days, Douala hosted the second edition of the International Gathering for Popular and Solidarity-Based Education (RIEPS 2026), bringing together hundreds of civil society actors from Africa, Europe, South America, and Canada. More than thirty countries were represented around a shared conviction: making citizenship, popular education, and international solidarity powerful drivers of sustainable social transformation. 

“In Douala, international solidarity and popular education came alive through vibrant citizen-led exchanges from across the globe.” 

Co-organized by the CRID and Terrafrik Cameroon, RIEPS 2026 was held under the theme: “Citizenship and Solidarity as Drivers of Collective Transformation.” Plenary sessions, participatory workshops, networking spaces, and cultural activities created opportunities to connect experiences from the Global North and South, build lasting alliances, and showcase local initiatives driving positive change. 

The URUNANI Africa Network was represented by a pan-African delegation bringing together members from Burkina Faso, Benin,Ivory Coast, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Chad, and Togo, reflecting the network’s vitality and strong continental presence. 

A Remarkable Contribution 

True to its mission of promoting active citizenship and civic engagement, the network facilitated two major sessions during the gathering. 

The first workshop focused on local struggles for environmental justice. Through field experiences shared from several African countries, participants exchanged community mobilization strategies and popular education practices addressing natural resource exploitation, climate change impacts, and environmental inequalities. 

The second highlight took place during a plenary session in the form of a Living Library. Through an interactive and participatory approach, members of the network shared the history, values, and achievements of URUNANI. The discussions generated strong interest, particularly around collaborative governance, endogenous popular education tools, youth mobilization, and international solidarity, opening new opportunities for cooperation with partner organizations. 

“Uniting African citizens around the values of solidarity, social justice, and collective engagement.”

URUNANI Africa Network 

An Edition Marked by Collective Intelligence and International Alliances 

Throughout the gathering, participants praised the quality of the exchanges and the diversity of experiences represented. RIEPS 2026 once again fulfilled its mission: creating a genuine space for dialogue among citizen movements, youth networks, and popular education actors at the international level. 

Looking Ahead to the World Social Forum 2026 in Cotonou 

Building on this momentum, the delegation leaves Douala with renewed commitments and a clear destination: the 17th World Social Forum (WSF), which will take place in Cotonou, Benin, from August 4 to 8, 2026. More than a decade after Tunis 2015, the WSF returns to the African continent, bringing together social movements from around the world in a powerful convergence of struggles and alternatives. 

The URUNANI Africa Network will be there. 

Join us in Cotonou and let us combine our energies to make another world possible. 

For a fairer, more united, and more citizen-driven world, popular education remains our common strength. 

Douala, Cameroon | June 2–6, 2026