Banana Club goes to Maun

Banana Emoji Productions in collaboration with the European Union Delegation in Botswana is set to host the first installment of the BANANA CLUB dialogues in Maun on the 14th of May 2022. The engagement, which is being held for the first time in Maun will be set under the theme, ‘ Intimate Partner Violence: IPV in the LGBTQI community’.

Speaking on the choice of theme for the first session of the year, Banana Club Founder, Tanlume Enyatseng said, “While Intimate Partner Violence ( IPV) does occur between heterosexual or same- sex couples, efforts to address this national problem have remained mostly focused on heterosexual women and children despite other populations experiencing IPV at similar or higher rates.

“BANANA CLUB encourages more research on IPV in the LGBTQ community to include studies on the prevalence, accuracy of screening tools, effectiveness of early detection and interventions, as well as the benefits and harms of screening,” said Enyatseng.

This dialogue will be the fifth collaboration between Banana Emoji Productions and the Delegation of the European Union in Botswana. Deputy Head of Delegation, Silvia Bopp- Hamrouni explained that the EUROPEAN UNION is happy and honored to once again collaborate with BANANA EMOJI to host events such as this one in order to foster dialogues among the youth and the LGBTIQ+ communities in Botswana.

“The EU’s Strategy for LGBTIQ+ Equality proposes to integrate the fight against discrimination affecting LGBTIQ+ people in all EU policies, including in our external policy. Among other actions, the European Commission will support projects that use cultural expression to tackle discrimination, build trust and acceptance, and promote the full inclusion of LGBTIQ+ people,” said Bopp- Hamrouni.

Banana Emoji Productions remain resolute in identifying ways in which the multi- disciplinary organisation can foster initiatives that provide relevant and impactful differences in underrepresented communities.

“We are excited to host our first ever session in Maun. The BANANA CLUB movement continues to grow, thanks to the unwavering support of our club members. This year we plan to introduce queer urban culture events in addition to our sessions. We want to centre the voices of queer artists in public discourse, expanding what participation in a democracy looks like; reshaping conversations about politics and provoking a change in consciousness,” concluded Enyatseng.