Meeting in commemoration of the one hundreds annual return of the Maji-Maji-war in connection with the celebration of the stage performance “Zauberwasser gegen Gewehrkugeln” (Magic water against bullets) by the Bagamoyo players , Tanzania. .*)

The meeting in commemoration of the Maji-Maji-war is organized by the Tanzania-Network.de.e.V in co-operation with other institutions and will be held on

Sunday, 13^th of November 2005, beginning 14:00 p.m., in Berlin
Werkstatt der Kulturen, Wissmannstraße 32, 12049 Berlin, Tel 030-609770-16
www.werkstatt-der-kulturen.de

The objective of the meeting is the commemoration of the many victims who died in the Maji-Maji-war, which broke out in 1905 in former German East Africa, the present Tanzania.

It is supported by a wide alliance.

We shall look upon the Maji-Maji-war (1905 to 1907) in respect to the German colonial policy. The war strut along with exploitation, oppression and disgrace of the population. The uprising stretched over almost the entire South of present Tanzania. The area, as large as Germany, was inhabited by about twenty different ethnic groups of people.

The Maji-Maji-uprising claimed more lives than any other colonial war: far exceeding the number of 100.000 people. This was due to the strategy of the scorched earth by the Germans. The main reason for the outbreak of the war is to be seen in the gradual increase of repression by the German colonial authority. By way of forced labour it was intended to increase the cotton production and, moreover, people also were forced to pay taxes. The initial spark which led the uprising burst into flames was the destruction of a cotton field in the area of the Matumbi (Kilewa-region) by two man and a women on the 20th of July 1905.

We take this anniversary as an occasion to look upon the colonial policy in East Africa as a matter which needs to be thought over publicly, and, likewise, to commemorate the victims of the colonial rule. We demand the development of a sense of responsibility, whereby the perspectives of the people concerned have to be taken into consideration. A public discussion, or rather a working up, of the German colonialism has not yet taken place. Even today this neglect is responsible for injustices between North and South, and as well for the here and there appearing racism in our German society

We take this matter into the public in the hope and expectation that politics, science and educational institutions of the public and churches alike get involved in order to force the working up of the Maji-Maji-uprising

Program

*) The meeting will be held under the auspices of His Excellency Benjamin Mkapa, President of the United Republic of Tanzania. (His participation has not yet been confirmed).

Participating institutions.

1. action medeor
2. Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Entwicklungshilfe AGEH e.V.
3. Berliner Entwicklungspolitischer Ratschlag BER e.V.
4. Berliner Gesellschaft für Missionsgeschichte
5. Berliner Missionswerk
6. Bündnis Entwicklungspolitischer Initiativen B.E.I. e.V., Kiel
7. Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung (Bildungswerk)
8. Deutsch-Tansanische-Freundschaftsgesellschaft-DETAF
9. Deutschland Postkolonial DEPO - Erinnern und Versöhnen
10. Eine-Welt-Netzwerk Hamburg
11. Entwicklungspolitisches Netzwerk Sachsen e.V.
12. Evangelische Kirche der Kirchenprovinz Sachsen
13. Evangelischer Kirchenkreis Wilmersdorf, Berlin
14. Ev.-luth. Missionswerk Leipzig
15. Freundeskreis Bagamoyo e.V.
16. Institut für Afrikanistik der Universität Leipzig
17. Jokinen / afrika-hamburg.de, Hamburg
18. Kath. Diözese Würzburg
19. Koordination Südliches Afrika KOSA e.V.
20. MISEREOR
21. Missionswerk der ev.-luth. Kirche in Bayern
22. Nordelbisches Missionszentrum NMZ
23. Partnerschafts- und Weltladengruppe Buschhütten
24. Regionale Arbeitsstelle für Ausländerfragen, Jugendarbeit und Schule, RAA Brandenburg e.V.
25. Seminar für Afrikawissenschaften der Humboldt-Universität Berlin
26. SODI Solidaritätsdienst-international e.V., Berlin
27. Tanzania Arbeitskreis Dekanat Gladenbach
28. Tanzania-Network.de e.V.
29. Trägerkreis „Erinnern - Deutsche Kolonialgeschichte aufarbeiten“, Berlin
30. Twende Pamoja-Tansania-Freundeskreis e.V.
31. Umoja wa Watanzania, Berlin
32. VENROB e.V., Potsdam
33. Vereinte Evangelische Mission
34. Werkstatt der Kulturen Berlin
35. Zentrum Ökumene der Evangelischen Kirche in Hessen und Nassau

... s.a. the updated list here