Project Lighthouse Africa

Located in a community of 8 villages on the border of with and positioned next to a major highway, the solar-powered water kiosk improves the water security of people in the region through desalination.

PLA’s water initiative is strategically integrated with the (Narrative Management for Peace through Dialogue) concept - Water Kiosks transform into Social Information Hubs at key regional nodes.

These hubs serve as centers for Reliable Information Exchange, Community Engagement and Regional Connectivity. For more watch our film and check out our website:
prolightafrica.org

"Bànneexu Ndox" water desalination project - Senegal Located in a community on the Senegalese border with Mauritania and on a major highway, the solar-powered water kiosk improves the water security of people i...

Very happy after a week of workshops in Senegal on the NAMA4PD project!
Our team from Freie Universität Berlin, AHDIS, Project Lighthouse Africa and Université Gaston Berger de Saint Louis spent five days discussing and developing details of our citizen-based training concept on fighting disinformation and propaganda together with outstanding West African experts in the field of disinformation, peace communication and journalism.
It was a great week, thanks to Polaris Association, Africa Check, DW Akademie Africa, FasoCheck, GIJN - Global Investigative Journalism Network, GIZ,German International Cooperation, Plateforme des Femmes pour la Paix en Casamance, Bayerische Staatskanzlei and Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule (OTH) Regensburg for being part of this and looking forward to continuing to work towards peaceful development!

Happily training the new local crew and really enjoying their interest and enthusiasm. 💯✊🏽

We've been working hard to celebrate 2024 just in time by providing the first members of a rural community in the arid north of with clean and delicious drinking water, produced by an advanced and fully solar-powered (desalination) unit developed and supplied by our partners Boreal Light GmbH and Blissful Company.

While the hygienic drinking water produced by the Water Kiosk helps the rural communities in its vaccinity to survive, it is the irrigation water supply that brings them prosperity!

It is the link between water, food and security that makes us take agriculture as a very serious part of our mission. We deal with two aspects of agriculture, the drinking water supply and the irrigation water supply for vertical farms and associated fish farms.
No farming community can survive without water!

The cohesion of the society and even the development of perspectives for the young generation are linked to it.
And it is that connects all aspects. That is why we started from day one to advocate, to bring women together, to encourage them to speak and share.
Water is one of the enablers for peace and stability in the communities and thus in the entire region.

We want to continue to do this in the future and keep you up to date along the way.

Fastening (no food nor water) and still working straight for 12 hours during the day if it’s necessary, and that under a brutal sun where, for all of us currently here, only full shade is keeping the temperature below 50 degrees celsius, is only something for a very special type of people.
(Even if he gets totally “sh*t faced” during late afternoon.. 😉)
Meet Mr Bouna, a true gem and “the MacGyver” in our Senegalese team.

Thank you for a great and productive time together. 💪🏽

A little water from clearing out an abandoned well for reactivation and, with help of a solar desalination unit, use as drinking water source, in an area where people suffer from lack of clean drinking water, is visibly transforming the seemingly barren land.

Atia. Gute Seele des Hauses und für uns da während unserer Einsätze hier im Norden an der Grenze zu Mauretanien. Kümmert sich alltäglich um unsere Mägen. Glück für uns, dass sie dies auch hervorragend beherrscht.
Good soul of the house. She’s daily taking care of our tummies while we are here, up north on the border to Mauritania. With real craftsmanship. Lucky us. 🙏🏽

Damien. Amazing guy, the best for the job. So glad we’ve all met. It’s always about the people.

… He still thinks, that he better should’ve had a haircut before posting his picture. ;)

Senegal/Mauritania border | Solar lights along the road - perception of security and sign of development. In result, hope for a better future.
We work on acceleration of this hope for perspectives in life through our own activities.
Keeping you posted.

It always needs that common effort. Especially in critical times.
We are not so much in favor of wait-and-see.
So - let's leave reactive action to those who can't help it, but know better, and instead act proactively. While continuing to raise awareness at home.
Eventually they will come around and join us.

Freistaat Bayern Plateforme des Femmes pour la Paix en Casamance Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg Svenja Schulze Auswärtiges Amt German-Netherlands Corps Common Effort FU Institut für Publizistik und Kommunikationswissenschaft Université Gaston-Berger

Reflecting on another meaningful journey with the Project Lighthouse Africa team in .
Our focus this time: conducting crucial research within local communities on vital topics such as public health and perspective development.
One of the pressing issues we delved into was the lack of potable water in the border area of Senegal and , spanning the salt and fluoride belt of Fatick and Kaolak, and the Casamance region. The challenges faced by these communities are significant, and our commitment to understanding and addressing them is unwavering.

Every conversation, every survey, and every step taken in these areas opened our eyes to the resilience of the people and the urgency of the issues at hand. It's a reminder of the collective responsibility we bear to contribute towards sustainable solutions and positive change.
We are grateful for the opportunity to engage with these communities, to learn from their experiences, and to work with some of them to build a better future for themselves.

We recently travelled to several locations along the Senegal-Mauretania border to verify information about the critical water shortage situation facing several communities.

These communities often rely on water from the River, which unfortunately leads to outbreaks of diseases such as schistosomiasis in these communities.
We found that these communities stopped wearing the traditional white clothing to avoid visible bloody stains, the obvious sign of untreated infection.

Our aim is to find ways to help the Senegalese government provide these communities with the potable water they desperately need.
At the same time, we are providing training and creating jobs by recruiting staff from the local community.
In addition, we are supporting the development of local businesses as a result of our intervention in the water sector.

Meeting basic needs and creation of opportunities for personal development in the home region is building the foundation for a resilient population.

Freistaat Bayern Auswärtiges Amt Deutsche Afrika Stiftung e.V. Plateforme des Femmes pour la Paix en Casamance Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg Svenja Schulze

Finally the documentary it is out! To learn more about what we're trying to accomplish, please take the 30 minutes to watch it. -
We actually do not really know a lot about how people in West Africa, or particularly Senegal, communicate among each other.
What role do for example play religious leaders, like Imams, Bishops or regional leaders like local Kings or youth and women’s groups in communication networks?
How is strategically played out in order to fuel conflicts?

We want to understand what role does traditional media and the new digital mobile media play in the emergence of conflicts, how interested parties, like insurgent groups, like foreign governments are trying to use these channels to increase conflict in certain regions.
This gives a good introduction to the concept of .

Auswärtiges Amt Freistaat Bayern Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg Freie Universität Berlin Common Effort German-Netherlands Corps

Rare images from a country that has not yet revealed all its secrets to the world. Discover Senegal! How is disinformation being used strategically to fuel conflict in West Africa? We do not really know much about how people communicate with each other in We...

Dear Friends and Comrades-in-Common.
The report of the Common Effort Community conference on "West Africa as an arena of geopolitical conflict" is now available.
Send us a message to receive it in English, German and French.



German-Netherlands Corps Common Effort Freistaat Bayern Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit Deutsche Afrika Stiftung e.V. Auswärtiges Amt Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg Freie Universität Berlin

WEST AFRICA AS AN ARENA OF GEOPOLITICAL CONFLICTS | Common Effort Conference June 2023 | Berlin Destabilization, propaganda narratives, and comprehensive counter measures where the topics at 2023 Common Effort Community conference in Berlin. Organized b...

"[...] EU's approach to supporting peace and security in is moving towards a strong focus on military capacity-building. Instead, it should strengthen prevention and peacebuilding dimensions, [...]"

The EU Should Rethink its Approach to African Peace and Security With the European Peace Facility (EPF), the EU's approach to supporting peace and security in Africa is moving towards a strong focus on...

"The threat from militant Islamist groups in continues to escalate in tempo and scale. With the military junta’s continued exclusion of other domestic political actors and alienation of regional and international security partners, the prospect of Mali’s collapse grows increasingly likely."
😐

Mali Catastrophe Accelerating under Junta Rule – Africa Center for Strategic Studies The threat of militant Islamist groups is spreading to all parts of Mali as the military junta stakes its claim to stay in power indefinitely.

Mit ehrgeizigen Zielen übernimmt Entwicklungsministerin Schulze die Präsidentschaft der -Allianz.
Aber zunächst hat die Entwicklungsministerin ein anderes Ziel, denn der Terrorismus schwappe in diese Länder hinein.

"Der Fokus liegt im Moment absolut darauf, die Region [der Küstenanrainerstaaten wie der , die , und ] zu stabilisieren", so Schulze.
Ganz konkrete Maßnahmen haben wir dafür entwickelt, Frau Ministerin Svenja Schulze. -->

Trailer | #NAMA4PD | Senegal, West Africa | Documentation How is disinformation strategically played out in order to fuel conflicts? We actually do not really know a lot about how people in West Africa, or particula...

Comprehensive approach and civil-military interaction as a conflict prevention strategy.
This was the topic of our meeting with Vice Admiral Oumar Wade, Head of the Special Staff of the President of the Republic of Senegal.
It was an honor to receive an invitation to his office and to have the opportunity to brief him on the Common Effort Community Conference 2023 in Berlin, which he had been unable to attend on June 13.

German-Netherlands Corps Auswärtiges Amt Freistaat Bayern FU Institut für Publizistik und Kommunikationswissenschaft Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg

What a wild ride the last few weeks have been in the and regions of , right after the successful Common Effort Community Conference 2023 in Berlin.

Our quest to support stability and peace requires a constant study of the current and often fluid situations and the extension and maintenance of links with local partners and communities.

Preparation and timely arrangements are not much appreciated in the region, so it's always a pleasant surprise to see how well we've done what we set out to do.
Happy to see everyone in good health and with hopes for a peaceful future.

We will continue!






Auswärtiges Amt Freistaat Bayern Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg Freie Universität Berlin

Back in .

A must read.

Tracking Russian Interference to Derail Democracy in Africa – Africa Center for Strategic Studies By the Africa Center for Strategic Studies June 21, 2023 Systematic efforts by Russia to undercut democracy in Africa have inhibited democratic development in two dozen African countries.  Scroll over Map for Details There has been much attention given to democracy backsliding in Africa in recent...

Westafrika Konferenz in Berlin

Westafrika Konferenz: Westafrika als Arena geopolitischer Konflikte - Destabilisierung, Prop In Europa wird Sicherheitspolitik neu gedacht und in Abschreckung investiert. Gleichzeitig werden Aktivitäten von Akteuren wie China und Russland völlig neu bewertet. Dabei fällt die Sicherheitslage Westafrikas besonders ins Auge. Wie funktionieren Propaganda-Narrative, wie wirkt sich die Einflus...

For those of you who couldn't make it to our Common Effort Conference in Berlin last week, we've made sure you can at least see some impressions. So that the next event won't have to be without you.
Thanks to everyone who made it such a success!

Pour ceux d'entre vous qui n'ont pas pu se rendre à notre conférence sur l'effort commun à Berlin la semaine dernière, nous avons fait en sorte que vous puissiez au moins voir quelques impressions. Ainsi, le prochain événement ne se fera pas sans toi.
Merci à tous ceux qui ont fait de cet événement un tel succès !

Friedrich Naumann Foundation Africa German-Netherlands Corps Deutsche Afrika Stiftung e.V. Common Effort

WEST AFRICA AS AN ARENA OF GEOPOLITICAL CONFLICTS | Common Effort Conference June 2023 | Berlin Destabilization, propaganda narratives, and comprehensive counter measures where the topics at 2023 Common Effort Community conference in Berlin. Organized b...

, narratives and comprehensive were the topics of the Common Effort 2023 conference in Berlin.

Hosted by the 1 German-Netherlands Corps, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Africa, Project Lighthouse Africa, and the Deutsche Afrika Stiftung e.V. (German Africa Foundation), the one-day high-level meeting brought together security experts, policy makers, development organizations, and research institutions to discuss the violent spillover effects from the region into the Gulf of Guinea states of West Africa.

While 's war of aggression against Ukraine has shaken European security, is pursuing its own version of world order. Climate change is confronting all of us with consequences for living conditions and resource management. In the midst of all this, the African continent is attracting increasing attention from foreign policy actors.
For some, it's a "second scramble for Africa" and its resources. For others, the use of propaganda narratives to promote instability in West Africa is a powerful weapon against "the West".

The European Union has a vested interest in strong bilateral relations in the region, but lacks a coherent approach and strategic alliances.
Lt. Gen. Nico Tak, Commander of 1 German-Netherlands Corps, stressed that "foreign militaries must be humble in the African context and can only support, but never be the solution" to conflicts.
The Dutch general emphasized: "Militaries are a political tool of governments, and military organizations can sometimes be somewhat impatient.
But there are no quick fixes.
In this context, it is imperative to better understand the situation on the ground by listening to the African partners and letting them make the decisions.

This is especially true when it comes to the West African information landscape.
Prof. Dr. Martin Emmer of the Freie Universität Berlin and research director of Project Lighthouse Africa pointed out that "most conflicts begin with communication and tend to end with communication. Understanding and mapping communication flows is therefore a prerequisite for conflict prevention.” Who is saying what to whom and why?
But these are only the first questions.

Discussions focused on the role of foreign actors, the comprehensive approach to security and development, conflict resolution, and the role of the EU in the region. The role of communication, narratives and perspectives in the current West African context sparked a lively discussion.
Special emphasis was placed on a Common Effort Community derived concept of "Narrative Management" for community counter-measures, which is currently being implemented with local partners in Senegal.

The next Common Effort event, focusing on hybrid threats and resilience in the context of collective defense, will take place in Hamburg, Germany, this November 2023.

For more: common-effort.org

Intense days of work are behind us.
What an amazing ride it has been. And it is - and must - still just be the beginning.
Thanks to all of you, we feel so encouraged. Thank you once again!

With for in and civil society building in a - 2023

Talking about food works best when you have some food on hand. 😉
It was an absolute pleasure to meet so many friendly and smart people from different African countries and discuss together creative solutions for future food security, while focussing on the important role the continent has to play.