*The second outing of the Cartooning Global Forum (États Généraux du Dessin de Presse) 2 – 4 October 2019, in Paris has been very successful. The level of support it garnered from cartoonists around the world has proved that the forum is to be reckoned with.
Cartoonists from different continents, gathered at the magnificent Mairie de Paris, (Paris City Hall) to discuss various issues concerning cartoonists their works their rights and much more. The forum could easily have taken place at the United Nations in New York with over one hundred delegates from twenty nations who participated in two grand roundtable discussions. I was pleased to be a cartoonist representing the UK and Nigeria on behalf of EURweb.com thereby being able to participate and contribute to discussions.
Another scheduled gathering was held at the BNF Bibliotheque Nationale de France (National Library of France) Francois Mitterrand Library – It is the national repository of all that is published in France including comics and cartoons and also holds extensive historical collections -The history of and how original cartoons are persevered and collected and archived was discussed.
As a proud cartoonist of color, I am always fortunate to count many excellent international cartoonists as friends and colleagues under one roof discussing cartoons and the future of cartoons in these trying and at times difficult times for many.
CGF is not necessarily a new organization but a new opportunity for cartoonists, the bodies that represent them and affiliated stakeholders from the press and media as well as those working to protect freedom of expression to share knowledge and experience and identify areas of common interest where cartoonists can work collectively. CGF is using three of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals which is Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions, Reduced Inequalities and Quality of Education and as a framework of discussion, human rights and censorship were at the heart of the event since the first in 2018.
