The Mauritanian Women’s Sociocultural Association DIMBE is celebrating a week of activities in Puerto del Rosario from July 22 to 25 to promote intercultural coexistence. The programme includes conferences, sports, music, and gastronomy.
The DIMBE Intercultural Week kicks off on July 22 in Puerto del Rosario with an ambitious programme aimed at bridging the Mauritanian community and the local society. Organised by the Mauritanian Women’s Sociocultural Association DIMBE, the initiative is supported by the Fuerteventura Council and the Puerto del Rosario City Council.
Conferences and Dialogue on Historical Links
The first day, July 22, will host the conference ‘Between Two Shores: Mauritania and the Canary Islands, a Bridge of Coexistence, Integration, and Cooperation’. It will address the historical, social, and environmental ties that connect both territories, as detailed by the organisation.
The series of talks will continue with sessions dedicated to cultural heritage, youth, and equality. Meetings have also been scheduled to raise awareness about human rights and the eradication of female genital mutilation, a scourge affecting many women in Africa.
Sports and Gastronomy as Tools for Integration
The programme highlights sports and gastronomy as means of bringing people together. The grand finale will be a match between Canarian wrestlers and traditional Senegalese wrestlers, conceived as a symbol of dialogue between cultures through the shared values of both disciplines.
Additionally, throughout the four days, there will be musical performances and an intercultural gastronomic space showcasing the culinary richness of the Canary Islands and various African countries. All of this is open to the public and free of charge.
Institutional Support and Local Perspective
The president of the Fuerteventura Council, Lola García, highlighted that “Fuerteventura is an open, diverse, and welcoming island, where people from different backgrounds coexist and build a richer society every day.” In her opinion, initiatives like this contribute “to strengthening that coexistence through mutual knowledge, respect, and dialogue between cultures.”
Meanwhile, the mayor of Puerto del Rosario, David de Vera, has emphasised “a week that showcases the cultural diversity that exists not only in the municipality but throughout the island.” He stressed the need to “develop concrete actions in areas such as culture, art, or sports, as a true reflection of our society’s reality.”
The president of DIMBE, Hawa Touré, explained that the Intercultural Week “arises as a response to the need to create spaces for coexistence that strengthen relationships between the different communities present on the island.” It is a citizen participation project, she added, that “uses culture as a tool for integration, learning, and social transformation.”
Impact on Daily Life for the Locals
For the residents of Puerto del Rosario and the rest of Fuerteventura, this week represents a unique opportunity to experience Mauritanian culture firsthand without leaving the island. The activities are spread across various public spaces in the municipality, allowing for direct and free participation.
Moreover, the initiative reinforces Fuerteventura’s role as a meeting point between the Canary Islands and Africa, a reality that is becoming increasingly visible in the daily life of the island. The combination of reflection, art, and leisure aims to engage all audiences, from schoolchildren to the elderly.
Those who attend will be able to taste typical dishes from Mauritania and the Canary Islands, listen to live music, and witness sports exhibitions that are rare on the island. All of this takes place in a festive atmosphere of mutual respect.
The DIMBE Intercultural Week will conclude on July 25, but its organisers hope that the dialogue and connections made will endure beyond the calendar. As Hawa Touré has reminded us, “coexistence is built day by day, and this week is just one more step on that journey.”
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