On Thursday 23 July, the San Jerónimo Citizens' Centre in Taco, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, hosted the dialogue gathering “From Shore to Shore. The Canary Islands and Africa, One Shared Feeling,” an event that brought together public representatives, social organisations, businesses and members of the public from 4:30 to 9:00 p.m. around a shared goal: exploring new forms of collaboration between the archipelago and the African continent based on mutual benefit. I had the opportunity to attend this event, organised by the Asociación África en Común and the Unión de Asociaciones Vecinales de Canarias (UAVC), with the support of La Laguna City Council, and which was also attended by the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo.
The gathering was structured around five working sessions devoted to institutional cooperation, the economy, social participation, business initiatives and intercultural coexistence, with specialists and representatives from different sectors sharing experiences and concrete proposals. Central themes of the discussion included the role the Canary Islands can play as a bridge of understanding between Europe and Africa, new forms of economic development and collaborative economy with social impact, and migration addressed from a perspective of rights and cooperation between territories, rather than a purely reactive approach.
The event also devoted significant space to cultural exchange, aiming to highlight the historical and human ties that unite both shores of the Atlantic and to counter stereotypes through greater mutual understanding. As part of this cultural and awareness-raising dimension, the documentary “Back to the Roots” was screened, offering an audiovisual perspective on the relationship between the Canary Islands and Africa and providing a starting point for the discussion that followed. The gathering closed with the reading of an institutional declaration setting out the main commitments arising from the event, advocating closer collaboration grounded in respect, equal opportunity and shared development.
Initiatives like this confirm that La Laguna is establishing itself as a space for dialogue where public administrations, civil society organisations and citizens work together to build a shared agenda with Africa. At Parque Tecnológico Playa Paraíso, we follow gatherings of this kind with great interest, convinced that the geographic and cultural closeness between the Canary Islands and the African continent opens up real opportunities for cooperation, innovation and shared development — opportunities that can also translate into technological and business projects between both shores.
Links of Interest
–Facebook post about the “From shore to shore” event, with photographs and details of the day.
https://www.facebook.com/share/1C9EqEmXbC/
–Instagram post with visual content from the gathering held at the San Jerónimo Citizens' Centre.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DbFmghZoyzB/?igsh=MWdvY2JwMG1kcWdlaw==
–San Jerónimo Citizens' Centre (Taco, San Cristóbal de La Laguna) listing on Planomato, the venue where the event was held:
https://share.google/lnyctrtjzH1iA3JCK
–Planomato listing for the event “From Shore to Shore. The Canary Islands and Africa, One Shared Feeling.”:
https://share.google/EN2FpdZn66dBKiVtX
–Planomato event page with practical information about the gathering in La Laguna:
https://www.planomato.com/es/san-cristobal-de-la-laguna/p/de-orilla-a-orilla-canarias-africa
–Welcome Africa tag page gathering all posts dedicated to this initiative:
https://welcomeafrica.org/tag/de-orilla-a-orilla-canarias-y-africa-un-solo-sentimiento/
–English-language Welcome Africa article on the opening of this space for dialogue between the Canary Islands and Africa:
–La Laguna Ahora article on the gathering and its commitment to cooperation between the Canary Islands and Africa:
–Justicia y Paz Tenerife blog post with the date, venue, schedule and sign-up form for the event:
https://justiciaypaz-tenerife.blogspot.com/2026/07/de-orilla-orilla.html?m=1
–Bing video search results for the “From Shore to Shore. Encounter with Africa” gathering:
–Instagram post with the sign-up link for the forum:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DbSjdkbDgsU/?igsh=YzVtZGI2dm45aTc4
–Casa África listing for the “II Gran Canaria Intercultural Festival. From Shore to Shore” (an earlier, differently themed edition that was ultimately cancelled), useful as background on the project's name:
–Rift Valley website, a travel agency specializing in tourism to Africa:
–Official press release from La Laguna City Council: “La Laguna looks to Africa to build a shared future through cooperation”:
–Instagram post by Nuevo Futuro Tenerife about its participation in the event:
https://www.instagram.com/nuevofuturotenerife
–Instagram reel on Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council's reception of the Consul of Senegal, included as related context on cooperation between the Canary Islands and Africa:
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DTpqdj7DYdL/
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