The Festival Amani is an annual festival that takes place in the context of peacebuilding in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Great Lakes region. Named after the Swahili word for "peace", the festival brings together thousands of participants each year to celebrate unity through artistic expression.
Organized every February, the three-day festival features music, dance, comedies and other talented artists in Goma.
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Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the capital and largest city of the North Kivu Province; it is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu and shares borders with the Bukumu Chiefdom to the north, Rwanda to the east and the Masisi Territory to the west. The city lies in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift, and is only 13–18 km (8.1–11.2 mi) south of the active volcano Mount Nyiragongo. With an approximate area of 75.72 km (29.24 sq mi), the city had a population of 782,000 people in 2024,with an additional 500,000 displaced people.
Goma is administratively divided into two urban municipalities: Goma and Karisimbi, which are further subdivided into 18 quarters, colloquially recognized as "neighborhoods" in the English lexicon. The city is home to several notable landmarks, including Goma International Airport, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Virunga National Park, the private Christian co-educational school Adventist University of Goma, the University of Goma, and is also surrounded by the active Virunga volcanic range, which includes volcanoes Nyamulagira, Nyiragongo, Mikeno, Visoke, Gahinga, Karisimbi, and Sabinyo. Goma also hosts the annual Amani Festival, the Free University of the Great Lakes Countries, which supports local development initiatives, as well as the regional cultural center and art school, Foyer Culturel de Goma.
The Foyer Culturel de Goma (meaning "Goma Cultural Center"), colloquially referred to by its acronym FCG, is a cultural center and art school located in Goma, North Kivu, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It serves as a regional key institution for promoting arts as a driving force for peace, reconciliation, and social change in the African Great Lakes region.
The center provides artistic education to nearly 600 young people and adults annually, offering courses in various disciplines such as vocal performance, piano, guitar, percussion, spoken word, dance, and cinema. FCG also plays an integral role in the community's cultural development by partnering with local families and schools. As the birthplace of the Amani Festival, the most significant cultural event in the region, the Foyer Culturel de Goma has established itself as a cultural reference in the city.