Dr. Bibian Kalinde became president of Pan African Society for Musical Arts Education (PASMAE) at the recent conference held from the 24-28th July 2023 at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana. Until her appointment, Dr. Kalinde served as president elect for the society for two years.The appointment of Dr. Kalinde has historical significance for Zambia in that PASMAE as it is known today was birthed in Lusaka in 2001. In 2021, Zambia hosted the PASMAE conference. Twenty-three years later in 2023, its president is Zambian.
PASMAE is an African organization that promotes Musical arts education throughout Africa and draws membership from across the world. It has the following aims:
• To foster music and arts in the education of people of all ages throughout Africa;
• To enable all such people to enjoy music and to take part freely in community music activities;
• To provide a forum for discussion, debate and advocacy of musical arts education related matters;
• To assist music educators in the preservation, promotion and teaching/learning of the music cultures of human society while developing creative and competent musicians for the contemporary world.
In the next two years, Dr. Kalinde will work to ensure stronger geographical presence through the regional vice presidents in the Eastern, Western, Northern and Eastern regions of Africa. This will be achieved with the support of the advisory committee of National Representatives in Africa and the diaspora. Music subject associations will be recognized for their role in advocating for greater support for music education for teachers and practitioners. It will therefore be imperative that associations be formed where they do not exist and revived where they have been dormant. Meaningful PASMAE engagements with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and African Union will be sought in the realization of the agenda for musical arts in Africa.
Music teachers, educators, practitioners and enthusiasts are invited to join PASMAE.
Dr. Kalinde is a music lecturer and Assistant Dean for postgraduate at the University of Zambia. For further inquiries on how to become a PASMAE member visit https://www.pasmae.africa/pasmae
