Follow up on #ComeOnCannes

Abraham Abbi Asefaw
1 min readMay 27, 2021

I am completely overwhelmed by the profound messages of support over the last week. To witness the power of our community ready to hold organisations accountable for their actions.

This was never about me losing a title, but about the future generations of creatives losing opportunities. Diversity can’t just be a franchise term; every organisation must at a minimum be representative. I am thankful that the message wasn’t lost but on the contrary, amplified by your responses.

Based on my experiences but also very much your feedback and stories shared during the week, I have had constructive conversations with Cannes Lions leadership who have shown sincere willingness to change — not just the leadership for RHA as I initially requested, but the structural issues in their organisation overall. This commitment they have just made public in a statement.

I am really proud of us. Of the change, we’ve made and opportunities we’ve created but more than anything, I am proud of the words of encouragement, empathy and support which I hope others who dare to speak up in the future will receive in the same way I have.

Cannes Lions statement

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Abraham Abbi Asefaw

Investing in people, businesses and projects driven by impact 🌍 • Chairman at LW • Chairman & Lecturer @hyperisland • Previously @thepopupagency