2012 DECLARATION OF THE FIRST GLOBAL AFRICAN DIASPORA SUMMIT

WE, the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, the Caribbean and South America

RECOGNIZING the important presence of Heads of State and Government from the Caribbean Community, South and Latin America and representatives of the African Diaspora;

EXPRESSING our appreciation to His Excellency, President Jacob Zuma, the

Government and People of the Republic of South Africa and the African Union for the warm reception and for hosting and conducting this Summit;

TAKING COGNIZANCE of the dialogue carried out between Africans on the Continent and representatives of the African Diaspora in various regions of the world, including North America, South and Latin America, Europe and elsewhere;

RECALLING the Constitutive Act of the African Union that is guided by a common vision of a united and strong Africa based on a partnership between governments and all segments of society in order to strengthen cohesion and solidarity among its peoples;

RECALLING the struggle of the Founding Fathers and combatants for Panafricanism in Africa as well as in the Diaspora;

ALSO RECALLING the Protocol on Amendments to the Constitutive Act of the

African Union adopted by the First Extra-Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2003, and in particular Article 3(q) which invites the African Diaspora to participate as an important component in the building of the African Union;

FURTHER RECALLING relevant African Union Decisions including Decision EX.CL/Dec. 5 (III) on the Development of the Diaspora Initiative adopted by the Third Ordinary Session of the Executive Council in Maputo, Mozambique, in July 2003, Decision EX.CL/Dec. 221 (VII) on the Africa-Diaspora Process adopted by the Eighth Ordinary Session of the Executive Council in January 2006 and Decision EX.CL/Dec. 406 (XII) on the First African Union Diaspora Ministerial Conference adopted by the Twelfth Ordinary Session of the Executive Council in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in January2008 on the modalities for Diaspora participation in the organs and activities of the Union and Decision Ass/AU/Dec.205(XI) adopted by the Eleventh Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in July 2008 on the Africa Diaspora Summit, Decision, Ass/AU/Dec 354 (XVI) of the Sixteen Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2011 on the Roadmap for the Diaspora Summit, including the convening of a Technical Experts meeting in Pretoria, South Africa in February 2011 and Decision Ass/AU/Dec 367 (XVII) of the Seventeenth Ordinary Session of Assembly of the Union on the convening of a second Ministerial Conference on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2011 as well as Decision Assembly/AU/Dec. 393(XVIII) endorsing the outcome and conclusions of the Second Ministerial Conference held in New York in September 2011.

RECALLING the commemoration in 2007 of the bicentennial of the trafficking in Africans, an obligation to remember the legacy of history, particularly the era of slavery and colonialism and the enforced separation of African people as a result of that experience, as well as the Declaration of the United Nations of 2011 as the year of the of people of African descent.

ENDORSING the initiative led by Member States of the African Union, the Caribbean community and other States in the International community for the establishment of a permanent memorial at the United Nations to honour the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade in fulfilment of paragraph 101 of the 2001 Durban Declaration;

EXPRESSING appreciation for contributions made to the voluntary Trust Fund established in this regard;

TAKING INTO account the need to put African history in its proper perspective and harness this towards rebuilding the global African family.

RECOGNIZING the need to build sustainable partnerships between the African continent and the African Diaspora through sustainable dialogue and effective collaboration with governments and peoples of different regions of the World in which the Diaspora populations are located;

COGNIZANT of the fact that culture and identity inform all facets of development;

ACKNOWLEDGING the need to celebrate and preserve the shared heritage between Africa and peoples of African descent in the Diaspora;

BEARING IN MIND that the African Diaspora represents a historical and evolving experience which calls for an approach that is sensitive to the specificities of the different regions;

AFFIRMING the need to promote South-South Cooperation as a framework for enhancing mutual development as well as Pan-African Solidarity;

REAFFIRMING the importance of women and youth as important pillars of our society that should be mainstreamed in all Diaspora discourses and actions;

LAUDING the efforts undertaken thus far to support Africa and African Diaspora process including organizational efforts, measures and strategies pursued by the African Union;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the First and Second Conferences of Intellectuals of Africa and the Diaspora (CIAD I&II) held in Dakar, Senegal and Salvador de Bahia, Brazil in 2004 and 2006 respectively, the outcomes of the First AU-South Africa-Caribbean Conference held in Kingston, Jamaica in 2005 and the various Regional Consultative Conferences held in different regions of the world in 2007 to consolidate the results;

NOTING with appreciation the work of the Ministerial meeting which took place in Midrand, South Africa from 16-18 November 2007 and the Technical Experts meeting held in Pretoria in February 2011 and the second Ministerial Conference held in New York, USA on 24 September 2011as well as the Third Ministerial Conference held in Pretoria, South Africa on 23 May 2012;

CONVINCED of the need to build on these efforts and outcomes as the basis for establishing a solid foundation for the rejuvenation of the global African family as an instrument of wider renaissance;

REALIZING the imperative of a sustained and coordinated approach and ownership of the African Diaspora related programmes and projects so as to promote their effective implementation and impact;

COMMIT to cooperate in the political, economic and social areas outlined in this Programme of Action, and implementation and follow-up modalities.

PROGRAMME OF ACTION

I.    POLITICAL COOPERATION

 In the area of political cooperation, we commit to the following:

A.    Intergovernmental Cooperation

a)    Enhance South-South Cooperation through closer collaboration between the African Union (AU) and all inter-governmental entities in regions in which African Diaspora populations are part of;

b)    Leverage the collective efforts of the African Union and all inter-governmental entities in regions in which African Diaspora populations are part of to promote and advance issues of critical importance to Africa and its Diaspora;

c)    Encourage AU Member States to establish more formal relations with the Caribbean and Latin American nations and vice versa; and where practicable, the opening of more Missions in the respective regions;

d)    Continue to support the role of the AU as the focal point and the coordination hub of all Diaspora initiatives in the Continent. To this end, Diaspora issues should be a standing item on the programmes and agenda of AU Summits, and the AU’s Directorate tasked with Diaspora matters should be strengthened and capacitated in financial and human resource terms;

e)    Take necessary measures to promote and create effective synergies between national and continental Diaspora programmes;

f)    Create platforms for closer interaction, solidarity and effective collaboration between and amongst governments and civil society of Africa and its Diaspora including continuation ofRegional Consultative Conferences and creation and consolidation of Regional Networks as partners and interlocutors for the implementation of the outcome of the Global Diaspora Summit;

g)    Encourage and intensify the participation of the African Diaspora in conflict prevention, management and resolution as well as post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation and disaster mitigation in Africa and the Diaspora regions;

h)    Strengthen the participation of the Diaspora population in the affairs of the African Union so as to enhance its contributions towards the development and integration agenda of the continent;

i)    Encourage and support the development of an African Union Diaspora Volunteer programme as a framework for associating the Diaspora directly with the development of the continent

j)    Encourage African Union Member States to urgently ratify the Protocol on the Amendments to the Constitutive Act, which, inter alia, invites the African Diaspora, an important part of our continent, to participate in the building of the African Union;

k)    Encourage the Diaspora to organize themselves in regional networks and establish appropriate mechanisms that will enable their increasing participation in the affairs of the African Union as observers and eventually, in the future, as a sixth region of the continent that would contribute substantially to the implementation of policies and programmes.

l)    Continue to integrate the African Diaspora agenda in its engagement with international partners

m)    Encourage AU and CARICOM to create a conducive environment for the African Diaspora to invest, work, and travel on the African continent and the Caribbean;

n)    Support efforts by the AU to accelerate the process of issuing the African Union passport, in order to facilitate the development of a transnational and transcontinental identity;

o)    Explore the possibility of establishing a Pan-African Secretariat in Dakar, Senegal for the Conference of Intellectuals of Africa and the Diaspora (CIAD) as recommended by CIAD I;

p) Encourage and support the adoption and implementation, in different Diaspora countries, of policies that will facilitate the elimination of racism and the promotion of equality among races.

B.    Mobilization of Support

q)    Encourage the civil society in the Diaspora and in Africa to support, advocate and mobilize resources for the development of Africa and its Diaspora;

r)    Express mutual support and solidarity between Africans on the Continent and in the Diaspora in circumstances of violation of human and peoples’ rights;

s)    Encourage the full implementation of United Nations General Assembly resolutions on the Permanent Memorial to and remembrance of the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, express appreciation for contributions made to the Trust Fund in this regard and urge other countries to contribute to the Fund;

t)    Campaign for the ratification and full implementation of all relevant instruments that enhance the protection of women, youth, children and other vulnerable groups, in particular, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination, the United Nations Convention against all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the United Nations Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, and the UNESCO Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions;

u)    Encourage the ratification and full implementation of the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime as a means of stemming trans-border criminality;

v)    Encourage Africans in the Diaspora to campaign against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Africa especially in countries where they are domiciled and in those that are arms producers;

w)    Encourage the contribution of the Diaspora in the strengthening of International partnerships of the African Union;

x)    Affirm the Principles of International Law and the Charter of the United Nations that preclude unilateral measures that would create obstacles to trade relations among States, impede the full realization of social and economic development and hinder the well-being of the population in the affected countries;

II.    ECONOMIC COOPERATION

In the area of economic cooperation, we commit to the following:

A.    Government Action to Foster Increased Economic Partnership

a)    Develop effective regional integration mechanisms that would enhance closer interaction between the African Union and the Diaspora;

b)    Take concrete measures that would promote and sustain linkages between AU and the Diaspora in the following priority areas: trade and investment, science and technology, travel and tourism, communication and transportation infrastructure, energy, information and communication technology and cultural industries;

c)    Create an environment conducive for the growth and development of Small, Medium and Micro-Enterprise and promote entrepreneurship in Africa and the Diaspora;

B.    Mobilization of Capital

d)    Use financial instruments focusing on investments to facilitate the mobilization of capital that would strengthen links between Africa and the Diaspora;

e)    Explore the possibility of creating a Development Fund and/or African Diaspora Investment Fund to address development challenges confronting Africans in the continent and the Diaspora.

C.    Partnership in Business

f)    Enhance partnership between the African and Diaspora private sectors through efforts such as regular meetings of Chambers of Commerce and listing in African Stock Exchanges and vice-versa;

g)    Build on Africa’s and the Diaspora’s comparative advantages in culture to translate them into economic gains through collaborative programmes that would facilitate the strategic development and marketing of their cultural goods and services.

D.    Science and Technology

h)    Promote coordination and development of institutions in Africa and the African Diaspora, dedicated to innovation and invention for social and economic development of Africa and the Diaspora;

i)    Examine the merit of using the decisions of the Tunis phase of the World Summit on Information Society, particularly the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Declaration, as well as the Digital Solidarity Fund as a means of creating e-linkages between Africa and the Diaspora.

E.    Knowledge Transfer and Skills Mobilization

j)    Promote the utilization of African and Diaspora expertise on economic development issues at regional and continental levels, and explore the possibility of creating a Diaspora Advisory Board(s);

k)    Encourage the use of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for Migration for Development in Africa programme to work in concert with the AU

Commission to mobilize the skills and resources of the Diaspora to enhance the institutional capacities of national and regional institutions;

l)    Promote trade and investment opportunities linked to indigenous knowledge systems, while ensuring that the related intellectual property rights are secured for the benefit of Africa and the Diaspora;

m)    Promote the establishment of a comprehensive and all-inclusive database that will match the expertise of African professionals in Africa and its Diaspora to African developmental needs;

n)    Adopt and promote the ‘Development Market Place for the African Diaspora Model’ (DMADA) as a framework for innovation and entrepreneurship that would facilitate development.

G.    Infrastructural Development

o)    Support the development of Africa related undersea cable and terrestrial fibre optic connectivity initiatives; and

p)    Harmonise regulatory structures related to infrastructure, such as telecommunication and transportation.

G.    Information Gathering and Dissemination Capacity

q)    Develop an overarching communications strategy for disseminating information on Africa Union programmes (including NEPAD) and Diaspora initiatives;

r)    Support the development of an updated and reliable census and statistics on employment, unemployment and entrepreneurship in Africa and the Diaspora with special focus on the Youth.

H.    Climate Change

s)    Work closely to advance the international agenda on climate change in international fora given its devastating effects particularly on Africa and the Caribbean.

III.    SOCIAL COOPERATION

In the area of social cooperation, we commit to the following:

A.    Knowledge and Education

a)    Design and develop platforms for African and Diaspora educators and scholars to address the developmental agenda of the Continent and the Diaspora. These would include, among others, the establishment of African-centred institutions and programmes and increased collaboration efforts between academic and research institutions in Africa and the Diaspora regions;

b)    Ensure the harmonisation and implementation of regional and international protocols protecting indigenous knowledge systems and intellectual property rights;

c)    Emphasize the importance of education as a basic condition of achieving human development and the need to promote literacy campaigns.

d)    Support the creation of linkages between Diaspora Academic, Research and

Development Institutions and those in Africa;

e)    Ensure the participation of Diaspora Experts in the development and implementation of AU-Diaspora initiative.

B.    Arts and Culture

f)    Promote the coordination and funding of cultural exchange programmes between Africa and the Diaspora;

g)    Further encourage and disseminate information to all Member States on

African-Diaspora projects which are being implemented such as the Museum of Black Civilisations, an African Remembrance Square, the African Renaissance Monument, the Joseph Project and slave route;

h)    Support, encourage and promote the celebration of global observance days as symbols of solidarity for the commemoration of the common heritage and vision of Africa and its Diaspora, in order to strengthen Pan-African unity and identity, in particular, Africa Day, African Union Day, Black History Month and Emancipation Day;

C.    Media and Image Building

i)    Coordinate efforts of the existing media and promote new media to re-brand Africa and to counter stereotypes about Africans and people of African descent;

j)    Explore possibilities of creating Africa News Network Service to enhance image branding and imaging of Africa;

k)    Promote national and continental initiatives that aim to enhance good governance and rule of law, so as to strengthen a positive image of Africa among the African Diaspora and the international community at large.

D.    Immigration

l)    Engage developed countries with a view to creating favourable regulatory mechanisms governing migration; and to address concerns of African immigrants in Diaspora Communities;

E.    Human and People’s Rights

m)    Work for the full implementation of the Plan of Action of the United Nations World Conference Against Racism;

n)    Engage developed countries to address the political and socio-economic marginalisation of Diaspora communities in their countries of domicile;

o)    Strengthen the implementation of legislation and other measures aimed at eradicating child trafficking, human trafficking, child labour, exploitation of children and women in armed conflicts and other modern forms of slavery;

F.    Social and Cultural Issues

p)    Allocate more resources on social spending programmes such as health, education and housing;

q)    Cooperate, in order to make social security institutions more efficient in protecting Africans and members of the Diaspora;

r)    Ensure expansion of access to the Internet for social, health, business and development and trade;

s)    Coordinate with the African Diaspora regarding the question of the illegally acquired cultural goods that exist outside the African continent, with the aim of speeding their return to their countries of origin in Africa;

t)    Ensure the promotion of sports and sports exchange between the AU Member States and the Diaspora;

IMPLEMENTATION AND FOLLOW-UP

 We adopt the following implementation and follow-up mechanism/strategy:

1.    Host rotational AU Diaspora Conference in Africa and in the Diaspora to review the implementation of this Programme of Action.

2.    Involve Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in the implementation of this Programme of Action.

3.    Request the AU Commission to develop mechanisms to ensure that the experiences of women, youth and vulnerable groups are taken into account in the implementation of this Programme of Action.

4. Continue communication efforts to popularize the African Diaspora initiative and promote positive images of Africa that will create a conducive environment for investment opportunities on the continent.

5. Take necessary measures to ensure the establishment of an AU-Diaspora Foundation/Trust to support the AU-Diaspora initiative;

6. Agree to establish multi-stakeholder working groups comprising the AU, CARICOM and representative from the Diaspora in the following priority areas: Economic Cooperation (including infrastructure, sea and air links, trade and investment, and travel and tourism); Science And Technology (including the establishment of Low Earth Orbit satellite, and research in agriculture, biotechnology, renewable energy technologies, infectious and non-infectious diseases);

7. Consider the possibility of setting up a mechanism, such as a Diaspora Consultative Forum that would support closer collaboration between the AU and the Diaspora community;

8.    Agree to set up a Diaspora Advisory Board, which will address overarching issues of concern to Africa and its Diaspora such as reparations, right to return and follow up to WCAR Plan of Action, amongst others;

9.    Further agree, in principle that the structures and institutions envisaged in this Declaration are established and operate in a streamlined manner, in order to achieve efficiency and value for all Africans on the Continent and the Diaspora;

10.    Explore various innovative and practical sources of funding for the Diaspora

Programme, to ensure its sustainability.

LEGACY PROJECTS

We further agree to adopt five legacy projects as a way of giving practical meaning to the Diaspora programme and in order to facilitate the post-Summit implementation programme. These are: a) the production of a Skills Database of African Professionals in the Diaspora; b) the establishment of the African Diaspora Volunteers Corps; c) the African Diaspora Investment Fund; d) a programme on the Development Marketplace for the Diaspora, as a framework for facilitating innovation and entrepreneurship among African and Diaspora; and e) The African Remittances Institute.

Done at Johannesburg, South Africa 25 May 2012

Approved on

January 8th, 2017,

By

The Office of AUSC President.
Kigali-Rwanda.
E-mail:ausc.president.office@gmail.com
Whatsapp:+250736196204

More readings:
https://friendsoftheafricanunion.com/about-fau-2/fau-chairman-hershel-daniels-junior/
https://friendsoftheafricanunion.com/africa/declaration-of-the-first-global-african-diaspora-summit/
https://friendsoftheafricanunion.com/about-fau-2/fau-chairman-hershel-daniels-junior/
http://asi-org.net/asi-fellows/

CALL FOR PAPERS FOR A FORTHCOMING BOOK SHOP:"New Deadline for ADWA 120 Edited book: February 10, 2017."

Dear all AUSC Leaders and Friends,

We have agreed to make a new deadline for submission.

We would like you to submit by February 10, 2017.

Please do all you can to send us your papers.

The World fears time, Time fears history, history fears Ethiopia because of exemplary achievements such as  the  very decisive and enduring Adwa great African  Victory!

Please do all you can to  make sending your papers a priority of priories. 

We appeal to all historians to do all you can to contribute.

 Please reach them and encourage them to contribute..

Wishing you  the best of the Gregorian 2017!

Mammo Muchie

www.sarchi-steid.org.za

CALL FOR PAPERS FOR A FORTHCOMIING BOOKRSP
Revisiting Adwa:
A Pan-Africanist Perspective on the First of Many Victories against the
Imperial and Colonial Invasion of Africa

Prof. Mammo Muchie* in collaboration with Africa World Press and The Red Sea Press, publishers of critical books on the African World, are pleased to make a call for papers to be included in a forthcoming book on the great African victory against the 19th century European invasion of Africa that was vanquished in Adwa, Ethiopia.
The papers can be on a variety of topics within the disciplines of the Social Sciences and Humanities that speak to this important Pan-African landmark, and its 120th anniversary.
We expect a forword by President Thabo Mbeki and contributions from prominent African Scholars and activists.
Submission Date: December 20, 2016
Notification of Acceptance: February 20, 2017
Submission of Final Draft: March 20, 2017
Publication Date: August 31, 2017
Submissions can be sent to Prof. Mammo Muchie at : MuchieM@tut.ac.za
With copies to the editorial group: info@africaworldbookspress.com
The Red Sea Press, Inc.
541 W. Ingham Avenue
Trenton, NJ 08638
http://africaworldpressbooks.com/
*Prof. Mammo Muchie is a DST/NRF Research Professor in Sceinces, Technology, and Innovation for Development at Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria, South Africa.

 Approved by 
AUSC President's Office.

A New book by a brother from Cameroon:WHITHERING OR CONSTRUCTING AFRICAN UNITY"FIFTY YEARS AFTER KWAME NKRUMAH Implementing an Action Plan for the Realization of “Africa Must Unite”"

A New book by a brother from Cameroon.. I did the Foreword for the book.. He was inspired by the series of annual Africa Day conferences around May 25 that we started in 2010.. We will have the 7th.. how great it will be for the Pan-African University to partner..

Please see ...

WHITHERING OR CONSTRUCTING  AFRICAN UNITY

FIFTY YEARS AFTER KWAME NKRUMAH  Implementing an Action Plan for the Realization of “Africa Must Unite” JOHN W. FORJE

 

WHITHERING OR CONSTRUCTING

AFRICAN UNITY

 

FIFTY YEARS AFTER

KWAME NKRUMAH

 Implementing an Action Plan

For

The Realisation of “Africa Must Unite”

 

JOHN W. FORJE

 

Centre for Action-Oriented Research on Africa’s Development [CARAD]

Airport Road T-Junction, Njenka Hausa, Post Box 85, Bali-Nyonga, Bali Sub Division

Mezam, North West Region, Republic of Cameroon

Contents                                                                                                                                3

Foreword                                                                                                                                     4

Bio-data                                                                                                                                        6

Acknowledgements                                                                                                                     8

Structure of Book                                                                                                                     10

Preface                                                                                                                                       26

Introduction                                                                                                                               72

Why Kwame Nkrumah Remains the Icon of African Unity: Understanding

Some of the Salient Factors Underpinning His Overthrow

John W. Forje

 

Chapter One                                                                                                                            115

African Union as a Pan-African Project: Relating the Dream to Reality.

John Gasu

 

Chapter Two                                                                                                                           129

Building, Strengthening and Promoting Pan-Africanism to Meet the Challenges

Of the 21^st Century

Oscar Braithwaite

 

Chapter Three                                                                                                                         140

Leadership Ethos: The Need for Paradigm Shift for Achieving Africa’s

Unity and Development

John W. Forje

 

Chapter Four                                                                                                                          171

Xenophobia: An Obstacle to African Unity – The Case of South Africa

Valery Ferim

 

Chapter Five                                                                                                                            186 National Security and the African Charter on Human and People’s

Rights: Operational Implications on Individual Sovereignty

Korwa G. Adar

 

Chapter Six                                                                                                                              203

Deliver Us from ‘Underdevelopment’ - Resuscitating the Spirit of Ubuntu

Molefi Solomon Mohautse

 

Epilogue – Conclusion                                                                                                            215

Challenges Ahead: Facing the Ocean of Mistakes and Deepening Pan-

Africanism and African Renaissance

John W. Forje

 

Appendences                                                                                                                         290                 

 

Foreword

 

Africa must unite is still a slogan and not a reality. Africa has held a series of Pan-African Congresses that have now reached eight conferences. It, has founded the OAU in 1963 and the AU in 2002. Africa has had powerful and inspiring African liberation movements, and has won many battles against imperialist powers. Despite all these efforts, Africa has not realised a fully post-colonial agency exercising comprehensive economic and political independence and freedom. The need for African unity has been declared since 1963 formally by the meetings and protocols of the heads of states and the ministers; but there has not been any systematic implementation of at least even in a few areas, such as for example the creation of African labour mobility boldly rejecting the cynical colonial borders that the existing 54 states spend so much to keep alive when these costly divisive schemes should have been removed a long time ago. Unity should have been an on-going process.

The Europeans had the Second World War. The French and the British as allies were at war with the Germans. They decided after post World War II to establish first NATO with the USA. Next they founded the European Union. They managed to create labour mobility, and now inter-European trade is said to have reached nearly 70 %. Africa has more reason to unite than Europe, but it is very far behind in realising its unity project.  Substantive commitment requires that action not declarations be taken to implement unity. The people in Africa should have been involved in making African unity. In Europe, the people are invited to vote for membership in EU or not. They even keep doing it. Britain is going to do another one soon. Both the African unity and renaissance should be made by the people and the people of Africa and for Africa. African history can only be made by African people. Today, more than ever, African must stand up. It can only stand up when Africans unite first and foremost. Africa cannot rise without first standing up in unity. The continent will roll on in the pessimism of failure, hopelessness cycle if unity for renaissance continues to fail Africans. There is now the Africa rising optimism largely narrated by those in the Western world outside Africa.

What is non-negotiable for all Africans is the need for a New Pan-African for Renaissance guided unity for all Africans together to stand up with dignity, self-reliance and independence in order to learn and put structural transformation on an integrated African development agenda. All Africans should articulate that Africans must celebrate their similarity by appreciating whatever differences exist amongst them with trust and solidarity in order to mobilise diversity positively as an asset and not liability to construct collaboratively enduring African unity for building a greater future for all in Africa and even the rest of the world... Africa needs to build as the primary identity” Africanness” that escapes being trapped by race, colour, language, tribe, ethnicity, religion and so on whilst being open and driven by the shared belief, culture, history, philosophy, values, principles, morality and civilisation in the form of a project identity anchored deeply with Ethiopianism, Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance as one in three and three in one philosophy and worldview.

The current fragmentation must end. This can only take place when Africans can learn to act together in order to deal with and respond to all challenges by manifesting Pan-African unity and agency. They should shun relying on the kindness of donors to exacerbate the divide and rule that continues to freeze them in a prisoner’s dilemma condition. African values, traditions and knowledge should be the foundation to build African success on Africa’s rich philosophies of Ubuntu and Maát. Moreover Ubuntu and Maát as Africa’s strong richly philosophical values can demonstrate universal bond of caring and sharing. These values will not only be used to interconnect not just Africans but also all humanity should be promoted to change the current unpredictable world disorder into a humane civilisation anchored world re-order by putting Africa that was put last to be first to remove the Western organised hypocrisy and open the future to all possibilities and hopes for all humanity.

It is about time to re-imagine Africa with the capacity to innovate unity and renaissance. No pan-African unity means, no African agency, if there is no unity and agency, there will be no African renaissance for Africans to own their own economy today and even in 2063!  Political independence is necessary but not sufficient for economic independence. African unity is critical to realise the full synergy of political and economic independence. How true was W. E .Dubois when he said “Africa is the spiritual frontier of human kind?” Pan-African unity will re-position Africa to join all in the world intelligently without the danger of manipulation based on the vulnerability of the existing divide and rule to create the much necessary post-western dominated world. It will open the opportunity for Africa to promote the civilisation that will help re-construct a sustainable global re-order. The world is still in need of a new world order founded on new principles, values and philosophies and civilisation.

An alternative to the current Western dominated world was suggested during the first stage of African independence; but the actual establishment of new equitable arrangements never materialised. The quest for African unity can also go hand in hand with the objective of creating a new world order where all have voices and none get hurt. Such a deep value originates from Africa. The world needs Africa and African philosophies and values to save it. We live in a rocking world; a united and strong Africa will only be the way to make a new global order free from the current uncertainties and dangers. Africa is the key resource for a new history and civilization.  It is urgent that world hurries to recognise and provide full support to African unity for renaissance now, not tomorrow in 2063!!!

.           The world, not just Africa now lives in interesting times. The world is today in a very unpredictable state. Some say the world is trapped in a clash of civilisation. Others say the world has reached the end of history. It is neither clash of civilisation nor the end of history that is a problem for Africa. It is the failure to stand up by embracing the African values and philosophies clearly articulated in Ethiopianism, Pan-African and African Renaissance civilisation and history that is missing and needs urgent catch-up for Africans to accomplish. Pan-Africanism makes Africans stand up for themselves so they will be able to contribute to resurrect world civilisation and history for a brighter future for all humanity not just for themselves.

Apparently, the authors have put together a cross-cutting presentation of the ups and downs in the African unity construct. Whithering or constructing African unity challenges us to build on the ideological orientation and activities of our founding fathers and forge a common new constructive way forward. It is a publication representing a new brand of discourse and other activities in the service of African unity. Africa is challenged to use the voices of Nkrumah, Nyerere, Nasser, Emperor Salasie, and many others to continue the struggle for African unity and sovereignty; build common grounds and stand up as one for the dignity and citizenship as well as take the struggles to all corners of the society.

The philosophy that will save humanity originated from Africa. It is in the interest of all humanity to make Africa realise its full self-reliance, and independence through pan-Africanism and the African renaissance. Pan-Africanism does not make Africa against the world. It does the opposite. It makes Africa join the world with full agency and self-reliance without any form of dependency, penetrability and vulnerability that the current fragmentation has continued to force upon the African imagination and reality. Africa must unite must be realised now not in 2063. The unity must have been yesterday; but let the failure to unite yesterday be a commitment to stop delaying African unity and renaissance anymore and do it today and never tomorrow.

 

Professor Mammo Muchie.

Tshwane University of Technology

South Africa                                                                                                                      1 September20​

Approved by 
AUSC President's Office.