2nd Panafricanism Day in Munich
25th October 2009
Theme: Good Governance in Afrika! How can it be realised?
Presented by the Organisation Committee Panafricanism Day Munich
The second Panafricanism Day is dedicated to Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Independent Ghana and Co-originator of the Panafricanism and Independence movements in Afrika, who was born 100 years ago on 21st September 1909 and died in 1972.
The first Panafricanism Day was held on the 22nd of September 2007 at the Goethe Forum in Munich. The conference was attended by over 300 guests of various nationalities, mainly of African origin, from all over Germany and beyond. The first Panafricanism Day 2007 has enabled a wide and strong network of Africans living in Germany.
This time around, we want to spread this network across Europe because our goals and vision for Africa can only be realised through a concerted and collective effort.
Picture from Panafricanism Day 2007
Ghana’s achievement of Independence in 1957 under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah galvanised the Independence movement in Africa leading to the subsequent emancipation of most African countries from Colonialism in 1960. In 2010, the entire African continent will celebrate 50 years of Independence and liberation from Colonialism. The expected economic and cultural growth after Africa’s decolonisation has not been realised. On the contrary, the current discourse about Africa is mostly about wars, hunger, natural catastrophies and debts without any attempt to connect this to the absence of Democracy in most African countries.
We want to counter this stereotypical view and thereby create the awareness that the key to Africa’s development lies in Africa.
Panafricanism is a concept that calls for the solidarity of all Africans and the coalition of all African countries in a continental African state. The Panfricanism Day event has many goals. We want to provide a deep insight into Africa’s current development process. Africa’s development is closely linked to Europe and the Western world. However instead of seeing Developmental Aid, which cannot solve Africa’s problems, as the solution, we want to come together and try to find out why Democracy has seemed to fail in Africa and what we can do to make it work.
In view of the foregoing, we want to bring together representatives of the Panafricanism movement from Africa, Europe and the Western world in general on the 17th of October so as to exchange ideas on the various possible solutions for proper Democratisation and Good Governance in Africa.
We particularly want to convey to people of African origin the concept of Panafricanism as the key to self-esteem and self-help. We want to convey to people of African origin that while Democracy is the starting point of Good Governance, they should also be thoroughly aware of what type of Democracy they need. It is important not just to adopt western democracy but to adapt it to African circumstances.
Through this awareness training, we want also to counter many false expectations by Africans from the west. The Panafricanism day is meant to jump start a forum for social, cultural and intellectual interaction between Africans of all nationalities and European and western friends.
Target Group
The Panafricanism Day is meant for all who have an interest in the issues of decolonisation, the recent history and the current situation in Africa.
Our target includes people of all origins and this is reflected in the composition of our initiative.
The Panafricanism day project is concieved to present and make Panafricanism accessible to a wide public. We especially want to give people of African origin in Europe the possibility of making their social reality, which is deeply influenced by the long shared history of Africa and Europe, visible and thereby strenghten their integration abilities.
Programm
Experts from different countries will present their views about Africa through paper presentations and podium discussions. Background information will also be provided through film presentations and introduction to the history of the Panafricanism movement. The programm will be rounded up by a cultural programm with traditional and contemporary African music.
Planned activities:
1. Expert contributions from Ghana, England, Canada Germany on:
- Idea and history of the Panafricanism movement, the current situation and future prospects
- Possibilities for implementing God Governance in Africa
- Western Developmental Aid and ist impacts
- Introduction to the life and achievements of Kwame Nkrumah, a mentor of the Panafricanism movement
2. Film about Kwame Nkrumah
3. Reports about the Panafricanism movement in different countries and proposals for future cooperation
4. Podium discussion mit Panafrican experts from various countries on „Panafricanism in various countries, the role of the African diaspora and development perspectives for Africa“
5. Traditional music from different African countries
6. Closing concert with modern African music
After the first Panafricansim day an internet portal has been set up. Further information about the conference will be available on this site which will also be a forum for the exchange of ideas and discussions.
Location
Goetheforum, Dachauerstr. 122, 80637 München
25th October 2009, 11.00 till ca. 19.00h
Video/DVD-Documentation
Coverage and documentation of the internet presence of the conference
Organisation Committee for the Panafricanism Day
Participating groups: Bayerischer Flüchtlingsrat e.V., African-Black Community in Deutschland, The Voice Refugee Forum, Initiative schwarze Menschen in Deutschland (ISD e. V.), Association des Femmes Togolaises en Allemagne (AFTA e. V.), Mouvement Sankariste de Munich.
Our initiative was formed two years ago with the goal of organising an event on Panafricanism. We have 17 active members of African and German origin who are also very active in other cultural, social and political projects. All members are volunteers. We have financed the initiative till now through members contributions. The Bavarian Refugee Council (Bayerischer Flüchtlingsrat) provides us organisational and infrastructural support.
Contact Persons:
Hamado Dipama, Landshuter Allee 79, 80637 München, Tel: 0176/62 06 73 59
Uche Akpulu, Ganghoferstr. 3, 80339 München, Tel: 0174/560 36 20
Quotations from Great Panafricanists
Kwame Nkrumah (1909-1972, Ghana) said: “As seperate entities we are weak however when united, Africa can be one of the strongest world powers.”
Thomas Sankara (1949-1987, Burkina Faso) said: “The African elite and people must revert to themselves before it is too late.”
Sekou Touré (1922 – 1984 Guinea) said: “The root of Africa’s problems is not economic underdevelopment but mental and ideological underdevelopment.”
Patrice Lumumba (1925 –1961, Kongo) said: “Create new structures that are suited for Africa’s real development and the methods forced on us will change.”
Marcus Garvey (1887-1940, Jamaika) said: “Black people will not be respected until they also become economically strong”.
Miriam Makeba (geb. 1932, Südafrika), the female example fort he Black struggle said: “I only told the world the truth. If my truth is political then what can I do?”
Cheikh Anta Diop (1923-1986, Senegal) said: „The denial of the history and intellectual achievements of the African people ist the mental and cultural homicide which preceded and enabled the genocides of this world.“