25th May is celebrated as Africa Liberations Day and marks the day in 1963, that the Organization of Africa Unity, now African Union was formed.
Today marks 54 years of existence and with the theme, “A journey of transformation to bring about the Africa, Africans want”, 40 countries around the African continent will sign up to be members of the Africans Rising for Justice, Peace and Dignity, which will be officially launched in the 40 countries, to be followed by several events.
“Wear an item of red clothing or accessory to signify the blood that was shed for African Liberation, the bleeding of the continent’s resources and wealth and that no matter where we come from we all have the same red blood in our veins”.
Ngolo Katta is the interim Team Lead of the Sierra Leone Chapter of Africans Rising, an emerging self-identifying collective of social movements, NGO’s, popular social justice efforts, intellectuals, artists, cultural activists and others from across the continent and the African Diaspora.
The launch of the movement is as a result of the Kilimanjaro Declaration of August 2016, held in Arusha, Tanzania.
Two hundred and seventy-two representatives from civil society, trade unions, women, men, young people, people with disabilities, parliamentarians, media organizations and faith based groups, from across Africa and the African Diaspora committed to build a Pan-African movement that recognizes these rights and freedoms of Africans.
At the end of the conference, Katta said it was resolved that more work should be done to build a Local, National, Continental, and Global Campaign which include expanding space for civic and political action, fighting for women’s rights and freedoms across society, focusing Africa’s struggles on the right to equity and dignity, demanding good governance as we fight corruption and impunity, and demanding climate and environmental justice.
In Sierra Leone, Africans Rising, which is non-political is asking that members of the movement defend democratic space and the rights of citizens to enjoy the freedoms of association, expression and assembly.
Also the movement will resist any political manipulation and meddling with the constitutional review report, including the fight for women’s rights and freedoms across society, by criminalizing early child marriage, female genital mutilation, rape and gender based violence.
“When we deepen the meaning of African Liberation Day and call on all sectors of society to mobilize and organize events in every African country, that will build the momentum towards the genuine liberation of the Continent”, he concluded.
To mark the day and official launch of Africans Rising in Sierra Leone, Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Kono and Makeni will organize a debate symposium to be followed by the people’s gathering in the evening were statements will be made by various member organizations of Africans Rising, on the need for a stronger African solidarity and unity.
By Ade Campbell
Thursday May 25, 2017.