When Ambassador Kwesi Quartey, the representative of the President of Ghana, announced the launch of the 8th Pan African Congress to a packed hall in Accra, Ghana, he was greeted with resounding applause, punctuated by horns of praise from a youth cultural band and traditional drums. The moment brought back memories of the independence period when Ghana was the mecca of the African liberation movement.
The Secretariat of the Global Pan African Movement and the Local Organising Committee of the 8th Pan African Congress (PAC)launched the8th Pan African Congress in Accra on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 at the Accra International Conference Centre.Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Kwesi Quartey represented the President of Ghana. The launch was chaired by Major General KahindeOtafiire, Chairman of the Pan African movement and Minster of Justice in Uganda.
The event was also attended by 300 people various civil society, community and faith based organisations, the trade Unions, members of the Diplomatic Corps, youth and women’s organizations.The Local Organising Committees also organised cultural displays, poetry and songs. The event was dubbed a strictly African affair. Participants were encouraged to dress Africa, eat African and feel African.
Following the 7th PAC in April 1994 in Kampala, a Secretariat was set up to coordinate the affairs of the Global Pan African movement. As part of continuing efforts to galvanize the continent and build an African consensus, a number of institutions, organizations and individuals are collaborating to inject energy into the Pan-African Movement (PAM).
Having engaged in a Pan-African wide discussion, the Secretariat of the Global Pan Africa Movement announced in February 2014 that the 8th Pan African Congress will take place in Accra following consultations with mass organisations, the Government of the Republic of Ghana and the Africa Union (AU). Indeed the AU has adopted the congress as part of activities marking its 50th anniversary and it is expected that at least 10 African Heads of state will be at the opening ceremony.
Speaking at the launch, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ambassador Quartey called on Africa youth to appreciate the journey that Arica has traversed over the years. He said that the Africa’s relationship with the global world has not been charitable. “The slave trade was the policy of the British colonial administration, and was about profit and commerce, selling Africans as commodities. Treating Africans as commodities signified the start of global trade”. By supporting the 8th pan African Congress, “Ghana is going back to its roots” as then home of pan Africanism
Major General Otafiire described Pan Africanism as a “grassroots movement bringing together different cultures, races and gender”. Mr.KyeretwieOpoku, a member of the Local Organising Committee described the launch as an “important occasion which reflects a growing interest in Africa at the cultural and political level.”. He added that the launch is the first towards re-energising African youth in the Pan African Agenda”.
The 8th Pan African Congress will reinforce the messages emanating from the AU Summit of May 2013 marking the 50th Anniversary of the Africa union. This historic Declaration by this summit emphasized the responsibility of African people wherever they may be to act to realisethe vision of Pan Africanism and African Renaissance. The 8th pan African congress seeks to achieve that.
For more information, contact: Mr.KwasiAdu, Coordinator of the LOC at kwadu@hotmail.com
