Africa Day, Orthodox Church & the Decolonization of Africa

Africa Day

 

From Wikipedia

 

Africa Day
Observed by	Member states of the African Union
Type	International; cultural and historical
Significance	Anniversary of the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity
Date	25 May
Next time	25 May 2017
Frequency	annual
Related to	African Freedom Day and African Liberation Day

Africa Day (formerly African Freedom Day and African Liberation Day) is the annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) (now known as the African Union) on May 25, 1963. It is celebrated in various countries on the African continent, as well as around the world. 

Background 

The First Congress of Independent African States was held in Accra, Ghana on 15 April 1958. It was convened by Prime Minister of Ghana Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and comprised representatives from Egypt (then a constituent part of the United Arab Republic), Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon. The Republic of South Africa was not invited. The conference showcased progress of liberation movements on the Africa continent in addition to symbolizing the determination of the people of Africa to free themselves from foreign domination and exploitation. Although the Pan-African Congress had been working towards similar goals since its foundation in 1900, this was the first time such a meeting had taken place on African soil.^[1] 
The Conference called for the founding of an African Freedom Day, a day to "...mark each year the onward progress of the liberation movement, and to symbolize the determination of the people of Africa to free themselves from foreign domination and exploitation."^[2] 
The conference was notable in that it laid the basis for the subsequent meetings of Africa heads of state and government during the Casablanca Group and the Monrovia Group era, until the formation of the OAU in 1963.

History 

Five years later, on 25 May 1963, representatives of thirty African nations met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, hosted by Emperor Haile Selassie. By then more than two-thirds of the continent had achieved independence, mostly from imperial European states. At this meeting, the Organisation of African Unity was founded, with the initial aim to encourage the decolonisation of Angola, Mozambique, South Africa and Southern Rhodesia. The organisation pledged to support the work conducted by freedom fighters, and remove military access to colonial nations. A charter was set out which sought to improve the living standards across member states. Selassie exclaimed, "May this convention of union last 1,000 years."^[3] 
The charter was signed by all attendees on 26 May, with the exception of Morocco.^[4][3] At that meeting, Africa Freedom Day was renamed Africa Liberation Day.^[2] In 2002, the OAU was replaced by the African Union. However, the renamed celebration of Africa Day continued to be celebrated on 25 May in respect to the formation of the OAU.^[5] 

Contemporary celebrations 

Africa Day continues to be celebrated both in Africa and around the world, mostly on 25 May (although in some cases these periods of celebrations can be stretched out over a period of days or weeks).^[6] Themes are set for each year's Africa Day, with 2015's being the "Year of Women’s Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063". At an event in New York City in 2015, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Jan Eliasson, delivered a message from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in which he said, "Let us... intensify our efforts to provide Africa’s women with better access to education, work and healthcare and, by doing so, accelerate Africa’s transformation".^[7]

References
"The History of Africa Liberation Day"; TheTalkingDrum.com; accessed May 2017
"African Liberation Day: A Celebration of Resistance". Pambazuka News. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
"1963: African States Unite Against White Rule". BBC On This Day. Retrieved 23 October 2016.

Note: Morocco's delegation was present in an observatory capacity only, due to the attendance of Mauritania and the ongoing border dispute with that nation.

Allison, Simon (26 May 2015). "Africa Day: Is the African Union worth celebrating?". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
"Kakadu for Africa Day celebrations". The Nation. 12 October 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
"Africa Day 2015 Celebrated in New York". United Peace Federation. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2016.

External links
 
Africa Day (African Union website)
Grayson, Taylor. "Videos from Africa Day 2014 in Limerick". Today.ie.

Zambia commemorates The Africa Day
 
Orthodox Metropolis of Zambia and Malawi
 

Orthodox Bishop of Zambia & Malawi Ioannis in the Africa Day, Zambia 2017

Thursday, 25th May 2017.
Zambia Joins Rest Of Africa In Commemorating Africa Freedom Day.
Mr. Lungu this morning leaded a delegation of senior government officials, former presidents, service chiefs and members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Zambia in laying wreaths at the Freedom Statue,.
Later the President will hold an investiture ceremony at State House where various people will be honored.

This year’s Africa Freedom Day is being commemorated under the theme "Harnessing the Demographic Divinded through the Investiment in the youth"
Africa Freedom Day was founded during the first Conference of Independent African States which attracted African leaders and political activists from various African countries in Ghana on April 15th 1958.

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