Day I: Pan African Activists Gathering
She emphasized that the gathering was organized to bring Afrikki’s founding movements to Kenya, to reconnect themselves to the founding movements, to reconnect to the movements and activists that had participated in previous Afrikki events and to introduce new activists and movements to Afrikki.
La’Die Manfield then followed with the presentation of Afrikki’s governance document. In her speech, she lauded social movements seeking to represent the voices of the citizenry and hold political leaders accountable. Afrikki’s objectives were established as strengthening social movements in the face of all the challenges facing the African continent while defining a new utopia for change within Africa and its diaspora.
A powerful panel discussion on a retrospective of Afrikki’s journey, moderated by Fred from Afrikki-Lucha followed. The session highlighted the history of UPEC AND Afrikki, tying it to the birth of the current gathering and similar ones before it. Panelists Maimouna, Fadel and Sylvain from partner movements discussed various aspects of Afrikki’s evolution over the years.
Of note was the introduction of the KARIBU safe space for African activists in danger, the fund set aside to help activists in danger and the Afrikki activist exchange program where youth activist cohorts get embedded in other countries to witness and learn from their activist efforts.
A general question and answer session followed, giving rise to key questions including ways to prevent the formation of splinter groups that impede joint cooperation, the need for dedicated and safe communication systems for activists to reach Afrikki (and vice versa) and a framework to deal with issues of missing activists.
Fadel later moderated a session on the introduction of the activists and movements represented at the event. A total of # activists and # movements from # African countries were present.
- Ensure a clarity of what the movements fight for.
- People can revoke power from their leaders as they are the source of that power.
- Divisions between men and women disunite them at a point when unity and fighting as one is necessary.
