new pan afrikanism
RIM MENIA and SUNGU OYOO via Beautiful Trouble
“We have a beautiful history, but we will create one that will astonish the world.”
Marcus Garvey
Origins:
Pan-Africanism, a framework of continent-wide liberation rooted in the struggles of African people against enslavement and colonization, first appeared as a political theory at the turn of the 20th Century with the establishment of the African Association — known later as the Pan-African Association. The spirit of Pan-Africanism guided the Pan-African Congresses in the first half of the 20th Century, led to the formation of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963 (known today as the African Union), and guided 1960s and 70s-era resistance and liberation movements against colonial and post-colonial oppression. New Pan-Afrikanism refers to the articulation of pan-African ideas, taking into account the postcolonial context of 21st century capitalism and the modern weapons Africans wield against it.
Pan-Africanism is the belief that Africans on the continent and in the diaspora share not only a common history, but also a common destiny. Developed at a time of crisis and tragedy, Pan-Africanism is anchored on the principle that unity among Africans is vital for their economic, social, cultural, and political progress.
The ideals of Pan-Africanism guided African struggles against colonial and post-colonial oppression for much of the 20th Century. New Pan-Afrikanism is both a continuation of that tradition of struggle, as well as a renewed push toward freedom, justice, and dignity that responds to the particular challenges posed by capitalism in today’s Africa.
New Pan-Afrikanism is an aspiration for the masses of Africa — especially its youth which comprise the majority of its population.
New Pan-Afrikanism is an aspiration for the masses of Africa — especially its youth which comprise the majority of its population — to mobilize, exchange ideas, and organise themselves into decolonial, feminist, anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist formations that promote cultural re-discovery and belonging; inclusion and equality; collective consciousness and decision-making; and solutions to some of the crucial problems citizens and descendants of Africa face today. It proposes alternatives to prevailing systems through the following guiding principles:
1- Unity and solidarity. African countries like Tanzania hosted liberation movements from across the continent at the twilight of colonialism and committed resources to further those struggles. Africa’s political unity remains a precondition to confronting economic exploitation and unfair treatment by global forces, as Kwame Nkrumah emphasized over 50 years ago. In today’s context, community-based organisations and movements like Africans Rising have been enacting this principle by organizing solidarity efforts to support popular mobilizations against repression such as in Togo, and more recently, in Sudan. Achieving this precondition remains key in warding off imperialisms — both old and new — and re-igniting Africa’s political and economic agency.
2- Political freedom. The continent’s collective destiny is premised on an African conceptualization of respect for human dignity, social justice, and participatory governance that incorporates practices such as tajmaat among Berbers in northern Africa, baraza among various ethnicities in Eastern Africa, or imbizo among the Zulu in Southern Africa. Recent revolts in Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Algeria, and Sudan provide key examples of how grassroots voices and aspirations remain key to struggles against “flag and anthem” independence, dictatorships, and democracy promotion.
3- Economic freedom. Some traditional societies in Africa were founded on egalitarian values. Today, the masses find themselves excluded from meaningful participation in economic processes by gerontocratic regimes (see: THEORY: Gerontocracy), global capital and its local agents, both of whom exploit Africa and its people through lopsided trade agreements, land and mineral concessions, and illicit financial flows (see: THEORY: Capitalism). New Pan-Afrikanism views the liquidation of imperialist currencies such as the CFA as a necessary step towards the unification of fragmented national economies and the establishment of a common African currency. New Pan-Afrikanism advocates for pro-people economies that enable cooperatives and solidarity economies among other people-centred modes of production and trade.
4- Identity and culture correction. Colonialism and globalization came with waves of cultural hegemony. Changing how Africans perceive and practice their culture involves correcting old narratives and worldviews and setting new ones which highlight the virtues of African identity. Ubuntu is a traditional way of life centering communal living. New Pan-Afrikanists harness and employ Africa’s diverse cultural values, traditions, and rites across the continent and in the diaspora under a multicultural umbrella via storytelling, performing arts, the Ubuntu (see: PRINCIPLE: Reclaim the pre-colonial) philosophy, and other African practices.
5- Global South Feminism(s). Men and women must coexist on the basis of dignity, equity, and mutual respect. Radical feminisms from the Global South offer a critical examination of structural, religious, cultural, and legal limitations imposed on African women — and expectations of conformity that come with these diktats. Confronting prejudice against women (see: TACTIC: Cultural disobedience) has been a core component of modern political campaigns, from South Africa’s #feesmustfall student movement to Ugandan mobilizations against land grabbing (see: STORY: Stripping Power in Uganda). The intersectional lenses of feminism remain key not only in the analysis of women’s struggles, but also wider African struggles for justice, dignity, equality, land, water, and even the correction of narratives. There is no New Pan-Afrikanism without feminism!
6- Ecological sovereignty. The callous hand of capitalism ravages Africa today by grabbing land, extracting precious resources, and despoiling Africa’s soil, waters, and skies. From agribusiness to mining, private sector exploitation of land and resources is a form of indirect colonization. New Pan-Afrikanism resists such ecological devastation by giving new political meaning to the commons, seed and food sovereignty, and traditional agricultural practices capable of restoring damaged lands and protecting what is left. It seeks to reinforce indigenous ways of life that have always been attuned to environmental needs and alert to looming disasters. Through wise ecological stewardship we must preserve Africa for many generations to come.
7- Unlearning, dismantling, and rebuilding. (see: THEORY: Decolonization). Our journey towards achieving these New Pan-Afrikan aspirations involves unlearning and dismantling systems, while simultaneously inventing and applying people-centred replacements. New Pan-Afrikanists envisage collaboration and co-creation in the design and promotion of solutions that address Africa’s major challenges, promote alternative practices, and disrupt the status quo when conditions require.
New Pan-Afrikanism is an avenue towards Africa’s brighter future. Today, many social movements are emphasizing the centrality of New Pan-Afrikanism in continent-wide advancement and liberation, and are applying these principles in their shared struggle(s) towards justice.
Article photo by EDWARD EDION, Kampala
