On Friday 25th May, 2018, Africans Rising for Justice, Peace, and Dignity will join Africans from all corners of the continent and beyond in the fifty-fifth African Liberation Day, an annual event held since 1963 to celebrate the determination of the peoples of Africa to free themselves from foreign domination and exploitation. Today, that goal remains but includes our determination to liberate ourselves from all exploitation and ensure a better life for all Africans.
Since 1963, African Liberation day has acted as a vehicle for Pan-Africans to organise annually and help raise political awareness among African communities around the world on struggles for social, political, and economic emancipation.
Africans Rising is a Pan-African movement of people and organizations, working for peace, justice and dignity. We are determined to foster an Africa-wide solidarity and unity of purpose for the People of Africa to build the Future we want – a right to peace, social inclusion, and shared prosperity.
“The African Liberation Day is a day for us to celebrate the essence of our civic duty and to engage youth in new waves of our liberation,” said Coumba Toure, Africans Rising Co-Coordinator. “Like last year, when Africans Rising was launched with over three hundred actions and events in 42 countries, this #25May2018 is an apex organizing moment. Africans Rising will be supporting over 50 actions in over 40 countries across Africa and in the diaspora.” Coumba Toure added.
Several co-organised and self-organised events are lined up across African cities, towns and villages including film screenings, group discussions, university lectures, concerts, plays, neighborhood block parties, open mics, beach cleanings, sporting events, prayers e.t.c.)
Africans Rising calls on citizens and descendants of Africa to identify events near them, or amplify African struggles for social, political, and economic emancipation in their own simple ways.
We are calling on everybody to join the movement and participate in the launch of your movement. You can join by signing up to our founding charter, The Kilimanjaro Declaration. To participate in the launch of Africans Rising on #25May2018, we ask that you:
- Wear an item of RED clothing or clothing accessory to signify the blood that was shed for African liberation, the bleeding of the continent’s resources and wealth and GREEN to symbolise our youth’s potential and our continent natural beauty.
- Gather in a group, read out The Kilimanjaro Declaration and a list of demands for changes you would like to see happen.
- Turn off your lights between 7:00pm and 8:00pm in solidarity with the millions of Africans with no access to electricity and light a candle to light the way for brighter leadership and governance.
You can follow Africa Day events across the African continent, and the world and find campaign resources on Africans Rising website. If you’d like your event to be featured in our visual/video reports, please send your content and questions to [email protected]
