25 May is Africa Day. African Liberation Day is celebrated by many African communities around the world. It is a permanent mass institution in the worldwide Pan African Movement. The day is observed in countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Spain, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Brief history
On 25 May 1963, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was founded in Ethiopia. The significance of the Day was to reflect the aspirations of people to break free from the chains of colonial bondage by effort of a collective will. Also, it was meant to help raise political awareness around the world about the state of affairs in Africa and the self-determination of its people.
Prior to this date the 15 April was upheld as African Freedom Day, which marked the first Conference of Independent African States held in Ghana in 1958.
Within years, the African Freedom Day was renamed African Liberation Day and the date changed from 15 April to 25th May following the establishment of the OAU. By this time the number of independent African countries had risen from 8 in 1958 to a little over 30 in 1963. When the African Union succeeded the OAU in July 2002 the African Liberation Day became known as Africa Day and has since been a statutory holiday in many African countries.
Events in 2012
In 2012 Africa Days was celebrated under the theme “Towards the Realisation of a united and integrated Africa and its diaspora.”
Heads of state, leaders and representatives from over 60 countries met on to thrash out how best to harness skills and energies on the continent and in the diaspora at the first Global African Diaspora Summit in Johannesburg.
Leave a Reply