Africa is a rich continent. It has been impoverished by colonialism, slavery and now by new forms of economic injustice. We can’t undo history and the mess that we find ourselves in but we refuse to allow our political and business leaders to blame everything on colonialism.
History is not to blame for the human rights violations happening right now, for the gender inequality, for using fossil fuels when we have some of the best conditions for renewable energy. These wrongs are current and Africans Rising is about calling out our leaders on these failures and building a better, more just, more peaceful and sustainable Africa.
On 25 May – commonly know as Africa Day and officially as African Liberation Day – there will be a series of actions and events across the continent to mark the launch of the movement. We chose that day so that we can remind ourselves, our leaders and the world that we are tired of waiting for that liberation to be delivered. And to show them that we are prepared to take action and hold political and business leaders accountable and reinvigorate the journey to that better life for all.
Africans Rising is a catalysing movement and the launch will amplify existing struggles. If you are addressing violence against women for instance, you can use #25May2017 to advance your demands or other struggles at local or national level.
We are one of the youngest continents in terms of our demographic profile but we have some of the oldest leaders. If political leaders were honest with themselves many would acknowledge that they’ve been in power for far too long. They’ve run out of fresh ideas. We need to make way for younger people who have new perspectives on the problems facing the world.
Africans Rising is about deepening solidarity across the continent. We must step up and be the first to speak out against human rights violations.
The Kilimanjaro declaration explicitly commits us to non-violent means of resisting injustices. But we believe peaceful civil disobedience is the right of citizens when governments refuse to listen or to act in the interests of the people.
We are building a movement that aims to finish the journey of true African liberation, for which so many people laid down their lives in the struggle against colonialism and since. We refuse to accept that all that blood was spilt for the difficult lives people live every day on the continent. The struggle continues!
Kumi Naidoo is the launch director of Africans Rising
Follow @kuminaidoo and @AfricansRising on Twitter
This introductory text to the #25May2017 Actions & Events Guide was first published on The Guardian
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One of the key aims of the Africans Rising launch is to ensure that #Africans Rising inspires millions of African people to demand from the government good governance as they all work collectively towards common goals of peace, social inclusion and shared prosperity. We aim to let our leaders know that we have had enough of this unfair and unjust system and we want to make clear our intention to work together, to build a new Africa.
Action #1
- Between 12:00 (noon) and 14:00
- Gather in your group, club, movement, office or alone
- Wear red or have something red on you or in the background
- Read out the Kilimanjaro Declaration
- Read out your list of demands
- Stand up together to signify your intention to build a new Africa and say:
WE ARE A UNITED AFRICA. WE ARE AFRICANS RISING. FOR JUSTICE, PEACE AND DIGNITY.
Action #2
- Between 19:00 (7pm) and 20:00 (8pm)
- Gather in your group, club, movement, office, with your family and, friends
- Wear red or have something red on you or in the background
- Turn off your lights in solidarity with the millions of Africans with no access to electricity
- Light a candle (the more people with candles the better!)
- Read out the Kilimanjaro Declaration
- Read out your list of demands
- Stand up together to signify your intention to build a new Africa and say:
WE ARE A UNITED AFRICA. WE ARE AFRICANS RISING. FOR JUSTICE, PEACE AND DIGNITY
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