Africans Rising
For Justice, Peace, and Dignity
We, the citizens and descendants of Africa, as part of the Africans Rising Movement, are outraged by the
centuries of oppression; we condemn the plunder of our natural and mineral resources and the suppression of
our fundamental human rights.
We are determined to foster an Africa-wide solidarity and unity of purpose of the Peoples of Africa to build the Future we want – a right to peace, social inclusion and shared prosperity.
On 23-24 August 2016, two hundred and seventy two representatives from civil society, trade unions, women, young people, men, people living with disabilities, parliamentarians, media organisations and faith-based groups, from across Africa and the African diaspora gathered in Arusha, Tanzania and committed to build a pan-African movement that recognises these rights and freedoms of our People.
THE CONFERENCE DECLARED THAT:
- Africa is a rich continent. That wealth belongs to all our People, not to a narrow political and economic
elite. We need to fight for economic development that is just and embraces social inclusion and
environmental care. We have a right to the ‘better life’ our governments have promised. - Africans have a diverse, rich and powerful heritage that is important to heal ourselves and repair the
damage done by neoliberalism to our humanity and environment. Being African, embracing the
philosophy of Ubuntu should be a source of our pride. - African Youth is a critical foundation for building the success in our continent and must play a central
role in building Africans Rising. - Africa’s Diaspora whether displaced through slavery and colonialism or part of modern-day migration is part of Africa’s history and future. They are a reservoir of skills, resources, and passion that must be harnessed and integrated into our movement.
- We are committed to a decentralized, citizen-owned future that will build support and solidarity for local struggles, empower local leadership and immerse our activists in grassroots work of building social movements from below and beyond borders.
- We are committed to building a citizen’s movement that is accountable to the constituencies we represent and enforcing the highest standards of ethical behavior.
THEREFORE, WE RESOLVE THAT OUR WORK SHOULD BUILD A LOCAL, NATIONAL, CONTINENTAL AND GLOBAL CAMPAIGN THAT IS:
a. Expanding space for civic and political action
b. Fighting for women’s rights and freedoms across society
c. Focussing our struggles on the right to Equity and Dignity
d. Demanding good governance as we fight corruption and impunity
e. Demanding climate and environmental justice
CALL ON OUR PEOPLE AND ACTIVISTS TO:
Join this Africans Rising Movement and mobilize our people around this shared vision; organize and connect
local struggles under this umbrella; galvanize solidarity with all African struggles. This movement is committed to peace and non-violent action. We assert our inherent rights as Africans and invite our governments, leaders, other stakeholders and institutions to join us in pursuing the Future We Want to leave our future generations. We commit to mobilizing our people in Africa to launch this Movement on the 25th May 2017, when we deepen the meaning of African Liberation Day and call on all sectors of our society to mobilize and organize events in every African country that will build the momentum towards the genuine liberation of our beautiful continent.
We commit to mobilizing our people in Africa to launch this Movement on the 25th of May 2017, when we deepen the meaning of African Liberation Day and call on all sectors of our society to mobilize and organize events in every African country that will build the momentum towards the genuine liberation of our beautiful continent.