Institute of African Studies Commemorates 60th Anniversary of AAPC

The Institute of African Studies-University of Ghana, in collaboration with the Ghana Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Socialist Forum of Ghana and Lincoln University of the USA is organising a 4-day commemorative event to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the All-African Peoples’ Conference (AAPC).

The first ever AAPC, hosted by Ghana in 1958, served as the rallying point for mobilising ordinary Africans in the decisive struggles for liberation across the continent and beyond. The conference, attended by over 300 hundred delegates representing political parties, civil society groups, trade unions and other working people’s organisations from the continent and the Diaspora, as well as observers from Europe, North America and China, was a precursor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and played an instrumental role in the final onslaught on colonial rule.

The theme for the 60th anniversary commemoration, “Revisiting the 1958 All-African Peoples’ Conference – The Unfinished Business of Liberation and Transformation”, is designed to encourage 200 representatives of activist groups, scholars, cultural workers and practitioners expected to assemble in Accra to engage in open and dispassionate reflection on the African condition in the contemporary world, against the backdrop of the 1958 conference.

A central feature of the commemoration will be (i) the coming together of social groups working at the forefront of the unfinished business of liberation, (ii) a conventional academic conference that permits scholars and activists to share insights from research and practice, and (iii) artistic performances that showcase the beauty, diversity and uniqueness of African cultures.

Participation in the up-coming AAPC’s conference is open to researchers, unionists, scholars, graduate students, policy makers, political parties, activists, civil society organisations, journalists, think tanks and individuals interested in making presentations under sub-themes viz. Neo-colonialism & Imperialism, Pan-Africanism today, The Peoples of Africa (including the Diaspora), Emancipation of Women, Global Warming and Reparation and Restorative Justice.

According to Mr Kafui Tsekpo, a member of the organising committee for the conference, the event is also open to groups and individuals such as poets, musicians, drama groups, writers, and other cultural artists with interest in the advancement of Africa. Coupled with this, they are inviting representatives of important social constituencies to make keynote and plenary speeches during the duration of the 4-day conference.

“The conference is open to the public. We hope to adopt a resolution to guide a future pan-Africanist agenda for liberation and transformation. The presentations and papers to be delivered at both plenary and parallel sessions will provide a rich collection of material to be published in various outlets – special issues of journals, edited books as well as in more popular outlets such as African Agenda,” he said.

The 60th Anniversary of the All-African Peoples’ Conference (AAPC) is scheduled to take place at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana from 5th to 8th December 2018.