Africa Day celebrations 2021 were held by the AUC as well as the various African Union organs and mission offices, to commemorate the founding of the Organization of African Unity, (OAU) on May 25th 1963 and the pan-African movement that championed Africa’s independence from colonialism and apartheid.
Africa Day 2021 provided an opportunity to reflect on the gains made by the continent since the establishment of the OAU, now the African Union (AU); as well as to reinforce the need to preserve and celebrate Africa’s cultural heritage which was at the forefront in Africa’s liberation movement, and is still central today as Africa strives to enhance its identity in the global arena. The 2021 Africa Day celebrations were held under the AU Theme of the Year, “Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want.
In his keynote address (H.E Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, underscored the need for Africans to find, in their cultural references and their ancestral values, the basis of their development while being part of modernity. The keynote address was delivered by the Deputy Chairperson Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa on behalf of the Chairperson
During the occasion a special event was held to launch the Entry into Force of the Charter for African Cultural Renaissance.
The day also saw the former President of the Republic of Zambia, H.E Kenneth Kaunda presented with an award in recognition for his role in promoting African cultural renaissance, pan-Africanism and continental integration.
In Brussels, the Permanent Mission of the African Union and the African Group of Ambassadors, in partnership with the “African Tale” Initiative and the African diaspora, co-organised a webinar on Africa. Eminent academics and artists shared their expertise and knowledge and engaged in open discussions on Africa’s Strategic Partnership with Europe, the 2021 AU theme of the year and other educational, cultural and artistic themes. The discussion revealed a convergence of views and common ground on Africa’s political, economic, cultural and artistic agendas, and the need to advance Africa’s cultural and artistic heritage. It also recognised that Africa’s agenda is deepening and is increasingly involving the African diaspora and African intellectuals around the world.
Celebrations of the day also took place at the Semi-Arid Food Grain Research and Development (SAFGRAD) office of the AU in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The country’s minister of foreign affairs, Mr. Alpha Barry recognized the achievements of the AU and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in the framework of African integration. A panel discussion around the theme “the contribution of arts, culture and heritage to the integration of societies and to the socio-economic development of Africa” was also held.
