Pan-Africanism is the expression of desire for African unity; it’s at some time and expression of sense of unity between all people whose ancestor originally came from Africa i.e. the Africa in Africa and the African in the Daspora. As such assume the common brotherhood of black people everywhere in North America West Indies .Indeed the birth of the idea
BACK-GROUND
Pan-African had its roots outside Africa because of the descendants of the Africa the Negros salves in the new world who felt had been made homeless by their transfer to the foreign countries and subjection to alien culture they felt that they did not belong to, they felt themselves as the orphans of African, alien and strangers in the world of white people who were chiefly interested I there labor only to work in the plantation and hardly interested at all in their personality as men, they felt to themselves as black out as robbed of their dignity and with no claim of being of the same value and equal insight of man.
Pan Africanism was founded by William Sylvester Trinidad lawyer in 1900,who convened the first pan Africanist conference there were few representative from Africa but a big number came from America and the west Indies other were students from London among them was Dr.William E.burghradt Dus Bios an outstanding Negro scholar and prolific writer who later became ‘ the father and the prophet of Pan Africanism” was born in USA 1868 and died in Ghana 1963 at the ripe old age of 95.
He was the founder of national association for advancement of colored people (NAACP) he also led four pan Africanism conference 1919 in Paris attended with 57 colored delegates 1921 London and Brussels, in 1923 in Lisbon Portugal and the fourth was in new York in 1927 the massage of all those conference were that “The habit of democracy should encircle the all world “the emphasis was inter -racialism and Justine
The major of action for pan Africanism was to bring all the black people of African origin under one umbrella of pan – africanism i.e black Africa in the New world and in Africa
OBJECTIVE OF PAN-AFRICANISM
·
To unify all black people in the Diaspora and in
Africa
·
To
liberate African slaves from slavery in the new world in order to make free
citizen
·
To
improve the economic status of Africa so that they can be equalized with the
European people.
·
To
create awareness among the Africans and instill the sprite of Aficanism in them
to remove the inferior complex of the
Africans to Europeans
·
To
fight colonialism in Africa so as the African can get their self determination
·
It was
also their objective to fight for civil rights of African slaves in the new
world like freedom of movement, owning property, worship etc.
CONTRIBUTION OF PAN-AFRICANISM FOR THE RISE
OF NATIONALISM AFRICAN CONTINENT
1.
It
brought solidarity, unity among the
Africans in their struggle for self
determination ,for example through pan
Africanism the Arab north has been
united with the black south under the umbrella of OAU
2.
It led
to the formation of OAU /AU a body which was responsible to fight for African
countries which were still under colonial domination
3.
Pan –Africanism
brought awareness among the Africans to
fight for their independence .
4.
Pan –Africanism
also acted as a body to represent the Africans in world politics, and defended
the dignity and personality of the people of Africa through carrying out
seminars and conference.
5.
Pan Africanism
provided leadership struggling in Africa. E.g Nkurumah who became a leader of pan Africanism
6.
Provided
moral and financial support to the Africans who were struggling for their
independence.
7.
It
ensure the colonization of African national like Ghana in 1957 Zambia 1964 Malawi 1964 these were as result of pan
Africa pressure to the colonial master .
8.
Pan
Africanism fought and witnessed the
destruction of apartheid policy in south Africa
9.
It destroyed
the UDI in Northern Rhodesia present day
Zimbabwe ,and under Robert Mugabe
Zimbabwe got her independence
in 1982
10.
Pan
Africanism movement also played a big
role in solving conflicts among African
nations for example between Libya and Chad over the Ouzo strip in 1980
MANNCHESTER CONFERENCE
The Manchester conference was the conference
that was conserved by Pan Africanists. It was regarded as a turning point in
the history of pans Africanism because of the outcome of conference which
included the following;
1.
It was
during Manchester conference where by
the leading participants were no longer Negroes of the new world, but a big
number of African from home land countries and organization sent delegates like
Nkurumah,Kamuzu Banda,Kenyatta ,Peter
Abraham Azikiwe was himself
prevented from attending the conference
but his idea and encouragement were of
great importance,
2.
It was
during the Manchester conference that the headquarters of Pan Africanism were
shifted from America to Africa under the leader ship of Nkurumah following the independence
of Ghana.
3.
It was
in this conference that colonialism was condemned
and was declared that by all
means either peaceful or forceful Africans should get their independence
.They developed a slogan that “if Europe is for Europeans then
Africa is for Africans’
4.
It was
during the Manchester conference that letter was drafted by the delegates
warning all the imperialist countries
who were committing excesses to the Africans like king Leopold
was seriously warned and asked to stop it .
5.
It was
during this conference that demanded
education of Africans and progressive participation in African governments
6.
In
this pan African conference it constrained racial consciousness among Africa
and remove inferior complex of the African to the Europeans in political and
cultural values.
7.
It was
during the Manchester conference that –Africanism drafted a charter demanding
the independence and implementation of civil rights in the colonies especially
the human right of the Africans In the colonies .
8.
It was
in this conference where all people from Africa origin demonstrated unity,
solidarity and cooperation. This brought awareness and consciousness to the
black races to fight for their rights.
THE GHANA INDEPENDENCE
Ghana was a British colony originally and it
was known as Gold Coast. It began her nationalism in 1868 after the formation
of the confederation .In 1920 a modern
political part the national congress of west Africa was formed but with
little success of independence .In 1940 another party called united Gold coast
foundation was founded under J.B.Danguah
and Nkurumah as her general secretary .Ghana was the first country in
Africa under the Sahara to attain her independence .Factors that helped Ghana
to get her independence earlier than other Africa nations included the
following;
WHY GHANA ACHIEVED HER INDEPENDENCE EARIER
THAN OTHER NATIONS
1.
The
political part CCP that took over power
the conventional people’s party(CCP) enjoyed overwhelming support in the cocoa growing
because of the clear policies and implemental
programs what would serve the
people of Ghana.
2.
Lack
of tribalism in Ghana also played significant role in avoiding disunity in the
struggle for independence.
3.
Also
Ghana had develop reasonable social infrastructures that were used by many
nationalists in carrying out their campaign
reaching in very corner of the country
4.
Ghana
had no white settler that would have been an obstacle for the struggle of their
self determination thus the part for independence was smooth
5.
English
was a common language which many Ghanaians used as a symbol for unity against
the colonialists
6.
Leadership
Ghana had a strong leadership of Kwame Nkrumah who devoted all her time and
life for the national cause.
7.
Also
external factors like the independence
of India Pakistan and the rise of USSR
in 1917 after the Bolshevik revolution
The independence of Ghana in 1957 brought
new imputes in the struggle for African independence; Ghanaian independence had
a great influence on African nationalism in the following ways.