A must for African union

About this event

In 1963, during the formation of the OAU, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia bodily declared before his comrades that “consideration should be given to the establishment of an African university, sponsored by all African states, where future leaders of African will be trained in the atmosphere of continental brotherhood”. It was recognition that colonial education would thwart Africa’s quest for continental unity – that unity in the economic and political spheres were contingent on the mass social and cultural integration of African citizens.

So, what happened to that dream? The dream of a single secular education system to craft an African personality. The dream of a Pan African citizenship that’s inclusive, beyond borders, and serving the liberation agenda. These are some of the questions we will be exploring in our mini lecture series with decorated author and Pan African intellectual Dr John K Marah, Professor of African and African American Studies at the state university of New York, Brockport.

Over three nights, sharing themes from his seminal book “Pan African education, A must for the African Union”, Dr. Marah walks us through his thesis on Pan African education, including ideas around educational theory, educational adaptation, colonial paedology, citizenship and much much more. He will outline why African educational institutions are a key pillar of the African future, and why until Africa builds mass education systems specifically geared towards African unity, talk of Pan Africanism stays theoretic and oratorical.

This programme has been designed for all interest groups, but should be of particular interest to teachers, educators, historians, pan Africanists and students of interested in the de-colonisation of western academia.