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Pan-Africanism

Pan-Africanism is a philosophy and a global movement focused on fostering self-love, solidarity, cooperation, integrity, dignity, self-determination, and unity among people of African descent around the world. Its vision is to achieve collective sovereignty and prosperity, allowing everyone to thrive in harmony with the rest of humanity.

Instead of advocating for further integration into oppressive systems, both on and off the African continent, Pan-Africanism champions an independent, sovereign, self-sufficient framework free from external domination. It addresses social, cultural, economic, geopolitical, and environmental issues to ensure the sovereignty, well-being, and prosperity of all people of African descent.

This philosophy extends to both those who live on the African continent and those in the African diaspora around the world, transcending boundaries of nationality, ethnicity, tribes, religion, skin tones, sexual orientation, or gender.

At its core, Pan-Africanism is grounded in the belief that, despite our differences, people of African descent share deep cultural, social, spiritual, and historical roots.

No matter our place of birth or language spoken, whether in Africa, Europe, America, or the Caribbean, we must embrace our shared African identity.

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Marcus Garvey - One of the founding father of Pan-Africanism

As branches of the same tree, we are united by the same roots and our destinies are thus intricately intertwined.

 

The power of a tree lies in having many branches with many fruits, but one common trunk and one common root. That's the vision.

 

Contrary to popular narratives, it is crucial to recognize that our roots extend beyond the trauma of slavery and colonisation. Back in Kemet (Ancient Egypt), our ancestors pioneered modern civilization, advancing knowledge in various fields from astrophysics, mathematics and medicine to art, spirituality, and philosophy.

 

As Jamaican Pan-African Marcus Garvey once said, “a people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots”  

 

​Understanding and embracing our rich history is essential for our community as it fosters cultural identity, builds unity, and provides valuable lessons from the past, guiding the community towards a brighter future.

 

More than a concept, Pan-Africanism compels us to champion a collective unity to address challenges related to neocolonialism, aiming to achieve the total liberation of our global community.​ It is a movement that beckons us to cast aside the shadows of division to focus on the brilliant light that emanates when we stand united.

At the Pan-African Plant-Based Alliance, we advocate for a world where all people of African origin, on every continent, are united, self-sufficient and proud. As such, the PPBA celebrate, honours and pay tribute to the incredible achievements of the below Pan-Africanist heroes, who dedicated their entire life for the independence and liberation of African people around the world.  Despite many of them being assassinated by Western imperialism, their remarkable achievements and their vision of a world where people of African descent can thrive in harmony with each other and with the rest of humanity remain a source of inspiration for generations to come.

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Zumbi Dos Palmareis - Brazil

1655-1695

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Marcus Garvey - Jamaica

1887-1940

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Ruben Um Nyobe - Cameroon

1913-1958

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Cheikh Anta Diop - Senegal

1923-1986

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Malcom X - USA

1925-1965

Toussaint Louverture - Haiti/St-Domingue

1743-1803

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Sylvanus Olympio - Togo

1902-1963

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Sekou Toure - Guinea

1922-1984

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Patrice Lumumba - DRC Congo

1925-1961

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Winine Mandela - South Africa

1936-2018

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W.E.B Du Bois - USA

1868-1963

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Kwame Nkrumah - Ghana

1909-1972

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Julius Nyerere - Tanzania

1922-1999

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Frantz Fanon - Martinique

1925-1965

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Walter Rodney - Guyana

1942-1980

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Thomas Sankara - Burkina Faso

1949-1987

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Nioussérê Kalala Omotunde - Guadeloup

1967-2022

Ngoumou Edima Jah Evejah - Cameroon

1950-2024

How does the concept of Pan-Africanism connect with our mission?

 

Transitioning to a plant-based food system holds numerous benefits for the continent. However, a crucial issue to tackle is neocolonisation. A more subtle yet equally oppressive force compared to colonisation, neocolonisation utilises indirect political, military, financial, economic, and cultural pressures to dominate, control, influence, and exploit other countries, particularly ‘former’ colonies.

 

Rooted in the commodification of people, animals, and nature, neocolonisation emerged in the 1960s as a replacement for direct colonisation. It enables the Western oligarchy to amass unlimited wealth by utilising free or cheap labour from the Global South to extract strategic resources needed by Western nations, often neglecting local communities and the environment.

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Thomas Sankara 

This imperialistic approach exacerbates the climate crisis and fuels ongoing conflicts around the globe.

Pan-Africanist leaders like Ruben Um Nyobe in Cameroon, Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana, Patrice Lumumba in DR Congo, or Thomas Sankara in Burkina Faso, who fought for the liberation of Africa, fell victim to this system. These African heroes envisioned a united and liberated continent, free from external manipulation and exploitation, prioritising self-determination, moral integrity, and unity among African nations.

 

Thomas Sankara, in particular, demonstrated a strong commitment to public health, women rights, environmental and ecological issues, advocating for sustainability, local production and consumption.

 

“Let’s live as Africans, let’s produce what we need, and consume what we produce.”– Thomas Sankara

 

Unfortunately, these heroes ended up persecuted, imprisoned, and eventually killed by the West via coup d’état, either directly through Western forces or indirectly through corrupt African leaders, prioritising Western interests over their citizens’.

This fuels further conflicts and hinders meaningful economic development in the region. This historical perspective aligns with today’s challenges of neocolonialism and environmental degradation across the continent.

 

The cocoa production in both Ivory Coast and Ghana is a poignant example. These two countries produce about 70% of the global cocoa production, yet face issues like deforestation, child labour, modern slavery and low farmer incomes, primarily due to Western corporations controlling prices.While these nations have enough land to feed their population, most of their soil is now dedicated to growing cocoa beans exported to Western nations for chocolate production, while relying on humanitarian aid to feed its needy citizens in need.

 

Like a poisoned gift, these aids ingrains in our minds the illusion that Africa depends on the West when it is the opposite, since Africa has the richest soil on the planet.

 

As Thomas Sankara once said: “He who feeds you control you.”

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Despite being plant-based, a food system based on this neocolonial capitalist structure would not be sustainable for the global African community, in Africa and beyond. To overcome neocolonisation, we need Pan-Africanism. African nations and the diaspora must unite, reclaim control of our resources, transform them locally, develop our own currencies, consume locally, export finished products, and ensure the benefits reach African people and the diaspora first, but for this, we need moral integrity.

 

The vision is for a united Africa—a United States of Africa? This would benefit not only Africa but also the entire diaspora. While acknowledging the causes, we believe it is essential to avoid a ‘victim’ mindset and instead focus on decolonising our mind, healing past traumas, empowering our community, embracing self-determination and our Africanity.

 

“I am not African because I was born in Africa, but because Africa was born in me.”– Kwame Nkrumah

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