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In the old world order, there was no need for Pan Africanism, so it did not exist. In the colonial world order, Pan Africanism snuck into the mix and somehow stayed alive despite relentless efforts at assassination, and failing that, marginalization and discredit. In the neo-colonial world order, Pan Africanism was harnessed, broken and controlled, ridden hard by AIDS, dependency and structural adjustment. Finally, in the current transition to a new world order, Pan Africanism, although battered and beleaguered, remains alive and undergoing therapy as it tries to re-invent itself (e.g., the African Union and numerous 21st century groups) and to grow through crevices in the concrete.

What began as an evolving political ideology has matured into a  multidimensional concept that embraces all positive forms of African redemption, restoration, political-economic development, and the re-integration of the disparate African voices and personalities.

Pan Africanism began as a clarion call from the Diaspora to re-establish African identities for descendants of former involuntary migrants from the African continent.

After the 1883-84 Berlin Conference, which balkanized Africa, Pan Africanism quickly evolved into a consistent call to end European colonization and exploitation of the continent. (Du Bois, 1933).  From its inception through the era of African independence, Pan Africanism has essentially been recognized as a political ideology associated with intellectual, public mass appeals, and later self-autonous calls for change. (Walters, 1993). That initial status as a political ideology became a static, stone-engraved identifier for the concept of Pan Africanism. But the vast majority of even modern authors continued to view Pan Africanism only within the range and scope of that narrow political perspective.

However, over the last 30 years or so and almost relatively unnoticed, Pan Africanism has evolved into a much broader and intellectually substantive concept. As a paradigm and world view, for example, Pan Africanism sees existence as a more humane place and as a set of geographical locales that must return to African consensus agreements, mutual respect for each other and for the environments in which we live. That includes the recognition of all significant contributions by various groups towards the progress of humankind. As a set of theories, Pan Africanism explains the relationships between man’s ancient and modern origins with the hierarchical, nationalist and corporate-based world in which we now live. It lays out the connections between Kemetic and Nubian civilizations with mankind’s forward progress, the origins and consequences of colonialization and neo-colonization, the evolving relationship between the diaspora and continental Africans, and the relationships of African development and nation-building with the factors relentlessly trying to reduce Africa and Africans to insignificance. As a set of methodological and analytical approaches, Pan Africanism asks questions of African-centered import including how the current and predicted future circumstances can be re-shaped for Africa’s benefit. Pan Africanism is not now, nor has it ever has been, a simple, one-dimensional concept.

Since at least the latter part of the 19th century, Pan Africanists have come and gone advocating a conceptual perspective of Africa’s redemption and restoration. This conceptual perspective led to conferences, congresses, inspiration for an anti-colonial struggle, and eventually two relatively well-known continental Pan African organizations (the OAU and currently the AU). Beyond that, Pan Africanism (a.k.a. Pan Afrikanism) as a theoretical explanation of where and why Africans on the continent and in the diaspora were and are in the shape they’re in now, and Pan Africanism as an African-centered analytical tool to evaluate and measure Pan African progress and problematics, have expanded the range and significance of the conceptual idea of Pan Africanism as a life-changing world view. But in the 21st century, more than that is demanded and more is required, if Pan Africanism is indeed to be recognized as a realistic, viable set of goals rather than as merely a pleasant-sounding fantasy. It is the argument of this paper that Pan Africanism is a practical, achievable and valid objective, but it will be and must be accomplished through an accumulation of small- and large-scale interventions rather than as one big ceremonious event.

There is no single version of Pan Africanism-conceptual, theoretical, analytical, or ideological—that has yet proven itself more quintessential than any other. The most consistently accurate determinant of whether one brand of Pan Africanism is as good as or better than another—or whether one version is mere arm-chair Pan Africanism versus action-oriented Pan Africanism—is what work or accomplishments has one’s Pan African perspective produced. To effectively evaluate the worth and significance of one version of Pan Africanism compared to others requires looking at the real life consequences of that Pan Africanism. Activist Pan Africanism—combining ideological and analytical—must be applied Pan Africanism. It is Pan Africanism in action in the real world.

Based on a summary interpretation of Blyden, Williams, Turner, Garvey, DuBois, Kenyatta, Nkrumah, Toure, Nyerere, and Cabal on the concept, in its various permutations, 21st century Pan Africanism involves the following principles that will be utilized for consistent movement forward:

Africa must be self-sufficient, autonomous, and free of neo-colonial and capitalist exploitation.

Africa must be united, politically, economically and spiritually—a United States of Africa, or a Union of African States.

The African way of life must be redeemed, restored and used to help Africa reclaim its rightful place in world history, world politics and world development. The global reparations movement is a distinctive part of modern Pan Africanism.

African land and resources plus the authority to utilize them both must be re-united with African people.

Repatriation to the African continent and/or dual citizenship opportunities must be consistently and seriously explored and resolved.

Since international and interregional communication between Pan Africanists is crucial, there must be a consistent and reliable network of African-centered and Pan African (Pan Afrikan) nationalist organizations established and maintained. The use of any African-centered conference, meeting or gathering  to establish and build such lists is legitimate.

Pan Africanism, in large and small scale, will be achieved by a combination of government action, NGO forward thinking, and consistent, principled pressure and activism from community-based organizations and individuals. The task is too enormous and the stakes are too high not to recognize that relying on only one sector will be disastrous.

Government leaders will have to choose “short-term interest suicide” (i.e., voting against their short-term interests for immediate gain in favor of Africa’s long-term interests, redemption and security) several times during the journey towards the achievement of Pan Africanism, and discernible, situational self-sacrifice will be required of all NGOs and community activists to get this job done. An addiction to business-as-usual tactics will not bring Pan Africanism to fruition.

One’s Pan African commitment must be measured by one’s Pan African work. At the end of every day, a Pan Africanist must ask and answer, ‘Did I help or hinder the P.A. Movement today?’

It must be accepted and acknowledged that Pan Africanism is a viable, winnable movement with a common set of objectives and a common vision.

For the 21st century, whether one is Pan African in orientation and activity (or merely engaging in lip-service and specious grandstanding) will be measured by one’s adherence to the 10 principles listed above. One’s Pan Africanism should only be measured by one’s consistent work as a Pan Africanist: It is what one does that determines one’s Pan Africanist commitment, not merely what one says.

Professor David L. Horne is founder and executive director of PAPPEI, the Pan African Public Policy and Ethical Institute, which is a new 501(c)(3) pending community-based organization or non-governmental organization (NGO). It is the stepparent organization for the California Black Think Tank which still operates and which meets every fourth Friday.

DISCLAIMER: The beliefs and viewpoints expressed in opinion pieces, letters to the editor, by columnists and/or contributing writers are not necessarily those of OurWeekly.

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