I have come to observe through casual conversations with friends and colleagues that, for us in Botswana where all is stable and we are considered a beacon of peace and tranquility, it can be a tad bit difficult to embrace this rather ancient concept of Pan Africanism that is often associated with radical revolution where bloodshed is always expected. Because of that, I have a burning desire to educate you a bit on Pan-Africanism; as I understand it of course, and also assure you that it does not rob you of your national identity.

I must admit, I have always held the same perception about Pan-Africanism until I developed an interest in it and started not only reading about it but adopting the movement and living it. For me, Pan Africanism simply means Africa’s Advancement, and mind you, Africa’s Advancement is a multi-fold issue. It means improving the social welfare of Africa’s people. It means that as an African, I develop interest in the welfare of Africa; I know the needs of fellow Africans and therefore am better placed to exploit all the available opportunities to meet those needs, whilst improving my livelihood too.

Pan-Africanism in itself opens you up, it liberates you. It DOES NOT take away your national identity. Instead, through Pan-Africanism, you become hands-on with what is happening in other countries and regions other than yours and get exposed to possible life time opportunities.
I feel it might be wise that I share a bit of factual background on Pan Africanism. This is a movement that encourages solidarity of Africans worldwide. This powerful movement (if properly executed) is based on the belief that unity is vital to economic, social and political progress. It aims to unify and uplift people of African descent. At its core, Pan-Africanism is “a belief that African peoples, both on the continent and in the Diaspora, share not merely share a common history, but a common destiny”.

The largest Pan African organisation is the African Union. Pan Africanism stresses the need for collective self-reliance. Advocates of this movement believe that solidarity will enable self-reliance, allowing the continent’s potential to independently provide for its people to be fulfilled. The movement was actually started in the 1900s by Africans who were living in the Diaspora and were tired of the oppression, exploitation, domination, and more particularly, humiliation and indignity, visited on the African people by European imperialist powers. The movement started in churches and then moved to political circles through the influence of people such as Marcus Garvey and Malcom X.
W. E. B. Du Bois is a man who was very instrumental in ensuring the recognition of the movement as he called for the 1st Pan-African Congress in Paris which was very successful. More congresses followed and the most celebrated Pan Africanists such as Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere and Jomo Kenyatta were active participants. I suggest you google these great men to learn on their contribution to the liberation of black Africans.

Now, Just recently Botswana National Youth Council (BNYC) hosted a meet-up with young entrepreneurs with a purpose of shedding light on investment opportunities in Zambia and South Sudan (Lord help Juba because I have got serious business prospects there!) I have heard great things about Rwanda too! But it goes even deeper than that. As a Pan-Africanist, you care for your fellow African’s welfare. You speak up against abuse of human rights in other African countries. It even means simple gestures such as collecting a thousand or so signatures to petition the government to do something about a situation in the neighboring country or even collecting a can of beef per head to donate to a famine inflicted country. With Pan-Africanism, little things count, through your actions you advance Africa’s welfare but this does not take away your National identity.

Next time become a bit adventurous, visit Naija! (Forget Western Media sensationalism about Bokoharam!) You will enjoy the warm and pleasant reception and leave with a fresh perception of the place and its people; and no, as long as you are careful (as you always should be!) you will not leave with a bag full of cocaine. Or you can visit any other African country or even our own Okavango Delta and forget about Las Vegas. I recently visited Senegal and boy! Is Africa beautiful!!!
Since it is recession in Europe and America, the new era of “Scramble of Africa” has begun. Everyone wants a piece of Africa. Africa is the land of opportunities where the economies are growing at an accelerating rate. But because in Africa, solidarity is a foreign language, the divide and rule tactic of the Western Imperialists is working as Africans are turned against each other through tribalism and regional or national wars. (This is, as I see it, and a good example is Libya which was ruled by a great Pan Africanist Gaddafi and South Sudan which was brilliantly recovering from the civil war!) This according to my opinion is an even more crucial reason to open up to Africa and embrace Pan-Africanism…

The spirit of Pan Africanism naturally resides in us Africans, including Batswana. This was made evident by the recent occurrence. When the iconic Nelson Mandela recently passed on the whole world stood still. Every single person wanted to be associated with his legacy. Even us Batswana! We wanted the world to know that someone once housed him and his mates in Peleng, that some of our political veterans were fellow Robben Islanders. That is the spirit of Pan-Africanism at its best, we live and breathe it.

I must stress that being a Pan-Africanist does not take away your National identity. It does not turn you into a sellout. It does not imply that you want to open up your Botswana to criminals, terrorists and famine infested countries that are marred by never ending civil wars. It plainly means you are a proud Motswana who envisions Africa who is more like, or even better than Botswana and wants to contribute towards that accomplishment! Africa’s Advancement. Maybe I should alert you that we in Botswana have our own modern day Pan Africanists such as Dr Sheila Tlou who is working hard to ensure that HIV & AIDS are eliminated, not only in her country but Africa as a whole, and Michael Dingake who was in Robben Island for 15 years because he was very instrumental during the struggle for the liberation of the black South Africans.
I am a proud Pan-Africanist of this new era, carrying on where the likes of Julius Nyerere, Nelson Mandela, Michael Dingake, Kwame Nkrumah and Marcus Garvey left off! Africa’s Advancement. I humbly implore you, especially young people to do the same. Every little contribution you do to improve the lives of Africans including your own people counts…
Let’s discuss further!!!!!