Sankara Pan-African Library Dialogue

Program line-up

Introductory Remarks
H.E Dr. Aziz Ponary Mlima
High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania to the Republic of Uganda)

Panel Discussion.

● Group questions – 8 minutes per speaker
● Individual questions – 8 minutes per speaker
● Q&A with the audience – 80 minutes

Closing Remarks
TBD
10 minutes

Group questions

1. Africa and Africans in the diaspora have come far from the days of the struggle for
independence. Does Pan-Africanism still hold meaning today? Or, Has
Pan-Africanism become an ideology that was only useful for its radical and then
progressive stance that ushered in independence?

2. How dangerous is nationalism to the Pan-African objective? Is it possible to advocate
for both? Can the concepts co-exist? Which direction should we take as Africa? With
the colonial struggle behind us, should we focus on national ideals and objectives?
Or aim for collaboration and an African Unity that we can develop?

3. What ideals and values from prominent Pan-African leaders such as Mwalimu Julius
Nyerere, Thomas Sankara, Kwame Nkrumah etc. still hold today?

4. What lessons can we learn from the collapse of the EAC (in 1977)? And what perils/
challenges should the revived EAC (2000) avoid? What values/strategies from the
previous community should they build upon?

Individual Questions

Canary Mugume

Circling back to the idea of Nationalism vs Pan-Africanism; one of the main strategies
applied by colonialists was the divide and concur rule. Media can play an important role in
indoctrinating a people to a particular way of thinking, what would you say is the current
narrative in local media of Nationalism vs Pan-Africanism? We’ve seen cases where it has
facilitated national divides and even genocides.
How important of a tool will it be in developing the Africa of Tomorrow? What is the current
message currently being conveyed? Should we also focus on this to obtain continuity
through generations? And should there be greater policing of this platform?

Bravo Katungi

You’re a chemical engineer. Being in the field, how do you feel Africa can close the gap in
terms of crucial skilled workers in sectors such as Engineering and medicine, to name a
few? More and more young Africans are packing their bags Mand moving abroad. Political
instability and poor economic prospects have made the continent’s biggest generation
uncertain about their futures. How do we address this as an African problem? Pan
Africanism seeks to create a sense of brotherhood and collaboration among all people of
African descent whether they live inside or outside of Africa, is it possible to lure the diaspora
back to the motherland if it cannot facilitate their growth?

Sandra Kekirunga

We know that African Heads of State and Government have called for the digital
transformation of the continent. Digital Transformation is being positioned among the top
priorities of the African Union Agenda. To promote the pan-African agenda, do we need to
grasp how the modern world works? How do we capitalise on the current digital era to bring
the pan-African narrative to a wider audience?

Rita Ngenzi

The authentic realisation of Pan-African ideals requires that Africans attain Economic
Independence. The challenges of high debt burden, brain drain, inadequate access to
capital, etc indicate this need. Rita, do you think there is hierarchical importance to the
social, economic & political factors within the Pan-African movement?

Alaso Olivia Patience

Mainstream Pan-Africanist who challenge structures of oppression has tended to ignore the
alienation of women’s voices/contributions within the Pan-African movement. Olivia, can you
comment on this?