Press Release
The inaugural 2020 conference organised by UK-based consortium Mboka Festival of Arts Culture and Sport goes digital on Monday 25 May at 5pm (6pm UK; 1pm EST; 7pm South Africa). The conference commemorates the 120th anniversary of the first Pan African Conference, organised by Henry Sylvester Williams in London. The title of the r first conference panel is: “120 Years On: At a commemorative time of reflection, what should an ‘African Renaissance’ look like?”
Keynote conference speaker the Honourable Halifa Sallah, the Secretary-General of the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism in The Gambia will open the roundtable discussion to talk to the topic of the 1st Conference discussion, “120 Years On: At a commemorative time of reflection, what should an ‘African Renaissance’ look like?” to give his reflections on what an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa means. His talk will be followed by short presentations from: Dr. Diana-Abasi Ibanga, University of Calabar, Nigeria; D’Juan Owens, an entrepreneur and Martial Arts professional in the USA and Edeyan H. Omoweh, an African Studies, PhD student in the University of Ibadan. The panelists will speak on the concept of Mboka as Sustainable Development, Pan Africanism in Action and the current and future impact of the Year of Return to Ghana.
The aims and objectives of the conference are informed by the Africa Union Commission document, ‘Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want’ and it will be focusing on how The Gambia can play its part locally, regionally and continentally and internationally. The conference also seeks to explore how The Gambian people can benefit from African integration.
