PRESS RELEASE

Leading intellectuals from Africa and the African Diaspora are convening in the Old Plenary Hall of the African Union on May 17 & 18, 2013 on the occasion of the symposium “Being Pan-African.” Such a conversation on the roots, achievements and challenges of Pan-Africanism represents a foundational step towards the African Renaissance. The symposium is a formal side event to the OAU-AU 50 years Anniversary and it is the main academic event related to the African Union Special Summit.

This symposium is coordinated by the Commission of the African Union, with the support of the European Union, the CODESRIA, the Pan-African University, and the Institute of Research for Development. Other institutions involved in supporting this event are Open Society Foundation, the French Centre for Ethiopian Studies, the Institut Français, the Research Unit of Migrations and Society, the UNESCO, the OIF and BGI Ethiopia.

The “Being Pan-African” symposium starts on the 17th of May 2013 at 8.30am and lasts two full days.