ADDIS ABABA – The Global Black Center, Executive Board Chairperson Professor David Francis, former Foreign Minister of Sierra Leone, has announced GBC’s plans to establish its operational headquarters across the world.
The center, currently based in Ethiopia’s Capital Addis Ababa, at the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum, is set to become a hub for promoting the history, culture, and heritage of Africans and people of African descent globally.
Speaking to ENA, Professor Francis highlighted the importance of the victory of Adwa as a powerful symbol of African resistance and freedom.
‘‘So Adwa is not just about Ethiopia, it’s a symbol of African unity, a symbol of African freedom, but importantly, it’s a symbol of black pride, heritage, freedom and resistance globally.’’, he said.
The Global Black Center, established a year ago under the leadership of Demeke Mekonnen , the former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, has a three-pronged approach.
Firstly, it aims to promote a new understanding and perspective of African history from a revisionist perspective, owned by Africans themselves, he said, adding , it seeks to highlight and celebrate the rich heritage of Africans and people of African descent worldwide.
Therefore, the center intends to educate current and future generations of Africans about their values, history, and cultural legacy, Francis said.
As part of its expansion plans, the Global Black Center, is looking to establish chapters in the United States, led by Julius Garvey, the son of the legendary Marcus Garvey, as well as in Jamaica to cover the Latin American and Caribbean regions, he said.
Additionally, the center plans to establish chapters in all 54 member states of the African Union, he added.
“We have no doubt that we can tap into the opportunities of the global black presence in the United States, in the Western Hemisphere, Asia, Latin America, to leverage it for the development of what we want to do,” Professor Francis stated.
The center’s first anniversary celebration, set to take place on the margins of the African Union Summit and the victory of Adwa celebration next year, will also feature the presentation of awards in the areas of peace and leadership, human capital development and educational innovation in Africa, and the promotion of black heritage across the globe.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD)of Ethiopia has expressed unwavering support for the Global Black Center initiative, and the Ethiopian government has already facilitated the return of historical artifacts looted during the Italian colonial period, a significant step in restoring African heritage.
The establishment of the Global Black Center’s headquarters in Ethiopia underscores the country’s role as a hub for pan-African ideals and the promotion of African unity, freedom, and resistance on a global scale, he elaborated.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 15 SEPTEMBER 2024
