Addis Ababa University (AAU) celebrated the 60^th anniversary of the African Union (AU), the then Organization of African Unity (OAU), with panel discussions and exhibition at Ras Mekonnen Hall of the University on the 26^th of May 2023.

OAU was the first post-independence African institution which was founded in 1963 with 32 heads of independent African states by signing a Charter in Addis Ababa. The African Union (AU), the successor, was officially launched in 2002 in South Africa with 55 member states with a vision of “An Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena”.

Ahmed Hassen (PhD), Director for the Office of External Relations, Partnerships and Communications at AAU, said in his welcoming remarks that Africa has its own organization OAU (AU) which is the motor to bring Africans together and linking them with the other part of the world. Africa’s people are ideally one and they need to consolidate and transfer this oneness for the next generations in order to reach for the destiny of unity, he added.

According to Dr. Ahmed, the present of African universities in the educational setup is important in which AAU has strong ties with Pan-Africanism in collaboration with other African, European and American universities.

“Emperor Hileselassie I invited independent African countries to send their students to be the alumni members of AAU underling that education is the vehicle of change, collaboration, means of shifting and pushing out ignorance about Africa and the world,” Dr. Ahmed said.

H.E Nezha Alaoui Mohammdi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Ethiopia, said that celebrating the signing of the OAU agreement in 1963 was an opportunity for all African countries considered as a cradle of humanity, which is the origin of a great number of people, languages, religions and traditions.

According to the Ambassador, the kingdom of Morocco has been committed for so long a time to strengthening its historical, political and economic relations with the countries of the south in a spiritof action by setting its objectives to arise the cooperation with these countries to the level of a true partnership and solidarity.

She added that the pioneer African leaders believe that strong integration will enable Africa break free from the colonialism to establishing peace, promoting intercultural dialogue, increasing the continent’s geopolitical influence, and intimating its economic development.

“The integration with our institutional family (AU) that was indorsed by Pan-African organization was a strategic political achievement,” she finally stated.

Dr. Desta Meghoo, Creative consultant for Pan-Africanism Wing, said that it is an auspicious occasion and venue, and AAU is committed more for Pan-Africanism through academia, historical studies and social relations. “It concludes by setting a Pan- African wing which is a permanent exhibition in the Institute of Ethiopian Studies (IES) of the University that tells the parts, the story for Africanism,” she intensified.

She said that it is important to encourage all institutions, countries and the African diaspora to document the story, the history and the connections of Africans at home and abroad. “So, it has been in a pleasure for me to really work with IES and other institutes in creating this exhibition and others over the last decade,” Dr. Desta stated.

“Pan-Africanism works as an important part of social cohesion in the continent and abroad. This is where we have to be using the technology, all resources, the platforms what we have from the government to the grassroots to go to Pan-Africanism,” she added.

Dr. Desta intensified that recognizing the accomplishments, communicating, congratulating and encouraging each other in any journey will give bravery to the success and development of the continent, and this will in turn  offer the next generation to see that proud of.

The Father and son Jerome W. Jones and Jeromyah Jones presented the art of paintings named “I am 400, ‘The African Journey in America, 1619-2019’”.

Reporter: Tsion Aysheshim

Photo: Andualem Aseffa

Editor: Abraham Girmay