Brahma Kumaris commemorates Africa Day 2023

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Brahma Kumaris, a worldwide spiritual movement dedicated to personal transformation and world renewal, joined Africans on Thursday in commemorating Africa Day 2023.

Africa Day, formerly African Freedom Day and African Liberation Day, is an annual commemoration of the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) on May 25, 1963.

The hybrid memorial event was themed “Building capacity and inner strength through challenging times, focused on acknowledging Africa’s experiences, lessons learnt and rich history and courage.” It featured reflections on how Africa can progress despite daunting contemporary challenges.

In his remarks, Mr Mahendranth Busgopaul, the deputy presiding officer (Eastern Africa) for the AU Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), said the commemoration of Africa Day not only signifies the foundation of African unity but also celebrates the continent’s collective identity, rich diversity, as well as culture and tradition that make Africa unique.

Therefore, Busgopaul said the commemoration was an opportunity to reflect on the progress made by the continent thus far and acknowledge its challenges as well as envisioning a future of prosperity and empowerment for all African citizens, while also pointing out how deeply the idea of African unity resonates with Africans, despite the trials and tribulations the continent continues to grapple with.

“It is during times of challenges that we have the opportunity to rise, tap into our inner strength and manifest our true potential. In these times of uncertainty, it is essential that we build capacity and inner resilience. We must cultivate the values of unity, compassion and understanding that lie at the core of the African heritage,” the AU-ECOSOCC DPO told participants.

“It is through dialogue and collaboration that we can find practical solutions to the pressing issues we face in the environment, youth empowerment, or peace building, Mr Busgopaul said, describing the continent’s unity as a pathway for development and realization of opportunities for growth.

Another speaker, Mr Divine Ntiokam, an agriculture and climate expert, urged Africans to believe in their capacity to build and transform the continent as contained in the AU’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, by taking advantage of the continent’s challenges and transforming them into opportunities.

“Africa is home to the youngest population in the world just as 65% of the world’s arable land is found in Africa. Therefore, leveraging the untapped potential of our demographic dividend and using agriculture as the major source of transforming the continent will help us produce what we consume and consume what we produce,” Ntiokam assured.