The ‘Africa Rising’ initiative was created by a group of 272 people from 44 African countries. The purpose of the meeting was to have young Africans at the core of this movement amplify the voice of Africans. The movement started as Africa Civil Society Centre in 2015. Later in 2016, it widened into Africa Civil Society Initiative. In 2017, it was renamed the Africans Rising Movement.

Since its inception, the African Rising movement has looked to push governments, businesses, national and global NGOs to focus on the critical challenges faced by Africans. Some of these include the demands for a fair global trading system, concrete action to address the effects of climate change, and the creation and strengthening of a representative coalition to protect the continent’s natural resources and the environment.

Specifically, Africans Rising is focused on the following issues. The first one is to expand space for civic and political action. Secondly, the organization is attentive to fighting for women’s rights and freedoms across society. Also, it seeks to protect the right to equity and dignity, ensure good democratic and corruption-free governance, and promote climate and environmental justice.

According to the Kilimanjaro declaration which forms part of the basis of the organization, Africans are outraged by the centuries of oppression and the plunder of the natural and mineral resources on the continent. Therefore, the Africans Rising is determined to foster an Africa-wide solidarity and to build the future that Africans want – a right to peace, social inclusion, and shared prosperity.

REFERENCE

Information from https://www.africansrising.org/, https://www.ihrchq.org/africans-rising.html , and https://uia.org/s/or/en/1122280799 was used in this story