Why Pan-African Internationalism? - An Introduction
We have come to a point of realization that the African man and woman throughout the world must deal with self-determination. Those of us who have not come to comprehend this natural law must understand it by all means. As we examine African history, our history, we see the strengths we had. Although, not a perfect reality, the strengths we embodied came from, among a number of things, the practice of the natural laws of collectivism. We were guided and moved in our society based on the premises that it took a collective body, the people on all levels, to function qualitatively. We understood that our capacity was not an end unto itself, but were to be utilized to serve the masses, us and those around us. Because of this understanding and practice of this very ideology, African people became very advanced in creating and providing the things we needed for our livelihood. Everyone had a responsibility not only to themselves but each other. The early political-economy of communalism was what effectively supported our harmonious existence. Most important o our survival and development was the need to learn the lay of the land, come to master it, and teach others. This is the reality we reflected as a unified African people. As an example, take a look inside the world of African art. If you examine it thoroughly, something anyone is sure to enjoy, clear symbols and displays of unity between man, woman, and child can be seen. You will also come to find a lot of artwork that shows the well-developed capacity of collective work being done in our societies. There are countless images of the people engaged in the process of labor, which in turn are directly connected to images of communal celebration. In this you will find the concept of enjoying the fruits of your labor; and we were once able to do just that.
However, this path we were on was interrupted by forces of colonialism in the form of Arab and European invasion. Countless malicious acts and deception perpetrated against African people changed the course of our collective being for centuries after and on up to today. Pan-African Internationalism offers an alternative, better reality that rejects the ongoing conditions of African people based on self-determination, bringing forth a reality of our own creation. It seeks to mobilize African People to eradicate the ideas and aggression that our enemies place upon us for their own self-interest. Identity and unity are the primary essential components in doing so.
To create a foundation or bring into existence this much needed unity, African people throughout the world must have a common ideology a core set of principles. This ideology begins with, first and foremost, the struggle to win Africans throughout the world in Africa, Europe, North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean Islands to take back and truly understand our national identity – that we are African, period. We must understand that Africa is our homeland and not that of the oppressors. We collectively must come to know and understand that the path that we have been traveling under the domination of colonialism and slavery was and is detrimental to our livelihood. It took away our lives, resources, wealth, and unity, among so many other things. We must understand that we are one, no matter where we are in the world. We must come to understand the current state of Africa can only be understood as neo-colonialism. This neo-colonialism must be done away with because the borders that exist within Africa create division amongst us not only geographically, but mentally as well. It cripples the African’s ability to work together and achieve self-sufficiency. We must come to understand that these systems of oppression are tools that are being used to exploit not only African people, but the resources that belong to African people, to us. The role of the African working class man and woman should also be understood and defended as a factor in our understanding of ideas.
We have to come to understand our struggle as African working class people as a class struggle. The ruling class has and continues to exploit the labor of the masses of African people, and other oppressed people’s of the world. This very thing must cease if we want to benefit the most from all that we produce and we very well should. So, the fundamental principle of Pan-African Internationalism is the working class of the African world must come to enjoy the fruits of our labor.
At this point in our struggle, we are in the stage of winning the people to solidarity and a commitment to the struggle for liberation, and with enough effort the African masses, the working class man and woman, through proper training and development will come to a common ideology. This will then lead to principled unification. We will come to grasp and understand that it is a necessity to be liberated in all forms. We will understand that our independence is dependent upon developing and deepening the consciousness of the African working class and turning that consciousness into revolutionary struggle, and as a result of this struggle, that we can and will have a UNIFIED AFRICA!
UHURU SASA!
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