“Let us all unite and celebrate together”
The African Astronomical Society (AfAS) statement for the celebration of “Africa day” on this 25th of May 2021
Can you imagine a map of the World without Africa, Europe hanging above nothing, a sheer geographical aberration?
Can you imagine a history of the World without Africa, its great civilizations starting with Ancient Egypt, Alexandria and its marvels, the Mali and Songhai Empires, Carthage, those of Numidia and Nubia, the land of the Ashanti and many more…
Can you imagine a map of the World economy without Africa, all those goodies, oil, minerals, agricultural products, manpower that have been for centuries exploited in unequal terms if not plundered, and which in large made the economy of the West what it is today?
Can you imagine a human geography World map without Africa, with its 1.4 billion strong, young, vibrant individuals; with its wide basis’s pyramid of ages while a good part of the World today lives on an inverted one?Can you imagine the World of science without Africa, its SALT, HESS, coming SKA world class facilities, and its budding scientific community?
Can you imagine a World without Africa, with all it can contribute with its spirit of collective action, care for the weakest, ethical values, in the face of so much glorification of individualism, of moral degeneracy and the loosening of family ties?
Can such African-less World exist? No it can’t. Can Africa today make a contribution in today’s World for the better? Yes we can!
The road is fraught with pitfalls and challenges to overcome, but there is no turning back. For that to happen, let us rekindle the spirit of those Africa giants whose foresight and sacrifice have been milestones for us all, the vision of Kwame Nkrumah one of the fathers of Panafricanism, the martyrdom of the young lion Patrice Lumumba, the magnanimity and statesmanship of Nelson Mandela…On this 25th of May, the African Astronomical Society (AfAS) is joining the other African countries and institutions in celebrating Africa Day, commemorating the 57th anniversary of the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the precursor of the African Union, making ours its devise: “Let us all unite and celebrate together”.
Jamal Mimouni
President: The African Astronomical Society (AfAS)
