By Roy Lie A Tjam.
Africa Day 2016 came and went it was recently celebrated at the Marriott Hotel The Hague; H.E. Odette Meleno, Dean of the African Group of Ambassadors in the Netherlands and her colleagues Ambassadors welcomed the guest in style. A total of well over 400 persons attended the function.
Africa Day, is the day Africa celebrates the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity in Addis Ababa on May 25th, 1963. The theme of this year’s celebration is “2016: African Year of Human Rights, with a Special Focus on the Rights of Women”
For additional Carlotta Duken’s pictures, please open the following link:https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157669664174462
H.E. Dean Meleno held a vibrant speech on the achievement, aspirations, and challenges of the continent. Some extracts of her speech are sited hereunder.
On behalf of the Africa Group of Ambassadors, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this wonderful 2016 commemoration of Africa Day in The Hague. I am happy to see, taste, smell and feel Africa today.
“I would like to thank the Organizing Committee for the hard work in putting this event in motion.
This year, there is much to celebrate because there is a sense of hope and optimism across Africa. As you are aware, Africa Day is annually celebrated on May 25th throughout the world to commemorate the founding of the Organisation of African Unity, now the African Union, in 1963.
The theme of this year’s celebration is “2016: African Year of Human Rights, with a Special Focus on the Rights of Women”. It reinforces among others, the need for gender equality and women’s rights. Removing barriers that impede women from fully enjoying their human rights will empower the African continent. With the creation of the Organization of African Unity in 1963, African leaders made a commitment to work together towards a brighter future for the whole of the continent. It is, therefore, our responsibility to continue that pledge and see to it that the future of Africa remains brighter. The foundation for this must be our ability to respect and treat everyone equally, especially the vulnerable ones.
Attaining equality between women and men and eliminating all forms of discrimination against women are fundamental human rights and United Nations values. It has always been said… and I will not be the last to say it: Women’s Rights are Human Rights.
It must be said that so far, a great deal has been accomplished by the peoples of Africa to secure Africa’s rightful place on the world stage despite considerable challenges.
Our commemoration of Africa Day also acknowledges the progress that we, as Africans, have made, while reflecting upon the common challenges we face in a global environment.
Every 25th May, African citizens from all around the world celebrate with traditional clothes, songs, music, and dances. What better way to reclaim the African identity of our countries and peoples? Today will not be different. It must not be different because Africa Day presents an opportunity for all Africans to reconnect and recommit themselves in support of all government interventions to develop a better Africa and a better world.
In this regard, I would like to mention the fact that the 14th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the 6th Tokyo International Conference on African Development will both be held in Africa, in Nairobi, this year.
Africa Day also reminds Africans of the historical importance of banding together against common challenges, whether those be economic, social, armed conflicts, climate change, poverty, human rights, women’s rights and gender equality, or terrorism.
On this day, Africa Day, let us pause to reflect on what it means to be a human being, and an African. It is only then that we can be able to answer the question whether we are on the right path towards the dawn of a new day for Africa, and her people in the domain of human rights, women’s rights and gender equality.
We must also sustain the understanding that our own progress and prosperity are dependent on the progress and prosperity of our neighbors and other African countries.
To achieve progress and prosperity, we Africans must be free from human exploitation such as slavery, child abuse, sexual abuse, child labor, gender inequality, bad traditional practices like female genital mutilation, poverty and lack of basic education…just to name a few. We all have a responsibility to defend human freedom and human life at a time when we need to be shining lights for Africa.”
Africa Day 2016 celebration has been a tremendous success; all are intently looking toward the 2017 celebrations.
Photography by Carlotta Duken.
