Report of the First Conference of Intellectuals, Dakar, Senegal
AFRICAN UNION UNION AFRICAINE UNIÃO AFRICANA Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA P. O. Box 3243 Telephone 517 700 Fax: 517844 FIRST CONFERENCE OF INTELLECTUALS OF AFRICA AND THE DIASPORA 6 – 9 October 2004 DAKAR, SENEGAL Rapt/Rpt/CAID (I) REPORT OF THE FIRST CONFERENCE OF INTELLECTUALS OF AFRICA AND THE DIASPORA Rapt/Rpt/CAID (I) Page 1 REPORT OF THE FIRST CONFERENCE OF INTELLECTUALS OF AFRICA AND THE DIASPORA I. INTRODUCTION 1. The First Conference of Intellectuals of Africa and of the Diaspora organized by the African Union in collaboration with the Republic of Senegal was held at the Hotel Le Méridien, in Dakar, Senegal, from 6 to 9 October 2004. The Conference was a follow up to, and a logical extension of, the first Meeting of African Intellectuals and Personalities of Culture which took place in Dakar, Senegal, in 1996. 2. Around seven hundred (700) intellectuals and men and women of culture from Africa and its Diasporas particularly those from North, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe and the Arab world attended the Conference. The Meeting was graced by the presence of Heads of State, Heads of Government and Vice-President of the following countries: South Africa, Cape Verde, Mali, Nigeria, Uganda, Senegal and the Gambia. Also in attendance were representatives of other Member State’s Governments as well as the international organizations and organizations of the United Nations system. 3. The general theme around which the Conference was held was “Africa in the 21st Century: Integration and Renaissance”. To facilitate deliberation, this general theme was sub-divided into six (6) sub-themes, namely: - Pan-Africanism in the 21st Century; - Contribution of Intellectuals of Africa and of the Diaspora to the Strengthening of African Integration in the Global Context of the 21st Century; - Relations between Africa and its Diasporas; - The African Identity within a multi-Cultural Context; - The Place of Africa in the World; and - Africa, Science and Technology: Stakes and Prospects.
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