3rd Kilombo International Conference, Peki, GHANA, 19th September – 20th September 2015

3rd Kilombo International Conference 19th September – 20th September 2015

Let’s not be blind this time. Too much African blood has passed under the bridge. Picture courtesy of DON’T BE BLIND THIS TIME. London 2013

This Conference is about bringing  together grassroots community activists from the diaspora and the continent who share an interest in a self sufficient Africa. The conference will see activists share ideas, learn by sharing successes, failures and experiences. The Kilombo international Conference will continue to oppose the militarisation and proxy wars on the continent and the Global South. It will encourage democratic participation by the marginalised such as women and other groups. Kilombo Outposts across the African continent and the Diapora will give reports on their various activities in moving the Kilombo vision forward.

The conference package also includes a sightseeing trip on 21st September to some of Ghana’s reknown tourist destinations.

Kilombo is a word that comes from the Kimbundu language of the Angolan people. We chose this word because as Pan-Africanists, we looked for a word that comes from an indigenous African language and is a word for resistance. This word means launching pad for battle or settlement (fortress) of resistance. When reading the book, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, by Walter Rodney, and looking at resistance to the occupation it covered, the word which lasted longest as one battle, was the Queen Nzingha-led resistance against Portuguese occupation. Queen Nzingha led the resistance from Kilombos.

When enslaved Africans were taken to South America, they introduced the word, Kilombo ( Quilombo) as a word of resistance with enslaved African revolts being organised from fortresses called quilombos, most well known examples were in Brazil (eg. Quilombo of Palmares).

Conference Brochure can be found here – if you are interested in attending email us at kilombo.uk@gmail.com