Mr Deji Adeyanju, the Coordinating Collective member of Governing Board of Africans Rising says an equitable and just Africa is achievable with the right political will and cooperation amongst Africans.

Adeyanju said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja while speaking on the forthcoming All-African Movement Assembly slated for Aug. 29 to 31 in Arusha, Tanzania.

Participants for this year’s assembly will be drawn from across Africa and the Diaspora.

He said the assembly would be one of the biggest gathering of social movements, activists and civil society groups in Africa and the Diaspora.

He said its major focus would be how to build solidarity for stronger movements across the continent to help in building the desired Africa.

“Basically, the All African convening is the movement of all Africans, not just Africans, but PAN African organisations with headquarters in Gambia from all over Africa.

“We have been having regional convening in different countries and all the regions, including Central, Eastern, West Africa and Southern Africa and it had been very successful.

“The last major convening of the movement was five years ago in Arusha, Tanzania and coincidentally, we will be having this year’s major convening of members on Arusha again,” he said.

He explained that the idea of the movement was to re-awaken the never die African spirit of winning and formatting challenges of oneness and unity of purpose.

Adeyanju said it was also to proffer solutions on how to overcome all obstacles placed “on our parts by our respective countries whether in the economic, social or political.

“Ours is to support the work done by various organisations across the continent.

“Ours is to fight for an equitable Africa, an Africa that can stand tall within the committee of nations and take its place in the world polity in terms of social advancement, science and technology among others,” he said.

He added that the convening would be an opportunity to reappraise plans of the movement and way forward to make Africa better for her citizens.

He noted that the regional convening, which had been taking place in different parts of Africa, had witnessed tremendous participation of African activities, human rights defenders, social crusaders, pastors and opinion moulders.

“We have witnessed a lot of activities to the build up to the main convening coming up in Arusha Tanzania,”Adeyanju said.

He added that in preparation for the 2022 All-African Movement Assembly (AAMA), Africans Rising, a Pan-African movement had been hosting regional conventions at the grassroots level.

The essence, he said was to connect with members and hear what they were doing and how they could collaborate with them to better build Africa.

He said the consultations were unique opportunities to strengthen the current state of Pan-African organising across the continent.

Adeyanju said this was especially as insecurity was intensifying across Africa with several African countries going into election year.

He noted that corruption was on the rise, saying there was a pressing need for African innovation in health care solutions.

He said there was also a need to hear from members across Africa about how they were standing up to meet the needs and challenges of their communities in the present day.

He said the consultations were important opportunities to engage with grassroots movements and build solidarity among Africans concerned about the health and well-being of their local and Pan-African communities.

“They are platforms for our members to showcase their activism work on issues of gender justice, climate change, good governance, equity and dignity, and civic space,” he said.

The assembly is projected to host up to 750 representatives of movements from the African continent and the African Diaspora.

It is proposed to have at least one delegate from each country in Africa, 51 per cent of whom should be youths and 50 per cent women.

The three days assembly will be held at MS TCDC Conference Centre in Arusha, Tanzania, where the Africans Rising movement began five years ago.

African activities and human rights defenders among others from across the continent and the Diaspora will be attending the assembly, which will centre on building grassroots power to make Africa great.