Resolution From The Fifth Pan-Africanist Congress

The fifth Pan-African Congress was the most successful of all, due to the large number of Africans in attendance and the collective resolutions reached.

The Fifth Pan-African Congress, held in Manchester in 1945, included notable attendees such as Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, and W.E.B. Du Bois. The congress aimed to address the need for self-determination and decolonization in Africa and was a crucial event in the Pan-African movement.

The congress resulted in a resolution that demanded “autonomy and independence” for Black Africa. The resolution also condemned the monopoly of capital and private wealth, advocating for economic democracy, and pledged to fight for political, social, and economic betterment. The Congress emphasized the agency of the African masses in their liberation and called for the organization of workers and farmers.

Key Attendees in the Fifth Pan-Africanist Congress in Manchester, United Kingdom:

• Kwame Nkrumah: Future leader of Ghana, played a key role in organizing the congress and advocating for African independence, according to the People’s History Museum.
• Jomo Kenyatta: Future leader of Kenya, also involved in organizing and advocating for independence.
• W.E.B. Du Bois: An influential American scholar and activist, considered a founder of Pan-Africanism, and instrumental in organizing the first Pan-African Congress in 1919.
• George Padmore: A Trinidadian Pan-Africanist writer and activist who co-organized the congress.
• Hastings Banda: Future leader of Malawi, also present at the congress.
• Obafemi Awolowo: A prominent Nigerian politician, participated in the congress.
• Jaja Wachuku: A Nigerian lawyer, politician, and diplomat, also present.
• Amy Ashwood Garvey: The first wife of Marcus Garvey, also attended.
• Ras Makonnen: A Guyanese political activist who was involved in the Pan-African movement.
• Tom Mboya: A Kenyan trade unionist and politician, served as chairman.
• Patrice Lumumba: Future leader of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Frantz Fanon: A Martinican psychiatrist and political philosopher, represented the Algerian FLN.
• Peter Abrahams: Represented the ANC.
• Dudley Thompson: A Jamaican barrister.

BELOW IS A DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF THE RESOLUTION:

• Demand for Independence:

The Congress’s “Challenge to the Colonial Powers” explicitly called for autonomy and independence for Africa, signifying a shift from seeking reforms within the colonial system to demanding complete self-governance.

• Anti-Capitalist Stance:

The delegates condemned the exploitation inherent in capitalist systems, particularly the monopoly of capital and private wealth. They advocated for economic democracy as a necessary component of true democracy.

• Agency of the African People:

The Congress stressed the importance of the African masses taking control of their own liberation. The “Declaration to Colonial Workers, Farmers and Intellectuals” urged them to organize and fight against imperialism, using tools like strikes and boycotts.

• Focus on Economic and Social Justice:

Beyond political independence, the Congress emphasized the need for economic and social betterment for Africans, highlighting the importance of education, decent living conditions, and the right to express themselves freely.

• Global Solidarity:

The Congress concluded with a call for the unification of “Colonial and Subject Peoples of the World,” recognizing the shared struggles of those under colonial rule and advocating for global solidarity.

• Focus on East Africa:

The congress also had specific resolutions focused on the East African territories, including demands for the implementation of the Four Freedoms, the abolition of discriminatory land laws, and the development of the countries’ economic resources.

• Violence as a Last Resort:

While the Congress emphasized peace, it acknowledged that violence might be necessary if Western powers continued to rule through force.