The final lap of the 2025 PANAFEST and Emancipation Day has begun with a call for African governments to invest in human-centered policies that address the needs of the youth. The theme for this year’s events is “Let Us Speak of Reparative Justice – Pan-African Artistic Activism.” PANAFEST and Emancipation Day are organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, along with its agencies, the Ghana Tourism Authority and the PANAFEST Secretariat.
The Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, made this call at a durbar held at Victoria Park in Cape Coast to mark the start of the final segment of the biennial Pan-African cultural and history theatre festival, which began in mid-July and will conclude in the first week of August. She stated, “When we say that the youth are our future, we must mean it, and this commitment should be evident in everything we do. This is what this government — which I am proud to be part of — strives for.”
Event, Durbar
PANAFEST, which began in 1992, continues to be one of Africa’s most prominent platforms for celebrating cultural heritage and strengthening global Pan-African unity. The Emancipation Day celebration on August 1 marks the end of slavery in the British colonies and serves as a time for reflection and renewal for African descendants worldwide.
This year’s festival also commemorates the 100th birthday of the late Efua Sutherland, the founder of the festival and a renowned Pan-Africanist and cultural icon. Participants can look forward to workshops in the Twi language, African culinary arts, visual arts, music, and dance, providing them with an opportunity to experience and take home a vibrant piece of African culture.
The durbar, which marked the final phase of the celebrations, brought together traditional rulers, ministers of state, council members, religious leaders, diaspora communities, and stakeholders from across Ghana and the African continent. It featured lively cultural displays, including drumming, dance, storytelling, and artistic performances. Among those in attendance were Oguaamanhen Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Abla Dzifa Gomashie, CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority Maame Efua Houadjeto, Chairperson of the PANAFEST Board of Trustees Prof. Esi Sutherland-Addy, and Central Regional Minister Eduamoah Ekow Panyin Okyere.
Reparations
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang stressed that reparations were not just about financial compensation but also about restoring dignity and creating equitable opportunities for all Africans. “It has moral, political and economic implications. We want to see a time when Africans are not living at the razor’s edge of life, no matter where they are — rich or poor,” she said. We must live like everyone else, see ourselves in the future, and not be afraid. That goes beyond money; it’s about being ourselves and contributing to the world like everyone else,” she added.
African artistic activism
The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, urged Africans across the continent and in the diaspora to unite in the fight for reparative justice and cultural renaissance. She highlighted the power of arts, storytelling, music, dance, film and fashion as transformative tools of resistance and reclamation. “This is the spirit of African artistic activism — an awakening of consciousness through the soul of our culture,” she said, urging creative industries to spearhead a new Pan-African renaissance.
Commitment
Osabarimba Kwesi Atta reaffirmed the Oguaa Traditional Council’s commitment to work with governments, cultural institutions and diaspora communities to make repatriation meaningful. He outlined five key priorities, including creating safe, sustainable spaces for diaspora returnees to settle and invest, strengthening cultural institutions and indigenous learning systems to bridge identity, belonging, and encouraging youth development through innovation, history, education and entrepreneurship. Mrs Sutherland-Addy thanked the government for its continued support through the institutions
By: Diana Mensah
