The theme “Memories, Restitutions, Reparations and Reconstruction” brought together African diasporas and Afro-descendants in Salvador de Bahia from August 29 to 31, 2024, for the 6th and final pre-conference ahead of the 9th Pan-African Congress in Lomé.

Organized as part of the “Decade of African Roots and Diaspora” (2021-2031), the conference aims to strengthen ties between Africa and its diaspora, while addressing key issues related to the theme.

The African Union considers the diaspora to be an essential component of modern Africa. Since 2006, it has included the diaspora as its 6th region, defining it as “the gathering of people of African origin living outside the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality”. This recognition paved the way for initiatives to strengthen cultural, social and economic ties between Africans on the continent and those of the African diaspora in the Americas, marking Brazil’s interest in playing a key role in this global dialogue.

The conference addressed crucial themes for the African diaspora, including collective memory, pan-Africanism, the reconstruction of identities and restorative justice. These topics are of paramount importance in understanding and overcoming the traumatic legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, recognized in 2001 by the World Conference against Racism in Durban as a crime against humanity.

The state of Bahia, known for its rich Afro-Brazilian culture and large Afro-descendant population, was chosen to host this globally important conference.

Salvador, with its history deeply rooted in Afro-Brazilian culture, is the ideal place to host this conference. Brazil is home to the largest Afro-descendant population outside the African continent, and the state of Bahia is its beating heart. The city of Salvador embodies the living bridge between Africa and the Americas, not only through its people, but also through its traditions, religions and music, all of which are steeped in African heritage.

The Bahia Conference marks a significant milestone in the dialogue on Pan-Africanism, a dialogue that now also encompasses the countries of the Americas. At a time when the world is facing global challenges such as climate change, racial injustice, and economic inequality, this conference offers a platform to explore cooperative strategies that could foster a more just and prosperous future for people of African descent.

This conference in Salvador is not just an international event, but a historic moment for the African diaspora, a time when memory, justice and reconstruction are at the heart of discussions for a better future. It reaffirms the importance of the African diaspora in shaping cultures and societies, while paving the way for new forms of cooperation between Africa and the Americas.