Pan African Youth Conference

We are honoured and excited to have Dr. Lwazi Lushaba giving the keynote address this year.

Dr. Lushaba is a revolutionary intellectual. He holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of the Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg, South Africa. Prior to obtaining a PhD, he was educated in various institutions including the then University of Transkei, South Africa where he obtained an Honors degree in Politics; Ibadan University, Nigeria where he obtained an M.A. in Philosophy; Center for Studies in Social Sciences and Culture, Kolkata, India where he successfully completed an MPhil.

Dr. Lushaba has been an illuminating presence at PAYC having expertly chaired the Culture and Identity Committee at PAYC 2021 as well as two Tangaaza sessions (on Nationalism and Modernity) this year.

His address will focus on the question of
modernity as a paradigm of social, political and economic development in Africa.

Attempting to improve our condition in the world ought to start with an understanding of ourselves. Yet, African identity remains highly contested. But who are we, as Africans? What is essential to being ‘African’ that makes us African? How has being ‘African’ evolved through the years? How did ancient Africans understand themselves?

How did these understandings evolve with the advent of colonialism and now post-colonialism? How has this understanding evolved since?

This committee will explore the question of being ‘African’ from both historical and contemporary phenomenological perspectives, recognizing that understanding of who we are, our place in the world and how we relate to it as well as what being ‘African’ means to each of us and to all of us is critical to our efforts of self-emancipation.

The topic of development is a typical feature in discussions of Africa’s future. However, no definitive consensus has been reached on what pathways to development should include, as yet. Thus, if we, as Africans, want to secure our socioeconomic future, we must first identify the scope of development we are working towards, and qualify the rationale behind our priorities. This committee will unpack the concept of development from a lens of political economy, incorporating critical reflection on the assumptions held in classic economics as well as the sociological frameworks that inform our views on the present realities of our continent and the future of the Africa we want.

Introducing our committee session facilitators...

Discussions at will take place in three topical committees. Here are our esteemed committee chairs this year.

We are excited to announce that registration for the second edition of the Pan-African Youth Conference, running from March 26 – 27, 2022 is now open. PAYC 2022 is organized by the African Students Association of the University of Notre Dame in conjunction with the Pan-African Students Union at Northwestern University. The Conference will bring together young people from across the world interested in Africa’s development. Prof. Lwazi Lushaba from the University of Cape Town will deliver the keynote address. Registration of the Conference is open at www.panafricanyouthconference.org.

Pan African Youth Conference | Which Way, Africa? Pan-African Youth Conference Which Way, Africa? Register Now  Participants  Nationalities  Institutions  Institutions Our Committees Politics & Governance In the face of existing and emerging geopolitical contexts such as the consolidation of right-wing nationalism, how does one reimagin...