The African Diaspora Convenes on the World Stage & Calls For Reparatory Justice

Reports from the Inaugural session of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent This discussion features prominent social justice advocates who attended the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (UNPFPAD), where they share their observations and offer ideas on a global Declaration on the Rights of People of African Descent and how this new body can be a tool for building local and national movements to end white supremacy and advance racial justice. In December 2022, the United Nations launched the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (UNPFPAD) as part of the International Decade on People of African Descent (2015-2024). The PFPAD will develop a global Declaration on the Rights of People of African Descent and define steps to improve the lived experiences of African descended people around the world through improved implementation of international commitments to end racism and all forms of discrimination. Delegate Justin Hansford calls this Forum a potential "instrument of liberation" that requires grassroots communities to “dream big” and engage with this global process to find creative and concrete ways to address ongoing harms of colonialism, genocide, and slavery. Over 900 civil society representatives attended the first PFPAD meeting in Geneva, which generated promising ideas for transformative change. Presenters: Lisa Borden, Southern Poverty Law Center Charkera Ervin, Howard University School of Law Efia Nwangaza, Director Malcolm X Center Gretchen Rohr, US-Liaison and Global Strategic Litigation Officer, Open Society Justice Initiative