AU THEME OF THE YEAR 2025

AU THEME OF THE YEAR 2025: Theme: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations” The African Union (AU) has designated 2025 as the “Year of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.” This initiative underscores the AU’s commitment to addressing historical injustices, including the trans-Atlantic slave trade, colonialism, apartheid, and genocide. It builds on decades of advocacy and collaboration, aiming to foster unity and establish mechanisms for reparatory justice on a global scale.

The objectives of the African Union (AU) Theme of the Year for 2025, titled “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” are outlined as follows:

1. Strengthening AU Institutional Frameworks:
   • Establish and operationalize key mechanisms, including a Committee of Experts on Reparations and an Africa Reparations Fund.
   • Develop partnerships with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the African Diaspora to enhance collaboration.
2. Operationalizing Reparations as a Flagship Project:
   • Convene strategic dialogues and develop a framework for implementing reparations and racial healing initiatives as a flagship project.
   • Promote policy and legislative measures to ensure the project’s success.
3. Developing an African Common Position:
   • Create a unified stance on reparations, incorporating input from experts, member states, and relevant stakeholders.
4. Mainstreaming Reparations into Development Policies:
   • Equip member states and regional economic communities (RECs) to integrate reparations and racial healing into their strategies and programs.
5. Promoting AU-Wide and Global Engagement:
   • Organize global summits and dialogues to advocate for reparations.
   • Enhance public awareness and research on reparations and racial healing.
6. Establishing Knowledge and Research Centers:
   • Set up a Center of Excellence for training and scholarships focused on reparations and racial healing.
   • Launch educational programs like summer schools and grants.
7. Building Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships:
   • Strengthen collaboration between civil society, governments, religious organizations, and the diaspora to advance reparatory justice.
8. Resource Mobilization:
   • Secure sustainable funding through initiatives like the AU Global Fund on Reparations.
   • Host high-level events to encourage investment in reparations and racial healing.