ILLUSTRATION BY PHILIP JONES

 In recent years Beijing's many universities have become home to several thousand African students. Marcus Muhariwa recently did a random survey of these students to find out their understanding and thoughts on African Liberation Day (also known as African Freedom Day), which falls on May 25 annually. About 80 percent of respondents indicated ignorance of the existence of this day and the rest, while expressing some knowledge, were at a loss to provide any details of why the day is remembered in Africa. Excerpts of his survey and background report follow:

A gathering of African leaders in Accra, Ghana in 1958 at the first Conference of Independent African States agreed to establish the African Freedom Day. The day was to be marked annually on April 15 when African nations would reflect on the progress of liberation from colonialism. The day was to be a symbol of the resolve of Africans to rid themselves of foreign exploitation and domination. A few years later on May 25, 1963, the Organization of the African Unity (OAU), the forerunner of the African Union (AU), was formed and the founding 32 nations agreed to shift the African Freedom Day commemoration to May 25 and call it African Liberation Day. 

Young Africans' ignorance of the day and failure to remember it on the calendar is evidence that even the older generation of Africans consider the end of colonialism as just another event in their past because they are not passing on the knowledge to African youth. If it was not for history being an unavoidable requirement of studies or careers, most young Africans would not have any reason to even learn about their continent's past.

One of the obvious reasons for setting aside a day to celebrate African liberation from colonialism was to ensure that Africans remember the value of independence, importance of shaping their own destiny and hopefully eventual unity of Africa. But some Africans who are under 40 years of age now, such as those who participated in the survey, do not seem to quite find it relevant to continue celebrating the end of colonialism.

Pioneers like Kwame Nkrumah [first Prime Minister (1956-60) and President (1960-66) of Ghana], Jomo Kenyatta [first Prime Minister (1963–64) and President (1964–78) of Kenya] and Kenneth Kaunda [first President (1964-91) of Zambia], wanted the generations after them to have a legacy of emancipation, but most young Africans surveyed seemed uninterested.

So, why don't young Africans think it is important to celebrate the day Africa gained freedom?

"Unless Africans our age are explicitly involved in activities or groups formed toward harnessing cooperation and development of Africa, I don't think they care," said Tiisetso Matete, a Tsinghua University master student from Lesotho. "I think we care that Africa was colonized, it's just that with the various problems facing Africa now, sometimes it feels like there is little to celebrate."

Echoing this view is the observation that it is morally wrong to have a day celebrating emancipation of Africa from colonialism when large populations of the continent's people are living under conditions arguably worse than during colonial rule. There are people waking up daily to sounds of guns and bombs while others are starving under oppressive regimes. There are people dying from curable and preventable diseases while their governments ignore corruption. Then there is the controversial issue of African unity.

Douglas Scott from South Africa, living and studying in Beijing, said as much as African Freedom Day is a good day to reflect on bringing unity in Africa, yet the day lacks the necessary significance to achieve that much.

"Beyond exposing people to other cultures in Africa, which is always a great and wonderful thing, I don't think that observing any particular annual event will, by itself, bring Africa together. The differences between African countries are much too great, culturally, economically and politically." Scott said for example North African countries have more in common with Middle Eastern countries, with which they share a common language, history and religion. "There is even a lot of disunity between Southern Africans as shown by the deeply shameful xenophobic riots in South Africa in 2008 which mostly targeted people from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi."

The idea of a united Africa was at the heart of Pan-Africanism, the gospel that exorcised colonialism from Africa. The preaching was that after the departure of the colonialists Africa should move together in development and modernization. However, this philosophy has so far only succeeded in widening differences in Africa because, as some scholars have contended, no African country wants to compromise for the good of the whole. Every country seems to want to better itself first.

In the book The World and Africa: An inquiry in the part Africa has played in world history, W.E B Dubois argues, "If Africa unites, it will be because each part, each nation, each tribe gives up part of its heritage for the good of the whole.

That is what union means. When the child is born into the tribe the price of his growing up is giving a part of his freedom to the tribe. This he soon learns or dies. When the tribe becomes a union of tribes, the individual tribe surrenders some part of its freedom to the paramount tribe."

In most African countries, other than acknowledging the day with a press release, there is nothing much that governments do to commemorate African Liberation Day. Even the AU itself does not seem to have a program in place to at least create some public awareness of the day. Young Africans believe that if the day could be well promoted, even commercialized through apparel, concerts and competitions it would catch their attention.

Ponatshego Bathamile from Botswana said the AU should persuade its members to make May 25 a public holiday. "Believe me if it's a public holiday everyone will know about it and its significance. Do you know that public holidays have significance? Take Christmas for example." She said African countries' embassies also have a responsibility to promote the day outside of Africa.

One could confidently say that the future of Africa is in the hands of young Africans, but is it on their minds? Actions of African leaders have made the continent's youth ignore important days like May 25 because the day is failing to explain why they still face wars, poverty, poor education and disease. Only improved political, economic and social conditions will persuade young Africans to have Africa on their minds, then they can decide how to use their hands to shape Africa's future. 

The author is an MA Business Journalism candidate from Malawi studying in Beijing