PRESS RELEASE:

 

AFFORD in association with the Centre of African Studies and the Centre for Pan African Studies at SOAS, University of London, the Fatherland Group, and The Africa Centre are pleased to invite you to join us for "140 Years Beyond the Berlin Conference" for discussions and deliberations over two days on the continuing legacy of the Berlin Conference on the African continent on Friday 12 December and Saturday 13 December at SOAS, University of London.

In 1884–85, the Berlin Conference was convened by European powers to formalise the partitioning of Africa, redrawing its political boundaries, appropriating resources, and reshaping the continent’s destiny without African participation. This was not an isolated moment, but the culmination of centuries of economic exploitation, forced migration, and cultural erasure that began with the international trades in enslaved Africans. The political, economic, and psychological dependencies the Berlin conference cemented continue to shape Africa’s place in the world today. 

One hundred and forty years later, this symposium seeks to revisit the context, consequences, and continuing legacies of Berlin — and to reimagine Africa beyond it. By bringing together historians, policymakers, cultural leaders, and activists from Africa and the diaspora, we aim to confront historical realities, interrogate inherited systems, and generate actionable visions for a liberated future. 

 

On Friday 12 December, the conference opens at 5pm in the Khalili Lecture Theatre (KLT) with:

 

Introductory remarks from Professor Penelope Corfield (Professor of 18th Century British History, Royal Holloway) on ‘The Importance of Historical Memory’ 

 

Keynote Lecture by leading historian of colonialism Professor Alan Lester (Professor of Historical Geography, University of Sussex) ‘The Berlin Conference in the Context of European Colonisation in Africa’

 

Lecture: by Dele Ogun, Lawyer/Historian and Convenor of the Fatherland Group ‘What they discussed at Berlin 1884-1885’

 

Followed by a panel discussion with the speakers and audience Q&A

On Saturday 13 December, the conference opens at 10am in the Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre (BGLT) for a full day of discussions by leading academics and thinkers (see below for the list of confirmed speakers):

  

This conference is open to everyone interested in Africa's past, present, and future. Tickets cost £10 for both days, but entry is free for students, postgraduate researchers and academics.

You can register for the conference here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/140-years-beyond-the-berlin-conference-tickets-1963455991726?aff=oddtdtcreator 

 

Confirmed speakers include: 

• Professor Alan Lester (Professor of Historical Geography, University of Sussex)

• Professor Hakim Adi (Professor of History of Africa and the African Diaspora)

• Professor Penelope Corfield (Royal Holloway, University of London)

• Dr Esteban Alfaro Salas, Lecturer in African History (SOAS)

• Marie Rodet, Reader (Associate Professor) in the History of Africa (SOAS)

• Onyekachi Wambu (Director, Special Projects, AFFORD UK)

• Arunma Oteh (Chair, Royal African Society)

• Dominique D. Calhoun (Calhoun Meredith, PLLC and 81st President of the National Bar Association, USA)

• Dr Biki Minyuku (Former VC of the University of the North, Limpopo, former Chief Executive of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Patron of Fatherland Group)

• Tim Modu (Managing Partner CIDA Advisory London and Fatherland Group Member)

• Olu Alake (CEO, The Africa Centre)

• Dele Ogun (Partner, Akin Palmer LLP, Historian and Convenor of Fatherland Group)

• Nels Abbey (Author and journalist)

For media queries or for more information, please contact: 

Onyekachi Wambi, Director, Special Projects, AFFORD UK: [email protected]

Dr. Ida Hadjivayanis, Chair, SOAS Centre of African Studies: [email protected] 

Dele Ogun, Convenor of the Fatherland Group: [email protected] 

Notes for editors

1 The African Foundation for Development (AFFORD UK) is an international diaspora organisation
established in 1994, with a mission “to expand and enhance the contributions Africans in the diaspora
make to African development” The AFFORD family currently has offices in Sierra Leone and Belgium,
Europe.

2 The SOAS Centre of African Studies (CAS) is the largest centre of expertise on Africa outside the
continent. Founded in 1965 at SOAS, University of London, since 1991 the Centre has assumed
formal responsibility for co-ordinating, stimulating and promoting interdisciplinary study, research and
discussion on Africa within the University; and promoting a wider awareness of African issues.

3 The SOAS Centre for Pan-African Studies (CPAS) is a platform for promoting interdisciplinary
research, policy dialogues, and public engagement on issues related to the African continent and its
diaspora. Based at SOAS’ Department of Politics and International Studies, it facilitates new and
ongoing joint research projects, publications, seminars, and collaborations with scholars, civil society
actors, and institutions in Africa, the UK, and beyond.

4 The Fatherland Group is a global network of forward-thinking Nigerians armed with a new
understanding of Nigeria’s past, present and future.

5 The Africa Centre was established in 1961 as a space dedicated to championing the cause for
independent Africa into reality. Originally conceived to foster non-governmental relations between
newly independent Africa and Britain, The Africa Centre has since evolved into a forward-thinking,
inclusive, and respected cultural institution that promotes positive conversations about Africa. Its
mission is to educate, connect and advocate for Africa and its diaspora.