The Role of Faith Communities and Ethical Organizations in Advancing Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations

The Addis Ababa Declaration by Religious, Ethical, and Scientific Organizations on Reparations proclaimed in AU: calling for socio-economic reparations for historical exploitation done in Africa

The African Union Commission (AUC) hosted a two-day international workshop titled “The Role of Faith Communities and Ethical Organizations in Advancing Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations” from February 27-28, 2025, at Kuriftu Resort and the AU Commission headquarters. Throughout the workshop, participants discussed strategies to align faith-based initiatives with the AU’s 2025 agenda, which is dedicated to promoting justice through reparations. These discussions culminated in a signing ceremony, where representatives from the participating organizations pledged to support the AU’s efforts and engage in joint initiatives for policy advocacy and community engagement.
Approximately 70 dignitaries attended the workshop, including H.E. Amma Adomaa Twum-Amoah, Ambassador of Ghana, H.E. Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union, and Dr. Sousan Massoud, UNESCO Regional Director for Eastern Africa.
 
The workshop aimed to deepen cooperation between the African Union and faith-based organizations in addressing reparative justice and historical accountability. In her opening remarks, H.E. Dr. Monique  Nsanzabaganwa, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, stressed the need for faith communities and ethical organizations to play a pivotal role in advancing justice for Africans and people of African descent.
 
Reparations have been a longstanding issue for Africans and people of African descent, as historical injustices—including colonial exploitation, the transatlantic slave trade, and systemic discrimination—have left lasting socio-economic consequences. Recognizing the need for a comprehensive response, the African Union (AU) has designated 2025 as the “Year of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” an initiative officially launched during the 38th AU which emphasizes the moral and legal imperatives of implementing reparations. Written by the hosting organizations, The declaration acknowledges the profound and lasting effects of slavery, colonialism, and racial discrimination on Africans and people of African descent. It also calls for concrete actions, including the establishment of an AU Committee of Experts on Reparations to develop a unified African policy and implement an African Program of Action on Reparations.

The declaration further advocates for recognizing ecological debt as part of the reparations framework, addressing the environmental harm caused by colonial exploitation and resource extraction. The declaration holds open position in specifying the liable parties of the reparations. As it characterizes reparations as overcoming the past with collective global efforts rather than seeking for compensation from the obligors of colonial age. It also proposes the formation of an Ethical Reference Group to guide the AU’s reparations efforts and urges the African Union to declare a Decade of Reparations to raise global awareness and promote restorative justice.

Looking ahead, the participating organizations committed to pursuing three key initiatives to ensure the workshop’s outcomes translate into sustained cooperation and practical action. First, HWPL and CIDO will engage in discussions to establish the African Religious Peace Academy (ARPA), an institution aimed at promoting interfaith dialogue and educational programs focused on religious harmony and peace building across the continent. Second, there was agreement to explore the establishment of a continental religious unity body under the AU framework, which would bring together African religious leaders to cooperate with the AU on advancing HWPL’s global peace agenda and fostering religious solidarity.

Lastly, Participants discussed forming a peace mediation body to facilitate conflict resolution across African nations, aiming to provide practical mechanisms for addressing regional disputes through dialogue and mediation in collaboration with the AU. One of the hosting groups, HWPL, an international peace organization, showed the willingness to provide necessary platforms to formulate aforementioned bodies.

The event was co-hosted by Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), Citizens and Diaspora Organizations (CIDO), African Union Chaplaincy (AU Chaplaincy), Pan African Conference of Traditional and Customary Authorities (COPAB), Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), Interreligious Association for Peace and Development Africa (IAPD Africa), and the United Religions Initiative (URI).