Writers around the world have a duty to expose the real causes and call for warring forces to look at the common interest of peace – John RUSIMBI – President of the Pan African Writers Association
Abuja
Wars attract negative alliances that fuel a disastrous carnage on planet, and the writers around the world have a duty to expose the real causes and call for warring forces to look at the common interest of peace, says Mr. John RUSIMBI – President of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) in his opening remarks at the inaugural session of first Congress of World Organization of Writers (WOW) which began here on Thursday April 4, 2024. The Congress will continue till April 6.
Here are the opening Remarks from John RUSIMBI – President of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA):
Today, I am honored to provide my remarks on this important day when writers from around the world gather to celebrate their unity and heroism as agitators for humanity, freedom and justice.
Writers around the world have been persecuted for their outstanding published work against oppression, exploitation, and racism. Many have gone to exile; others imprisoned and even killed for their honesty and love for justice.
President of PAWA
Today, the world continues to see wars unfolding around the globe and claiming many innocent lives in Palestine, the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Ukraine.
It is more unfortunate when the wars attract negative alliances that fuel and inflame a more disastrous carnage on our planet. Behind the wars are crafty motives driven by ideological intolerance and greed for resources and supremacy.
Writers around the world have a duty to expose the real causes and call for warring forces to look at the common interest of peace.
Today, we continue to see racism linger in the most powerful nations on the world where non-whites continue to suffer discrimination, degradation, and misery.
Yet as the theme of the conference says “we are people of the same planet”. Writers across the globe have a duty to expose this evil and call for racial equality.
Deplorable periods of enslavement, colonialism and neo-colonialism have affected developing countries often complaining of both direct and indirect exploitation of their natural resources. The existing trade relations continue to favor more powerful nations at the expense of the weaker ones.
The international financial system is also designed to improve the North at the expense of the South. This increases the number of the most impoverished persons unable to get basic necessities of life on earth.
The World Organization of Writers (WOW) has a responsibility to promote the culture of peace and justice around the world by bringing together like minded heroic writers to expose and challenge evil while appreciating the common good.
Let me thank the founders of WOW for the noble enterprise that unites us all to avoid falling prey to manipulators who want us to trail their line of thinking even when they are wrong.
We should try to be objective in our writings and always advocate for equality and justice.
I thank the Secretary General of PAWA- Dr. Wale Okedran for the tireless efforts co-organizing WOW conference in Africa where most of the writers have demonstrated against enslavement, colonialism and neo-colonialism with its adverse effects on the African populace.
I particularly thank the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) for hosting the conference in Nigeria and hope that it will remain a memorable event for decades and centuries to come.
I wish you fruitful deliberations.
John RUSIMBI
President of PAWA
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Read: WOW and ANA Leaders meet ahead of World Writers’ Congress
