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Numerous esteemed international dignitaries are preparing to visit Kenya to attend the fifth Annual Ateker International Development Organisation's (AIDO) Convention in Mombasa.
This event serves as a welcoming gesture to African descendants who reside far from the continent, some of whom have never set foot on African soil.
Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, a representative of Youth for Human Rights said the upcoming event holds significance for Africa and the descendants of Africa living abroad.
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She added that it is a decade-long dedication that underscores the importance of people of African heritage.
"Africa now has an opportunity to demonstrate love, compassion, empathy, and genuine solidarity with its historic diaspora. Symbolically, the diaspora will be warmly received on Kenyan land," emphasizes
Among the distinguished personalities attending the convention are Paul Jones Eganda and Queen Grace Eganda, the founders of the AIDO Global Network, as well as Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, the Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies and Chairman of the CARICOM Reparations Commission.
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Scheduled to grace the occasion are Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips, the Prime Minister of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and Gaston Brown, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. The convention will run from May 24 to May 28.
AIDO brings together various stakeholders from the cultural, community, educational, faith, and sporting sectors to address human rights abuses and utilize culture as a catalyst for unity, development, and social change.
"Africa will warmly embrace numerous descendants returning to the continent or setting foot on the soil of their ancestors, dating back 500 years.
"It is just a year before the culmination of the international decade for people of African descent. Inspired by the historical event in Atlanta, AIDO has been motivated to embark on an even more ambitious project in 2023," Shuttleworth explained.
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Notable VIP guests expected at the convention include Robinson Tanyi, the King of Cameroon and President of the African Indigenous Governance Council as well as Antigua and Barbuda Foreign Affairs PS Anthony Liverpool.
The event will also host Nee Tackie, the King of Accra City and GA Mantse State; Mzilikazi III, Queen of the Mzilikazi-Zulu Nation, Phurma Dlamani, Prince of the Zulu Royal Kingdom and Chairman of AIDO South Africa; Bashir Abdulsalam, King of the Fulani Nation in Nigeria; and Dr. Patrick Marshelle, Paramount Chief of Embo Kingdom.
This comes on on the backdrop of news that King Charles III is planning to visit the country before the end of the year.
The purpose of the visit is to strengthen relations between the United Kingdom and Kenya, and to promote the goals of the Commonwealth.