We are here to engage in a discussion that must ultimately lead to the shaping of a mechanism which enables us to be ourselves, to tell our own story, and to pursue our own interests. This gathering is a testament to our shared history and our ongoing struggle, a fight we have pursued in the past, continue today, and will pursue until final victory. I come from West Africa, which is a region comprising 16 countries. All of these nations have suffered the devastating effects of the transatlantic slave trade, colonialism, and are now in the midst of new colonial exploitation and oppression. West Africa is one of the richest regions in the world, containing everything from dense tropical forests to abundant uranium, gold, oil, and gas. The region is crisscrossed by rivers and bordered in the south by the Atlantic Ocean. Yet, despite these riches and the brilliance of our people, many cannot afford a daily meal, and many have no access to education or healthcare.
The problem we face today is not a lack of resources but an inability to control our own resources and tell our own stories. This is why we created the Pan-African Television project, a collective initiative of Pan-Africanists and revolutionaries. It is a humble effort, but it is one that we are very proud of. As we were planning this initiative, we realized that we are not the first to embark on such a journey. In the 1960s, our great leaders, Kwame Nkrumah, Sékou Touré, and Modibo Keïta, established a media organization called the Pan-African News Agency, with a vision to connect us and tell our story. Unfortunately, it died shortly after it was born. We are here today to revive that initiative and fulfill the dreams of our forefathers.
We are establishing this media institution because we believe that unless we tell our own story, unless we become the subjects of our own history, we will not be able to overcome our problems as Africans. We are reminded of the final resolution of the 5th Pan-African Congress, which was held in Manchester, which ended with the slogan: "Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains." We are in the process of uniting the workers of the world, as dictated by that final resolution. We have won major battles before and we continue to win major battles today, and we shall continue to win battles in the future. But that depends on our creativity.
Many speakers before us have spoken about the Western media's extensive involvement in the propaganda war in Africa. The British Broadcasting Corporation spends in excess of six billion pounds a year to promote the Western agenda. Voice of America is present throughout Africa. France 24, and Al Jazeera, are all promoting that same agenda. We don't have six billion pounds to spend, but we have a commitment to a struggle we dare not abandon. That commitment is what we need to use to defeat them. We also have a rich history of struggle against slavery and colonialism, and a rich history of attempting to unite as a people. That is how we defeated them in the past. We defeated them yesterday, we are defeating them today, and we will defeat them in the future.
This meeting with you is a very important step. We, as revolutionaries, as fighters for freedom, as Pan-Africanists, must come together as a family of media institutions to tell the truth. There are many media organizations that are already in this struggle. In Latin America, there is TeleSUR, and in Russia, there is RT (Russia Today). There are also other media organizations like Press TV and Brasil de Fato. In Brazil, there is also TVT (Televisão dos Trabalhadores), and of course, in China, we have CGTN (China Global Television Network). We must also recognize the efforts of People's Dispatch, an international media organization that reports on people's movements around the globe. This is a battle for the minds of people everywhere, and the struggle to win their hearts is our collective responsibility.
(Transcribed from recording and edited.)