The Brescia University, Screens Pan-Africanism: Testing Ideas on Reality, A Documentary by Obehi Ewanfoh
On May 23, 2015, within the academic walls of the University of Brescia, the Students of different African nationalities, organized a screening of the documentary “Pan-Africanism: Testing Ideas on Reality,” creating a space where the African community and European scholars could confront the challenging question between formal rights and lived sovereignty.
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This series of articles is based on the real, honest reactions of the people who watched the film. Through their stories, we see a powerful moment where people stopped just listening to a school lesson and started taking charge of their own history.
What The Documentary Is About
The documentary “Pan-Africanism: Testing Ideas on Reality“ is an investigative work by director Obehi Peter Ewanfoh that deconstructs the historical and contemporary application of Pan-African ideology, moving it from a “hidden” or theoretical concept into a practical tool for modern identity.
Screened at various Italian universities including Padova, Brescia, Verona, and Trento, the film analyzes often-neglected aspects of African identity, such as the role of NGOs and the impact of the “Western monopoly” on international relations.
It explores the “identity crisis” faced by second-generation migrants, challenging them to view Pan-Africanism not as a thing of the past, but as a “brotherhood” that provides the necessary “roots” to prevent a community from falling.
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By examining the gap between formal legal equality and the actual reality of exploitation, the documentary calls for a “redemption” of African culture and a return to internal accountability as the primary solution for the continent’s development.
In the mission of AClasses Academy, we identify this event as a critical moment of “Mission Excavation.”
It moved the conversation beyond the abstract and into the realm of Institutional Sovereignty, questioning why the legal “books” of the world proclaim equality while the economic “bloodlines” of the Diaspora continue to experience exploitation.
The Historical Context: The Ancestral Debt and the Legal Mirage
The gathering in Brescia brought together a diverse audience, including professional including a lawyer practicing in the city. For a legal mind, the documentary acted as a bridge between the sacrifices of the “grandparents”, the pioneers who fought for a freer Africa, and the current state of the Diaspora in Europe.
The lawyer pointed out a profound “Institutional Barrier”: the mirage of formal equality. In his testimony, he highlighted the dissonance between legal theory and human reality:
“I liked the film very much because it reminded us… of all the sufferings we have endured, and that the black people continue to endure today… especially the idea of our ‘grandparents’ who fought to make Africa a bit more of a free continent”.
He further deconstructed the “Economic Tenancy” that traps professionals even within Western legal systems:
“If we look at all the legal texts that exist in our countries, even at a national level, the equality of men is proclaimed; but in fact, in practice, in concrete terms, this equality does not exist”, he added.
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This is the heart of the struggle: living in a system that grants you a “formal” lease on life but denies you the actual “ownership” of your rights and resources.
To move from a “Subject” of law to a “Sovereign” of legacy, we must bridge the gap between what is written in the statutes and what is experienced on the streets.
The Global Vision Formula
The testimonials in Brescia highlighted a “Decoding Formula” for both the Diaspora and the European majority. This formula requires a transition from fragmented news to a Global Narrative Asset, a tool that forces the world to see the narrative evolution of a people.
Desiree, a teacher and recent graduate at the time, noted how the documentary filled a massive data void:
“The film gave me a vision that is a bit more global of what the African situation is, which is very often neglected even by current information, the news programs rather than the newspapers”.
This “Global Vision” exposed a painful truth for the European participants, leading to an admission of the structural exploitation that sustains Western comforts:
“The sensation that characterized me throughout the video is the shame of being part of this, the other part of the world… those who have for too long, and continue to do so, exploited the part they considered less important or less deserving”.
She concluded with a clear formula for those outside the Diaspora who wish to be allies in the search for justice:
“What we whites can do to help Africa is to recognize our errors… to change the current policy that continues to be that of exploiting the zones rich in resources… without giving too much weight to feedback on the populations”.
The Sovereign Pivot: Inculcating the Ideology of Freedom
For the Diaspora leader, the Brescia screening served as a “Signature Video” to inculcate a new worldview. Achille, the lawyer, emphasized that the goal of Pan-Africanism is the true liberty of the Black man, a freedom that is formal in name but must be made concrete in practice.
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How does this help you protect your family’s future for the next generation?
- Educational Sovereignty: We must use these assets to educate our children, ensuring they do not fall for the “Legal Mirage.” Achille urged parents: “It is also a way for us to feel the need to educate our children, to remind them of where they come from and especially what they can do to make this world maybe a bit more just and equitable”.
- Codifying the Vision: By turning historical “suffering” into an educational “vision,” we prevent the next generation from being “subjects” of exploitation. We move them toward the “fundamental objective of Pan-Africanism: the freedom of the black man”.
- Building the Fortress: At AClasses Academy, we take the “global vision” identified by teachers like Desiree and the “legal critiques” of lawyers like Achille and turn them into a structural system for self-improvement and business growth.
Conclusion: From Formal Rights to Actual Sovereignty
The Brescia screening of this documentary proved that “Testing Ideas on Reality” is an essential exercise for any leader who refuses to be a tenant.
It is not enough to be “equal” on a piece of paper; one must have the systemic power and the codified story to exercise that equality in the real world.
As Achille suggested, this film is a “beautiful opportunity for everyone living in Europe to remember effectively how much suffering our countries have endured” and to use that memory as fuel to build something better.
“The strength of the crocodile is in the water.” Your strength as a leader is in the sovereign systems you build for your family. Stop relying on the “formal” proclamations of institutions that have historically exploited your resources. It is time to architect your own freedom as has been the idea of the founding fathers of Pan-Africanism.
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Let us help you turn your lived truth into a permanent asset. At AClasses Academy, we move your legacy from the “mirage” of potential into the “fortress” of reality.
