“We Got Us: Self-Determination, Structural Transformation, and the Future of Global Black Collective Action”
Date: Friday 17 April
Venue: Room III, building A, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
Time: 10:15 - 11:15 am
Organizers: International Civil Society Working Group for the PFPAD (ICSWG), Alliance for Diplomacy and Justice, Alcee Hastings Global Leadership Fellows
Background and Rationale
The global movement for justice, dignity, and development for People of African Descent is unfolding within an increasingly complex and uncertain geopolitical environment. Shifting state commitments and uncertainties within multilateral spaces (including the United Nations) call for renewed reflection on how we organize, sustain momentum, and safeguard long-term collective gains.
The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD) represents a historic institutional achievement and a key mechanism for advancing global Black agendas. However, current conditions invite critical reflection on the structural modalities, organizational practices, and strategic orientations required to ensure that the Forum and the broader ecosystem surrounding it remain resilient, effective, and grounded in the priorities of the communities it serves.
This side event will convene a strategic dialogue centered on self-determination as a political principle guiding collective action. It will explore how movements of People of African Descent can strengthen internal capacity, deepen alignment, and build sustainable infrastructures capable of advancing long-term agendas, particularly in contexts where state support, philanthropic engagement, or institutional stability may be uncertain. The discussion will also consider which forms of structural transformation may be necessary for the PFPAD to fully realize its mandate as a durable, community-anchored global platform.
The side event aims to:
-Facilitate strategic dialogue on structural transformation needed to strengthen the long-term effectiveness and resilience of the PFPAD.
-Explore self-determination as a guiding political framework shaping organizing practices, institutional engagement, and collective strategy.
-Identify pathways for sustainability, autonomous capacity-building, and collective investment within the global movement for People of African Descent.
-Strengthen shared understanding of how movements can maintain coherence, alignment, and strategic direction in evolving geopolitical contexts.
-Reflect on how communities can build resilient spaces for coordination and strategy that are not dependent on unstable external actors.
Potential Guiding Questions:
-What structural adaptations are necessary for the PFPAD to remain a resilient and effective mechanism in a shifting global environment?
-How can self-determination be operationalized in the political, institutional, and economic dimensions of global Black organizing?
-What strategies enable movements to build sustainable infrastructures and invest in their own long-term development?
-Which spaces, mechanisms, and forms of collaboration best advance collective strategies for People of African Descent?
Format
The side event will be organized as a facilitated strategic dialogue bringing together civil society leaders, movement actors, scholars, policy advocates, and institutional partners. The session will prioritize collective reflection, exchange of perspectives, and future-oriented strategic thinking. As this is meant to be a community dialogue, there will be no formal speakers or panelists.
Expected Outcomes
Consolidated reflections on strengthening the structural resilience and long-term sustainability of the PFPAD and related global platforms.
Identification of strategic priorities for advancing self-determined, sustainable, and community-anchored collective action.
Strengthened alignment and dialogue across global actors working to advance the rights and development of People of African Descent.
Target Audience
Civil society organizations, movement leaders, representatives of People of African Descent, scholars, policy advocates, UN stakeholders, and strategic partners engaged in advancing the global agenda for People of African Descent.
