Former Costa Rica VP Epsy Campbell Barr gave opening presentation

Epsy Campbell Barr, the politician and economist who served as the Vice President of Costa Rica from May 8 2018 to May 8 2022, and is now a member of the UN’s Permanent Forum Of People Of African Descent, made a live opening presentation at the African History Reflection Day (IHRD) online event.

The event, sub-themed ‘The Global Africans Forum’, provided an opportunity for exploring history and social issues, put forward by the participants drawn from global African communities.

Ms Barr helped champion Costa Rica’s proposal for August 31 to be observed by the UN member states as International Day For People Of African Descent (IDayPAD). The Day was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2021 and she presided over the government of Costa Rica’s inaugural celebration in the capital city San Jose a year ago.

Her opening AHRD presentation was in the form of a conversation with TAOBQ coordinator Kwaku. She gave a personal account of the inspiration and expectations of IDayPAD, and the challenges of getting it adopted.

She update the audience on the workings of the UN’s recently established Permanent Forum Of People Of African Descent, and how individuals and civil society organisations can engage with the Permanent Forum.

Contributions ahead of a moderated open forum, consisted  of a presentation from African-centred social theorist Karanja Keita Carroll, whilst the contribution of Prof Sir Hilary Beckles, the Vice Chancellor of the University Of The West Indies, was an excerpt from a video.

Incidentally, the motion for AHRD to be marked on August 31 was passed at a community event held at the Ghana High Commission in London in 2014, which marked the centenary of the founding of the UNIA-ACL (Universal Negro Improvement Association-African Communities League). It’s inspired by UNIA’s Declaration Of The Rights Of The Negro Peoples Of The World, which was adopted on August 13 1920 at a UNIA convention in New York.