Connecting Communities of African Descent through Journeys of Remembrance and Reconciliation
African Pilgrimages Incorporated (API) is a Pan-African association which seeks through travel to sacred African sites to establish strong personal, communal and spiritual bonds between ourselves and our ancestors. API’s Mission is captured in the following expression of what we do:- Connecting Communities of African Descent through Journeys of Remembrance and Reconciliation In pursuance of this mission API organizes educational, cultural, spiritual and therapeutic journeys that promote holistic health, well-being and reconciliation among persons of African heritage in the Diaspora and on the continent. Some of the themes around which our pilgrimages have been and are organized include:-
- Landscapes and Legacies of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
- African Heritage/Family Lineage tracing
- African Women, Religion, and Health
- Exploring African Rites of Passage
- Rituals of Reconciliation for Persons of African Heritage
- African Indigenous Healing and Therapy
- African Religious Traditions and Spirituality
- Indigenous African Festivals and Ceremonies
- African Arts and Aesthetics
Beginning in 2017 API is embarking on a 3-phase program of pilgrimages that more accurately trace our ancestral and humanity’s historical heritage:-
In Phase 1 we reconnect with humanity’s most ancient sacred sites
PHASE 1: Nile Valley Civilizations (Nubia, Kush) – including Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania.
In Phase 2 we journey to those sacred sites from where the most recent forced migrations of African peoples began.
PHASE 2: West and Central Africa; e.g. Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, Mali, and Congo
In Phase 3 we travel to those sites that commemorate Africans in the diaspora;
PHASE 3: The Americas and the Caribbean
PLAN YOUR AFRICAN HERITAGE TRIP and take advantage of….
- API’s staff of experienced professionals representing a wide body of expertise
- Careful tracing of history that dispels inaccuracies and distortions
- Flexible itineraries that can be adapted to meet your goals and needs:
- Professionally designed and guided immersion tours that take participants beyond superficial contact with stereotypic scenes and sites in Africa.
- Meaningful encounters and extensive exchanges with a wide range of African experts, leaders, organizations and communities reflective of the diverse populations and experiences that constitute the dynamism of Africa.
- Opportunities to process and reflect upon the series of encounters and events that led to the deportation of approximately 12 million captive Africans across the Atlantic Ocean.
- Step-by-step assistance with pre-trip planning pertaining to immunizations, visas, packing, safety precautions, familiarity with cultural norms, and social etiquette.
- Pre-travel preparatory educative sessions; post-travel review, reflection and evaluative opportunities