The inauguration of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) 50 years ago marked a historic turning point for the entire continent, then undergoing rapid decolonisation.
Thirty-two heads of state and government brought the OAU into being in Addis Ababa on May 25, 1963.
Many of the leaders present had only recently cast off the colonial yoke and were looking for ways for their countries to rebuild broken social, political and economic structures through co-operation with their African neighbours.
To the south, the Portuguese colonies of Angola and Mozambique still had more than a decade of armed struggle ahead of them.
The process was even longer for the future Zimbabwe and Namibia, the latter still firmly in the grip of apartheid South Africa, while it would be more than 30 years before South Africa itself achieved majority government.
The historic gathering was a symbol of the dreams of an exploited continent.
For many Africans those dreams remain unfulfilled in spite of the hopes of the time and the strenuous efforts since.
Many Africans still go hungry and live in dire poverty. Climate change has brought drought and flooding. Unemployment is rife, with little hope for youths in many regions. Armed conflict still rages in parts of the continent.
African diplomats say the project of uniting Africa into a peaceful continent is not a failure but an ongoing process.
The African Union (AU) was founded in Durban in 2002 to replace the OAU. The idea of unity had repeatedly fallen down on the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of another sovereign state - the OAU was virtually powerless in the face of repeated military coups, civil war and even genocide in Rwanda in 1994.
The AU has a more political agenda and is aiming for continental unity along the lines of the European Union, with a common currency, combined armed forces, a parliament and a court of human rights.
Some of these institutions exist, even if they still lack authority and the ability to implement their decisions.
Perhaps realising there is still a long road ahead, the AU is calling for African citizens to suggest ideas for what is being called Agenda 2063, a 50-year plan the organisation hopes to pass at the next high-level summit in January.
“Like in 1963 when the founding states took their first steps into political independence, in 2013 we see Africa taking off towards peace and prosperity,” said AU chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
There has been considerable progress, including rapid economic growth in many countries. More children are going to school and fewer mothers and infants are dying in childbirth.
But Africa has still a far way to go.
