The Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation, in collaboration with the Pan-African Strategic and Policy Research Group, hosted an international colloquium in Brazil in 2008 and a follow up in 2009. The 2009 colloquium, organised by the two groups together with the Special Secretariat for the Promotion of Policies of Racial Equality under the Presidency of Brazil, brought together scholars, teachers, policy makers to further consider the issues of the teaching of African history and culture to the diaspora, and the teaching of diaspora history and culture to Africa. A central concern was the need to counter Eurocentric worldviews, to decolonise African history, and to ensure full and effective African participation in the global world through the development of African knowledge systems. The twenty-two papers in this volume were presented at the colloquium, and cover issues such as ancient rites in traditional societies; closing the cultural divide; decolonising the mind; excising the past and promoting music education.