Pope Leo XIV message of unity spurs museum talks at UN General Assembly in New York

American rower proposes the Central African Museum of Enslaved Africans in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea on the sidelines of the 80TH session of UNGA this week.

NEW YORK CITY, NY, UNITED STATES, September 21, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Inspired by a single, resonant word from Pope Leo XIV – "Unity" – offered during the Roman Catholic Jubilee Year of Sports – Pilgrims of Hope, General Audience this summer, Victor Mooney of Queens, is now channeling that profound guidance into a monumental global initiative.

During the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly, Mooney is passionately rallying international support for the proposed Central African Museum of Enslaved Africans (TCAMOEA) in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

Mooney's proposal would represent the first major museum specifically focused on Central Africa’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, positioned at a geographically and historically significant location. He envisions this institution as a crucial "vital space for remembrance, education, and reconciliation," aiming to confront a difficult past while fostering healing and understanding.

To bring this ambitious vision to fruition, Mooney proposes a strategic funding model, blending private sector investment with support from friendly nations and collaborative partnerships with regional bodies such as the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC).

For over 25 years, as executive director and founder of South African Arts International, Mooney has engaged deeply with United Nations Permanent Representatives, steadfastly broadening its mission of cultural engagement, understanding, and shared values.

Mooney's lifelong dedication to humanitarian causes was brilliantly underscored by an extraordinary and deeply personal undertaking: becoming the first African American to successfully row across the Atlantic Ocean. His Brazilian built rowboat, Spirit of Malabo, was sponsored by the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

This formidable 21-month journey, Goree Challenge, an epic odyssey that began in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, and culminated at New York’s iconic Brooklyn Bridge, was not merely a testament to unparalleled physical endurance but a profound act of advocacy.

Undertaken on his fourth valiant attempt, every stroke of Mooney's oars was dedicated to encouraging widespread HIV testing, a poignant and powerful tribute to the memory of his late brother.

His incredible perseverance not only etched his name in the annals of exploration but transformed an unimaginable physical challenge into a compelling platform for public health awareness, demonstrating the boundless strength of the human spirit when fueled by love and purpose.

“What truly sustained me through such harrowing trials was an unshakeable combination of deep personal faith and the potent legacy of my ancestors, whose own unimaginable journeys across Central African forest and high seas instilled an enduring spirit of resilience”, said Mooney.

His latest undertaking powerfully echoes the Pope's guiding word, "Unity," seeking to unite communities in shared history and a path toward collective understanding and hope.

On the net: goreechallenge.com | tcamoea.org | victormooney.com | #unity | #museumtalks | #UNGA80TCAMOEA | #TCAMOEA | #faith #integrity #destiny

Lisa Samuels
Goree Challenge
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