National Bar Association and Constituency for Africa Caucus on Capital Hill to Strengthen Engagement in Africa
The National Bar Association (NBA) and the Constituency for Africa (CFA) convened a “brainstorming” session in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capital Hill yesterday, to discuss ideas and strategies for scaling-up and strengthening Diaspora engagement in Africa. The focus of the brainstorm was on economic development, democratic reform, good governance and the rule of law in Africa.
The National Bar Association, with more than 55,000 members, is the oldest and largest association of African-American attorneys, judges and law students in the United States. The Constituency for Africa, which was founded in 1990, is a leading Washington, DC based education and advocacy organized working to build Diaspora support and engagement in Africa.
Congressman Meeks urged NBA members to get involved in the effort to help Africa. Said Mr. Meeks, “There is a clear role for Black lawyers and legal experts to engage in efforts to help build and promote Africa as the continent of the future! There is also an important role for legal experts to play in promoting trade and investment on the continent and helping African countries in their negotiations with China, India and other countries around the world that are in pursuit of Africa’s abundant natural resources like oil and gas, timber, and precious metals.” Congresswoman Bass sees a strong role for the NBA to play in helping to shape US Policy towards Africa. She spoke of a meeting that she had with the new Secretary of State John Kerry earlier in the day, where she urged him to focus attention on Africa. Congresswoman Bass further stated, “The NBA must also work with the Congressional Black Caucus to promote US trade policies such as the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), and policies on oil and gas, human rights and democracy, food security and other critical areas of concern.”
Melvin Foote, President, CFA, was pleased with the event. Said Foote, “It is encouraging to see so many from the National Bar Association present on Capital Hill to discuss engagement in Africa. It is especially great to see so many young and women lawyers attending the session, interested in “raising” the Bar to the next level. I am confident that if we can be successful in building NBA’s engagement in Africa, we will be able use this as a model for other Black technical groups like the National Medical Association, the National Society of Black Engineers, the National Association of Black Accountants, as well as collegiate, civic and social groups.” He further went on to say, “this meeting is a very important step in the building of a constituency to support Africa in the United States. CFA’s role is to help the Diaspora and Diaspora organizations to understand and to implement their role in Africa.”
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Comments
Greetings All,
I hope the NBA connects with the African Kingdoms Federation, a group of over 800 Thrones, under the leadership of H.I.M. Queen Shebah Kasambu 'Ra III, to learn Traditional Law and dictates, and not join in supporting British and colonial laws and rules in dealings with our brethren. Most have little, or no, knowledge of our systems and they need to be pointed into the direction of what we established, thousands of years ago, as systems for dealing in the best interests of African peoples.
Leave the european mindset and training behind and connect on an African, learning, level, before helping to implement anything the colonials put on the table. With them, it has always been about taking the resources for as small a price as possible, to maximize their profits in any exchange.
Yes, all the Associations and groups need to do as Hon. Marcus Mosiah Garvey instructed us, almost 100 years ago, and re-connect with our people. We cannot come in as the western experts, for that has gotten them and us to this space. We/they need to go in and study and learn, then help implement the plans of the Federation. IJS