MESSAGE TO THE PAN AFRICAN COMMUNITY
On October 21-22, 2010, a very important meeting was held in New York City hosted by The African Union delegation to the United Nations. That gathering was important for a number of reasons, one of which is that it was the most recent attempt by the AU to reach out to elements of the African descendant community in the USA regarding bringing the African Diaspora into a sustained partnership with the AU. Below are four summary perspectives from that gathering, including three from actual participants, and one from a third party source. We thank the messengers who provided us with those reports.
Notwithstanding that gratitude, in these and other reports to the community intended to inform, inspire and educate us as we try to organize ourselves into readiness to fully participate at the international level in making decisions about Africa’s future and our place in it, we as 21st century Pan Africans must identify some standards of ethical and responsible conduct by our messengers---a ma’at of 21st century Pan Africanism. Towards that end, those who purport to provide us beneficial information for our head and hearts should:
(1) Try to be as accurate and as truthful as possible
(2) Try not to insult the intelligence of the Pan African community
(3) Try not to deliberately confuse and/or lie to the community
(4) Try not to be individually or organizationally chauvinistic in their reporting
(5) Try to always provide information that will help the Pan African community build up its capacity and skill in self-organizing and achieving unity without uniformity
All four reports below do not currently meet those standards. Two of them noticeably add more confusion than light to the conversation on the AU and the Diaspora. Two of them actually prevaricate in some instances and are disingenuous in other places. Neither of them, for instance, is an “official” report of the AU-Diaspora gathering and should not have purported itself as such, since neither the AU UN office nor the AU CIDO staff wrote and disseminated the information nor publicly endorsed it. The AU staff is certainly too bureaucratic for many tastes, but it is consistent in putting out its own summary reports of the meetings and gatherings it holds, so to imply something is an official report when it is not is a situation we cannot ignore.
May we all work harder to live up to the Pan African legacy we have chosen to carry forward.
Forward Ever, Backward Never, The Pan Afrikan Organizing Committee (PAOC) paoc-usa@yahoogroups.com
REPORT #1
REPORT FROM THE RECENT AU UN GATHERING OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA
By Yao Khepra the Evolutionary aka Yao Khepra Wilson
6th Region Diaspora Caucus/SRDC - New York Co-Facilitator
For all those African descendants who consider themselves 21st century Pan Africans, the life-blood for our moving forward is network communications. Representatives of the African Diasporan community who are elected, designated or self-appointed must accept the responsibility and obligation to present reports and summary information to the community on meetings and gatherings they attend that affect Africa and the Diaspora. Such representatives cannot hoard such information as if it belongs to each of them individually, nor should they present organizationally chauvinistic reports that feature only their groups when others were also involved in relevant proceedings. The African Diaspora must organize itself, and all 21st century Pan Africans must do whatever we can to promote and advocate that objective. Network communications and mutually respectful engagements are minimal requirements to achieve that objective. --------PADU - SRDC, 2010
*This is one attendee's perspective. There have already been two published reports, one from an attendee and the other from a third party non-participant. You are invited to compare and to combine all of the perspectives to get a full picture of the proceedings. I especially invite those organizations that attended to give their unique perspective of what went on in those two days to hep paint a picture for those who were not present. You can utilize the forum http://padu-srdc.ning.com/forum/topics/initial-african-diaspora-task at the PADU Coalition website if you choose to do so, or some other vehicle.
EVENT: The African Union through its office at the UN (Ambassador Tete Antonio, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations), invited several organizations representing the African Diaspora to a meeting titled, "Building Bridges Across the Atlantic", on Thursday, October 21 and Friday, October 22, 2010 at the African Union Hall in Manhattan, New York.
The published agenda for that meeting and the list of invited attendees is attached. The contact information for each attending organization is not listed, since I did not receive permission from them to do so.
AU DECISION-MAKERS PRESENT:
Ambassador Tete Antonio, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations whose staff at the African Union Hall served as host for the meeting.
Ambassador Amina Salum Ali, Ambassador of the African Union to the United States, Washington, DC.
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Malawi Mr. Brian Bowler
Dr. Jinmi Adisa, Diaspora Director of the African Union Commission {Citizens and Diaspora Direcotrate (CIDO)}
Mr. Anthony Okara, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Bureau of the Deputy Chairperson
Dr. Fareed Arthur, Advisor (Strategic Matters, Bureau of the Deputy Chairperson of the Commision)
Mr. Wuyi Omitoogun (Expert, Diaspora Relations, CIDO)
MS. Nadia Roguiai (Expert, ECOSOC, CIDO)
AFRICAN DIASPORAN GROUPS PRESENT:
From the placards for the organizations invited, there were 36 slots, with approximately 15-20 African Diaspora organizations actually present for the two days, with a total of 35 individuals representing those organizations, all from the USA. Virtually all of those organizations present and invited were from groups headquartered east of Chicago, and mostly from the North East of the U.S.A.
As one of the invited organizations, I was there in an official capacity as an organizational representative of the SRDC/6th Region Diaspora Caucus, and I was also one of the unofficial representatives of PADU/Pan African Diaspora Union Coalition of organizations that was present.
Attached is a copy of the sign in roster of the 36 organizations expected to attend.
Organizations in attendance as I personally recall were:
African Unity of Harlem
Youth Icons
African Cultural Exchange Club
December 12 Movement
African Sun Times
Falou Foundation
The Drammeh Institute
African Poetry Theatre Inc.
Cameroon Organization
World African Diaspora Union
Gulla Geechee Nation
The Africa Channel
Saga Africa
6th Region Diaspora Caucus/SRDC
IMPORTANT POINTS MADE AT THE GATHERING
1. Dr. Jinmi Adisa, Diaspora Director of the African Union Commission (Citizens And Diaspora Directorate (CIDO)--- 'More disturbing still is that there is some competition for power and influence within the Diaspora communities......... There are some elements of the Diaspora within the US that wish to assume the natural leadership of the Diaspora agenda and to organize and centralize the Diaspora effort.'
'There is a great need to maximize multimedia to combat the negative portrayal of the Africa (explicitly the African continent and implicitly the African Diaspora).
' The Town Hall method for organizing the Diaspora has been successful in the U.S.A. but will the Town Hall method have similar success outside the U.S.A. in other parts of the Diaspora???'
Dr. Adisa's presentation in its entirety can be found at
http://padu-srdc.ning.com/forum/topics/dr-jimini-adisas-the-african
2. Ambassador Bowler, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Malawi, passionately stressed the immediate need for a skills database of talents and resources in the African Diaspora. Currently, Africa has no way of knowing who. to reach out to in the Diaspora who possess the skills and qualifications to be of assistance.
3. Ambassador Ali reiterated a point she has made at other such gatherings: the African Diaspora should no longer merely wait for directions from the AU on organizing itself--the Diaspora should move aggressively forward in that regard.
4. There was a 5-6 person African Task Force elected by the attendees to work for 3 months as a pre-Summit Diaspora Group to meet South African organizers of the upcoming Diaspora Summit Conference which has been re-scheduled now for 2011 (originally scheduled for November, 2008 but postponed for internal South African political reasons). The Task Force is supposed to present reports to Ambassador Ali. It was mentioned that there will be other such task forces within the Diaspora assigned to other projects, each with a three-month existence, but the process of determining those was not determined at this gathering. There was also a big controversy/discussion about the lack of full participation by the USA African Diaspora at this gathering, since many of them were not contacted.
5. Dr. Adisa knowing the importance of African Union ECOSOCC to the Diaspora, called upon an attendee to specifically ask questions regarding ECOSOCC for all attendees to hear. However, the questions remained unanswered due to a lack of time. The questions that were asked and more detailed information as to why African Union ECOSOCC is an important component in organizing the Diaspora is open for discussion @ http://padu-srdc.ning.com/forum/topics/importance-of-au-ecosocc-in
REPORT #2
First Consultation of the African Diaspora to the African Union
October 21st – 22nd 2010 African Union Headquarters New York
Greetings to everyone,
As you all may be aware of now, the African Union has kept its mission of creating an African Diaspora 6th region consisting of African people who desire to up build up Africa. Please view the attachments for details and pictures. It has been a long road covering almost ten years but finally the door is being opened. Afrikan Unity of Harlem, Inc. would like to thank you all for continuing on the path that our collective African Ancestors plotted out for us almost a hundred years ago.
We all have a special part to fulfill now and no longer can we cry in protest to what others or people have done to us. It’s time to take our responsibly by seizing this moment to secure our children’s futures. Just as our Ancestors did for us, we in our turn must do the same for the next generation of African Diaspora/ Pan African / African Black peoples. We are no longer captives!!! We are no longer colonized!!! We are no longer welfare mothers or imprisoned fathers!!! Nor are we hungers or beggars in the streets. We are, as we have been from the foundation of human society, the first civilization to give to the whole world humanity. In whatever field of expertise you or your organization is in, we encourage you to continue those positive efforts. In whatever you do, seek grounds of commonalities with those in like fields. For those who lust to keep up with the old man and chose not to throw him off their backs must be forgiven and blessed so you can move forward.
Every African in the world must now rejoice for a righteous society and its leadership is mounting. A true remnant of people who have not forgotten who they are while being submerged in an unjust world. Our ancestors know this day would come when they first sat down in unity. African unity is not easy, it is not fun, and it is not peaceful. It is the most deep burning awareness of patience, compromise and understanding of the African brethren. From this we must carry a sincerer deep love that will override the smallness of tribulations we may face when working with each other. Over 500 hundred years have created different backgrounds within us where as before, the diversity of our language and tradition enhanced how we interacted with each other. Let’s all bring forward our uniqueness to breathe life back into our dear beloved continent… Mother Africa.
AUH, Inc would like to personally thank the Sixth Region Diaspora Caucus within the leader and eldership of David Horne and Sister Iman Uqdah Hameen for inviting us to the table to have this opportunity to sit in the gathering of the African Diaspora. And also for seeing our organizational efforts to be a part of the Pan African Diaspora Union.
Most Respect
Sister Ivory Ann Black II Woletta Sellassie
Executive Secretary
Afrikan Unity of Harlem, Inc
Office Phone: 212 531-0384 / Fax: 212-531-0382
Mobile: 347-286-9571 / 414-429-2160
Website: www.afrikanunityofharlem.com
Blogesite: http://www.afrikanunityofharlem.wordpress.com
Radio/TV Program: Watch us at afrikanunityofharlem.com
Mailing P.O. Box 1121
New York, New York 10027
Afrikan Unity of Harlem, Inc.
Mailing: P.O. Box 1121
New York, New York 10027
Phone: (212) 531-0384
Fax: (212) 531-0382
Mobile: 347-286-9571 / 414-429-2160
Online: www.afrikanunityofharlem.com
Email: info@afrikanunityofharlem.com
Support "The Center of Afrikan Unity in Harlem"....
No matter what language we speak,
No matter where we are born,
No matter what religion we practice.....
WE ARE ONE AFRIKAN PEOPLE.
REPORT #3
From:
To: Amenelik@aol.com
Sent: 11/3/2010 2:03:05 A.M. Eastern Standard
Time
Subj: Fwd: African Diaspora Task Team of the African Union - Press
Release
Here is the final press release.
Dear African Diaspora,
Please find attached a press release regarding the recent African
Diaspora Meeting on the 21st and 22nd of October, 2010, initiated by the African
Union Commission from the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
and hosted by the offices of the African Union Permanent Observer to the United
Nations, New York and the African Union Embassy to the United States,
Washington, DC. Please kindly circulate to a large number of your group as well
as for publication. We look forward in the immediate future to inviting you, as
the constituency that elected us to the TASK TEAM, so that we can report back to
you about the mandate we were given and how we will depend on you on
accomplishing the tasks given us.
We sincerely thank you for your
confidence in selecting us to represent you.
Chika A. Onyeani
Chair, African Diaspora Task Team of the AU
African Diaspora Task Team of the African Union
c/o The Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the United Nations
305 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017
Tel. : 212-319-5490, Fax: 319-7135 email: AUDTT2011@gmail.com
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
November 1, 2010
AFRICAN UNION MOVES TO ESTABLISH STRONGER TIES WITH THE AFRICAN DIASPORA
NEW YORK, New York, Oct. 21-22 - The African Union took a giant step on Thursday and Friday, October 21 and 22, in its efforts to galvanize Africans in the Diaspora by convening the African Diaspora Meeting at the offices of the Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the United Nations. The African Diaspora Meeting, labeled "Building Bridges Across the Atlantic," was organized by the African Union Commission, the main administrative body of the African Union, through its offices in the United States, including the Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the United Nations, New York, and the African Union Embassy to the United States, Washington, DC. Taking charge of the two-day meeting was a strong delegation from the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The African Union Permanent Observer Mission's Conference Hall was the venue of the meeting.
The high powered officials from the African Union headquarters, led by Mr. Anthony Okara, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Bureau of the Deputy Chairperson, included Dr. Jinmi Adisa, Diaspora Director of the African Union Commission (Citizens And Diaspora Directorate (CIDO); Dr. Fareed Arthur, Advisor (Strategic Matters, Bureau of the Deputy Chairperson of the Commission), Mr. Wuyi Omitoogun (Expert, Diaspora Relations, CIDO) and Ms. Nadia Roguiai (Expert, ECOSOCC, CIDO). The two African Union Ambassadors in the United States, who attended, were Ambassador Tete Antonio, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations; and Ambassador Amina Salum Ali, Ambassador of the African Union to the United States, Washington, DC.
In his second welcoming address within minutes, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Malawi Mr. Brian Bowler delivered a most explosive and rousing speech, in which he called on his colleagues in dealing with the Diaspora, especially when it comes to economic well-being of the group. "For example," he said, "during the UN General Assembly meeting each September, let's assume that each of the 53 African countries spend just $500,000, we are talking of $25 million that could go to an African Diaspora company. That's $25 million in less than one month," he said. Ambassador Bowler, who was speaking as Chairman of the African Ambassadorial Group in his capacity as a representative of President Binbu wa Mutharika of Malawi as current Chairman of the African Union, challenged his colleagues to begin looking for African Diaspora companies to do business with, as he felt that the relationship with the Diaspora should not be a one-way street, "especially as a businessman who owns three breweries in three different African countries."
After Ambassador Antonio welcomed the group, Ambassador Amina Ali took over and delivered an equally forceful presentation of what the African Union office in Washington, DC, has accomplished since opening in 2007. She informed the group that she has aggressively moved to deliver the essence of the AU Diaspora Initiative by traveling all across the United States, Canada as well as the Caribbean and Central/ and South American countries in bringing a message of the need for the Diaspora to recognize its important role to Africa and the African Union, especially as the Sixth Region of the Union. Ambassador Ali stayed throughout the two-day meeting in helping to guide the deliberations of the meeting.
Consequently CIDO Director, Dr. Adisa, provided more reasons of why the meeting had been called. Dr. Adisa began by calling the meeting a "precedent setting event, which we hope will set the pace for an annual consultation process with the African Diaspora in US, the Caribbean and Central//South America, Europe and the Middle-East, amongst others. In organizational terms, this is also an exercise in inter-collegiality that serves as an inspiration for the Commission and various organs of the Union to work together as one in the spirit of cooperation and solidarity that underpins the purpose of the African Union."
Dr. Adisa went on to discuss the different sectors of the African Union, including "Objectives of This Dialogue," "The Initiative Within the Context of the Development of the African Union," "Rebuilding the Global African Family," "Definition of the African Diaspora," "Engagement Strategies,""Organizational Processes," and ending with the "Global African Diaspora Summit."
Dr. Adisa discussed the processes that led to the recognition of the Diaspora as a Sixth Region of the African Union. "Soon after the launching of the African Union in Durban, South Africa in 2002," he said, "the Assembly of Heads of States met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to establish, among other things, a legal framework that would create the necessary and sufficient conditions for putting this decision into effect. Hence, it adopted the Protocol of the Amendment to the Constitutive Act of the Union which in Article 3 (q) invited the African Diaspora to participate fully as an important component in the building of the African Union. In adopting the decision," he continued, "the Protocol symbolically recognized the Diaspora an important and separate but related constituency outside the five established regions of Africa - East, West, Central, North and South. Thus, although there is no specific legal or political text that states this categorically, it, in effect, created a symbolic sixth region of Africa."
Regarding the definition of the African Diaspora, Dr. Adisa said that a meeting of Experts from Member States had met in 2005 and adopted the following definition, "The African Diaspora consists of peoples of African origin living outside the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and building of the African Union." Dr. Adisa informed the group that there had been a lot of debates and disagreements on the definition. There were those who felt the need for an "academic" and "intellectual" aspects to the definition and the other that would be related to the political needs of the Union. Another group, he said, preferred the need to add "permanently" to "living outside the continent. "Others," he said, "argued that the phrase "willingness to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union" should be left out." Nothing, they felt, should be demanded or expected from the Diaspora.
The African Union preferred its earlier definition, as according to Dr. Adisa, it encompasses the following:
(a) Bloodline and/or heritage: The Diaspora should consist of people living outside the continent whose ancestral roots or heritage are in Africa;
(b) Migration: The Diaspora should be composed of people of African heritage, who migrated from or are living outside the continent. In this context, three trends of migration were identified - pre-slave trade, slave trade, and post-salve trade or modern migration;
(c) The principle of inclusiveness: The definition must embrace both ancient and modern Diaspora; and
(d) The commitment to the African case: The Diaspora should be people who are willing to be paid of the continent (or the African family).
Finally, with regards to the importance that the African Union attached to the Diaspora, Dr. Adisa informed the group that 60% of the Recruitment Committee of the African Union consisted of individuals from the African Diaspora, and how he himself attained his present position after interviewing with two recruitment committees chaired by African Diaspora.
After the addresses, the group spent a lot of time making comments, asking questions and expressing their concerns about one issue or another. After the deliberation, the group was informed that it was necessary for the group to establish a Task Team, which should consist of five members, but later changed to six members due to numerous organizations represented at the meeting. Earlier, five elements had been identified as a guide to what the Task Team should consist of, including Afro-Latinos, Community, Gender, Media, and Youth. After the group was separated into its different elements to choose their representative, the following individuals emerged as members of the Task Team, including Dr. Georgina Falu for Afro-Latinos, Mr. Sidique Wai and Mr. Omowale Clay, for Community, Ms. Kathy Jenkins Ewa for Gender, Dr. Chika A. Onyeani for Media, and Engr. Daniel Ochweri for Youth. The Task Team was later given their terms of mandate within which to work, report and conclude their assignment within three months.
Later on Thursday evening the 21st October, there was an Award Dinner Gala organized by Nation to Nation Networking (NNN), whose CEO is Ms. Abaynesh Asarat, in collaboration with the African Union at 3 West 51st Street at Club 51st Street, attended by the African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security, His Excellency Ambassador Ramtane Lamamra. Those who received awards included Ms. Elinor Tatum of the Amsterdam News; Dr. Kwame Akonor, Director of the African Development Institute; Dr. Muriel Petioni, M.D., known as "Mother of Medicine in Harlem"; Mr. Dabney N. Montgomery, Member of Community Board 10; and Mr. Seri Remy Gnoleba, Chairman of the African Chamber of Commerce in the U.S.
A special thanks must go to His Excellency Ambassador Tete Antonio, and his hardworking staff at the African Union office in New York, as well as Her Excellency Ambassador Amina Salum Ali of the African Union Embassy in Washington, DC, for assisting the African Union Commission in putting together such a successful African Diaspora meeting.
Chika A. Onyeani
Chair, African Diaspora Task Team of the AU
ps: Kindly send replies to Dr. Georgina Falu, Secretary to the ADTT Board at email: falug@aol.com
REPORT # 4
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2010 By: Minister P.D.Menelik Harris
African Union representatives urged Diaspora
"The African Diaspora must be organized" to advance Africa in the 21st century, stressed Dr. Jinmi Adisa to leaders of the African Diaspora during the African Union/Diaspora forum in New York from October 21-22, 2010. The forum was led by Dr. Adisa, the head of the African Union (AU) African Citizens Directorate (CIDO), Ambassador Tete Antonio, AU Representative to the United Nations (UN); Ambassador Madame Salum Ali of the AU Office in Washington, D.C. Also a key speaker was His Excellency Brian Bowler of Malawi, representing both the U.N. and the current Chairman of the African Union, Malawi’s President Bingu wa Mutharika,
Some Diaspora delegates to the AU meeting were Dr. Leonard Jeffries, Baba John Watusi Branch, Nana Farika Berhane, Omowale Clay, Queen Mother Blakely, Randy Weston, Dr. Chika Onyeani and Queen Quet. Some of the key issues raised at the forum were Diaspora African citizenship, economic partnership, women and youth empowerment, African Latino involvement in AU initiatives, and the establishment of an African Diaspora Task Team to work with the AU.
The two-day AU affair coincided with the annual WADU Diaspora commemoration of the famed 1945 5th Pan African Congress (PAC) that led to the freedom and independence of African people worldwide. The current OAU/AU is a continuation of the Pan African Movement that was formally launched at the 1900 Pan African Congress with the influence of African nationalism in the late 19th century, at the height of European invasion of Africa.
In the WADU 5th PAC Forum in NY, WADU Vice President Dr. Leonard Jeffries and AU delegate in his opening address greeted the participants on behalf of His Excellency Dudley Thompson, President of WADU, stating that this historic moment is “to finally pull African people together to rebuild after centuries of isolation and destruction.” Also in NY, Baba Watusi Branch, another AU delegate and WADU Chief Secretariat, declared that with this new opportunity “we must act decisively to promote Pan African economics by increasing Diaspora investments and trade with Africa.”
In Atlanta, Ga. Dr. Joyce King, WADU Commissioner of Education, who also holds the Benjamin E. Mays Endowed Chair for Urban Teaching, Learning & Leadership at GA State University, urged the African Union to join in partnership with Diaspora Black universities for the building of a Pan African university system "that recovers our language, lost memories, and reconnect us to our historical consciousness as a global African family.”
Also in Atlanta, WADU Chair, Reverend Dr. Ndugu T’Ofori-Atta called for peace and justice action in partnership with the AU in conflict ravaged areas of the African world such as Haiti, Columbia, the Congo, and the Sudan. He recommended that significant personalities of the African Diaspora such as Danny Glover, Rita Marley and Pele be tapped as Diaspora ambassadors for peace and development.
In Washington, D.C., WADU Executive Council leader, Nana Farika Berhane called for an immediate follow-up to the recent AU proposals stating "Diaspora leaders must act now and in unity." Farika was also a participant of the recent AU meeting in NY, the official Diaspora representative at the OAU 6th PAC in 1974 and an organizer for the 7th PAC under Dr. John Henrik Clarke in the 1990’s.
WADU was initiated in Atlanta, Georgia by James Small, current head of the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU), as a charge from the 2004 Africa/African Diaspora Intellectual Conference in Senegal, led by Dr. Molefi K. Asante. WADU was formalized in 2007 by His Excellency Dudley Thompson, Elombe Brath, Dr. Leonard Jeffries and Nana Yaa Farika Berhane in Jamaica. Since then WADU has established itself as a formidable organization across the Diaspora to unite the African Diaspora with Africa. This recent meeting with AU occurred after WADU led a delegation to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for its annual summit to pressure the AU on the significance of working with the African Diaspora, for the rebuilding of Africa.
Comments
Greetings All!This report and the event is a collaborative effort o...