African Union & African Diaspora Leaders in Harlem: Pres. Wade call for United States of Africa by 2017

World African Diaspora Union

AU & Diaspora Leaders Commit Rebuilding & Citizenship

NYC - September 22 2011. “What’s in your hand?” asserted Dr. Leonard ‘Kweku’ Jeffries as he welcomed the delegation of African Union and African Diaspora leaders to the historic Schomburg Research Center in Harlem. The delegation included His Excellency Dr. Jean Ping, Chair of the African Union, President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and other presidents and representatives of African governments. Dr. Jeffries opening remarks was an urgent reminder to African and African Diaspora leaders of the importance of taking control over the destiny of Africa and making Africa a powerful continent in the 21^st century.

Dr. Jeffries declared to the hundreds gathered that the meeting is a continuation of the powerful tradition of great Pan African Harlem leaders such as WEB Dubois, Marcus Garvey, Adam Clayton Powell, Malcolm Omowale X, Kwame Nkrumah and John Henrik Clarke. As the Vice President of the World African Diaspora Union (WADU), Dr. Jeffries and other key leaders have been playing a major role in shaping an agenda to promote the cultural, economic and political integration of the African Diaspora with Africa. The meeting in Harlem was to continue to strengthen the African and African Diaspora commitment and partnerships for the rebuilding Africa. 

During the keynote address by President Wade, he called for the establishment of a United States of Africa by 2017 and stressed that the African Renaissance is to renew Africa’s bond with the African Diaspora as the sixth region of Africa. He emphasized the importance of the African Diaspora to Africa in the advancement of all African people. Wade has been one of the more consistent promoters of Pan Africanism with President Khadaffi, but recently he along with African Union leaders such as President Jonathan of Nigeria and earlier President Zuma of South Africa, have been criticized over the handling of the crisis in Libya. 

Some other key African Diaspora leaders who addressed the meeting were Dr. Julius Garvey, son of the late Marcus Garvey and Executive Support of WADU; Rev. Jesse Jackson, President of the RainbowPush Coalition; Dr. Gilbert L. Rochon, President of Tuskegee University; Dr. Robert Bowser of the National Conference of Black Mayors and Dr. Beverly Tatum, President of Spelman College. The participating leaders gave their commitment to ongoing efforts and agreements for the sustainable development of Africa.

The meeting concluded on a very high and historic note when Dr. Djbril Diallo of Senegal announced that the African Union will take action on granting a passport and citizenship to His Excellency Dudley Thompson. Ambassador Dudley Thompson is an outstanding Pan African leader who has served Africa and African people for decades. He is a former foreign minister of Jamaica, ambassador of numerous African nations and currently serving as the President of WADU. The surprising news was met with great applause from the audience who welcomed this as a step closer to furthering the African Diaspora in regaining their citizenship, after centuries of separation from their Motherland, Africa. 

Mr. John Watusi Branch, the Chief Secretariat of WADU, also participating in the Harlem meeting, helped to shape the final push for this AU/Diaspora agreement. This breakthrough comes after numerous WADU conferences, forums and consultations with other African Diaspora and African leaders in Africa and across the African Diaspora. According to Watusi, “African Diaspora citizenship in Africa would be a definite win-win for the Diaspora re-integration and for the economic empowerment of Africa.” WADU and other leaders representing a unified Diaspora agenda will continue to advance this critical Diaspora agenda to expedite the sixth region playing a greater role in Africa. 

WADU was initiated in 2004 in Atlanta, GA. by Prof. James Small, Chair of the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) and was formalized with the election of Ambassador Dudley Thompson as its President in 2007, in Kingston, Jamaica.  

For more information, to participate in the next WADU forum in Europe or to participate as a leader or supporter of WADU, please contact us at (718) 523-3312 in NYC or visit our website at WADUPAM.ORG.

ANNOUNCING THE DECADE OF THE DIASPORA

Submitted by Sis. Iman Uqdah Hameen SRDC

By Prof. David Horne, Ph.D Sixth Region Diaspora Caucus (SRDC)

After thousands of conferences, Ndabas, roundtable discussions, forums and meetings talking about the need to unify for positive action, action is now upon us. From January, 2010 to December, 2010, the DECADE OF THE DIASPORA has now been formally announced in OUR WEEKLY in California by the Sixth Region Diasporan Caucus/PADU. The unity and partnership of African descendant folks now has a specific time frame in which to focus the highest levels of its creativity, innovation, hard work and goal-directed energy to accomplish the United States of Africa, aka, Union of African States, in an all-out progressive assault. Failure is not and will not be an option. Why that raison d’etre?

African descendants have flailed away in individual pursuits towards the restoration of dignity, esteem and respect in over 70 countries for a long time. Although there have been notable successes--- the election of President Barack Obama, for example, or the release of Nelson Mandela, the ascendance of Barbados, and the creation of the Central American Black Organization, the continuing attempt to organize the European Diaspora under a common set of principles, among others---Black folks in general are still at the bottom of most measures of power, leverage and significance in the world. As Marcus Garvey and many others have said, until Africa is unified as a force to be reckoned with, Black folks wherever they are will remain disregarded and dispossessed. In order to be truly free, Africa must be operationally united. In order for Africans living in other parts of the world to be truly respected in affiliation with Africa’s transformation, the Diaspora must substantially help push this tremendous rock back up the hill. The Diaspora cannot share in the harvest without fully participating in the tillage and labor.

The DECADE OF THE DIASPORA is the time period in which African folk here, there and across the globe will rise to the challenge of bringing themselves back from obscurity, and within which the Diaspora will demonstrate clearly that it is indeed the 6th Region of Africa and the missing piece of the necessary puzzle to bring all the king’s horses and all the king’s men and women back together again.

During this period, the Diaspora will substantially unify itself internally, so that it can more effectively help continental Africa unify itself totally. That work has already begun in earnest and has begun to bear fruit. PADU, the Pan African Diaspora Union, is a partnership between the SRDC (Sixth Region Diasporan Caucus), WADU (World African Diaspora Union, through an MOU), the UNIA-ACL (Universal Negro Improvement Association- African Communities League), CABO (Central American Black Organization) , African Diaspora Union-Europe, and other such groups, and the list is growing. This coalition of equals brings together a formidable reference point for other Diasporan groups to come together, work together, and actually get significant things done. Wherever Black folks live, love, lay and lose, there are efforts, projects, ideas and events they can participate in, lead, coordinate, announce, and provide credibility to and for that will help achieve the goal of African unification. No one person or group can, will, nor should do it all. This is a collective effort of cumulative microsuccesses. Together it will all work to bring all Africa and Africans together.

The DECADE OF THE DIASPORA is for a better world, an improved set of opportunities to get it right. During this time, African descendant children should be re-acquainted with books, good reading and writing skills and other academic prowess. Barbados and others have already shown how to do that, and there are sporadic reference models of getting it right in other topical areas scattered all over the Diaspora. Those in the Diaspora with insight, vision and heart must bring those models into public view. Speeches, sermons, student activism, community organizing and other dynamism must be focused on work for a purpose—an African purpose-- not just putting in the time to help it pass. Reparations activists must understand that their work is intimately tied to the fate of 21st century Pan Africanism. There will be no reparations victory without African leverage calculated in the equation.

Part of the philosophy and long-time definition of Pan Africanism is that African people deserve to be free, successful and self-determinative. African people are worthy. The DECADE OF THE DIASPORA is to demonstrate that worthiness in more than 360 degrees of achievements. The DECADE OF THE DIASPORA will give the African Experience, in all of its different versions and dimensions, a complete face-lift, make-over and paradigm shift. It will solidify UBUNTU, the foundation African belief in enhancing and preserving humanity as the principal objective in any relationship or engagement, as a healing and merging agent for the world.

Actually, the sole remaining question is what will you do to participate positively in the DECADE OF THE DIASPORA? And, when will you get started? It is not coming, it is here.

ORGANIZINGSRDC@AOL.COM

PAN AFRICAN UNIFICATION DURING OUR LIFETIMES !

THE SIXTH REGION DIASPORA CAUCUS (SRDC) ANNOUNCES:

THE DECADE OF THE DIASPORA HAS BEGUN !!!!!
JANUARY 1, 2010---DECEMBER 31, 2020

DURING THIS HEIGHTENED PERIOD OF FOCUSED ACTIVITY AND ACCOMPLISHMENT REGARDING THE DIASPORA'S MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO AFRICAN UNIFICATION ----THE UNITED STATES OF AFRICA, OR THE UNION OF AFRICAN STATES---THE DIASPORA WILL HELP TO RESTORE, REGAIN AND RE-ESTABLISH AFRICA'S DIGNITY IN THE WORLD, AFRICA'S EARNED RESPECT IN THE WORLD, AFRICA'S LEVERAGE AND POWER IN THE WORLD, AND THEREBY HELP TAKE CONTINENTAL AFRICANS AND AFRICAN DESCENDANTS TO HIGHER GROUND WHEREVER THEY RESIDE. DURING THIS FERTILE PERIOD, THE DIASPORAN GIANT WILL INDEED AWAKEN AND MOVE US ALL FORWARD. THERE ARE MANY, MANY SHOULDERS UPON WHICH THE DIASPORA WILL STAND AND DELIVER AND WE VENERATE THEM ALL..........

--UP YOU MIGHTY RACE,
ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU WILL


SELECTED EXAMPLES OF EXPECTED PROJECTS:

1. PAN AFRICAN PARENTS WILL TEACH THEIR CHILDREN TO HONOR AND RESPECT THEIR PARENTS, THEIR AFRICAN ANCESTORS AND ELDERS, AND THEMSELVES. THE CHILDREN WILL BE MADE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IGNORANCE OF THEMSELVES, THEIR HISTORY AND THEIR WORTH IN THIS WORLD IS THEIR ENEMY, NOT THEIR ALLY.

2. THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL REPARATIONS MOVEMENT WILL BE EITHER VICTORIOUS OR ABANDONED BASED ON WHETHER THERE IS THE PRODUCTION AND AGREEMENT ON A VIABLE PLAN TO WIN, CONCOMITANT STRATEGIES AND TACTICS WHICH FLOW FROM THAT PLAN, AND RELENTLESS IMPLEMENTATION WITH A PURPOSE. EXPERIENCE HAS ALREADY TAUGHT THAT WITHOUT A COGENT PLAN, VICTORY IS AND WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE.

3. PAN AFRICAN REPATRIATION WILL BE ACHIEVED--DUAL CITIZENSHIP THROUGHTOUT AFRICA WILL BE AN ACTUAL, NOT FANTASIZED, OPTION---FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE DIASPORA.

4. BSUs AND ASUs WILL BE RETIRED TO LEGACY STATUS AND REPLACED BY PAN AFRICAN CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS FOCUSED ON AFRICAN REDEMPTIVE ACTIVITIES.

5. PAN AFRICAN CULTURE, WITH ITS MANY ARTISTS, INNOVATORS AND CRAFTS EXPERTS, WILL PROVE TO BE THE SOLID BRIDGE NECESSARY TO HELP CONSTRUCT AND MAINTAIN PAN AFRICAN UNITY.

6. THE SCATTERED GROUPS OF PAN AFRICAN ACTIVISTS WILL RECOGNIZE WHAT OPERATIONAL UNITY--UNITY WITHOUT UNIFORMITY--ACTUALLY MEANS AND OVERCOME THEIR OWN EGOS AND GRANDSTANDING LONG ENOUGH TO CONSOLIDATE INTO PAN AFRICAN PARTNERSHIPS THAT PRODUCE REAL LEVERAGE AND INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE.

7. PAN AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND BUSINESS CENTERS (BUILT, OWNED AND RUN BY DIASPORANS) WILL PROLIFERATE THROUGHOUT THE DIASPORA AND INTERCONNECT ALL LEVELS OF COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY BETWEEN THE CONTINENT AND THE DIASPORA FOR THE BENEFIT OF BOTH.

8. PAN AFRICANS WILL RE-TAKE CONTROL OF THE EDUCATION OF AFRICAN FOLK AND PUBLICIZE TO THE WORLD THAT DIASPORANS, WHEREVER THEY ARE, ARE WORTHY OF SUCCESS, DIGNITY AND RESPECT.

9. MUTUAL RESPECT WILL INFILTRATE THE LIVES OF DIASPORANS AND HELP MAKE US WHOLE.

10. THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT WILL BECOME A VIABLE PART OF THE PAN AFRICAN MOVEMENT---SAVING THE PLANET IS ABOUT SAVING OURSELVES.

AND MUCH MORE.......

ORGANIZINGSRDC@AOL.COM

Submitted by Sis. Iman Uqdah Hameen SRDC