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 it's 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
List of Organizations at African Union (AU) Gathering
*African Unity of Harlem*
All African People’s Revolutionary Party
*Youth Icons*
Brown Eyez Magazine
*African Cultural Exchange Club*
United African Congress Inc.
*Sixth Region Diaspora Caucus*
African Federation
*December 12 Movement*
CEMOTAP
*The Drammeh Institute*
AAUW Leadership Corps Grassroots Liason
*African Poetry Theatre Inc.*
Enyo International
*Cameroon Organization*
Nation to Nation Networking
*Falou Foundation
The New African Trust
*African Sun Times*
New Africa’s World Nation
*Gulla Geechee Nation*
African People Alliance
World Youth Alliance
*Saga Africa*


Council of African Imams inc.
*Africa Channel*
African Humanitarian Council & Rehoboth Foundation
*World African Diaspora Union*
The African American History Dept. (Fordham University)
Hello Africa
MoCADA (Museum of Contemporary African Diaspora Arts)
NYCITY
Peoples Media Center, Inc.
Friends of Africa International
Haiti’s Hungry Task Force Organization Committee
Contact:
David L. Horne Ph.D
UNIA-ACL
International Organizer
PADU
Los Angeles, California
90008


Email Address:
padu@gmail.com

Web:  
www.cbpm.org/padu
srdcinternational.org
www.paduinternational.com
www.padu-srdc.ning.com
PADU Press Release:
On Saturday, July 24, 2010 in Charleston, South Carolina at the Community Center of the
International Longshoreman’s Union, a magnificent step forward for African descendants was
taken within a memorable historical context: the Pan African Diaspora Union (PADU) was born.
Standing on the shoulders of Pan African giants who have cut through the forest of false
entanglements, confusion and lethargy to show the way  forward, this grouping of 21st century
Pan Africanists met as the PADU International Diaspora Council to help organize the African
Diaspora, educate the African descendant masses about the importance of African re-
engagement and to do its part to help achieve the United States of Africa/Union of African
States---out of 54, one.
This was a modern achievement of unity without uniformity, a phrase many of us have used often but not carried
out. The A-APRP (All African Peoples Revolutionary Party), Honorable Marcus Garvey’s UNIA-ACL (Universal
Negro Improvement Association-African Communities League, the SRDC (Sixth Region Diaspora Caucus), Per
Ankh University of the V.I., AUH (Afrikan Unity of Harlem), CABO (Central American Black Organization), CBPM
(Collective Black People’s Movement) and the UNIA-LDF (Legal Defense Fund) met as partners who have
agreed to a common set of Pan African principles without losing any of their own sovereignty or status. Each
group has one vote on all issues, there is a collective of talents, resources and network associations, and the
huge coalition is founded on mutual respect and mutual civility for all member organizations and for African
people. There are fourteen member organizations in all thus far, including NBLC, PANASTRAG, MIR, CIPN and
AUADS-Europe, among others.
PADU’s primary objective is to assist greatly in organizing the 300 million-plus African descendants now living in
the African Diaspora, spread over 90 countries and 70,000 miles. To do that, PADU members will focus jointly
and individually on nation building (African unification), capacity building (working to expand the African Diaspora’
s collaborative resources so together we can help each other as opposed to waiting for others to help  us), and
sustainability (cooperative economics, trade, food production, healthcare, leadership development, etc.).
This is 21st century Pan Africanism at a higher ground, and it is part of the Decade of the Diaspora (January,
2010—December, 2020) within which the African Diaspora as a whole has to step up and take its rightful place
inside the African Union and as a valued decision-maker in Africa’s future.  The African Diaspora has been
invited to the table, and we must organize ourselves in order to accept it.
For those Pan African organizations quite serious about their mission forward to help Africa unify and who are
interested in working in partnership with others on the same path, we will see you in the whirlwind. Forward ever,
backwards never.                                                                                                                        A
Luta Continua











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.
Pan African Diaspora Union
CBPM Index:
Become a Member
CBPM Store
PADU and the Sixth Region of the African Union
PADU and the 6th Region
of the African Union
Organizing the African
Diaspora to Liaise with
the African Union
-an article on the forming of
the Pan African Diaspora
Union and its quest to engage
with the African Union.

-a brief assessment of the
nature and work of the World
African Diaspora Union and
the Sixth Region Diaspora
Caucus

-a primer on how you can be
involved
Announcing the
Decade of the
Diaspora

By David L. Horne, Ph.D
daudipembe@aol.com
African Union Flag
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
Yao Khepra Wilson
SRDC/PADU Check out the discussion
'African Diaspora: A view from Europe'

Discussion posted by Yao Khepra Wilson - SRDC/PADU:

Greetings All. This article is taken from the SRDC (6th Region
Diaspora Caucus) website. WE must remember that the
African Diaspora does no...

Discussion link:
African Diaspora: A view from Europe
Yao Khepra Wilson
SRDC/PADU Check out the discussion 'The U.N.’s
Declaration of 2011 as the International Year of
People of African Descent'
Discussion posted by Yao Khepra Wilson - SRDC/PADU:

The U.N.’s Declaration of 2011 as the International Year of People
of African Descent Jan 13, 2011 David L. Horne, Ph.D.  |   OW Contr...
Discussion link:
The U.N.’s Declaration of 2011 as the International Year of People
of African Descent
Check out the discussion:
'Ghana must not accept GM
(Genetically Modified) foods'
Discussion posted by Yao Khepra Wilson - SRDC/PADU:

Greetings All, Spread the information to keep people
informed about this and GM food period. Peace and Power
Yao Khepra Wilson SRDC/PADU...
Discussion link:
Ghana must not accept GM (Genetically Modified) foods
Check out the discussion 'African
Union demands halt to Libya attacks'
Discussion posted by Yao Khepra Wilson - SRDC/PADU:

Greetings. The link below regarding the African Union's
stance has been consistent on how the African Union
believes the situation in Libya...

Discussion link:
African Union demands halt to Libya attacks
Check out the discussion
'Pay attention to the NATO involvement in
Libya and the African Continent'
Discussion posted by Yao Khepra Wilson - SRDC/PADU:

WE needed to understand when WE are allegedly receiving
assistance, what other agenda(s) may be connected to it. Yao
Khepra the Evolutiona...
Discussion link:
Pay attention to the NATO involvement in Libya and the African
Continent
Check out the discussion
'PADU Retreat in South Carolina
February 25 - February 27'

Discussion posted by Yao Khepra Wilson - SRDC/PADU:

Greetings All!!! The PADU retreat was a very empowering experience.
I'm still processing all that happened and all that will happen. I want...

Discussion link:
PADU Retreat in South Carolina February 25 - February 27