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: |
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 |
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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 |
PADU and the 6th Region of the African Union Organizing the African Diaspora to Liaise with the African Union |
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 |