Kibur le Qalu, Kibur le DimTsu,
Kibur le Haylu! All Glory and Praises to HIM Haile Selassie I,
King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of Judah!
An event of great
significance took place March 31, 2007 at the White Rock Baptist
Church, 152 W. 127th Street, in Harlem New York. According to the Report
- African Union Election for Diasporan Representatives/Observers posted
by Iman (Uqdah) Hameen, Media and Organizing Committee of the New
York Community Council of Elder
"On Sat. Mar. 31, 2007 in
Harlem, NY from 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., an Election for the African
Union 6th Region Representatives took place. The African
Union, whose main purpose is to establish a United States of
Africa, has invited Diasporans to participate in its
discussions and decision making. The invitation comes with a
multi-tiered task, the first of which is to organize as a
community to elect 2 Representatives and 6 Observers state
by state in the US, (to join Representatives from) Europe,
Central America, Brazil and the Caribbean. All elected
representatives must be in place by December 2007. This is
the second and last deadline. The New York community heard
the call and accepted the invitation, spearheaded by Elder
Adunni Tabasi of Staten Island and the Nkwanta Project under
the supervision of David Horne, PAOC, (Pan African
Organizing Committee) and WHADN (Western Hemisphere African
Diaspora Network).
The Community Council of
Elders/New York gathered the community in Harlem at White
Rock Baptist Church. Almost 100 people from every segment of
the population came including community activists, church
goers, Muslims, Rastafarians, labor unionists, pacifists,
"Buppies", nationalists, entrepreneurs, college
students, mothers, fathers and everyday grassroots folks,
who are the backbone of our community.
The event started slowly
with presentations from Education Campaign Director, Ras
Nathaniel Blake of WHADN and Elder Adunni Tabasi regarding the
Nkwanta Project, which is a Ghanaian land grant to Diasporans.
See Nkwanta Project website.
(link to follow) Candidates for Representative were Elder
Lumumba Grant (Harlem), RAS E.S.P McPherson of ENF(Ethiopian
National Front) and Nova Felder (Harlem). Observer Candidates
were Bakary Tandia (Mauritania) and Nova Felder. It must be
stated that Nova Felder is a young man and the son of
community activist and scientist, Dr. Jack Felder. It became
crystal clear as to why this young man received nominations
for both positions when he took his seat and held his own at
the Nominee table.
At approximately 3 p.m., the
proceedings commenced with Baba David Sankofa calling the
forum to order by introducing Moderator and Election
Chairperson Sis. Carmen Collymore. The approval was given by
the Elders to continue and Sis. Collymore outlined the agenda
for the event. After introductions of the Community Council of
Elders/New York and the Nominees, some audience members took
exception to the Election by posing questions about the
official African Union mandates, their invitation to the
Diaspora, Election guidelines and some of the 25 people who
had been nominated. Bro. Ras Nathaniel and Sis. Collymore
answered all questions patiently and deftly.
After clearing up the facts
that:
1. this information has been
known since at least 2003,
2. that the Diaspora has missed
one deadline regarding this Election and
3. out of 25 male and female
nominees only 4 males accepted, none
of whom the audience was critical
of,
it was understood by the
audience that the Election had to take place. There was a
request for more information about the election guidelines
etc. and once that was presented, all doubts seemed to be
allayed.
The call to hear the candidates
was made.
Mother Melva Franklin stood
regally and the questioning began.
Five Elders posed agreed-upon
pre-selected questions for each candidate to answer. The
timekeepers allotted five minutes for opening statements and
three minutes for each answer. Following this, the community
posed their own questions ranging from Zimbabwe, the
definition of Pan African, personal character, candidates
qualifications to be strong-willed independent thinkers,
global warming, knowledge of world history and African
history, self-sufficiency, pressing agenda items once at the
AU table and a
vision for the community.
At 5:10 p.m. the ballots were
distributed and the voting began. The community was more than
willing to participate in the tally and count. From the
college-aged to middle-aged to Elders, there were 5 vote
counters, 5 observers and 3 Election Committee members working
intently to insure that the results would be fair and
accurate. During the count, the community engaged in
fellowship and networking. It was noted that Elder Elombe
Brath, a respected, dedicated long time community activist and
President of the Patrice Lumumba Coalition and Grandassa was
present at this point.
With the tally completed, the
final results were:
- Representatives ---- Elder
Lumumba Grant and Ras ESP McPherson and
- Observers ---- Nova Felder of
Harlem and Bakary Tandia of Mauritania.
As flowers were presented to
each warrior/winner to say congratulations and thank you, the
brothers stood tall, proud and ready to accept their
responsibilities as African Union 6th Region New York
Representatives and Observers. The community greeted them with
applause, smiles, "Ashes", drumming and sounds of
victory. Elder Thutmoses Powell (CCOE/NYand UNIA) lead the
Garvey charge and a brother ended the Election with a
spiritual offering. Elder Tabasi was presented with a gift
from Ras McPherson honoring her work and Earthday.
Special thanks to:
1. The Reverend of White Rock
Baptist Church and his members, for their unending cooperation
in providing a meeting place month after month for this
important initiative;
2. Amsterdam News, NY Beacon,
BronxNet and BCA for the public announcements;
3. AU 6th Region Organizer Prof.
David Horne of California for his commitment and diligence in
making sure our people are a part
of the world stage this December
by pushing to meet AU invitation deadline;
4. Ras Nathaniel for acting as
AU/ WHADN Liaison and Education Director;
5. CCOE/NY Elders and all
6. Election Committee Members,
especially
Carmen Collymore, Chair,
Linda Fletcher, Internet and
Public Relations,
Dacca Shabazz, Media and Flyer
Distribution,
Iman (Uqdah) Hameen, Media and
Organizing Committee
and to all community members for
making this a success. It is done!
Submitted by Sis. Iman Hameen
Contact # 718 - 448-8490 CCOE/NY"
Another report by Kwasi Akyeampong,
TheBlackList moderator (moderator@theblacklist.net) who was
present at the election, stated:
A glorious for all Pan
Africans.
Mr. Garvey promised that he would return.
In the wake of Easter and
Passover and all that, remember this date:
Saturday, March 31st 2007.
At approximately 5pm in the basement of the White Rock
Baptist Church,
152 West 127th Street, Harlem, USA., less than 100 Pan
Africans
gathered to witness the resurrection of Marcus Garvey.
Mr Garvey's regeneration was expected.
The Pan African universes were
alerted to be present on this date, place and time.
Pan Africanists dreamed of this day, the presencing of
African Unity.
We who chose to be present represented the African family.
It was the AFRICAN
UNION DIASPORA REPRESENTATIVES & OBSERVERS election day
for the State of New York.
Less than 100 us were
there to participate in
one of the most anticipated event is the history of Pan
Africanism.
We performed our solemn duty
on behalf of our race and on behalf all humanity; we elected
-
voted for - 4 Pan Africans
to be candidates to represent the African Diaspora in the
African Union.
New York State became the second state in the USA to have
done this.
California was the first.
Texas will be next.
All 50 States will elect 2
Representatives and 2 Observers from which Representives and
Observers will be chosen to be part of the 13
representatives from the Western Hemisphere and 7 others
from Europe and Asia to represent the African Diaspora on
the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African
Union.
The African Union "Invite
and encourage the full participation of the African
Diaspora, as an important part of the continent, in the
building of the African Union." (Article 3 New
Sub-paragraph (q))
The voting and election
process was supervised by WHADN - the Western Hemisphere
African Diaspora Network -- http://www.whadn.org
For more information about the role of the African Diaspora
in the African Union goto: http://www.africa-union.org/ECOSOC/home.htm
To organise your state election and to find your candidate
for Representatives and Observer to the Economic, Social
and Cultural Council of the African Union - ECOSOC
contact:
It is important to note that the African Diaspora is a
formal and intigral part of the African Union and that our
particapation in the regeneration of African in not just
welcome it is expected.
The African Diaspora as
defined by the African Union:
"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 the building of the African
Union."1
by Kwasi Akyeampong
866-764-1358"
The obvious significance to the
Rastafari Family is that Ras ESP Mc Pherson, one of I&I
most qualified Idrens, was elected as one of two New York
Representatives to the African Union 6th Region Sub-caucus
USA. For the first time in 570 years of the Afrikan Holocaust
and the Criminal Trans Atlantic Slave Trade, members of
the African Diaspora are
being chosen to directly participate in the highest level of
Black Government on earth through the African Union's Economic,
Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), and at least one of them
is of I&I Rastafari (and among the most qualified, too!).
For this, every Rastafari son and dawta should give heartical
thanks and Ises!
While I&I rejoice, it should
be noted that Ras McPherson will be joining 99 other
Representatives of the Diaspora in the AU 6th Region
Sub-caucus USA. This group of 100 will then select from among
themselves three representatives to represent the African
Diaspora in ECOSOCC this December.
In order to make sure that Ras
ESP McPherson is one of the the thirteen (13) African Diaspora
representatives from the Western Hemishphere seated in ECOSOCC,
I&I need to present to the AU 6th
Region Sub-caucus USA evidence
that there is widespread support for Ras ESP McPherson. It
should be recalled that, according to the Report to the
Caribbean Rastafari Organisation on the Planning Meeting for the
Establishment of the Caribbean PanAfrican Network Bridgetown,
Barbados, 11-12 September 2004 Executive Summary
"It is however clear
that Rastafari representatives will have to be quite
assertive in making sure that the Rastafari quest
for repatriation is placed and remains on the Network and
the AU priority agenda. . . . [I&I] must vigilantly
keep abreast of AU Civil Society meetings,
proceedings, decisions and positions so as to make the
most effective representational inputs."
Now is the time for
assertiveness and vigilance. Rastafari is at the head of the
AU 6th Region Education campaign, and Rastafari should be at
the head of the African Diaspora representatives to ECOSOCC.
Let all I&I support Ras McPherson now and set an example
of Rastafari collective security.
Please sign the Petition to Seat
Ras ESP McPherson at the African Union Economic, Social and
Cultural Council at the African Union at:
Most Raspectfully,
Ras Siphiwe Nathaniel
Excerpts from the Report to
the Caribbean Rastafari Organisation on the Planning Meeting
for the Establishment of the Caribbean PanAfrican Network
Bridgetown, Barbados, 11-12 September 2004 Executive Summary
"The meeting was attended
by David Comissiong, President of the Clement Payne Cultural
Movement and Director of the Government of Barbados
Commission for PanAfrican Affairs which hosted the two-day
gathering; Khafra Kambon of the Emancipation Support
Committee of Trinidad & Tobago, Fay Housty of CARICOM
who was also a participant in a personal capacity and Jinmy
Adisa, Senior Co-ordinator of the African Union's CSSDCA
Unit that is responsible for the Diaspora Initiative.
Among the organizations
represented were the Global African Congress (GAC), the
Nation of Islam and the Ethiopian Peace Foundation. In
addition to the CRO representative, Rastafari representation
also included the Waitikubuli Nyahbinghi Order and the
Ichirouganaim Council for the Advancement of Rastafari.
Prior to the meeting a draft position paper from CRO was
circulated to the Executive and other Rastafarians for
comment. Slight revision was made based on comments sent in
by Ras Nathaniel of IRIE Star Order. The position paper was
reproduced by the PanCom Office and circulated along with
the delegates package at the opening of the meeting. A list
of CRO Members and Affiliates throughout the wider Caribbean
was later circulated by the representative.
On both days of the meeting,
Dr. Jinmi Adisa provided very valuable information about the
history, structure and operations of the African Union
indicating that the
main distinction between the AU and its predecessor the
Organisation of African Unity is that the AU has set out to
be a people-oriented institution using the African family
approach to include Africans in Diaspora. The participation
of the Diaspora in the African family has been mandated in
the AU Constitutive Act and it is up to the Caribbean to
organize sufficiently and strategically for maximum
participation. He also emphasized that there were
several entry points for Caribbean representation but that
careful selection of representatives was necessary
especially because very few spaces have been allotted for
representation from the entire African Diaspora. In response
to concerns expressed about
this, Dr. Adisa repeatedly advocated the enter and
enlarge approach, i.e. for every opportunity to be taken
by the network to ensure Caribbean representation wherever
possible and to work from within to broaden and deepen the
level of representation afforded to the Diaspora.
It was noted that the Caribbean Network was being established
to demonstrate the AU's commitment to inclusion as the
previously established Western Hemisphere African Diaspora
Network was not proving to guarantee adequate representation.
. . . .Throughout the meeting the benefits of formal and
strengthened linkages with the African Union were emphasized
and when necessary, the position of the Rastafari Nation was
asserted, i.e., not just engagement with the African Union but
Repatriation facilitated by the African Union and the need for
the African Union to support demands for Reparations directed
to European Nations. The AU rep. named two critical benefits
that should characterize the engagement and these were quality
dialogue and effective representation . . . It is
however clear that Rastafari representatives will have to be
quite assertive in making sure that the Rastafari
quest for repatriation is placed and remains on the Network
and the AU priority agenda. . . . The CRO Repatriation &
Reparations Network must vigilantly keep abreast of AU
Civil Society meetings, proceedings, decisions and
positions so as to make the most effective representational
inputs."
Excerpts from the Statues of
the Economic Social and Cultural Council of the African
Union adopted July 2004
Preamble
THE ASSEMBLY OF THE AFRICAN
UNION,
• Recalling the objectives
and principles enshrined in the Constitutive Act of the
African Union;
• Recalling further the
establishment of ECOSOCC under the provision of
Articles 5 and 22
of the Constitutive Act;
• Convinced
that popular participation in the activities of the
African Union, as enunciated in the African Charter for
Popular Participation, is a prerequisite for its
success;
• Guided by the common
vision of a united and strong Africa and by the need to
build a partnership between governments and all segments
of civil society, in particular women, youth and the
private sector, in order to strengthen solidarity and
cohesion among our peoples;
• Recalling the decision
of the Assembly to invite and encourage
the full participation of the African
Diaspora as an important part of the Continent, in the
building of the African Union.
Article 2 Objectives
ECOSOCC shall amongst
other things, and in conformity of objectives of the
African Union as provided in the Constitutive Act,
perform the following
functions:
1. Promote continuous
dialogue between all segments of the African people on
issues concerning Africa and its future;
2. Forge strong
partnerships between governments and all segments of the
civil society, in particular women, the youth, children,
the Diaspora, organized labour, the
private sector and professional groups;
3. Promote the
participation of African civil society in the
implementation of the policies and programmes of the
Union.
4. Support policies and
programmes that will promote peace, security and
stability in Africa, and foster development and
integration of the continent;
5. Promote and defend a
culture of good governance, democratic principles and
institutions, popular participation, human rights and
freedoms as well as social justice;
6. Promote, advocate and
defend a culture of gender equality;
7. Promote and strengthen
the institutional, human and operational capacities of
the African civil society;
Article 3 Composition
1. ECOSOCC shall be an
advisory organ of the African Union composed of
different social and professional groups of the Member
States of the African
Union. .
2. These CSOs include but
are not limited to the following:
a. Social groups such as
those representing women, children, the youth,
the elderly and people
with disability and special needs;
b. Professional groups
such as associations of artists, engineers, health
practitioners, social workers, media, teachers, sport
associations, legal
professionals, social
scientists, academia, business organizations, national
chambers of commerce, workers, employers, industry and agriculture
as well as other private sector interest groups;
c. Non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs)
and voluntary organizations;
d. Cultural organizations;
3. ECOSOCC shall also
include social and professional groups in the African
Diaspora organizations in accordance with the definition
approved by the Executive Council.
Article 4 Membership
1. ECOSOCC shall be
composed of one hundred and fifty (150) CSOs which shall
include different social and professional groups in
Member States of
the Union and the
African Diaspora, in conformity with Article 5
of these
Statutes:
a) Two (2) CSOs from each
Member State of the Union;
b) Ten (10) CSOs operating
at regional level and eight (8) at continental level;
c) Twenty (20) CSOs from the
African Diaspora as defined by the Executive Council,
covering the various continents of the world;
d) Six (6) CSOs, in
ex-officio capacity, nominated by the Commission based
on special considerations, in consultation with Member
States;
2. The elections of the
members of ECOSOCC at Member State, regional,
continental and Diaspora levels shall ensure fifty
percent (50%) gender equality provided that fifty
percent (50%) of the representatives of the members
shall consist of youths between the ages of 18 to 35.
Article 5 Election of
Members
1. Competent CSO
authorities in each Member State shall establish a
consultation process, in accordance with the provisions
of Article 6 of these
Statutes, for the purpose
of determining modalities for election, of two (2) CSOs
to the ECOSOCC General Assembly;
2. Regional and
continental CSOs shall establish an appropriate
consultative process to determine modalities for
election, and elect eighteen (18) CSOs to
the ECOSOCC General
Assembly.
3. African Diaspora
organizations shall establish an appropriate process for
determining modalities for elections and elect twenty
(20) CSOs to the ECOSOCC General Assembly;
