For the meaning of this message communicated in the West Afrikan Adinkra Symbols, see below.
Sunday, March 5 - A PAN AFRICAN VETERANS CONSULTATION AHEAD OF THE 8TH PAC PART 1 was held on in order to bring several Pan African groups and stakeholders in the African Union 6th Region Diaspora Initiative together for a demonstration of Pan African Unity. The meeting was called under the theme, “Unity does not require homogeneity, but it does require solidarity of purpose”.
The meeting was organized by Siphiwe Baleka, the Agenda Coordinator for the 8PAC1 and Cliff Kuumba, Maryland State Facilitator, Sixth Region Diaspora Caucus (SRDC), Member, North America Regional Coordinating Committee, Pan African Federalist Movement (PAFM), and Moderator, Maryland Pan Afrikan Cooperative Coalition (MPACC).
The meeting was attended by the following:
H.E. Ambassador Arikana Chihombori-Quao, President of the African Diaspora Development Institute (ADDI)
Damian Cook, Vice-President of the African Diaspora Development Institute (ADDI)
Siphiwe Baleka, ADDI 8th PAC Part 1 Coordinator; President, Balanta B’urassa History & Genealogy Society in America
Aku A (Sharon Lee Minor) King - A Minor Enterprise, Founder/Consultant USA
Sydney Samuels - Nelson Mandela Association, Guatemala
H.E. Vice Prime Minister Keturah Amoako - State of the African Diaspora (SOAD)
Melvin Brown - State of the African Diaspora (SOAD), President of Parliament, Panama
Cliff Kuumba - Maryland State Facilitator, Sixth Region Diaspora Caucus (SRDC), - Member, North America Regional Coordinating Committee, Pan African Federalist Movement (PAFM), - Moderator, Maryland Pan Afrikan Cooperative Coalition (MPACC)
Bro. Baya Kes-Ba-Me-Ra (Duane Bradford) - Pan-African Associations of America, former President (Kichwa) USA
Sydney Francis - Central America Black Organizations (CABO); Sixth Region Diaspora Caucus (SRDC), Presidente ADEPHCA, Nicaragua
Tutmose Sankara (on behalf of Dr. Leonard Jeffries) - World African Diaspora Union (WADU); Atlanta Pan African Coalition, USA
Fabian Anthony - Pan-African Council , Chairman, South Africa
Hazel Marshall - African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA), Guyana
Eddly Hall Reid - Central America Black Organizations (CABO), Costa Rica
Dr. David Horne - Sixth Region Diaspora Caucus, Founder, USA
Mawlimu Mboya - USA/Guyana
Kwame Wilburg - Friends of the Congo, Member, Board of Directors; Coordinator, Atlanta Support Network, USA
H.E. Ambassador Arikana Chihombori-Quao address to the gathered elders and Pan African veterans
After Mr. Baleka made his opening remarks, at 32:54 into the meeting, H.E. Ambassador Arikana Chihombori-Quao addressed the gathered elders and Pan African Veterans.
“Thank you all the Pan Africanists who are on the call today. I appreciate all of the work that you all have been doing over the years. And while the mission is not yet accomplished, we are coming together today to see how we can continue the movement and hopefully, put us on a better path where the mission can be accomplished - maybe not during our time - but at least pave a clear path that we can leave behind for our children to continue the struggle. . . . “
INTRODUCTION TO THE 8TH PAC PART 1 COORDINATOR: SIPHIWE BALEKA
After opening the meeting with brief introductions, Mr. Baleka gave a brief history of his involvment with the AU 6th Region Diaspora Initiative since its creation in Addis Ababa, 2003 as well as the circumstances which caused his disillusionment and withdrawal from it by 2007. As stated in Volume 3 of Siphiwe Baleka’s five volumes of Come Out of Her, My People! 21st Century Black Prophetic Faith and Pan African Diplomacy:
“On November 3 [2005], Ras Nathaniel [note: now known as Siphiwe Baleka] of the Issembly for Rastafari Iniversal Education (IRIE) met with Fred Oladiende, President of the Foundation for Democracy in Africa, and Anthony Okonmah, Executive Director of the Foundation for Democracy in Africa. The Foundation for Democracy in Africa is serving as the Secretariat for the Western Hemisphere African Diaspora Network (WHADN) of the African Union 6th Region Diaspora Initiative. Though not all the details have been finalized, IRIE and WHADN agreed to work together to implement a proposal to host African Union Educational Forums and Repatriation Census/Skills Database Workshops throughout the African Diaspora in the Western Hemisphere in 2006. Members of R.A.S.T.A. Inc and the Rastafari Community of South Florida were briefed on the meeting with WHADN (which has an office in Miami) and reasoned on the necessity of mobilizing a United Rastafari Front in support of this effort. IRIE hopes to sign the agreement with WHADN soon.”
The Memorandum of Understanding with WHADN was in fact signed on December 23, 2005. Among other things, the MOU stated,
“NOW, THEREFORE, WE, the undersigned affix our signatures in agreement to work jointly in support of each other and the people of Africa and of African descent this 23rd day of December 2005 in Washington, DC, United States of America. Specifically, we will join our efforts in taking the following steps:
1. Assist the African Union in fulfilling the Final Report of the African Union Technical Workshop on the Relationship with the Diaspora June 2-5, 2004, (Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) Recommendation in section 52.ii and section 56.ii and iii . . . .
6. Prepare to launch the Series of Educational Workshops On The African Union 6th Region Diaspora Initiative & Repatriation Census/Central Diaspora Resource Skills Bank on the occasion of the Bob Marley’s 61st Birthday Tribute and in conjunction with the “Africa Unite” concerts in Ghana, beginning February 6, 2006 and culminating in October, 2006 ( a nine-month campaign). . . .
8. Ras Nathaniel, IRIE Coordinator, will serve as the Lead Project Director.”
On April 13, 2006, David Horne published the article “THE AFRICAN UNION COMES TO TOWN” that stated,
‘This weekend in Los Angeles, at the First Annual Pan African ROUNDTABLE/FORUM, a representative from the African Union's Secretariat (called WHADN, or Western Hemisphere African Diasporan Network) will explain the African Union's position and some African Consensus decisions will be made concerning how to achieve the necessary diasporan representation. . . The AU is currently establishing several Diasporan Secretariats in various parts of the world to help to facilitate bringing the diasporans into this process. There is one already established for the Western Hemisphere (in Washington, D.C.) called the WHADN, one being established for Europe, and one being set up in Ghana (to assist with Ghana's Joseph Plan strategy to attract diasporans back to Ghana and to Africa as a whole). The WHADN (Western Hemisphere African Diaspora Network) out of Washington, D.C. has a mandate to help diasporans organize themselves in five sub-regions-- Canada, the United States, Latin America/Central America, the Caribbean, and Brazil. The WHADN has a fully formed calendar of educational trips planned for 2006 to disseminate accurate information about the AU and the diaspora, and the trips have already started (Howard University, Harvard University, community groups in Connecticut, etc.) There have been several pivotal meetings thus far to push this agenda forward. . . .The Pan African ROUNDTABLE/FORUM in Los Angeles on April 7-8th will engage in an African Consensus process to try and arrive at an effective methodology that we can use in the USA. There will be a follow-up meeting in Miami this summer, and another in Ghana towards the end of the summer. Whatever tangible results come out of these and other gatherings will quickly be submitted to all identifiable and progressive Black organizations, clubs, groups and associations in the USA for their input, then a firm decision will be made, and the invitation will be accepted. . . . There are not any plans now nor will there be in the future for a single representative from the USA to discuss and negotiate our interests at AU meetings. Currently, for one AU Commission alone (ECOSOCC), there will be at least 20 representatives from the Western Hemisphere, and there are several other commissions, numerous committees and projects, and of course the All African Parliament itself. The exact number of representatives is in flux. Our priority is to come up with an agreed-upon method of selecting trusted representatives to the AU, whatever the final number, without letting ourselves drown in our own egotism, faded rivalries, inappropriate ideological assassinations, and other forms of PTSS (Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome) unreadiness.”
Volume 4 of Siphiwe Baleka’s five volumes of Come Out of Her, My People! 21st Century Black Prophetic Faith and Pan African Diplomacy states:
“The Pan African Community Coalition (PACC) and the Pan Afrikan Organizing Committee (PAOC) invited I, as the Director of the African Union 6th Region 2006 Education Campaign, to the New York Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, January 6, 2007, to discuss the election of New York's African Diasporan Representatives to the African Union (AU). . . . And at the start of this new millennium, we have all the ingredients that were not there when Malcolm tried to do it, when Marcus tried to do it. All the ingredients are there now, and the Diaspora has to do its part. We are not to be pimped just for our money or technical know-how. We are long lost kin and bredren, and the continent can't be right spiritually, until our relationship is repaired. And until it is spiritually right, you are not going to have the economic and social development. . . . . You are here for a reason. The responsibility is now on you, to get it out to New York, say look, this is what's happening, here's the information . . . . New York is now the second . . . to call a meeting to elect its representatives. . . . Now technically, by the definition of the AU ECOSOCC statutes -- I am thirty-five years old -- I am considered to be a youth. I am your child of Pan Africanism in the sense that it was my generation that had the benefit of the Black Studies movement, where we would actually grow up reading books from our own Black fighters, academics, and intellectuals, and learn about Pan Africanism. As a youth, what we want to see, all of these entrenched camps that are Pan Africanists and Black Nationalists, because of the historical imperative, to exhibit some Jubilee Grace and come to the table. WE DON'T CARE who did the most this, the most that, but you are still fighting, and we can't actually see the example of Pan Africanism because not all the groups will come and sit under one roof. As the youth with connections with youth all over the African Diaspora, we are asking all the Elders in the Pan African Movement, all the groups and organizations to do this for us, for the youth. When you call your meeting in New York, have everyone there. If we could get just one state, one place, to demonstrate that, and have THAT vibration spread . . . . So I just want to encourage this Pan African spirit coming from the youth. What is the meaning of your Pan Africanism, if you are out there trumpeting Pan Africanism and yet you won't meet with the other groups because of some past history you had? Meanwhile, all the ingredients are there, and there is this historical imperative that trumps all of that. I am making a special appeal. That's what Malcom X asked for when he tried to do this and formed the OAAU modeled on the OAU. He tried to do it and it didn't happen. So here we are at the start of a new century, a new millennium, we have all the ingredients, and everyone must put forward their best, good-faith effort in the spirit of Pan Africanism." When I finished, there was applause and some questions. Then the town hall meeting discussed the formation of the Community Council of Elders (CCE) that would conduct the election of AU Representatives at the Caucus called specifically for that purpose after the Town Hall Meeting. Fifteen (15) elders who were present then formed the CCE and accepted nominations for New York's Representatives to the AU Sub-Regional Caucus-USA. More than twenty people were nominated including Elder Adunni, Elombre Brath, Gil Noble, Alton Maddox, Gwendolyn Black, Camille Yarborough, Omawale Clay, and Ras E. S. McPherson. January 27th was set as the date for the next CCE meeting and the close of the nomination period.”
In the Report to the Rastafari Family Worldwide: CABO XIIth Assembly in La Ceiba, Honduras (documented in Volume 4), Ras Nathaniel (Siphiwe Baleka) states,
“I was blessed to have as a roommate an elder of the Pan African movement named Dr. Pauulu Kamarakafego. CEO of the Pan-African Movement to the United Nations, Dr. Pauulu Kamarakafego has served as a councilor, consultant, official and friend to such people as Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Neyere, CLR James, Walter Rodney, various African liberation movements, the list is very, very long. Dr. Kamarakafego was responsible for organizing the 6th Pan African Congress in Tanzania in 1974. According to Naiwu Osahon of The World Pan African Movement, "Pauulu Kamarakafego (Roosevelt Brown) who still represents us now at the UN . . . was the pioneer sponsor of the 6th PAC.” . . . After I and Dr. David Horne of the Pan African Organizing Committee (PAOC) made the presentation on the African Union (AU) 6th Region, the CABO Plenary approved that their voting delegates could select Central America's representatives to ECOSOCC within the next three months. No argument, no problem, just a recognition of the task at hand and empowerment to do it.”
It should be noted that Dr. Horne, Sydney Fancis, and Eddly Hall Reid, who were present at the CABO 12th Assembly in 2006 were also present at this Pan African Veterans meeting.
