Jamaica Pre-Summit Calls for An Afrikan Diaspora Union – July 11-18, 2007, Jamaica

“The United States is the most dangerous imperialist power, ever in human history” declared Elombe Brath during his opening address at the Pan African Movement Pre-Summit in Washington , D.C. He warned that a U.S. military command in Africa is accelerating global imperialist wars in a ‘new scramble for Africa ’s resources to compete against the interests of Asians, the Arabs and Europeans’in Africa. Elombe continued “We must build a strong Diaspora because Africa needs us… We are Africa’s foreign policy experts and permanent observers in America for the last 500 hundred years.” Our greatest challenge he concluded is “to overcome the trauma of Africa Imperialist Dependency Syndrome (AIDS).”

The May 5, 2007 meeting at Howard University consisted of representatives from various Pan African organizations and communities to support the launching of an Afrikan Diaspora Union (ADU) as an historic and sacred mission to re-integrate former enslaved Africans as part of a continental union of Africans. Speakers, leaders and students represented organizations such as the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), the Rastafari Movements, Republic of New Africa (RNA), All African Peoples Revolutionary Party (AAPRP), NCOBRA and ASCAC.

Addressing the issues relating to the direction and potential of the African Diaspora becoming a source of power for Africa and Africans, Dr. Leonard Jeffries described the vision for the Pre-Summit as embracing Africans across the Diaspora in an economic, cultural and political union with Africa . “The billions of dollars in North America when matched with the political successes of Africans in the Caribbean and African cultural integrity of those in countries like Brazil , will become a formidable force for African people in the world” stressed Dr. Leonard Jeffries.

The Pre-Summit was also focused on crafting an agenda in preparation for the Pan African Movement (PAM) Summit in Kingston , Jamaica from July 11-18, 2007. July 2007 will mark the 107th anniversary of the formal launching of the Pan African Movement by Africans from across the African world. The Pan African Movement was formally launched in 1900 by African leaders such as Sylvester Williams, Trinidad; WEB Dubois, U.S.A; Benito Sylvain , Haiti ; Henry Cargill, Jamaica ; Majola Agbebi , Nigeria ; Tengo Jabavu , South Africa and Bishop McNeil Turner, USA .

In an article promoting participation in the Pan African Conference in 1900, Booker T. Washington stated “I beg to advise as many of our people as possible to do so (attend).” The Pan African Conference of 1900 was followed by other African congresses and the establishment of major organizations such as the UNIA/African Communities League (ACL) under Marcus Garvey, and the All African Peoples Conferences (AAPC) under Kwame Nkrumah. Both the UNIA and AAPC were models to establish the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in May 1963, under the influence of Emperor Haile Selassie. The OAU became the African Union (AU) in 2001 and is seen as the most important Pan African organization to unify African people in the world. The PAM Summit in Jamaica is a continuation of the Pan African Movement, now concentrating on unifying the Diaspora as part of the 21st century vision for an African system of government, based in Africa .

Additionally, the Pre-Summit recommended actions supporting: (1) African Liberation Month in May 2007 to be a month of decisive actions across the Diaspora and Africa to promote African people’s interests, especially African issues affecting Sudan, Zimbabwe, New Orleans, Haiti and Columbia; (2) developing a Marshall Plan for Africans consisting of investments opportunities, trade, African development projects and reparations; and (3) most importantly building an African Diaspora Union (ASU) as part of the African Union 6th Region, and as proclaimed and promoted by great Pan Africanists like Marcus Garvey, Kwame Nkrumah and John H. Clarke.

So far, participants for the Pan Afrikan Movement Summit in Jamaica are confirmed from Central America, Europe, South America and North America . Some of the key conveners and participants will be Esteemed Elder Statesman Ambassador Dudley Thompson, 1945 Pan African Congress participant and former attorney for President Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya; Elombe Brath, Veteran Pan African Activist; Nana Yaa Farika, Diaspora Delegate to the 6th Pan African Congress; Dr. Leonard Jeffries, Vice President of ASCAC; Elder Mama Sybil W. Clarke, Wife of Late Dr. John H. Clarke; Prof. James Small, CEO of the OAAU; Dr. Tony Martin, Scholar Activist; Haile Gerima, Film Producer; Dr. Adelaide Sanford, former Vice Chancellor NY State; and Willie Mukasa Ricks, former SNCC & AAPRP leader.

The theme of the Summit in Jamaica is Political Determination – for Cultural and Economic Rebirth. The Summit will consist of keynote addresses from leaders of Africa and the African Diaspora; strategy sessions with veterans of the Pan African movement; major workshops on politics, economics and cultural empowerment; Pilgrimages to the Maroons’ sacred spaces, Queen Mother Nanny, Marcus Garvey and Bob Marley. Also, there will be excursions to enjoy the beauty of Jamaica ’s African people, its sun and our African way of life.

For more information to attend or support the Pan African Movement Summit at the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Kingston , Jamaica from July 11-18, 2007, please contact http://www.rhawpam.org/.404-527-7756 or [email protected]