Passing the Baton — TransAfrica Metro Chapter Elects New Leaders

(Washington, D.C.)—The appeal for the newly elected leaders of the TransAfrica Metro Washington, D.C. Chapter was the mission: “We are passionate about the mission of TransAfrica Forum,” says Sonetta Nuefville, Chapter President. “And, we are willing to commit time and energy to communicate that mission to as many people as possible.”

For more than 20 years the Metro Chapter has diligently worked to keep alive the vital link between TransAfrica Forum (TAF) and Washington, D.C.’s Pan-Africanist community. Historically, the Chapter has been known for its annual fundraising luncheon, a feature in the local community calendar. Through the luncheon and other events, the Chapter raised financial resources for TransAfrica Forum, as well as its ongoing educational activities. Over the past several years, however, chapter activities have slowed, mainly in response to transitional issues at the national office. The central complication has been that TransAfrica, the lobby and organization to which the chapters relate, has been dormant for several years.

In addition to sorting through organizational issues, the Chapter membership is aging. “We have been here since the beginning and supported the organization throughout, but we are all getting a little tired,” shared Leo Edwards, Chapter Board Chair. In December 2007 the Chapter Board met with the Forum’s senior managers and conveyed a desire to maintain the chapter, but indicated a need for new people to run for elected leadership.

Akufuna Sitalki Putteho-Ngonda, the new secretary, has long been a TAF volunteer, recently helping the organization to document the archives prior to its relocation to the current K Street office. Akufuna confessed, “I ended up reading more than moving.” But reading through the organization’s rich history and assisting with the numerous local events meant then when the opportunity arose to take a more formal role within the organization, Akufuna was there.

The new leadership, which like Akufuna, emerged from an active corps of local volunteers, met in January to discuss the Chapter and ways in which they could work together with the more than one hundred supporters in the area to revitalize what had been TransAfrica’s longest running and largest chapter. According to Akufuna, “Our first challenge has been simply structure and working on a firm mission. We want to get all our paperwork in order.”

After getting the structural house in order the Chapter wants to take on the challenge of making the local-global link. “All local issues have an international component and can be presented as such,” one member said, “neoliberalism is gentrification…Government budget cuts that force school closings are the same, whether the closings take place in the District of Columbia, Ghana, or the Caribbean.” The local angle is where the chapter sees its focus and priority. “We want to…begin to move [educational events] even deeper into the community,” said Akufuna.

For others who might also be looking for ways to further TransAfrica’s mission beyond Capitol Hill and the Washington beltway, Sonetta has this piece of advice: “First, know that you are not alone! We will do whatever we can to assist. There are structural and resource challenges, but don’t be put off. We can do a lot with a little. Collaboration allows you to accomplish a lot with a little.”

TransAfrica Forum — Still Saying No to AFRICOM!

Since February 6, 2007, when the Bush Administration first announced its intention to create AFRICOM, a unified combatant command for Africa, TransAfrica Forum has been working tirelessly to influence the mandate of this command. TransAfrica Forum has been loud and unequivocal in its criticism. Five decades of U.S. policy toward Africa—from U.S. involvement in the assassination of Patrice Lumumba in 1961 to the U.S. supported Ethiopian invasion of Somalia in 2006—have exacerbated rather than resolved regional conflict.

AFRICOM is the product of a foreign policy and military framework designed by the architect of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and the conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation. Under the guise of creating a military command in Africa that can fight the “Global War on Terror,” train African troops, and coordinate development assistance delivery, analysts view the plan as a military first step towards securing unfettered access to Africa’s natural resources and to the creation of military outposts in Africa that would result in further penetration of the U.S. military into the continent.

In December 2007 TransAfrica Forum joined civil society organizations on the African continent and in the U.S. to form a coalition working group, Resist AFRICOM. Since then, TransAfrica Forum has been working with immigrants from the Horn of Africa to thoroughly alter the design and implementation of AFRICOM. This hard work has resulted in a few victories:

• In response to pressure from TransAfrica Forum and our allies across the globe, AFRICOM’s Commander Gen. Kip Ward announced in February of 2008 that AFRICOM would not be headquartered on the African Continent. This was a great triumph for African sovereignty.
• Work by TransAfrica Forum and our allies has led key members of Congress to call for a re-evaluation of AFRICOM’s mandate and to tie funding for AFRICOM in 2009 to benchmarks around transparency.
• On June 25 TransAfrica Forum organized a Capitol Hill briefing for over 30 congressional offices to discuss the problems of this new “breed” of military command and possible solutions with policy makers.

Numerous public education activities and news articles, for example the November 2007 “Say No to AFRICOM” commentary by Danny Glover and Nicole C. Lee, published by The Nation magazine have helped increase public understanding. TAF plans to continue to work with our U.S. and African partners on this issue. Africans are not interested in fighting the U.S.’s war on terror, rather, they prefer to be engaged in battling real security threats: poverty, urban violence, resource conflicts, small arms proliferation and state violence. For more information visit www.transafricaforum. org or www.resistafricom.org.

Haiti and the Jubilee Act

On June 24th, the Jubilee U.S.A Network won an important victory in the campaign for economic justice—the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation (S. 2166) passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and was reported out of committee for consideration by the full Senate. TransAfrica Forum, along with almost 80 other national organizations,is a member of the Jubilee Network.

The Jubilee Act contains Congressman Alcee Hastings’ (D-FL) amendment on Haiti (H.AMDT.993), urging the United States Secretary of the Treasury to expedite the complete and immediate cancellation of Haiti’s debts to all international financial institutions (IFIs). If such cancellation cannot be provided immediately, the amendment requires the suspension of future payments in light of the current food crisis and overall humanitarian and political instability.

According to the Jubilee Network, Haiti’s current debt stands at $1.3 billion, 40 percent of which was incurred by the Duvalier family dictatorship between 1957 and 1986, which stole or misspent most of the money. Now it is Haiti’s poor that are forced to pay back loans from which they did not benefit. The “de facto humanitarian aid embargo” imposed on Haiti by international financial institutions from 20002004 and the “dumping” of cheap products into the country have further destabilized Haiti and obstructed the critical aid and capital needed to improve its economy.

Furthermore, a recent report by human rights groups in Haiti (that includes information from internal U.S. government correspondence released by court order) confirmed that the U.S. caused a delay in the release of $54 million USD in loans from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which the Haitian government was to use to overhaul its water and sanitation systems. Experts warn that close to 70 percent of the population could be at risk from intestinal parasites and dysentery due to a lack of regular and direct access to potable water. The report discovered the IDB loans were blocked in 2001-2003 due to the concerns of United States officials regarding the administration of Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a democratically elected President who was overthrown by a military coup in 1991. After Aristide returned to power in 2001, he was thrown out again in 2004 with the encouragement of the Bush administration.

As part of the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative, Haiti still has to meet a series of conditions before it reaches its completion point in the last quarter of 2008. These conditions, largely recognized as harmful, have resulted in lower growth and higher unemployment rates. Consequently, TransAfrica Forum and other Jubilee Act supporters continue to call for Haiti’s debt cancellation to be unconditional. Meanwhile, the nation is paying the international community close to $1 million per week in debt service, while approximately 80 percent of the population lives on less than two U.S. dollars per day.

Although it is impossible to foresee the future of Haiti with debt cancellation, other countries have used debt cancellation savings to invest in infrastructure, health and other basic services.

While the Jubilee Act is an important advancement in legislation there are urgent measures needed in Haiti to ensure access to basic necessities, security and stability for millions of Haitian adults and children. As the bill enters the full Senate and deliberations continue, the situation in Haiti continues to worsen. Now, more than ever, it is the moral imperative of the Senate and international community to act swiftly. The tangible support promised to Haiti must finally pierce through the debilitating rhetoric and fall into the hands of those who need it most desperately.

Meet Our Young Leaders

	Akua Peprah — I was attracted to TransAfrica Forum because of its mission to fight for social and economic justice for Africa and the Diaspora. I am mainly interested in learning how TransAfrica Forum influences U.S. foreign policy. I hope to learn more about organizing educational events on Africa so that when I return to my campus I can create more dialogue and also empower students to change U.S. foreign policies that affect the people of Africa and the African Diaspora.
	Julia Dann — TransAfrica Forum offers the perfect intersection between African and Latin American cultures. I am a Sociology and Africana Studies major, and I feel that working for TransAfrica is a wonderful way for me to expand my knowledge of the African Diaspora and learn effective new ways to promote social awareness and change. It’s exciting being connected to such informed and empowered people, and TransAfrica’s various cultural events have inspired me to host some of my own on my campus in Ohio.
	Aminata Jalloh — I chose TransAfrica Forum because it integrated my interests in the experiences of people in the African continent and those in the Diaspora. Moreover, I was fascinated with TransAfrica’s commitment to changing the way the U.S. creates policies that affect Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Through my experience I hope to translate my communication and events planning skills into meaningful programming at my university. Moreover, I hope to use what I learn at TransAfrica to educate my peers on building grassroots social movements.
	Morin Stewart — I am very interested in learning about foreign policy and how non-profit organizations function. I was particularly interested in gaining research experience and learning about current issues. As a senior majoring in International Relations, I find the mission and purpose of TransAfrica Forum particularly unique and interesting as it aims to aid those countries that identify with the African Diaspora. Upon my arrival back to campus this upcoming fall I plan to host issue briefing programs to further spread the awareness and knowledge that I have gratefully had the opportunity to learn this summer. Education is one of the most imperative plateaus in influencing changes in the world.
	Juliana Abé — I found this internship through the General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) of the United Methodist Church; I had to choose between TransAfrica Forum and a church office. With my GBCS supervisor, we agreed that TransAfrica was the best alternative. The reasons for my choice are simple: TransAfrica Forum matches with my career goals. First of all, I am working on the issue of child health and labor for my doctorate degree and I wanted to learn more about advocacy. Secondly, I believe that Africa can rise. For that, we, African people need to use our talents, skills and intelligence to change the actual face of our continent which matches with the mission of TransAfrica Forum. I hope that I’ll be able to work with an organization that fights against child labor in my country and also to create awareness of this problem in my church. I also hope to write articles about this issue for local and international newspapers and economic journals.
	Hawa Wehelie — I have always been infatuated with politics, particularly concerning Africa. TransAfrica stood out in its goal to influence foreign policy regarding Africa and Latin America, not simply to raise awareness but to make change. Having heard rave reviews from professors, community organizers, and even my parents, I was sure that TransAfrica Forum would be where I wanted to be this summer. I am confident that I will gain valuable experience and knowledge this summer. As secretary of the African People’s Organization at my university, I will take what I learn and apply it to our agenda on campus. I hope to create events to raise awareness of often ignored issues as well as of the policy making process and how we as individuals can change policy.