AFRICAN LIBERATION DAY, 2014Chairman's MessageCongress of African People, andFriends of African Unions' Congress, Chief of Staff.
In 1963 the Heads of State of the then, Independent African States, met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to form the Organization of African Unity, and first declared May 25, as African Liberation Day. In the years since, African Liberation has taken many shapes and forms, all of which are well documented.
What we, as the Congress of African People (CAP) and Friends of the African Union (FAU) wish to declare today, May, 2014, is that we have learned from the lessons of the past, and are clear on our identity, purpose and direction as we move forward towards building a safe, sustainable and progressive future for ourselves, our people, and our Pan African Community.
Today, African Liberation does not limit itself to only the continent of Africa, but extends itself to include the masses of African People around the Globe, inclusive of the African Diaspora. We realize today, through the works of such giants as Cheik Anta Diop, Drusilla Dunjee Houston, Ivan Van Sertima, Frances Cress Welsing, Runoko Rashidi, Marimba Ani, John Henry Clarke, Suzanne Cesaire, John Jackson, Amy Jacques Garvey, and many other women and men - that Africa is not just a continent rich with diverse elements of African culture, but that Africa is also a People who have taken African culture to every part of the World.
Therefore, we in CAP and FAU identify with the aspirations and interests of our African families in India, West Papua, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Columbia, Ecuador, Brazil, Germany, England, France, Figi, Australia, New Zealand, Guyana, Trinadad, Barbados, Bermuda, Bahamas, Canada, Vietnam, Japan,Malaysia, as well as the U.S. Africa is a Global Community, and until/unless all of us are free, none of us are.
Of course, we all recognize Africa as our Homeland, and the Sacred Land of our Ancestral Spirits who first laid the foundations for human civilization in Ancient Kemet (Egypt). The African values embodied in Ma'at (Truth, Justice, Balance, Harmony, Order,Propriety and Reciprocity), held the Kemetic Civilization together for over 5000 years. We are also grounded by, and recognize the principle found in the Odu Ifa, of "Bringing Good Into the World".
As we seek Strategies and Solutions to rebuild our Global African Community, we take the Sankofa Journey back into our past, to find remedies, paradigms and examples, such as the political system of Mbongi (http://www.amazon.com/Mbongi-African-Traditional-Political-Institution/dp/0979895103) , which can be adapted to and will inform our progress forward as we engage this African Renaissance Period.
We commit to the 50 year, Agenda 2063 Plan instituted by the African Union (http://agenda2063.au.int/en/about), which is dedicated to unifying the African Continent, and to unifying the continent with the entire African Diaspora. We subscribe to such values as Communitarianism, which places people above profit, and which recognizes the worth and dignity of each human being, and their respective roles and responsibilities within Community. Another key value we stand for is the full integration, complimentarity and mutuality of women and men in society and that any familial institution and community is incomplete without the free and full participation of Women. This has always been a valued African principle, despite what late religious zealots espouse.Therefore, it is with great pride, that we announce In Celebration of African Liberation Day (ALD) 2014, the Harambee Women's Circle of the Congress of African People is sponsoring a Pan African Women's Global Conference Call to begin networking grassroots African Women around the World. This call will take place on May 24, 2014 in celebration of AFRICAN LIBERATION DAY, 2014 ; 10 am Eastern Time, on coordinates, 424 203 8405; PIN 713167# . The countries on the following list, may call in on the North American call, using these call in numbers;
https://www.freeconferencecall.com/free-international-conference-call/internationalnumbers.aspx?lang=US&altlang=EN&phonenumber=+1%20424-203-8405 Please send any inquiries to harambeewomen@gmail.com.
Co-Sponsors for this event is the Friends of the African Union's, Women's Congress. Also, we Dedicate the Historic Endeavor to the Safe Rescue and Return of the Nigerian School Girls, #Bringbackourgirls!!!
We are an audacious People with and audacious History, and therefore, feel, that we, as an African People, have a unique contribution to make to the Forward Progress of World History, as a free, proud and productive people, and that our liberation will not only free us, but bring all of humanity closer to Full and Final Liberation, where our children can, ALL, stand tall and walk in a warmer Sun.In Unity and Struggle,Mwalimu Wesley KabailaChair, Congress of African People; Chief of Staff, FAU CongressCAP V. Chair, Zakiya Penny