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(EMAILWIRE.COM, August 07, 2009 ) Atlanta, GA - Her Excellency Madame Amina Salum Ali of the African Union congratulated WADU for a successful Summit and pointed that Africans in the African Diaspora have a great role in transforming Africa and the African Union into a unified and strong Africa. Ambassador Madame Ali made her historic address at the World African Diaspora Union (WADU) 2009 Summit along with other leaders such as the Pan African ‘Living Legend’, His Excellency Dudley Thompson President of WADU; His Excellency Weleli Nhlapo, South African Ambassador the U.S.; Dr. Julius Garvey of the UNIA/ACL; the UNIA/ACL; Dr. Leonard Jeffries, Vice President of WADU; and Dr. Ron Daniels of the Institute of the Black World (IBW) 21st Century. The theme for the WADU 2009 Summit was Economic Self-Determination - for Cultural and Political Rebirth celebrating the 109th anniversary of the formal launching of the Pan African Movement.
The Summit was held at the historic Atlanta University Consortium (AUC), Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) in Atlanta, GA from July 22-26, 2009. One of the foremost Pan African ministers (85), the Reverend Dr. Ndugu T’Ofori-Atta and host of the 2009 Summit welcomed the participants on behalf of the ITC President Michael Battle stating “We welcome you as divine spirits, the dignified dust and the living geography of Africa, to share in our sacred space.” ITC is the later day location where the historic 1895 All Africa Congress held at Gammon Seminary attended by Rev. Dr. Edward W. Blyden, Bishop Henry McNeal Turner, J.W.E. Bowen and many Africans residing in the U.S. at that time. The AUC consists of the HBCU’s colleges Spelman, Morehouse, Morris Brown, Clark Atlanta and the ITC.
During the Summit opening session, President Dudley Thompson of WADU stressed “The 2009 Summit is to ensure that the African Diaspora build an integrated Pan African movement to speak with one voice with our Motherland and the world.” Also during opening ceremonies, Ambassador Weleli of South Africa declared that that Africans do not have to apologize to anyone and urged Africans in the African Diaspora to participate in the rebuilding of Africa by “mobilizing our resources for capacity building and sustainable development.”
On the second day of the Summit focusing on African culture, Dr. Leonard Jeffries, Dr. Rosalind Jeffries and Dr. Joyce King stressed that Africans must restore their African identity through African education and re-socialization. On Friday, Mr. Emmanuel Semanou (France), Dr. Shelby Lewis and Dr. Ron Daniels highlighted the long destructive legacy of imperialism, slavery and colonialism and warned that only a unified Africa with the Diaspora can stave off the new ‘Scramble for Africa.‘ On Saturday Dr. Nicholas Aghobou of France, condemned the Franco and Anglo-American imperialism in Africa and called for the creation of one African monetary currency system in Africa and for African control over the production and distribution of its resources, especially its raw materials. Presenters from across the world provided enormous information on opportunities and strategies for businesses, investments and trade with Africa and the African Diaspora.
At the conclusion of the Summit, Baba Dudley Thompson stated that this is a “crowning moment” in our history and declared the unification of African Diaspora organizations under an instrument called the Pan African Diaspora Union (PADU), specifically, to represent the Diaspora at the African Union ECOSOCC. PADU was initiated by WADU, SRDC (Sixth Region Diasporan Coalition) and supported by representatives of other umbrella organizations at the Summit and therefore invite other organizations to join this effort. WADU will continue serving as an organization to organize, unify and empower the African Diaspora. Other Summit resolutions called for the continuation of the support for Reparations, the support for the people of the Congo, Haiti and African Columbians, support of African Liberation Month in May to serve as a period for global mobilizing of resources for African reconstruction, the establishment of a WADU mass communication network system, establishing a WADU central office in Atlanta, and for WADU to immediately establish a think tank for African economic empowerment.
Other key participants included Dr. Nicholas Agbohou, France; Queen Nzinga Heru, ASCAC; Nana Yaa Farika, Rastafari Movement; QM Dorothy Lewis, NCOBRA; Baba John Watusi Branch, NY; Baba Mukasa W. Ricks Dada, (SNCC/AAPRP); Joe Beasley, the RainbowPush Coalition/Africa Ascension; Line Hilgros, Guadeloupe; The Honorable ‘Able’ Mable Thomas, Georgia; Dr. Josephine Bradley, Mr. Oumar Diallo, Guinea (Conakry); Chair of the African Studies at CAU; Dr. Joyce King, Georgia State University; Dr. Shelby Lewis, Africa Consultant; Dr. David Horne, SRDC; Martha O. Osamar, the United Kingdom; Barryl Biekman, Holland; Daveed Jawara, Ghana; Dr. Akil Khalfani, New Jersey; Dr. Hassima Maiga, Mali; Mr. Derrick Price, Chicago/Businessman; Fritz (Jamaica) & Rosalind (Guyana) McLymont; Mr. Emmanuel Semanou, France; Prof. Yaa Ngemi, DR Congo; Rev. Dr. Carolyn ‘Akua’ McCrary, ITC; Njere Alghanee (NCOBRA); Ben Kalala, DR Congo; Mr. Tunde Adetunje, Nigeria; Dr. Ashe Taylor, UWI/Jamaica; Attorney Ajamu Baraka, NAPO; Sobukwe Shakura, AAPRP; Kwame Afoh, RNA/Florida; Queen Mother Blakely, NY; Queen Mother Moses, Jamaica; Bro. Keidi Obi Awadu, California/Libradio; Baba Hekima Kanyama, African Community Centers; Dr. Ishola, S. Williams, PANAFSTRAG/Nigeria; Dr. Richard Campbell, WADUGa; Baba Obadele Williams, Georgia; Habesha; Dr. J. Drayton, MD; and Kofi Adjei, Ghana. Also were other faith leaders, entrepreneurs, officials, community activists and students from across the Diaspora.
For more information on WADUÂ’s work to unify the African Diaspora, its next summit in July 2010, in Ethiopia, to join or to support us, please visit our website at WADUPAM.ORG or call us at 404-527-7756.
World African Diaspora Union (WADU)
Minister P.D. Menelik Harris
404-527-7756 pam@wadupam.org
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