“We need citizenship to rebuild our Ancestral Homeland” emphasized Baba John Watusi Branch, Chief Secretariat of the World African Diaspora Union (WADU) while returning from Senegal, one of his 100 plus business missions to Africa over the last four decades. “Dual-citizenship is the utmost concern and aspiration of the African Diaspora now residing in Africa contributing their skills and investments to empower Africa.” Baba Watusi Branch will be part of the delegation with other WADU leaders to Washington, D.C. on June 16, 2010 for a press conference and then to Africa’s Capitol to meet with African leaders, faith leaders, students and Pan African activists in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The WADU press conference in Washington on June 16, 2010 is its formal announcement of its mission to Africa in July “to initiate a new era in the Pan African Movement for Africa’s economic reconstruction and second liberation based upon Pan Africanism,” stressed Dr. Leonard Jeffries, Vice President of WADU. Dr. Jeffries also discussed other highlights of African Diaspora Declaration (ADD) on his recent visit to the French Caribbean island of Martinique promoting Pan Africanism and reparations. The Declaration calls for the African Diaspora to engage in a 21st century Pan African economic campaign to create new opportunities and promote new networks for trade, businesses and investments across the African world. The May 2010 Africa Month Declaration also stressed the importance for the mobilization of the African Diaspora human capital, financial capital and its people as a “Marshall Plan” for the rebuilding of our Motherland. Finally, the Declaration is also urging the African Union to prioritize the African Diaspora for dual-citizenship, political representation, and business partnerships.
Ambassador Dudley Thompson, President of WADU also recently arriving from both Senegal and Ghana to celebrate Africa Day and the contributions of Dr. Cheik Anta Diop and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to Pan Africanism, has consistently pointed to the African Union to take actions granting “passport as a citizen of a United Africa.” The President sent an appeal during Africa Month for Diaspora leaders to support ADD, urging the AU to redouble its efforts to reintegrate the African Diaspora in the African Union.
The mission to Ethiopia in July 2010 will mark the 110th anniversary of the formal launching of the Pan African Movement. The first Pan African Congress in 1900 was strongly inspired by the victory of Ethiopia over Italian imperialism in Africa in 1895 and was also supported by the victorious Emperor Menelik 11 of Ethiopia The forging of the union of African states as the Organization of African Unity (OAU) on May 25, 1963, now the African Union is so far the single the most important achievement of African people to protect, preserve and promote African interests, including those scattered across the world. For more information, to participate in the press conference in Washington, D.C. or the 2010 Summit in Ethiopia contact us at WADUPAM.ORG. Also, call our office in New York at 718-523-3312 or GA. at 404-527-7756. Minister P.D. Menelik, Secretary General, can be reached at 404-822-2049.
