African Union Day Foundation

African Union Day Foundation Background

Background

The African Union Day Foundation (AUDF) which was founded in July 2006 by a group of concerned Africans living in New York City. This group met at the first Annual African Union Day Celebration that was held on July 9, 2007. Using the momentum behind the celebration of July 9, the group designed a set of objectives and activities of AUDF.

AUDF objectives

To promote unified, independence and development of Africa.
To bridge the information gap regarding the development of Africa and its activities.
To celebrate the African heritage and unity on the continent and in the Diaspora.
Promote the work of the African Union and its developmental programs such as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.

AUDF activities.

- Hosting the annual African Union Day Celebration.

- Conducting information forums about the current economic and social welfare of Africa.

- Promoting the social educational welfare of the African child by advocating for Africa focused components to be included in the existing curriculum.

- Hosting networking forums for all academicians and scholars of African decent living in New York.

Pursuant to promoting the objectives of the African Union as outlined in the Constitutive Act, AUDF will see to it that its objectives and activities are done with a view to furthering the interests of Africans in the Diaspora. Membership and affiliation to AUDF is free to all those with an interest in promoting the social and economic development of Africa.

Objectives of the African Union.

Achieve greater unity and solidarity between African countries and people of Africa.
Defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its member states.
Accelerate the political and social-economic integration of the continent.
Promote and defend African common positions on issues of interest to the continent and its peoples;
Promote peace, security, and stability on the continent.
Promote democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance.
Promote and protect human and peoples rights in accordance with the African charter on Human and People’s Rights and other human rights instruments.
Establish the necessary conditions which enable the continent to play its rightful role in the global economy and international negations.
Promote sustainable development at the economic, social and cultural levels as well as the integrations of African economies.
Promote cooperation in all fields of human activity to raise the living standards of African peoples.
Coordinate and harmonize the policies between the existing and future Regional Economic communities for the general attainment of the objectives of the union.
Advance the development of the continent by promoting research in all fields, in particular in science and technology and
Work with relevant international in the eradication of preventable diseases and the promotion of good health on the continent.

After several consultative processes with community leaders, business houses, politicians, policy makers and elected officials, the African Union Day Foundation was formed with a mission of promoting the unified and advancement of Africa. The African Union Day Foundation has since then been consulting and working with elected officials to discuss a process of passing a bill in New York City Council to declare September 9 an African Union Day in New York. New York City Councilwoman, Annabel Palma is taking a lead on this bill.

Membership to the African Union Day Foundation is free and open to all individuals and organizations that are willing to promote the interests and activities of African Union.

Problem Statement.

More often than not, the continent of Africa has been known to be the place of disease, poverty, hunger, strife, wars and economic underdevelopment. Most of the information about Africa is disseminated by the media, researchers and other organizations that are doing work on the continent. The way Africa has been portrayed in the Americas and other developed places around the world has motivated many individuals and organizations to establish a lot of philanthropic initiatives that are currently raising millions of dollars to meet the needs of Africa. While these efforts cannot go unappreciated and unrecognized, the trend to represent Africa as a place of untold suffering has propagated a lot of ill interpretations from investors and other stakeholders alike with insufficient knowledge about Africa.

The African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development are the continental structures that are propelling the economic, social, cultural aspects of the continent forward. These initiatives are rarely talked about in the Americas. There are several other structures that have closely worked with the international community to take Africa’s Development to greater heights. However, the efforts by such structures is always overshadowed by the information that is discouraging and detrimental to the development of both Africa and people of African decent.

Most of Africa’s precious resources like diamonds, gold, emeralds and copper are shipped out of Africa and are made into finished products overseas hence helping the international economy grow. There are other animate and inanimate resources from the continent of Africa that have brought about significant progress to the outside world. Unfortunately, the continent is not recognized as one of the major resources for the development of the outside world.

For so many years, the African Continent fought for political freedom and Africans are politically free. Without a full understanding of the continent and consistent dialogue about the real Africa, Africans, both on the continent and in the Diaspora, will always be deprived of economic freedom.

It is against this backdrop of information that the African Union Day Foundation seeks to address. Until Africans, together with other individuals and organizations with sufficient knowledge about the continent come together, Africa will always be underrepresented.

The First Celebration.

The first African Union Day Celebration was held on July 9, 2006 in the Borough of the Bronx in New York City. It was attended by different people from various African countries, organizations within New York, some elected officials and community leaders.

Second Celebration.

The second parade will be held on September 9, 2007. The African Union Day Foundation is in the middle of consultative processes with some elected officials, community leaders and organizations working with the African Diaspora.

Activities of the Celebration.

The activities of the parade will be presented by the different people from 53 African States living in the tri-state area and other African Decent communities. The activities include a parade that will be coupled by cultural, economic and social information sessions, speeches from elected officials in New York City and beyond, politicians, activists, diplomats, academicians, entertainers and others.

Expected Outcomes of the Celebration.

- To bridge the information gap about Africa and the way it is perceived.

- A developed understanding about Africa.

- Dismantled cultural barriers that hinder social and economic development.

- To create a model of African Unity that will serve as a benchmark for other states in America to assume their own activities concerning the development of Africa

The African Union Day Celebration will set a pace for linking Africa to the rest of the world. The African Union Day Foundation believes that development in today’s world requires the physical interaction of different cultures in order to find practical solutions and initiatives to engage in the challenging issues of the third world. The African Union Day Celebration will create the required platform to enhance and promote the cultural, social and economic aspects of the continent of Africa.

African Union Day Foundation proposed initiatives:

African Union Day Celebration

African Union Diaspora Ambassadors (7-19) (20-35) (36-80)

African Union Stars Academy (NYS Charter School-K12)

African Union Stars University (Online)

African Union Federal Credit Union

African Union Sports League

Benefits:

_All the services are directed to the public regardless of their political, social, economic or educational situations.

_State leaderships are partners not benefactors

_The Foundation shall be politically neutral

_The Foundation shall be an incubator and grant facilitator to other service providers and entrepreneurs.

P.S. African Union Day Foundation is a private organization founded by Africans in the Diaspora and it is not a subsidiary of The African Union.