African Union Day Foundation

African Union Day Celebration Background

Introduction.

The African Union Day Celebration is an initiative of the African Union Day Foundation, which was founded in July 2006 to promote the African Union in the Diaspora. This promotion includes but is not limited to the sponsoring of investment, social, educational, sports, and cultural programs outside of the continent. The parade has been designed to showcase the cultural, social and economic activities of Africa. After the first African Union Day Celebration, which was held on July 9, 2006, a group of concerned Africans living in New York assumed discussions on the importance of promoting African Union’s activities in the Americas. After several consultative processes with community & religious leaders, business houses, politicians, policy makers and elected officials, the African Union Day Foundation was formed.

The African Union Day Foundation, has since then been working with elected officials to discuss a processes of how a bill can be passed in the New City Council to declare September 9 an African Union Day in New York. It is envisioned that every September 9^th. African Union Day Foundation will organize a celebration to showcase and represent Africa and its potential to take an active part in all endeavors of the world as a global community. The membership to the African Union Day Foundation is free and open to all organizations that are beneficial to the African Union and its people in the Diaspora. Donations to the foundation are highly welcomed.

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. The media, researchers and other foundations that are doing great work on the continent disseminate most of this information. The way Africa has been portrayed in the Americas and other developed places world wide 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 individuals who do not have sufficient knowledge about Africa.

The African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) are the continental structures of the whole continent that are propelling the economic, social, cultural and other developmental 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 effort by such structures is always overshadowed by information that is discouraging and detrimental to economic development both in America and in Africa.

Most of Africa’s precious resources like diamonds, gold, emeralds and copper are shipped out of Africa and are made into finished products and overseas hence helping the international economy to grow. There are other animate and inanimate resources from the continent of Africa that have brought about significant progress to 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 initiative seeks to address. Until the Africans celebrate and showcase their activities on the continent, there will be ill-conceived perceptions from individuals and organizations that are not familiar African Continent.

The First Celebration.

The first Africa Union Day Celebration was held on July 9, 2006 in the Borough of the Bronx in New York. It was attended by different people from various countries of the continent, organizations within New York, some elected officials and community leaders. This parade was successfully conducted and it created a momentum for Africans to gather for the Africa Trade Fair at the Bronx Court House Rotunda in September 2006.

Second Celebration.

The second celebration will be held on September 9, 2007. The African Union Day Committee has to date discussed with some elected officials, community leaders and Organizations working with the African Diaspora.

Objectives of the African Union Day Celebration.

To provide information about the continent of Africa and its activities.
To promote unity among the African Diaspora and people of the African Decent.
To establish open economic, social and cultural forums through which the people can get more information about the continent of Africa.
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.

Activities of the Celebration.

The different people from the 53 African States living in the tri-state will present the activities of the Celebration. The activities include the walk that will be coupled by cultural, economic and social presentations, parallel forums along the walk route, speeches from elected officers in New York City and beyond, African 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 create a benchmark on people of African decent from other states in America will build their parades.

Summary.

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

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.