[Dear George Houser, I am writing to invite you to a National Activist Briefing]

The letter says I write to invite you to a National Activist Briefing being convened on Friday, June 22, 1990 in New York City under the umbrella of the Nelson Mandela New York Anti-Apartheid Welcome Committee; as you know, Nelson Mandela and a large delegation from the African National Congress will be in New York from June 20 - 22; we have asked that Walter Sisulu provide a substantive briefing on the current situation in South Africa for this national gathering. The letter says this meeting comes out of discussions with Lindiwe Mabuza, the ANC Chief Representative to the United States, and the belief that the ANC delegation's trip to the United States should validate and strengthen the forces that have consistently organized against apartheid in the United States. The letter says the struggle for liberation and democracy in South Africa has not yet been won and yet there are many signs that the Bush administration would like to ease pressure on South Africa; the promised future visit of President de Klerk to the United States is such a sign and Bush may move to lift some sanctions as early as July. The letter says we expect this one-day briefing will bring together a core group of invited anti-apartheid activists to hear from a senior member of the ANC and discuss the current situation inside South Africa; we have also planned workshops to discuss developments in the region and a briefing on U.S. policy. The letter says because of security considerations surrounding the Mandela visit and the need to keep an effective working meeting down to a manageable size, we are asking about 100 organizations around the country to send one delegate to the conference. The letter says this meeting is being convened at short notice and as yet we still do not have final confirmation that Walter Sisulu will be the speaker addressing the conference; nonetheless, a committee composed of Aubrey McCutcheon (Washington Office on Africa), Jerry Berman (AFSC), Prexy Nesbitt, Gay McDougall (Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights), Cleveland Robinson (New York Anti-Apartheid Coordinating Committee), Randall Robinson (TransAfrica) and myself have come together to plan this important event and develop an agenda that will ensure a productive meeting within the overall context of the activities being designed by the National Welcome Committee. The letter says as overall. details of the New York schedule for Nelson Mandela's visit and final confirmation of the location of the National Activist Briefing are not yet complete, we will be back in touch with you in the next few days with more information. The letter says the Secret Service requires that we compile a list with names, organization, address and social security number for each delegate attendi.ng the conference; please return the enclosed response card with this information by June 8. The mailing discusses F.W. de Klerk, President George Bush, AFSC (American Friends Service Committee), and the Washington Office on Africa (WOA).