African Activist Archive

Contents: AFRICA ACTION • Tonight's Program • Board of Directors • Program for gala celebrating 50 years of organizing by groups that merged to become AFRICA ACTION. The program's theme is "Sankofa," an Adinkra symbol from the Akan of West Africa, meaning "wisdom, knowledge, and the people's heritage," and learning from the past to move towards the future. To advance the fight for human development, debt cancellation, AIDs funding, reparations, and peace, it is important to reflect on the wisdom gained in the past 50 years. There are many lessons from the successful struggles of African people to gain independence from colonization and liberation from tyranny supported by activists in the U.S. The American Committee on Africa (ACOA), one of the groups that merged to form AFRICA ACTION in 2001, was founded in 1953 in New York by black and white civil rights activists who had organized support for the historic Defiance Campaign in South Africa. ACOA and The Africa Fund, founded in 1966, provided key support for independence movements throughout Africa. Both organizations built strong networks of U.S.-based advocates that became crucial participants in the anti-apartheid struggle. The Africa Policy Information Center (APIC), founded in Washington. D.C. in 1978, (initially as the Washington Office on Africa Education Fund) pioneered using new information and communication technology for advocacy work on Africa. These groups bring complementary strengths to the struggle against global apartheid-the worldwide system of entrenched inequalities and racism that keeps Africa poor. Global issues, from the AIDS pandemic, to the failure of peacekeeping, to the unjust and unpayable foreign debt, have their most devastating consequences in Africa. Partnering with U.S. activists and civil society organizations in Africa, AFRICA ACTION is working to change U.S. foreign policy and the policies of international institutions. People on the program include George Houser, lmani Countess, Jennifer Davis, Ted Lockwood, Jean Sindab, Damu Smith, Aubrey McCutcheon, Bishop Mvume Dandala, Emira Woods, Pearl Alice Marsh, and James Early. The program mentions the All Africa Conference of Churches and Foreign Policy and Focus.

African Activist Archive

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF ACTIVISM FOR AFRICA!

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