African Activist Archive

Contents: Attendance. A. PROGRAM PRIORITIES: Janet Hooper summarized the thrust of her report. Several Board and staff members have strongly advocated that ACOA concentrate its work on support (in the broad sense) for the liberation struggles in the Portuguese colonies and cut back on programs in other areas of southern Africa. Others felt a need to maintain a wider program, including all of southern Africa, legal challenges, research, legislative efforts, corporate campaigns, cultural and sports boycotts - to expose the whole range of U.S. complicity and involve more people from wider constituencies. Namibia was suggested as a specific focus, as a weak spot in the southern Africa bloc, where change could come without protracted war. Zimbabwe was also suggested in a similar vein, as a potential key to the liberation of all of southern Africa. This year's immediate priorities need to be set: suggest Guinea-Bissau recognition and U.N. membership, restore Rhodesia sanctions, research on U.S.-Portuguese relations. B. ACOA ROLE: ACOA should continue/develop its catalyst role, pinpointing issues, working with diverse groups to bring pressure, initiate programs where possible. ACOA needs to deal with developing a national constituency of diverse groups and work on coordination with local groups relating to southern Africa to help give them a sense of ongoing national programs. C. ACOA STRUCTURE: ACOA and the Africa Fund should split. The minutes say ACOA needs to have active Board committees working closely with staff, perhaps in three areas: Research, Liberation movement projects and U.S. campaigns, and fund-raising and publicity. The Board should remain centered only on policy decisions, leaving day-to-day work to staff. D. PROCEDURE • The minutes mention mass education, government and corporate policy on southern Africa, the OAU (Organization of African Unity), liberation movements, long-range goals, William Booth, Robert Browne, Elsie Carrington, George Daniels, Dorothy Hibbert, William Johnston, Elizabeth Landis, Tilden LeMelle, Edgar Lockwood, Timothy Smith, Andrew Norman, George Houser, Richard Leonard, Jennifer Davis, Ray Gould, Molly Hazen, Marvin Rich, and Henry Lieberg.

African Activist Archive

SUMMARY OF SPECIAL BOARD DISCUSSION January 31, 1974

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