Africa Fund Trustees Meeting, December 12, 1974

The minutes say those present were Frank Montero, Chairman, presiding, and Trustees Edwin Crosby, Jan van Hoogstraten, Sophia Yarnall Jacobs, William Landis, Andrew Norman, Charles Pratt, and Peter Weiss. The minutes say staff attending were George Houser, Jennifer Davis, Paul Irish, Marvin Rich, and Seana Sheehan. The minutes say George Houser reviewed highlights of his Executive Secretary's report containing three recommendations for action by the Trustees which were moved in succession after discussion. The minutes say the Trustees approved that the Fund should continue a major emphasis on supporting projects in the former Portuguese territories - Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, and Angola. The minutes say ynder the second part of the recommendation, considerable discussion ensued on the composition and the funding of a delegation to Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau and to possibly Angola; Jan Van Hoogstraten raised the question of Africa Fund administering US government aid grants to these areas which evoked debate on the pros and cons, with a consensus that the Trustees were not ready to come to any conclusions on the possibility. The minutes say the second recommendation was APPROVED with strong support from Frank Montero, namely, to look for new projects to support in Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa. The minutes say the third recommendation, to continue expansion of the research and literature program was approved. The minutes say Jennifer Davis reviewed her written report as Research Director, which was self-explanatory; she suggested additional literature on Mozambique, FRELIMO and on Cape Verde as other new possibilities; she pointed out that additional funding was needed to allow more work in research and literature production. The minutes say Andrew Norman presented the eight months financial report, noting three important sources of income: foundations, mailings and the "Walks" for development. The minutes say under the mail returns, Marvin Rich noted we received back $2.20 over and above expense for each $1.00 spent on the average; he reviewed the direct mail analysis. The minutes say the proposed 1975 budget was presented; George noted that $100,000 out of the $167,000 for foundation support was in sight a present. The minutes say Andrew Norman noted the increase in the Fund's personnel expense, which reflected more staff time in Africa Fund work. The minutes say William Landis moved and Andrew Norman seconded the proposed budget for 1975. (with the understanding that monies would be allocated for projects in relation to income); the budget was unanimously APPROVE. The minutes say Jan van Hoogstraten moved and Peter Weiss seconded the motion for Jennifer Davis to become an additional signatory for Africa Fund checks, which was approved. The minutes say George Houser requested approval of a special grant of $1600 to provide scholarship aid to a deserving refugee from Southern Africa. Funds are on hand for the purpose; the grant was approved. Documents enclosed with the minutes include THE AFRICA FUND - 1975 INCOME BUDGET, THE AFRICA FUND PROPOSED BUDGET 1975 EXPENSES PROJECTED, AFRICA FUND DIRECT MAIL ANALYSIS (as of 12/4/74), Africa Fund Direct Mail Analysis (as of 12/4/17), and Midyear Report Africa Fund: Research Department by Jennifer Davis. The Research Department report says since my last report in April we have issued two new pamphlets; a 36 page analysis by George Houser titled United States Policy and South Africa and The Republic of Guinea Bissau-Triumph over Colonialism, a report that I prepared. The Research Department report says the analysis of U.S. policy towards Southern Africa filled an important need and came at a particularly good time - shortly before the publication by Jack Anderson, Tad Szulc and others of extracts from the National Security Memorandum 39; it serves to fit those disclosures into a whole pattern and has been very well received. The Research Department report says we have also continued the publication of the shorter 4-side format Perspectives the most recent title in this series being Southern Africa: the U.S. Record at the United Nations, 1973. The Research Department report says the speed of events in Africa has short-circuited the production of some materials - both an Angola Coffee piece earlier this year and a current Perspectives on Rhodesia appear to have fallen victim to what are nevertheless very welcome developments. The Research Department report says currently in preparation and production are a series of Perspectives on the theme of an examination of the realities or otherwise of the often announced "changes" in South Africa. The Research Department report says two projects which are important are waiting for some staff time before they ran come to fruition; one is a long really fundamental critique of the Bantustan policy, an assessment of its purpose, of the prospects for future developments in that area of policy and practice and an analysis of the implications of U.S. support, via investment, loans etc. as well as political support to individual leaders such as Buthelezi, to the Bantustans; the other arises out of work I have been doing on South African military journals .. and would involve pulling together some of the threads to show the way in which South Africa uses civilian equipment imported from the United States, such as computers, light aircraft, road building equipment, to strengthen its capacity to meet the growing challenge of the African people, thus covertly nullifying the effects of the U.N. imposed arms embargo, an embargo supported by the U.S. Government; this in turn links up with our continuing work on the role South Africa is assigned by the makers of U.S. military strategies. The Research Department report says our staff position has altered somewhat as a result of some re-organization and extension of work along the lines we outlined in April; as the African Fund is now responsible for the production of a considerable amount of literature it seemed both efficient and consistent with our educational function to take responsibility for all literature distribution, and to make a serious attempt to expand this aspect of our work as a way of reaching out to many new people; Barry Scott has come on to the staff for fifteen hours a week specifically to handle literature distribution and promotion; Ray Gould has been giving important assistance with this work, and we have just produced a new catalog as a first step in building new sales. The Research Department report says Lynn Goodwin continues to do invaluable work maintaining files, the backbone of our information system, and in doing the layout and artistic work on our publications; Molly Hazen, our fulltime research assistant left us at the end of April, with regret on both sides, to take up another position; Sue Rogers, who some Trustees may know from the Southern Africa Committee has come on to the staff for 10 hours a week to help with research and writing. Paul Irish has also joined our staff recently, replacing Dick Leonard, who is taking time off to mind a new baby and go back to University; he will assist with research functions as well as working on various projects. The Research Department report says aspects of our work which I mentioned earlier this year continue to grow; we keep a flow of information to many contacts, provide information via making our files available to a constant stream of people who come in to the office, continue to prepare background papers in response to Congressional and other requests for briefings; recent examples of such work include a detailed examination of Mozambique- South African economic links and the political implications of these links for Congressman Diggs Sub-committee on Africa, a paper on labor patterns in South Africa and the urgent need of the regime to develop labor saving, increased productivity techniques in order to maintain the stability of the economic system within an apartheid context, for the National Council of Churches hearing on I.B.M. The Research Department report says as I reported to the Trustees in my written memo in September I made a trip to Africa in July and August; it was an exciting and stimulating experience for me and productive of many ideas. We have written up a part of my experience in a report which we printed on Medical and Health Services in Mozambique.