African Activist Archive

Memorandum from activists in the Central America and Southern Africa solidarity movements who have been meeting to discuss ways to deepen our work and learn from each other. The group includes Eric Alderman (LINKS), David Brooks and Stuart Oze (North American Congress on Latin America, NACLA), Jim Cason (American Committee on Africa, ACOA), Lee Cokorinos (Columbia University), Ellen Davidson (Guardian newspaper), Kathy Engle (MADRE), Mike Fleshman (Southern Africa Committee), Suzanne Marten (Nicaragua Exchange), Dr. Coke McCord (Harlem Hospital), Sara Miles (Nicaragua Exchange), Roberta Washington (Mozambique Resource Center), and Daryl Williams (Samora Machel-Blanca Araúz Third World). Both movements have strengths: Central America activists have been able to mobilize grassroots support for the Nicaraguan and Salvadoran people; Southern Africa activists have expanded the anti-apartheid movement to the mainstream of U.S. politics. There also have been parallel difficulties in moving from anti-intervention and anti-apartheid work to explicit support for revolutionary governments and social movements in the Third World. Two other difficulties are broadening constituencies to include groups working on domestic issues (e.g., farmers, the Rainbow Coalition, the women's movement, anti-racist activists) and "internationalizing" the issues. While our movements tend to take a country-by-country (or, at best, regional) approach, the Reagan Doctrine has developed a global perspective--linking counterrevolution in Nicaragua and Angola with a reactionary domestic agenda. Two suggestions for collaborative pilot projects are suggested: (1) raise funds for medical aid for Mozambique and Nicaragua, and (2) expand "sister-city" and other people-to-people projects. The memorandum mentions speaking tours, and publications and lobbying drives against U.S. aid for the contras in Angola and Nicaragua.

African Activist Archive

To: Southern Africa and Central America Activists

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Coverage Africa

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