1. | On behalf of the African Diaspora Directorate (“Directorate”), I, Dr. Kofi Agyapong, Chairman of the Directorate, have the honor to present you some background first, Brotherhood and Sisterhood (BSI) International (Blacks and Whites Uniting Communities) a 30 year old (1989) American Non-Profit Organization, EIN 52-1569388 with a 501c3 Ruling in 1989, in order to form a more perfect union between the people of the African Union and the United States of America, establish justice and the rule of law equally applied to all people, ensure global tranquility, provide for the common defense of the people of the African Diaspora, promote the general welfare for the people of the African Diaspora, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, did ordain as an American Civil Society Organization ran by citizens of the African Union and those of the African Diaspora living in the United States of America did this past Juneteenth (June 19th 2019) did join with Friends of the African Union in the creation of the African Diaspora Directorate as a global civil society organization for people of the African Diaspora. By our estimate they number of 300M worldwide, 47M in the USA. |
Definition of the African Diaspora | |
2. | In a world characterized by increasing mobility and interconnectedness, the People of the African diasporas have assumed a new importance in the African Union, the United Nations and in the United States of America, as of January 8th 2018, an official history from 1619. The African Diaspora may be divided into two categories: |
3. | (i) people of African heritage who “involuntarily” were migrated to North America, Europe, the Caribbean, Brazil, Latin America, Arab Lands, Oceania, etc.; and, |
4. | (ii) persons who recently, from 1919, left the African continent “voluntarily”. |
5. | We accept and operate in the African Continent under the recognition of the African Diaspora globally and legally by the 55 African member states of African continental organization the African Union (AU) which is based on the AU Executive Council meeting in its 7th Ordinary Session in Sirte in June/July 2005, by Decision EX.CL/Dec.221(VII), which adopted the following definition of the Diaspora: “The African Diaspora consists of peoples of African origin living outside the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union”. |
Background | |
6. | This 2019 action is based on the 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act. A law signed into law January 8, 2018, by President Trump, which established a commission to coordinate the 400th anniversary year of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in the English colonies. This law was based on for the first time the US federal government recognizing by law that on August 25th,1619, 20 Africans were brought to Point Comfort in the English colony of Virginia, which later became one of the founding states of the USA. We do not know if they were enslaved or indentured. We do know that now after 400 years we are organizing to take control of our future from a headquarters in Washington DC.. |
7. | The founders of the.African Diaspora Directorate recognizes that becoming Americans did not create economic opportunity, rather the laws and policy decisions passed by local, state, and federal governments actually promoted the discriminatory patterns that continue to this year in the practice of institutionalized racism on Americans of African Descent. We now have not only the tools to change the narrative but the collective experience and expertise to do so. Working with Washington DC we can set an example for the nation. |
The African Diaspora Directorate Operations | |
8. | As of December 30th 2019 the African Diaspora Directorate has seven divisions: |
9. | (1) a General Assembly with three operational chambers: a People’s Congress, a Civil Society Organizational Congress and an Assembly of State Leaders; |
10. | (2) a Secretariat is to be established in the USA by August 25th, 2019 under management by Friends of the African Union through 2024; |
11. | (3) The African Diaspora Royal Society which is governed by the The African Diaspora Directorate Royal Council. The Society is a membership of those of African Tribal Royalty in the global African Diaspora, the tribe in Ghana created for those in the global African Diaspora without a tribe, African Tribal Royalty that welcome members of the African Diaspora in them and or tribes recognized by them for the members of the African Diaspora; |
12. | (4) a Civil Society Division will work with the African Union’s (AU) Citizens and Diaspora Directorate (AU/CIDO) to implement the AU’s engagement process with non-state actors through the involvement of the African Diaspora’s Civil Society through AU/CIDO; |
13. | (5) a Diaspora Bureau will organize at national in the African Diaspora, regional and or state geographic and Tribal level the people of African Descent in the global African Diaspora which is composed of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in line with AU’s Economic, Social and Cultural Council, the United Nations, the European Union, Organization of American States along with other international and or multinational organizations; |
14. | (6) a Operations Bureau who will create and operate the partnerships and businesses called for by the organs of the African Diaspora Directorate Secretariat; and, |
15. | (7) The Business Operations Bureau shall create business corporations organized for profit with a corporate purpose of creating general public benefit for the People of the African Diaspora (PAD). These benefit corporations offer PAD entrepreneurs and investors the option to build, and invest in, businesses that operate in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. |
A Secretariat was to be established in the USA by August 25th, 2019 under management by Friends of the African Union through 2024. These are the African Diaspora Directorate Secretariat’s working committees:
- The African Diaspora Directorate Strategy Council
- The African Diaspora Directorate Council of Leaders
- The African Diaspora Directorate Community Council
- The African Diaspora Directorate Permanent CSO Representatives
- The African Diaspora Economic Council
- The African Diaspora Directorate Business Council
- The African Diaspora Forum on Indigenous Issues
- The African Diaspora Directorate Justice Council
- The African Diaspora Directorate Royal Council
- The African Diaspora Directorate Municipal Council
- The African Diaspora Human Rights Council
- The African Diaspora Cultural Council
- The African Diaspora Gender Issues Council
- The African Diaspora Peace Council
- The African Diaspora Security Council
- The African Diaspora Directorate Council of Elders
- The African Diaspora Directorate Veterans Council
- The African Diaspora Food and Agriculture Council
- The African Diaspora STEM and Environmental Council
- The African Diaspora Rural Economy and Infrastructure Council
- The African Diaspora Urban Council
- The African Diaspora Public Safety Council
- The African Diaspora Poverty Council
- The African Diaspora Health Council
- The African Diaspora Sustainable Cities and Communities Council
- The African Diaspora Migration Council
- The African Diaspora Energy Council
- The African Diaspora Status of Women Council
- The African Diaspora Children’s Council
- The African Diaspora Social Affairs and Family Issues Council
- The African Diaspora Labour Council
- The African Diaspora Housing Council
- The African Diaspora People with Disabilities Council
- The African Diaspora Human Resources
- The African Diaspora Re-Entry Issues Council
- The African Diaspora Educational Council
- The African Diaspora African Economic Affairs Council
- The African Diaspora Infrastructure Council
- The African Diaspora Environmental Council
- The African Diaspora Maritime Council
- The African Diaspora Life Below Water Council
- The African Diaspora Land Council
- The African Diaspora Sustainable Development Council
- The African Diaspora Intellectual Property Council
- The African Diaspora Library and Information Services Council
- The African Diaspora Social Media and Communications Council
- The African Diaspora Trade and Industry Council
- The African Diaspora Transportation Council
- The African Diaspora Global Tourism Council
- The African Diaspora Global Sports Council
- The African Diaspora Global Recreation Council
- The African Diaspora Global Entertainment Council
- The African Diaspora Aerospace and Airline Council
- The African Diaspora Space Agency
- The African Dollar Foundation
- Partnerships for the African Diaspora
- The African Diaspora Development Cooperation Council
- The African Diaspora Community Reinvestment Council (ADCRC)
- The African Diaspora Development Fund
- The African Diaspora Finance Corporation
- The African Diaspora Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
- The African Diaspora Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
- The African Diaspora Bank for Reconstruction and Development
- The African Diaspora Cross-Cutting Programmes and Task Forces Management Agency
- The African Diaspora Directorate African Union Commission Civil Society Council
- The African Diaspora Economic Community of West African States Civil Society Forum (ECOWAS-ADCSF)
- The African Diaspora Southern African Development Community Civil Society Forum (SADC-ADCSF)
- The African Diaspora East African Community Civil Society Forum (EAC-ADCSF)
- The African Diaspora Arab Maghreb Union Civil Society Forum (UMA-ADCSF)
- The African Diaspora Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Civil Society Forum (COMESA-ADCSF)
- The African Diaspora Community of Sahel-Saharan States Civil Society Forum (CEN-SAD-ADCSF)
- The African Diaspora Economic Community of Central African States Civil Society Forum (ECCAS-ADCSF)
- The African Diaspora Directorate Community
- The African Diaspora Directorate United Nations Civil Society Council
HDj Updated It: 1/16/2020
The African Diaspora Directorate is a new Civil Society Organization designed to serve as a catalyst to facilitate the involvement of African Diasporan peoples and organizations around the world in the affairs of the Africa Union and to develop solutions for them in the countries in which they live through these seven Divisions with members being able to serve on one of the African Diaspora Directorate Secretariat’s working councils and or committees.
All Friends of the African Union Members are able to do this as part of their membership.