Congratulations to all organizations and individuals who made the D2D initiative a success in Detroit! It was without doubt a great participatory process that met its goal of strategically linking discussions at the 2nd U.S. Social Forum in Detroit to issues and concerns in Africa and the diaspora.
Many may recall a similar initiative at the first U.S. Social Forum in Atlanta GA in 2007. This Africa-focused initiative gathered energy around ensuring an Africa-inclusive process by organizing an Africa Tent. The Tent brought together organizations and individuals that held discussions on Africa and the diaspora and increased visibility and commitment to affirm the need to build and invigorate an Africa-focused movement in the U.S.
Having learned from the successes (and shortcomings) in Atlanta, D2D brought yet again various individuals, organizations and foundations to plan and coordinate participation at the Social Forum in Detroit. Through our hard work we were able to achieve our objectives:
Bringing the highest delegation of African civil society partners that has ever participated at a U.S. Social Forum.
Our distinguished delegates included Mamadou Goita from Bamako Mali, Mouhamadou Tidiane Kass‚ from Dakar Senegal, Liepollo Pheko from Johannesburg South Africa, Emem Okon from the Niger Delta region in Nigeria, Hopewell Xwayani Gumbo from Harare Zimbabwe, Maxensia Mugherera from Kampala Uganda and Esther Mwaura-Muiru from Nairobi Kenya. With us was also a recently re-located Nigerian activist from Fahamu Sokari Ekine as well as Rose Williams from South Africa and Von – Dimieari Von Kemedi also from the Niger Delta in Nigeria. For complete listing of the partners, their organizational affiliations and bios, see http://tinyurl.com/383tots
Celebrating our presence and re-committing ourselves to the work at the D2D
Breakfast Reception held on the 22nd of June at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel in downtown Detroit. The reception brought together many activists who have been part of the D2D initiative from beginning. It was the time we welcomed our distinguished delegates from five African countries, Haiti and even Venezuela. The program was opened by long-time supporter, core D2D coordinator from USA for Africa: Marcia Thomas who MC’d the reception. Nunu Kidane, Director of Priority Africa Network re-stated the goal of the D2D initiative as we reviewed planned activities over the next four days in Detroit. Emira Woods from IPS and Briggs Bomba from Africa Action helped frame the struggle for Africa in the US, the continuing need to focus on critical concerns of Africom, debt cancellation, land sovereignty, gender and militarism and many more. Other speakers included TransAfrica board chair Danny Glover and TAF Sr. Director of Public Affairs and long term Africa activist Imani Countess; USSF National Planning Committee member Steph Guilloud from Project South, and Lori Robinson, founder/editor of BLAC/Detroit magazine.
Direct engagement with African civil society at a U.S. Forum.
The participation of African civil society members in various workshops brought the voices, knowledge and perspective of the reality of challenges and victories for the people-led movement for change in Africa. A representative from the Africa Social Forum and member of Pambazuka, Mouhamadou Tidiane Kass‚ spoke at the opening march attended by an estimated crowd of some 20,000 who came to Cobo Hall on the first day. On Thursday, Liepollo Pheko, with the Trade Collective in Johannesburg South Africa spoke as a panelist at the National/International Plenary and at the closing ceremony (see youtube of her speech at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDbmTVqRNDQ) Mamadou Goita, founder and director of the Institute for Research and the Promotion of Alternatives in Development (IRPAD), Bamako, Mali delivered a statement of thanks to participants, inviting all to join us in Dakar Senegal at the next World Social Forum.
Integrated workshops
The extensive D2D process prepared a list of workshops that related to the themes that needed to be lifted up in Detroit. Involved organizations were able to submit workshops relating to the key themes of: Global economic crisis, global climate crisis, HIV/AIDS and other health challenges, militarism, migration, democracy and governance, media, food, water and land rights and local economies, women power and politics, celebrating our culture – films, poems, music, theater for social change; among others.
Highlighting key issues of concern for Africa and the African Diaspora.
Thematic papers were prepared on each of the above themes to help craft informed dialogue for the People’s Movement Assembly. The PMA successfully debated and crafted a one-page resolution which was submitted to the USSF and will be taken to Detroit as the basis of the multiple issues we want to highlight at the World Social Forum in Detroit. [see below]
While we celebrate our success and are proud of what we achieved, the process was not without fault nor shortcomings. It could not realistically be otherwise. All social justice initiatives are mired with limitations, some major some minor, that are opportunities to learn from. D2D participants will be engaging in an evaluation process within the next few days.
It took nearly six months of planning, coordinating and working together to set a series of workshops, People’s Movement Assembly, reception and social activities for our involvement in Detroit during the week of the Social Forum. While we celebrate Detroit, we are fully aware of the work ahead on the second D – looking ahead towards Dakar!
To those who helped behind the scene, ensuring coordination and critical guidance, many thanks from all of us to: Mark Randazzo from FNTG, Sarah Dotlich from Priority Africa Network, and Walter Turner from Global Exchange, Emira Woods from the Institute of Policy Studies, Briggs Bomba from Africa Action and Gerald Lenoir from the Black Alliance for Just Immigration. The Praxis Project provided logistical support in facilitating tickets for the African delegation, thanks to Makani Themba-Nixon, Donald Jones, Salima Salaam.
Foundation support was critical to D2D success we extensive heartfelt thanks to the following donors: Global Fund for Women, San Francisco, CA; New Field Foundation, San Francisco, CA; TrustAfrica, Dakar, Senegal; USA for Africa, Los Angeles, CA; Wallace Global Fund, Washington DC.
Why Detroit to Dakar?
Detroit, is known as the city which has been hit hardest from economic bust. USSF site quotes Detroit “has the highest unemployment of any major city in the ?country–23.2% (March 2009)–with nearly one in four Detroiters unable to find?work. Michigan has had the highest number of unemployed people in all 50 states? for nearly four years.” It is also the city with large African American communities who are un- or under employed. The city has a growing population of new African and Caribbean immigrants as well.
Dakar, the capital and largest city of Senegal, is an economic center not only for the country but for the region. It is also a city which has high unemployment, nearly 20% (known) with large numbers of rural migrant workers displaced throughout the city. Goree Island, just off of the coast of Dakar, has deep historical significance for the global African diaspora.
The two cities may seem literally worlds apart, but in closer examination, many of the issues communities struggle for are similar -overcoming depressed economies, migration, better education and healthcare for all and cleaner environment.
The key principle behind the Social Forums is to connect issues and people across geographic and thematic divides; to come together and strategize on action plans on the vision that
“another-world-is-possible.” It is not an event but a “a movement building process” that is dynamic and vibrant where positive message of “we want” and “we demand” are echoed instead of only “we oppose.”
For communities organized under this D2D initiative, visibility of Africa related issues is critical. We have taken this initiative in order to put forth the best coordinated, planned and executed activities for our presence in Detroit. We bring into this conversations with key partners in different African countries in ways that will enable us to build on our strategies for change for the WSF in Dakar. A core aspect of our vision is furthering the concept that Africa is more than a continent but includes the global African diaspora in a changed vision of the world.