African Diaspora and Development Day

April 30 2004
PRESS RELEASE
Saturday July 3rd 2004 – African Diaspora and Development Day (ad3 2004)
THEME: ‘Transforming the local everywhere: Africa here, there, Africa everywhere’
Hundreds of Africans and their organizations will gather on Saturday 3rd July 2004 at London's City Hall, of the Mayor of London, for African Diaspora and Development Day (ad3). The day has become the biggest gathering of Africans in the UK involved in supporting Africa’s development. Featuring seminars, workshops, exhibitions, an African development market, and a keynote address by renowned West African gender activist, Yassine Fall, ad3 will also provide an opportunity for African diaspora organizations to meet with other development agencies - donors, policy-makers, pan-African development institutions and international NGOs - to share information and chart a way forward for the UK diaspora’s role in Africa’s development.
Organized by africa21 (a consortium of nine African organizations*), this year’s ad3 will focus on how Africans in the UK are promoting change both here in the UK as well as in Africa in their regions of origin. Yassine Fall’s keynote address and the numerous workshops, will provide the platform to address the issues that link London and Lagos, Cairo and Cambridge, Mogadishu and Manchester through the African diaspora. These issues include what role UK-based Africans should play in Tony Blair’s recently launched Commission on Africa; identifying the similarities and linkages between UK-based young Africans with their counterparts in Africa; raising awareness of the hardship caused locally and in Africa when an accessible community outlet used to remit monies home, like the Somali-owned Al-Barakat bank, is closed on the grounds of suspicion that terrorist organisations had used the bank to move funds around in pursuit of their cause.
For africa21 spokesperson, Chukwu-Emeka Chikezie: ‘Africans in the UK work hard to solve the challenges they face adapting to life here, integrating themselves, tackling racism and injustice while simultaneously taking on similar challenges with counterparts in their countries of origin. The blurring distinctions between “here” and “there” challenge us all to think creatively about how as Africans we can be more effective as change agents.’
He continued: 'Working as we do at the nexus of some or all of these issues, a number of questions spring to mind: Do we understand these linkages and the implications for our work? Are the frameworks sufficiently "joined-up" from communities', policy-makers', donors' viewpoints? Do we understand how human agency is working even under quite hostile environmental conditions and do we have systems in place to support this human agency (or are they actually hampering this human agency)?
Insights and lessons from the discussions and workshops will form the basis for future action. Other highlights of ad3 2004 include the official launch of African Voices for Africa's Development (ADVAD), a new coalition of African diaspora organisations and individuals who intend to speak with a united voice on African development issues. As well as presentation of the PEWA (People Earnestly Working for Africa) awards, acknowledging and rewarding the valuable contributions being made by Africans in the diaspora. ad3 2004 will also provide an opportunity to feed back on progress made on recommendations that emerged from last year’s gathering. Participants will see the launch of a new database of UK-based African organizations working for Africa’s development, hear of young Africans’ volunteering experiences, and how African organizations are harnessing the resources of Africans in the diaspora.
In the evening entertainment featuring leading diasporic performers will round off a day, the organisers hope will consolidate the success of last year's ad3.
ad3 2004, The Greater London Authority - City Hall, The Queen's Walk, London SE1 2AA
To register for ad3 please go to our website www.afford-uk.org or email [email protected], stating your name, contact address and telephone, and the two workshops you are interested in. For more information please contact: Onyekachi Wambu, Tel: +44(0) 20 7587 3905 Fax: +44(0) 20 7587 3919 [email protected] or check the website: www.afford-uk.org
NOTES TO EDITORS:
*africa21 is a coalition of nine African organizations working together. It comprises: Abantu for Development; Africa Foundation Stone (AFS); African Foundation for Development (AFFORD); Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA); Black International Construction Organisation (BICO); Diaspora; Horn Reflections; Pastoral and Environmental Network in the Horn of Africa (PENHA); Sierra Leone Women’s Forum (SLWF).
ad3 takes place every year on the first Saturday in July (roughly coinciding with the inauguration of the African Union) as a means of recognizing the significant contributions that Africans make to their own development and of seeking fresh, innovative ways of making these efforts even more effective.
The PEWA awards will recognize the contributions of a diverse range of UK-based organizations – including hometown associations, alumni associations, faith groups, professional associations, youth groups, community organizations – to Africa’s development. These are the unsung heroines and heroes of African agency.
Ends
Running Order @ ad3 Saturday July 3rd 2004
Registration (8.15am – 9.00am)
Master-classes (9.00am – 10.15am)
Master-class 1 – How to improve your career options in Africa
(1) What are the employment growth sectors in Africa?
(2) What are employers looking for?
(3) Where do we go for more information and support in securing a career in Africa?

(Led by AfricaRecruit; businesses in attendance: Vodacom; Diageo; BAT; Celtel)
Master-class 2 – How to improve your funding applications
(1) What are funders’ priorities?
(2) How do we overcome common pitfalls in funding applications?
(3) How do we assess our applications from a funder’s viewpoint?

(Led by Community Fund; Comic Relief)
Master-class 3 – How to successfully promote your organization in the media
(1) What makes a good story?
(2) How do we sell our success stories?
(3) How do we build relationships with the right media outlets?

(Led by Desmond Davies (Africa Weekly); Henry Bonsu (broadcaster and journalist)

Opening Plenary (10.30am – 11.35am)
Words of welcome by africa21 and GLA representative and (10.30am – 10.45am)
Keynote Speech * Yassine Fall – ‘Connecting the Local and the Global’ (10.45am - 11.15am) Q & A (11.15am – 11.35am)
TEA BREAK (11.35am – 11.55am)
The GLA – ‘Engaging with African communities in London (12.00pm – 12.20pm) Q & A (12.20pm – 12.45pm)
LUNCH/African Development Market Place (12.45pm – 2.00pm)
Workshops (2.00pm – 4.30pm)
1) How do we build successful relationships with our funders?
* How do we get to know funders?
* How do we communicate the value of the African diaspora’s work to funders?
* How can funders make their procedures and processes more accessible to African diaspora groups?

(Resource persons from: Community Fund, Comic Relief, Fahamu)
2) How do we go about working for Africa in Africa?
* What are the career opportunities in Africa?
* What special skills and aptitudes do we need to work in Africa?
* How do we adapt to the working environment in Africa?
* What are our particular concerns about working in Africa for Africa and how can employers address them?
* How do employers communicate effectively with potential African diaspora employees?

(Resource persons from: AfricaRecruit; Interims for Development; Vodacom; Diageo; BAT; Celtel)
3) How can Africans influence the Greater London Authority (GLA)?
* How diverse is are the experiences of African communities living in London?
* What is the impact of GLA policies on African communities?
* What should the GLA prioritize?
* How do Africans engage with the GLA?

(Resource persons from: GLA; Diaspora; BICO; AFFORD)
4) In what ways can the money we spend in the UK work for Africa?
* How do we use our power as consumers to advance Africa’s development?
* Which African businesses are having an impact in the UK and Africa?

(Resource persons from: Abantu for Development; TwinTrading (tbc); Fairtrade Foundation (tbc))

5) What does the Commission for Africa mean for Africa?
* How relevant is the Commission for Africa to our work?
* How do we feed into the Commission’s work?
* How do we ensure that our counterparts in Africa feed into the Commission’s work?

(Resource persons from: African Diaspora Voices for Africa’s Development –ADVAD; Commission for Africa Secretariat (tbc))
6) How do we get more impact from the money (remittances) we send to home?
* How do I get more impact from the remittances I send home?
* How do we communicate African diaspora development approaches and priorities to the British government’s Department for International Development (DFID)?
* How do we influence DFID’s migration and development agenda?
* How do we transfer money to Africa as cheaply and effectively as possible?

(Resource persons from: DFID (tbc); AFFORD)

7) How do we connect with Africa and influence Britain through diaspora arts and culture?
* How do I get into the mainstream arts scene?
* How do we “mainstream” African artistic creations?
* How do we as mainstream arts establishments engage more effectively with community-based African artists and community organizations?
* How do we feed into Africa 2005 events?

(Resource persons from: Horn Reflections; Sierra Leone Women’s Forum; Arts Council (tbc); Patrice Naiambana; Organizing Committee, Africa 2005 (tbc))

8) Where are African men in development work?

* How do we understand the role of African men in the diaspora in Africa’s development?
*How do we maximize collaboration between African men and women in the diaspora in promoting Africa’s development?

(Resource persons from: Akina Mama Wa Afrika; Abantu for Development)

9) How can young Africans successfully engage with Africa?
* What exchange schemes enable us to be more directly involved with Africa’s development?
* What can young Africans gain by engaging in Africa’s development?
* What are the benefits of volunteering with African organizations?

(Resource persons include: Elvina Quaison, i-D Afrika; Kafilat Ajboola and Yinka Atijosan, International Youth Summer Camp; and Kobina Graham and Stella Opoku-Owusu, New African WorldView;)

10) How well do African governments and the African diaspora understand each other?
* What are African governments’ diplomats’ perceptions of the diaspora’s contribution to development?
* What is the common ground between African governments and the diaspora?
* How do African governments (through their diplomatic missions) and the diaspora engage?

(Resource persons from: Representatives from the African Diplomatic community; Nigerians in Diaspora Organization; ADVAD)

11) How can we shift the ownership of development to Africa?
* Who is and who should be in the driving seat – us or our counterparts in Africa?
* How do we deepen our relationships with our Africa-based counterparts?
* What are some of the communications pitfalls to avoid in relating with our counterparts?
* How do we maximize the long-term impact of our work on the ground in Africa through our relationships?

(Resource persons from: Iteso Welfare Association; Development Aid Foundation; AFFORD)
12) In what ways can we make research meaningful for African organizations?
* How do we unlock our community’s resources using participatory research approaches?
* How do we make research relevant to the work we’re doing?

(Resource persons include: Dr Abiola Ogunsola, University of East London; Dr David Styan, Birkbeck University)

13) How do we grow African funds for African development?
* What foundations already exist to attract diaspora contributions?
* How do we enhance the appeal of foundations to African diaspora givers?
* How do we create new foundations?

(Resource persons from: African Women’s Development Fund)
14) How do we speak the same language as our British-born children?
* How do we share our heritage with younger members of our community?
* What can we learn from and share with other African organizations doing similar work?
* How can we mobilize additional resources for this work?

(Resource persons from: African Foundation Stone; Centre for African Languages, Africa Centre (tbc); Association of Supplementary Schools (tbc)
(The master-classes and workshops take place simultaneously and are subject to change. Those who are interested please choose one master-class and your top two workshop preferences)
TEA/African Diaspora Market Place (4.30pm – 5.00pm)
Final Plenary (5.00pm – 6.00pm)
Finish: (6.00pm)

Ad3 Evening Reception at London’s Living Room: (7.00pm – 9.00pm)
Music/Networking/Exhibition (7.00pm – 7.35pm)
With leading UK-based African personalities
Presentation of PEWA Awards (7.15pm – 7.35pm)
Launch of ADVAD - African Diaspora Voices for Africa’s Development (7.35pm – 7.50pm)
Award by Oxford University of Fundraising and Resource Mobilization Certificates (7.50pm – 8.05pm)
Music/Networking/Exhibition (8.05pm – 9.00pm)