THE BRIDGETOWN PROTOCOL
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TABLE OF CONTENTSPART II - STRUCTURE OF ORGANIZATION
1. Foundation
2. Structure
3. Mandate - Interim Working committee
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RECOMMENDATIONS FROM WORKING GROUP FOR STRUCTURE OF NEW ORGANIZATION: GLOBAL AFRIKAN CONGRESS (GAC) 1. FOUNDATIONA. RATIONALE
Despite the mass dispersion of Afrikan people across the continent of Afrika and the Diaspora, we remain committed to our cause, initiated by our ancestors, in order to fight against the barbarism and inhumanity of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and colonialism; and the subsequent underdevelopment of our people inside and outside of continental Afrika. The forced imposition of artificial barriers by colonial oppressors with a white supremacist world view; and their exploitation and manipulation of our differences in the areas of language, culture, class, physical characteristic, gender and phenotype gave birth to our continuing self-hatred, ethnic and national conflicts, self-defeating Eurocentric values and egotism. We have been divided and ruled to our collective global detriment, by the creators of this legacy of racial atrocities and crimes against humanity, who continue to deny the true history of the world. Our oppressors, entrapped by their inheritance of historical misguidance and untruths, have adamantly refused to acknowledge their criminal past and their obligation to pay restitution to their victims.
We remain committed to the struggles, battles, campaigns and necessary confrontations for redress and compensation of all historical and current wrongs. We acknowledge the grievances of all our people, wherever and whenever they are forced to endure the scourges of poverty, under-education, economic deprivation, physical abuse, political and cultural subordination and the myriad manifestations of the racist paradigm. We bear witness to the interconnectedness between white supremacy and institutionalized racism, government and police terror, hate crimes, criminalization, ghettoization, demonization and all and sundry social, psychological, spiritual and medical pathologies stemming from it. We recognize that we have been in a war, in which we have been ravaged and plundered. This war must now be fought with the strongest weapons history has revealed; unity, organization and reliance on our wealth of human resources. We will be vigilant and forceful advocates of Afrikan people and their plights.
The Global Afrikan Congress (GAC) is formed to reflect that the Afrikan genius continues to be irrepressible, is forever re-generating and endeavors to provide visionary leadership in the midst of abject oppression. It will be an international body, which effectively asserts and brings to fruition our collective demand for Reparations, justice and equality.
B. VISION
It is the expectation of the Global Afrikan Congress (GAC) that it shall function in the long term as:
· A provider of expert advice and resources;
· A strong and forceful voice for Afrikan people world-wide;
· A global voice advocating justice for all victims of crimes against humanity;
· A provider of technical and professional expertise and support;
· A solid source of research capability;
· A global advocate for resource maximization of use for this generation and generations to come; and
· A strong and forceful voice for Reparations for the payment of long-owed compensation for crimes
against humanity and restoration of dignity, pride and self esteemC. MISSION STATEMENT
The purpose of this Afrikan (people indigenous to Afrika) and Afrikan Descendant organization is to fight for justice, equality, emancipation and the economic development of Afrika, Afrikans and Afrikan Descendants globally. The organization will place them on an equal footing with the rest of the developed world, preserving resources for their own benefit and the total elimination of all forms of exploitation, servitude, degradation, discrimination and all its damages and consequences.
D. GOALS
1. To be a vehicle for the unification of all Afrikan and Afrikan Descendant communities 2. To provide expertise, technical advice and resources
3. To become a global advocate and facilitator within all areas critical to Afrikan people’s liberationE. OBJECTIVES
The primary objectives of the Global Afrikan Congress include the following:
· To function as a resource for information, technical support and consultation for member organizations working for social justice, good governance, human and democratic rights, economic parity and the restoration of human dignity;
· To preserve and manage available resources, taking into account the estimated future requirements of subsequent generations;
· To successfully obtain Reparations, of which a significant portion is dedicated to the establishment of an economic development bank;
· To develop the resource generating capabilities of member organizations through highly efficient and innovative means of production and the employment of local inputs, human resources and finances;
· To assure that all resources made available will be employed for the championing of causes including, but not limited to, education, gender, geopolitical alignments, communication, language, sub-regional differences, health and the environment. Activities pertaining to the total elimination of all forms of exploitation, servitude, degradation and discrimination in all its manifestations will also be endorsed and embarked upon in the best interest of the affected group(s);
· To solicit funding support (grants) from major public sources (government) and private sources (individuals, foundations, etc.) in support of identified initiatives. Emphasis will be placed, where possible, on self-sustainability of all regional and sub-regional units, through pliable financial ventures as determined by the executive body; and
· To forge or build friendships and strategic alliances with peoples representing similar experiences and backgrounds.F. GLOBAL AFRIKAN CONGRESS PRINCIPLES OF UNITY
1. We will work for the realization of complete compensation and restitution, as a result of the recognition by the international community of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, slavery, colonialism, and on-going atrocities as crimes against humanity,
2. We demand Reparations, redress, compensation and restitution for Afrikans and Afrikan Descendants as essential to ending the inequality derived from the slave trade, slavery and colonialism.
3. We will fight for the long overdue compensation for the super-exploitation of Afrikans and Afrikan Descendants, deriving from the economic basis of racism, i.e. racism’s underpinnings were and remain rooted in economic benefit.
4. We will work for the adoption of national public policies that correct institutionalized forms of racism with emphasis on education, healthcare and environmental racism.
5. We call for the adoption of culture-specific development policies, affirmatively to initiate a fundamental change, a cultural renaissance among Afrikans and Afrikan Descendants, for the restoration of our cultural, social and political integrity. In addition, we demand that all cultural artefacts stolen from Afrikan countries and dispersed across Europe and the rest of the world must be returned and restored forthwith.
6. We will adopt, advocate and support mechanisms to combat the interconnection of race, poverty and the exacerbating effect that globalization (government and private sector) has on this interconnection.
7. We will advocate for laws, practices and mechanisms to combat racism in the justice, legal, correctional and penal systems, including eradication of the death penalty.
8. We will adopt, advocate and support policies specific to Afrikan and Afrikan Descendant women that recognize and address the intersection of race and gender.
9. We will work for the full recognition of, and respect for, all Afrikan and Afrikan Descendant Rastafari and their contribution to the struggle for liberation.
10. We will work for the abolition of all legal systems that were designed to oppress and suppress the Afrikan principles and practices, and seek to implement laws that will respect the dignity, rights and culture of Afrikans and Afrikan Descendants. We call on Afrikan states, who have not yet done so, to ratify the Protocol establishing the Afrikan Court on Human and People’s Rights. We equally call on all states to commit themselves to the Statute of the International Criminal Court.
11. We call upon all Afrikan states, and all governments in countries with Afrikan and Afrikan Descendant communities, to adopt policies addressing the plights of, and promoting justice for, all Afrikans and Afrikan Descendants, especially refugees, asylum seekers, internationally displaced persons, stateless persons, workers, migrant workers, ethnic groups, people living with HIV/AIDS and people living with disabilities who are victims of racial and ethnic discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerances based on language, religion, national and ethnic origin, and skin complexion.
12. We will work with our youth to develop policies and implement programs designed to afford our youth full inclusion in the fabric of our societies, i.e. rites of passage, mentoring and apprentice schemes.
G. CONSTITUTION
A. How should this historic document be compiled:
The Constitution should be developed from the bottom up by organizations, communities, countries and regions of the Global Afrikan Congress. This includes, but is not limited to, elders, youth, working groups, women/gender commissions, etc. Designated members of the various bodies will comprise regional constitution commissions, which will contribute suggestions and proposals to the draft constitution, compiled by an international constitution commission co-ordinated by the International Steering Committee. This international constitution commission shall be comprised of the regional chairs of the respective regional commissions, the chair of the GAC Working Group on Organization and Structure and additional volunteers comprised of people with relevant expertise and resources. This commission will have the responsibility of writing working drafts of the constitution which will, in turn, be returned to the local bodies for further input and refinement over a period of 16 months (a period which should entail 4 working drafts). The international commission will have the task of presenting a final draft for ratification by the full delegate body at a constitution plenary session at the next international conference of GAC in two years.B. The Constitution should be timeless:
Through international conferences and meetings in cyberspace and at teleconferences, amendments shall be proposed and included as necessary for the efficient and effective functioning of the entire organization. The executive body, in collaboration with the representatives of the respective territories and member organizations will plan and meet as may be necessary from time to time to make amendments to the constitution, in the interest of keeping the constitution relevant and effective.C. Standards (for the implementation of the constitution and regulation of constitutional elements):
· Definition of standards
· Purpose of standards
· Standards at the project level as it relates to productivity
· Standards at the resource levelD. Equal access for all:
The language factor: In acknowledgement of the differences in language among Afrikans and Afrikan Descendants, the constitution must be translated in as many languages as possible (initially English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and major Afrikan languages) to facilitate communication with, and input from, all regions and sub-regions.E. Definition of committees and other concepts related to the organization:
To ensure the clear categorizing of projects and identified needs, to minimize duplication of efforts and to maximize available resources, the constitution should clearly define all targeted groups. Cases in point include, but are not limited to:
· Definition of Youth (age range suggested is 25 years);
· Definition of Member (Afrikans and Afrikan Descendants);
· Definition of, and criteria for, country and regional membership; and interregional and international representation;
· Criteria and terms of reference for funding of the organization (who do we accept contributions from, who do we not accept contributions from)H. FUNDING
The stance of the organization is that it will solicit funding in the form of support (grants) from major public sources (government), private sources, foundations, private donors, etc. to support identified initiatives. Emphasis will be placed, however, on the self sustainability of all regional and sub-regional bodies, through pliable financial ventures as the respective executive body may see fit. All funds will be entered into a funding conduit and be managed by a project committee as determined by the executive body.
Member organizations and regions of the organization will retain their autonomy and their subsequent right to source funds as determined by them throughout their existence. In the event that major funds are sought, and where there may be an overlapping with other regions or the international organization, negotiations should be entered in collaboration with the respective executive regional body (bodies) involved.
Suggested Funding initiatives:
· Merchandising
· Telephones/radiophones
· Cultural Shows/Concerts
· Professional initiatives (commercial enterprises)
· Membership dues
· Organization contribution
· Revenue generating ventures
· In kind donations
· On-going soliciting contributions from the community, fund drives, modest and substantial donors, which can include various fundraising projects, including establishing workplace charity check offsA. Secretariat
This shall be the executive arm of the organization and shall have certain powers as outlined in the constitution. The composition of the Secretariat shall be as follows:
· Administrative: Representatives from designated commissions and essential working groups, special groups, regional representatives.
· Council of Elders
· Reparations (Special Working Groups)
· Commissions, (women, youth, etc.)
· Youth Training (technical skills, leadership and mentoring)
· Human Resources, Skills Bank
· Media (press co-ordinators)
· Communications (web master, list serve co-ordinator)
· Public Relations
· Treasury/Accounting
· Funding/Development
· Legal
· International Representatives: Specialized GAC representation to international bodies; African Union, United Nations (Geneva, New York), European Union, World Social Forums, World Conferences etc. The Secretariat shall have the authority to determine when there is a necessity to designate international organizers for purpose of assisting in the organization and mobilization of international conferences, special campaigns, projects and strategies, e.g. Reparations
· Security Commission: Commission responsible for designing a security system and a protocol for all international meetings, events, and communications within the organization. Also, with the approval of the Secretariat, this commission should have the task of establishing a security force for all international conferences (can be contracted or developed, in conjunction/collaboration with regional and local security systems already in place).B. Regional Body
Shall be composed of the respective regional representatives to the Secretariat, together with sub-regional representatives (countries), local chapters, special projects, working groups and/or commissions, as designated by each region.
C. Sub-Regional Body
Shall be composed of representatives to the Regional Body, together with country representatives, local chapters, grassroots organizations, special projects, working groups and/or commissions, as designated by each sub-region.
3. MANDATE – Interim Working Committee
The AAD WCAR agreed that a constitutional GAC conference will be held in 2004. Leading up to that conference, the Interim Working Committee, elected in Barbados, will coordinate the interim process. The mandate given to Regional Representatives of the Interim Working Committee elected in Barbados was:
1. Develop an international structure for a permanent organization
2. Draft constitution for approval at next conference (2004)
3. Establish an international network of information and communication (website, listserve and database)
4. Convene local meetings with focus on input to draft constitution
5. Consolidate initiatives already existing
6. Seek revenue and funding
7. Establish interim Secretariat to disseminate information and assist the regions
8. Plan the next Afrikan and Afrikan Descendants World Conference, and future conferences
9. Establish a Council of Elders
10. Encourage and facilitate local, national and regional mobilization meetings
11. Use recommendations presented by Working Group on Structure as guideline in the work of the committee
12. Each committee member shall establish national and regional networks, implement the GAC agenda, utilize Working Groups recommendations, receive proposals from their region and feed them back into the international structureYouth representatives are to be identified, and mentored, in all regions, by the regional representatives
Interim Working Committee Composition
It was decided that there should be two members for each region, except Afrika which should have five members, serving on the Interim Working Committee. The regions are:
· Afrika (5 representatives)
· North America (2 representatives)
· South America (2 representatives)
· Caribbean (2 representatives)
· Europe (2 representatives)
· Asia-Oceania (2 representatives)
· Youth (2 representatives)
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Please direct questions or comments to website@globalafrikancongress.com
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World Conference Against Racism 2003. All Rights Reserved.