African Union African Diaspora 6th Region African Union African Diaspora 6th Region The AU Diaspora, as currently defined by the AU, is composed of African and African descendants residing in the USA, Canada, Central, and South America, the Caribbean, and Brazil (Western Hemisphere) and in Europe. In Africa itself (repatriated Africans), in the Middle East Region, and in Asia, there are also people, who can well argue that they too are members of the Diaspora community. It is one of the understood guidelines from the AU that neither one individual nor one current organization in these geographical areas can, or is expected to, adequately represent the diverse interests of the Diaspora at the AU meetings. However, it will be through the existing civil society/community-based organizations that such AU representation will be organized and chosen. Towards October 2007, there was only a little more than four months left for realizing the mobilization of the African Diaspora Community in the European Region to reach consensus about the Diaspora Agenda and the election of the AU Representatives Europe Region. It is thus of great importance that the Diaspora in the Europe Region States get involved in the decision-making process. As a major recommendation, the workgroup strongly suggested that members from the Holland ADCC and their experts have communications with the African Diaspora partners in the other Europe Region (centres) to properly explain how Holland has implemented its method and how the other regions can do the same thing, which will hopefully lead to at least Community Councils in every European Region, if not fully elected AU Diasporan Representatives from each area. This needs to be accomplished before the scheduled September Europe Diaspora Regional Assembly. On Regional Europe Level the proposed objectives for the first AU African Diaspora Europe Region “Town Hall” Consultation Meeting are: The information and mobilization of the African Diaspora Community in Europe Region; The decision-making process/dialogue/agreement on a managing (=Steering) and monitoring structure (working/organization, formation and communication structure on local/grassroots level, National and Regional level) as well as a Fundraising strategy; The decision-making process/dialogue/agreement on the Program of Topics of Concerns (The Agenda) the Europe Region towards an overall Diaspora Agenda; The preparation activities towards the Summit in October 2007 in South Africa; The decision-making process/dialogue/agreement on continuing to organize those parts of Europe missed in this first opportunity to coalesce, and a discussion about any problems and advice on continuing to implement the selection criteria and the election process from the adapted Holland Methodology. This is also in relation to the invitation of the AU for the election of 20 members with the purpose to taking their seats during the ECOSOCC Summit in December 2007. On behalf of the AU 6th Region African Diaspora Facilitators Working Group Europe Region including the Netherlands Mrs. Barryl A Biekman AUADS (African Union African Diaspora) Facilitator Europe Region PADU/Pan African Diaspora Union Facilitator Europe Region/SRDCoalition PANAFSTRAG EUROPE/NL: Facilitator Europe Region African Diaspora Liaison Organization, Mission & Objectives The African Union (AU) has invited the African Diaspora to become “voting members” of the AU so that together African people can move toward making the unification of the African continent into the reality called the Union of African States (or United States of Africa) in the near future. The AU (through its Executive Council and the implications of its amended constitution) designated the Diaspora as the Sixth Region of Africa (the other five regions are North, South, East, West and Central Africa). The African Diaspora consists of the diasporas created by the movement and transfer of Africans and their descendants throughout the world, to places such as the Americas (including the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America and South America), Europe and Asia. Much of the African Diasporas are descended from people that were sold into slavery during the Transatlantic Slave Trade, with the largest population living in Brazil. Although the exact definition is still a work in progress, in 2005, the AU defined the Diaspora as "... peoples of African descent and heritage living outside the continent, irrespective of their citizenship, and who remain committed to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union." The mobilization of African Diaspora bodies is an initiative that has been formally mandated by the African Union to the South African Government for the creation of a stronger and meaningful contribution by Diasporas to the development of the African Continent. This is also aligned with efforts to get the international community to respond and contribute to the overall development of the African Continent. Since the RCC in the Europe Region several Europe Region Meetings were initiated and/or organised by the AUADS Facilitators Working Group Europe Region in cooperation with the South African Governments in the respective countries: Paris/France; The Hague/Holland; Berlin/Germany. In Brussels/Belgium in cooperation with the African Union Permanent Mission. “A Leave no Community Behind” Model was discussed and approved as a strategy to organise and mobilize the Diaspora community in the Europe Region. The AUADS Facilitators are functioned as volunteers, who coordinate meetings, maintain the records, communicate regularly with Europe Region Facilitators; the SRDCcoalition; PADU members, South African Government & AU relevant authorities. SRDC(Sub Regional Diaspora Council)coalition exists of the Western Hemisphere (currently including the USA, the Caribbean, Central America, South America/Brazil and Canada); Europe and the African Hebrews from Dimona/Jerusalem. There is a temporary AUADS secretariat in cooperation with Chapter Germany & the Netherlands functioned until formal decision about the structure has been realise by the AU authorities. Links to Network and Relevant Organizations for the African Union African Diaspora 6th Region knowledge: http://www.srdcinternational.org http://www.paduinternational.com http://www.auads.info http://www.platformslavernijmonument.nl http://www.dirco.gov.za/dispora/index.html http://au.int