Millennium Challenge Series #34: Communicating and Networking with the Great African Diaspora

Communicating and Networking with the Great African Diaspora


Dear Patriotic Ethiopians and Friends of Ethiopia:


In the age of communication, it is critical to communicate and network with the great African Diaspora.

Once such great effort took place recently in Washington DC City Council when a special hearing took place to establish the Office and Commission on African Affairs in the District of Columbia.

Voice of the Patriots- A First Voice of people of African Descent and currently operating from the Metropolitan Washington DC area was given the opportunity to present its view.

The following is part of the abstract that was presented and submitted at this occassion.

The idea of communicating and networking for peace and prosperity among people of African descent continues to be a challenge and opportunity of the new Millennia.

Please read on and share your perspective.

Voice of the Patriots – An Idea Whose Time Has Come

1. Who are we?
o Voice of the Patriots is a Global Multicultural Broadcasting Network serving multicultural communities across the world.

2. What we do?
o We provide win-win synergistic partnership for common shared value of interdependence among all communities.

o We broadcast weekly every Sunday between 8:00 and 9:00 pm on WZHF 1390 AM from Rockville MD to metropolitan Washington DC and Global communities across the world.

3. Our Value and Passion?

o We believe in freedom of choice, liberty and patriotism that honors self, family and the community by promoting win-win synergistic partnership of inter-dependence.

4. How do we operate: Our Mission and Strategy?
o We operate by developing with win-win strategic partnership that share common value and vision

o We focus on 3Es that is the harmonious synergy of Education for human development network, protection and enhancement of life sustaining Ecology and enterprises for sustainable Economy for balanced and holistic development.

5. Why Voice of the Patriots?
o We honor those patriots before us who opened the pathway of science, knowledge and wisdom and who sacrificed their own security and happiness so that we could enjoy the liberty, freedom and heritage we enjoy today.

o We are committed to pass on this noble heritage to the present and next generation by empowering the youth with appropriate education, ecology and economy so that the next generation will continue to value life, liberty and freedom of choice and our noble heritage via global multicultural patriotic communications across the globe.

6. Who are our stakeholders?
o Voice of the Patriots is part of the Global Millennium Broadcasting Network that includes: AllFirst Communications, Hagir Fikir Communications and Global Strategic Enterprises, Inc. We work with public and private institutions such as International Technology Group, Partners for Peace, Democracy and Prosperity; Ambassadors for Peace and Voice of Reason that promote similar values of patriotism and shared common vision of Peace, Democracy and Prosperity across the globe.

7. When and where do we operate?

o We broadcast weekly English language communication, every Sunday, between 15:00-21:00 (8:00 - 9:00) and we are available on internet for global communications.

o We broadcast on Radio, Television and Internet Communications.
Testimony in support of Bill 16-430
to establish the Government of the District of Columbia
Office and Commission on African Affairs.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Respected Chairman

Honorable Council members

And Community representatives who are here to support this very important bill whose time has at last!

We are here before you representing the larger African Diaspora population who has made their migration from Africa at-will over the past thirty years or so to these United States and currently work and live in the Metropolitan Washington DC area. We all migrated to the US at different times from different corners of the African Continent due to different social, economic and political pulls that attracted us to this great city and land of freedom and enterprises..

We are professionals, academicians, businesspeople, parents, grandparents, youth and children who speak diverse languages ranging from Indigenous African to Semitic and European mix of tongues that range from Amharic to Arabic, French to Kiswahili and cover the spectrum accents of British and American English languages adorned with the heritage of a mosaic of African diverse cultures.

Our diverse culture multilingual heritage is our strength and also a challenge in multicultural Washington DC and USA. Some members of our communities have serious linguistic and cultural barriers to access services and opportunities in the Metropolitan Washington DC area. We believe the Office and Commission on African Affairs will be the bridge towards inter-dependent integration to our communities and promote win-win syncretistic partnership with special people of African descent and the Great African continent.

We all contribute our talents, resources and culture to this mosaic and diverse Metropolitan Washington DC area and are very excited and encouraged about the possibility of establishing an Office on and Commission on African Affairs in the Government of the District of Columbia. Considering the history and contribution of people of African descent to these United States and the District of Columbia in particular, we believe this is a rather belated and yet critical gesture. As the capital city of the US and the world, DC deserves the contribution and active engagement of people of African descent to access the resources and talents of the Great African Continent. The District of Columbia is unique in that it has the largest population of people African Descent and this recognition of the needs and opportunities of new immigrants from Africa and the establishment of a living connection with the Great African continent is a step in the right direction and has our full support.

Africa is the second largest continent and hosts about One Billion diverse, multicultural communities. The United States has been home to the first, older and pioneer group of African Americans who have made their abode and citizenship here for over four centuries with whom we share an abiding cultural, social and economic future. We are proud of their achievements and accomplishments and we are all committed to even enhance their contributions and enrich our common unique heritage in the world stage where DC is the fulcrum. Even though we share similar heritage and destiny here in the United States and the District of Columbia; we have different challenges and opportunities due to our linguistic and cultural diversity and serious challenges of accessing health and human services, business opportunities and overall social development networks. We believe this office will transform our disparities into a well deserved set of opportunities.

We believe the Office of African Affairs reflects our emerging demographics and increasing contribution to the life and welfare of the District as well as the overall recognition of Africans great potential in the 21st Century. We consider the beginning of third Millennium to be the African Century!. We believe this office will coordinate the welfare of people of African descent in the health, education, employment and social services as well as ignite a series of business opportunities by providing appropriate recommendations to the Mayor, City Council and the overall citizens of the United States of America and the globe at large.

We believe the social, cultural and personal connection of these great people of African decent will bring the added advantage of improved understanding, business opportunities and the much needed official African presence in the overall diverse and rich tradition and culture of the City of Washington DC and the United States of America.

We sincerely believe the establishment of the Office and Commission on African Affairs is a positive development that is worth supporting and promoting. We promise to you that we, members of the larger African Diaspora populations will put all our resources and talents to make this special office and commission a success and example we and our future generation will be proud of. This is truly a great milestone and we are proud to be part of its foundation. Good luck in all your efforts and thank you for the opportunity to share our perspective and support to this great cause.

Thank you.

Belai Habte-Jesus, MD, MPH * Friday 09Dec 2005*08:30*
Host of Voice of the Patriots
&
Co-Founder and Member of Global Strategic Enterprises, Inc
And AllFirst Communications
T: 703.933.8737; F:703 531.0545; Gobalbelai@hotmail.com

Councilmember Vincent B. Orange, Sr.

Bill 16-430

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

_____________________________________________________________________

Councilmember Vincent B. Orange, Sr., introduced the following bill, which was
Referred to the Committee on _____________________________.

To establish within the Government of District of Columbia an Office on African Affairs and the Commission on African Affairs.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that this act may be cited as the Office and Commission on African Affairs Act of 2005@.
Sec. 2. Establishment of the Office on African Affairs.
There is established an Office on African Affairs (AOffice@).

The Office shall ensure that a full range of health, education, employment, and social services are available to the African communities in the District of Columbia; and monitor service delivery and make recommendations to the Mayor to promote the welfare of the African communities.

The Office shall be headed by an Executive Director (ADirector@), who shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council pursuant to _1-523.01(f). The Director shall be a full-time position, for which annual compensation shall be fixed in accordance with subchapter X-4 of Chapter 6 of Title 1. The Director shall have such staff as is approved in the District of Columbia appropriations and federal or private grants, and any temporary staff approved by the Office of Budget and Management Systems.

Sec. 3. Functions of director.
To carry out the purpose of this act, the Director shall:
(1) Serve as an advocate for African communities;
(2) Assist community organizations in developing and submitting grant applications;
(3) Provide information and technical assistance on programs and services to the African communities to the Mayor, the Council, other District agencies and departments and community;

(4) Respond to recommendations and policy statements from the commission;
(5) File an annual report on the operations of the Office with the Mayor and the Council;

(6) Identify areas for service improvement and bring these areas to the attention of the Mayor and the Commission, with suggestions for meeting these needs, including conducting or funding research and demonstration projects to test the recommendations;

(7) Carry out the responsibility for assuring necessary control, evaluation, audit, and reporting on programs funded through the Office;
(8) Accept volunteer services and funds from the public and private sectors to supplement the budget in carrying out the planning duties and responsibilities of the Office; and

(9) Apply for, receive and expend any gifts or grants of money to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the Office in accordance with and act of Congress.
Sec. 4. Establishment of the Commission on African Affairs.
There is established a Commission on African Affairs (ACommission@) to advise the Mayor, the Council, the Director of the Office on African Affairs, and the public on the views and needs of the African communities in the District of Columbia.

Sec. 5. Commission organization. The Commission shall consist of 15 public voting members appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of the Council, pursuant to _1-523.01(f). There shall also be 11 ex-officio non-voting members, including the following Directors or their designees:
(1) Department of Employment Services;
(2) Department of Human;
(3) Department of Health;
(4) Department of Housing and Community Development;
(5) Department of Public Works;
(6) Department of Consumer Regulatory Affairs;
(7) Emergency Management Agency;
(8) Department of Parks and Recreation;
(9) Superintendent of Education of the District of Columbia;
(10) Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department; and
(11) Chief of the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department.

(a) The ex-officio members or their designees shall develop and implement policies and programs in their agencies that ensure that the purposes of this chapter are fulfilled. The ex-officio members or their designees shall meet with the Director quarterly, or more as needed, to assist the Director in coordinating plans and policies which are beneficial to the African communities of the District of Columbia.

(b) Voting members shall be appointed with due consideration for representation from established public, nonprofit, and volunteer community organizations concerned with the African communities and members of the general public who have given evidence of particular dedication to, and knowledge of the needs of the African communities.

(1) Voting members of the Commission shall serve terms of 3 years except, that, of the initial members, 5 shall be appointed for a term of 3 years, 5 for a term of 2 years, and 5 for a term of one year. Members may be reappointed but may serve no more than 2 consecutive full terms.
(2) Terms for the initial Commission members shall begin on the date a majority of the members are sworn in, which shall become the anniversary date for all subsequent appointments.
(3) When a vacancy develops on the Commission, the Mayor shall appoint, with the advice and consent of the Council, a successor to fill the unexpired portion of the term, in accordance with _1-523.01(f).
(4) The Mayor shall appoint the chairperson of the Commission.
(5) All members of the Commission shall serve without compensation. Expenses incurred by the Commission or by its individual members, when duly authorized by the Chairperson, shall become an obligation against appropriated District of Columbia and federal funds designated for that purpose.
(6) The Commission shall develop its own rules of procedure.
(7) The Commission shall meet at least every other month. The meetings shall be held in the District of Columbia and shall be open to the public. A quorum to transact business shall consist of a majority plus one of the voting members.

Sec. 6. Functions of the commission. The Commission shall:
(a) Serve as an advocate for African persons in the District of Columbia;

(b) Review and submit to the Mayor, the Council, the Office on African Affairs and make available to the public an annual report that includes an analysis of the needs of the African communities in the District of Columbia;

(c) Cooperate with federal, state and private agencies concerned with activities pertaining to the African communities;
(d) Conduct or participate in public hearings and other forums to determine views of the African communities and other members of the public on matters affecting health, safety and welfare of the African communities in the District of Columbia; (e) Bring to the attention of the Mayor and the Office cases of neglect, abuse and incidents of bias against members of the African communities in the administration of the laws of the District of Columbia;

(f) Review and comment on proposed District and federal legislation, regulations, policies and programs and make policy recommendations on issues affecting the health, safety, and welfare of the African communities;
(g) Develop policy and provide continuing review of the planning undertaken by the Office; and
(h) Make reasonable requests for information necessary to aid the Commission in the discharge of its responsibilities.
Sec. 7. Fiscal impact statement.

The Council adopts the attached fiscal impact statement as the fiscal impact statement required by section 602(c)(3) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code '1-206.2(c)(3)).
Sec. 8. Effective date.

This Act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of a veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of Congressional review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code '1-206.2(c)(1)), and publication in the District of Columbia Register.