About Us
The African Union African Diaspora Sixth Region High Council serves as the main governing body for the African Diaspora Sixth Region, to represent the interests and aspirations of the Global African Diaspora. This initiative is a result joint partnership between the African Union and the Global Diasporas following the "Regional Consultative Processes" launched by the Heads of State of the African Union, which tasked the South African government with leading these efforts under the direction of the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, in 2006.
The main task of the High Council is to unite the African Diaspora from around the globe to implement Article 3Q of the AU Constitutive Act and the Affiliated DECLARATION OF THE GLOBAL AFRICAN DIASPORA SUMMIT SANDTON, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA 25 MAY 2012: Chapter PROGRAM OF ACTION, under Paragraph I. Political Cooperation, sub. K : Encourage the Diaspora to organize themselves in regional networks and establish appropriate mechanisms that will enable their increasing participation in the affairs of the African Union as observers and eventually, in the future, as a sixth region of the continent that would contribute substantially to the implementation of policies and programs- while collaborating with all organs for the mutual benefit of the continent's development and integration agenda alongside its Diaspora.
Mission
In line with the IDEA the primary mission is:
- To provide a coherent governance and organizational voice for the integration and full participation of the African Diaspora in the African Union, ensuring their representation and engagement in AU Diaspora states decision-making process. Establishing and maintaining the participation at a prominent, well-in- formed, political, diplomatic and strategic level;
- Providing a tangible vehicle for focusing on the resourcefulness, expertise and experience of the Diaspora in defining a stronger, more positive future in the interest of Africa, and to the benefit of all African people and the Diaspora and a future in all the States where The Diaspora are restrict;
- To be a consistent, reliable reference point for AU-Diaspora networking, partnership and collaboration.
Objectives
The primary objectives are as follows:
- To organize and mobilize the Global African Diaspora towards the advancement of shared goals, including social, economic, cultural, and political development.
- To protect the rights and interests of the Diaspora by advocating for policies and actions that address their specific needs and challenges.
- To facilitate meaningful dialogue and collaboration between the Global African Diaspora and the African Union, fostering mutual understanding, cooperation, and partnership.
- To promote the principles of Ubuntu, inclusivity, and the "leave no community behind" model in all aspects of its work.
- To provide policy recommendations and project proposals to the African Union on matters relevant to the Diaspora and the Implementation of the African Union - African Diaspora Declaration and Program of Action.
- To support the Claim of Reparatory Justice for the crimes against Africa and African People in the context of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, slavery and colonialism.
- To press for adaption and implementation of the Right to Return as a Human Right by the African Union Member States.
- To promote the principles of Ubuntu, inclusivity, and the "leave no community behind" model in all aspects of its work.
Vision
In line with Human & People's right and in context of article 3q AU constitution:
- Every African and African Diaspora Person should be able to fully enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms on basis of equality as declared and described in all applicable international Treaties and Resolutions on Human and Peoples Rights. This includes Children, Youth, Women, Girls, Boys and Older Persons Rights. The socio-economical disparities, un-equities, exclusions and marginalization of peoples of African Descent caused and influenced by the heritage of the heinous past should be tackled.
- This implies eradicating all manyfold forms of Afrophobia against African Peoples and in Diaspora as consequences of the Past and the hindrances for sustainable development and equal opportunities. An important beginning of the recovery we see in the unification and reintegration of the African Diasporas through article 3q of the African Union Constitutive Act as the Sixth Region of the African Union.
- In a clearly physical and political-ideological organized manner, the Global African Diaspora Family will be stronger as communities. The various perspectives can be formulated through a participatory process that the African Diaspora Sixth Region High Council is offered and be made known to all relevant stakeholders.
- In a clearly physical and political-ideological organized manner The Global African Family will be able to properly implement the Article 3q of the African Union Constitutive Act and all the related Resolutions and Declarations such as the May 2012 Diaspora Declaration, whereby respect, equity, equality and equal opportunities are key-aspects. And thus open the door for the Diasporas implies the creation of: spaces in all segments and levels of the African Union including the Nation States. This includes the developing of legal, political and constitutional frameworks.
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"Leave No Community Behind" Models
Board Of Directors
Dr Barryl Biekman
Cornelius Obot
Dr Angela Sayles
High Commission on Strategic & Diplomatic Affairs
Prof Dr Eduardo Viana
Amb Prof Dr Byron Price
Strategic Officer
Political Cooperation
Prof Dr Remi Duyile
Strategic Officer
Economic Cooperation & Women
Prof Gus John
Strategic Officer
Social Cooperation
Africa Diaspora Development Agency
Dr Tumenta Kennedy
Prof Dr Saidu Bangura
Youth Commission
Christian David Kpondehou
Faith Langat
João Paulo Resende Viana
Madhura Subbanna
Prof Dr Joseph Olivier Mendo
Advisory Board
Mrs Awa N'Diaye
Dr Nii Ocquaye-Hammond
Mrs Sirelda Jackson
Prof Dr Lazare Victor Ki-Zerbo
Mrs Enith Martin Williams
Layli J. T. Brown-Stangeland
Council of Eminent Persons
Prof Dr David Horne
Gen Ishola Williams
Dr Dou Dou Diene
Regional Leading Facilitators
