Mandela Celebrates 20 Years of Freedom
South Africa marks 20 years since Mandela walked to freedom

Photo by AP Association Press

PAARL (South Africa) - PROMINENT South Africans gathered at a prison outside Cape Town on Thursday to fete the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's release from jail, which hastened the demise of apartheid.
At a breakfast organised by the ruling party's former anti-apartheid activists, tycoon and veteran activist Cyril Ramaphosa said Mandela was serene as he prepared to walk out free. 'Here is a man who's about to be released out of prison after 27 years. He was as cool as a cucumber and younger people would say he's a cool cat,' said Mr Ramaphosa, who was part of the team that welcomed Mr Mandela on Feb 11, 1990 as he left the jail.
Mr Ramaphosa told anti-apartheid veterans and government ministers who had gathered at the prison grounds: 'We are celebrating a life that has been lived in service of our people. He knew he needed to continue living for the people that were outside. Without the struggle of our people Madiba would have never been released,' he said, using Mr Mandela's clan name.
Veteran anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Kathrada, released four months before Mr Mandela, told journalists he knew Mr Mandela would be freed soon after him. 'It was an emotional moment. When we were released, that was exhilaration, happiness but at the same time sadness that we are released, we came to prison together, and we are leaving him behind,' the 80-year-old said. 'But we knew that once we released that the day is not too far when he is going to join us.'
Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu exhorted South Africans to use the day to remember the long road the country had travelled since. 'The day Nelson Mandela walked free from Victor Verster Prison our collective spirit soared. It was a day that promised the beginning of the end of indignity.'
But Archbishop Tutu, widely hailed as the nation's conscience keeper, said though a lot had been achieved, there was still more to be done. 'If we really want to make a difference we must recapture the spirit of that day of Nelson Mandela's release ... We must not forget the past,' he said. -- AFP




Play Video AFP – Mandela, S.Africa's icon of freedom and forgiveness
Play Video Video:S.Africans remember Mandela's monumental release AFP


Winnie and Nelson Mandela divorced in 1996, after 38 years of marriage

By Wendell Roelf Wendell Roelf – 2 hrs 11 mins ago
GROOT DRAKENSTEIN, South Africa (Reuters) – Chanting "Viva, Nelson Mandela, Viva," thousands of South Africans marked 20 years on Thursday since the anti-apartheid icon walked to freedom after 27 years as a political prisoner.
Now a frail 91-year-old, Mandela did not attend the celebrations at the Drakenstein Prison near Cape Town, although a huge bronze statue of him marching from jail, fist pumping the air, towered over the crowd much as Mandela's image towers over South African politics and society to this day.
Among the predominantly black crowd of well-wishers waving the black, green and gold flags of Mandela's African National Congress (ANC) were fellow "struggle" heroes present on that momentous Sunday two decades ago.
"It was all a bit chaotic and I must tell you we were unprepared," said millionaire businessman Cyril Ramaphosa -- then a senior mining union and ANC official -- recalling the chaotic scenes that followed Mandela's release.
Unbanned only nine days previously, ANC leaders were given just 24 hours notice to prepare for the release of Mandela, who four years later would become the first black president of a country dominated by a white minority for 300 years.
Ramaphosa and his associates had to fly to Cape Town in specially chartered aircraft, while security outside the prison in the heart of South Africa's winelands was organized by a Catholic priest who knew "nothing about guns."
Rank-and-file ANC members were asked to don suits and look tough to provide a vague semblance of security but minutes after images of a free Mandela were beamed around the world, he was swamped in the melee.
"We lost him along the way," Ramaphosa said with a grin.
Only after a tip-off from a traffic policeman did frantic ANC leaders find Mandela where he was drinking tea with his shoes and socks off at the suburban home of an ANC supporter.
Organizers then escorted him to a podium to deliver his first public words in nearly three decades in front of tens of thousands of people on Cape Town's Grand Parade.
"We finally hoisted him up and he made his speech," Ramaphosa said.
EUPHORIA GIVES WAY TO REALITY
Mandela's push for reconciliation during his 1994-1999 presidency is credited with unifying the racially divided nation and laying the foundations of the democracy that oversees the continent's biggest economy.
"He means a lot to the country, from his release, even still today," said conservationist Elizabeth Davids, 42.
"He freed us all from apartheid. Before we never mixed with each other, coloreds, whites and blacks were separate but now we all mix together and are like one nation."
However, since the euphoria of 1990 and multi-party elections four years later, the reality of dismantling four decades of official -- and many more of unofficial -- apartheid has hit home.
Despite 17 years of economic growth before 2009, unemployment has remained above 20 percent and millions of blacks continue to live in shanty towns with little access to running water, electricity or healthcare.
South Africa's HIV-AIDS infection rate is among the highest in the world.
In power since 1994, the ANC has made some headway in reducing levels of inequality among the highest in the world, and this year's hosting of the soccer World Cup is a symbol of the "new" South Africa growing self-confidence.
But with every passing year, its "liberation struggle" credentials wear thinner as poor black voters -- more and more of whom do not remember apartheid -- demand clean streets and clean politicians.
"I will say thanks to Mandela," said 25-year-old student electrician Richard Ndogeni. "The politicians of today are just eating the money. They are not doing their jobs. They only care about cars and houses, not the people."
(Writing by Ed Cropley, Editing by Marius Bosch and Giles Elgood)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8421444.stm

More on Africa
South Africa hails Mandela on anniversary of release AFP
South Africa: Mandela marks 20 years of freedom AP
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8421444.stm
De Klerk Announced Release of Mandela Two Decades Ago
South Africans Celebrate 20th Anniversary of Nelson Mandela's Prison Release

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s57igv8iU0
Mandela fets anniversary of Liberation with former jail guard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KAsEy9pU_g
Mandela, S.Africa's icon of freedom and forgiveness

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s8xkjG8bx4
Nelson Mandela Released 1990

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPBmCoOJxjM
Groundation-Mandela

20-Year Anniversary of Mandela's Release From Prison
Delia Robertson Johannesburg 10 February 2010

20 years after Mandela's release, social divide endures Business Report
2010-02-08

Mandela's dream still long way off

Submit your comment Nelson Mandela's release from prison 20 years ago Thursday ushered in South Africa's democracy, but an intractable social divide has dimmed the sparkle of the nation's "rainbow miracle". Mandela's African National Congress (ANC) steered the country from the brink of civil war to prospering democracy, in a transformation that will be showcased during the football World Cup this year. But two decades after Mandela walked free, hope and joy at South Africa's emergence from white-minority rule have given way to scrutiny and cynicism as the government has struggled to...

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release from prison of Nelson Mandela, former members of the national reception committee were brought in together in Johannesburg, 04 Feb 2010, by Winnie and Zindzi to reminisce about the event of 11 February 1990, in a round of conversations about that day

South Africans are observing the twenty year anniversary since the country's elder statesman Nelson Mandela walked free from an apartheid prison. The anniversary is being marked with a symbolic march from the prison, speeches, and exhibits at museums.It was a day few South Africans expected to see, Nelson Mandela walking down the road a free man and hand-in-hand with his then wife, Winnie Mandela. He emerged to a rapturous crowd outside the Victor Verster prison not far from Cape Town, with millions across the country and the globe watching the event live on television.

There had been some debate among his ANC handlers that day about where he should make his first address, with many believing it should be in his home town of Soweto. Jay Naidoo, then general secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, tells VOA that Mandela chose otherwise."And at the end of all of this debate which he listened very closely to he said, I have been in Cape Town for 27 years, this is the place which has been my home for that 27 years, I will make my first address to the nation here. And that was the end of the debate," he said.And so in the fading light of February 11, 1990, Mr. Mandela came on to the balcony of Cape Town's city hall, and addressed the excited, massed crowd.

He reminded them of his words from the dock in the 1964 trial for sabotage in which he was sentenced to life behind bars."I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die," said Mr. Mandela.
The manner of arriving at the decision that day seems to typify Mr. Mandela's style of leadership. He listens to all sides of a discussion, but then makes up his own mind. But Cyril Ramaphosa, then chairman of the Nelson Mandela Reception Committee, says the former South African president easily brings others around to his point of view.

VOA Photo - D. RobertsonCyril Ramaphosa

Ramaphosa tells VOA that he was part of a delegation that was permitted to meet the jailed leader a few months before his release. Mr. Mandela had begun talks with government leaders and this made leaders of the African National Congress and black trade unions very uncomfortable."We knew that he had started talking to the enemy, and we were going there to tell him to stop this talking to the enemy business, and no sooner had we been in his presence than our resolve melted, it just disappeared because we were in awe, literally in awe of him," said Ramaphosa.Mac Maharaj, currently President Jacob Zuma's special envoy, spent twelve years behind bars with Mr. Mandela. He tells VOA of an incident in prison on Robben Island which he says illustrates another aspect of Mr. Mandela's leadership.The political prisoners were being marched, in rows of four, to work in the limestone quarry, and the guards shouted that they should run. Maharaj says Mr. Mandela told his fellow prisoners to slow right down and quietly moved to the front to set the pace and ensure they did so, despite their fear of a violent reprisal.

"Mandela has a very awkward walk, but I think that day it was the slowest walk of his life," he said. "That demonstrated to me, the epitome of his leadership, he is always ready to take the risk that he asks any of his comrades to take. He is always ready to assess a situation, and understand what it demands, and bend his conduct both his word and his behavior, to suit those needs."

VOA Photo - D. RobertsonAt exhibit at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg to illustrate the size and layout of Nelson Mandela's prison cell on Robben Island
The three decades he had been behind bars, his image and voice outlawed by the apartheid government, had forged Mr. Mandela into a myth for most. But Ramaphosa, Mr. Mandela's chief negotiator in the country's democracy talks and the principal architect of South Africa's widely acclaimed constitution, says that on meeting him, myth quickly merged into man."His stature, his mere presence, and that is when I thought that myth and man merged, to be the Nelson Mandela that we finally saw in our presence.

A man of unbelievable resolve; resolve that you picked up as you shook his hand, as you looked straight in his eyes, and as he talked to you," he said.In 1994 after his African National Congress party won an overwhelming victory in the country's first democratic elections, Mr. Mandela became South Africa's first black president. Many promises were made by him and his party to right the wrongs of the past, to give black South Africans equal opportunity, equal education, equal health care, decent homes and jobs - millions of jobs.There has been remarkable progress in some areas, but there have also been real failures, particularly in the past ten years.

A significant black middle class has emerged, and a number of black South Africans are now counted among the country's most wealthy. Blacks are making a significant impact, not only in government posts, but in all sectors of the economy.But while most children now go to school, many schools are failing to give them a good education; many clinics were built in rural areas, but often they are not staffed or not equipped, and the country is reeling under the burden of the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the world.South Africans also live under a burden of a very high crime rate, with some 50 reported murders each day and equally high numbers of other violent crimes such as rape and assault.

There are daily reports of corruption at all levels of government. And perceptions of a government beset by corruption were not helped by a seven year corruption investigation against President Jacob Zuma, which was abandoned shortly before the election which brought him to power last year.But perhaps most importantly the economy, which grew well up until the global economic collapse in 2008, has failed to deliver the number of jobs needed to make a significant impact on the levels of poverty. The official jobless rate is 24-percent, and a recent study revealed the country has the widest gap between rich and poor in the world.Nobel peace laureate Desmond Tutu, who remains one of the country's moral lodestars, says it is time for South Africans to recapture the spirit that prevailed when Mr. Mandela was released and to start making a difference in bringing the fruits of democracy to all South Africans.

Presidential Proclamation - National African American History Month

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
February 01, 2010

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
February 01, 2010
Presidential Proclamation -- National African American History Month
A PROCLAMATION
In the centuries since African Americans first arrived on our shores, they have known the bitterness of slavery and oppression, the hope of progress, and the triumph of the American Dream. African American history is an essential thread of the American narrative that traces our Nation's enduring struggle to perfect itself. Each February, we recognize African American History Month as a moment to reflect upon how far we have come as a Nation, and what challenges remain. This year's theme, "The History of Black Economic Empowerment," calls upon us to honor the African Americans who overcame injustice and inequality to achieve financial independence and the security of self empowerment that comes with it.
Nearly 100 years after the Civil War, African Americans still faced daunting challenges and indignities. Widespread racial prejudice inhibited their opportunities, and institutional discrimination such as black codes and Jim Crow laws denied them full citizenship rights. Despite these seemingly impossible barriers, pioneering African Americans blazed trails for themselves and their children. They became skilled workers and professionals. They purchased land, and a new generation of black entrepreneurs founded banks, educational institutions, newspapers, hospitals, and businesses of all kinds.
This month, we recognize the courage and tenacity of so many hard-working Americans whose legacies are woven into the fabric of our Nation. We are heirs to their extraordinary progress. Racial prejudice is no longer the steepest barrier to opportunity for most African Americans, yet substantial obstacles remain in the remnants of past discrimination. Structural inequalities -- from disparities in education and health care to the vicious cycle of poverty -- still pose enormous hurdles for black communities across America.
Overcoming today's challenges will require the same dedication and sense of urgency that enabled past generations of African Americans to rise above the injustices of their time. That is why my Administration is laying a new foundation for long-term economic growth that helps more than just a privileged few. We are working hard to give small businesses much-needed credit, to slash tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas, and to give those same breaks to companies that create jobs here at home. We are also reinvesting in our schools and making college more affordable, because a world class education is our country's best roadmap to prosperity.
These initiatives will expand opportunities for African Americans, and for all Americans, but parents and community leaders must also be partners in this effort. We must push our children to reach for the full measure of their potential, just as the innovators who succeeded in previous generations pushed their children to achieve something greater. In the volumes of black history, much remains unwritten. Let us add our own chapter, full of progress and ambition, so that our children's children will know that we, too, did our part to erase an unjust past and build a brighter future.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 2010 as National African American History Month. I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
BARACK OBAMAA PROCLAMATION
In the centuries since African Americans first arrived on our shores, they have known the bitterness of slavery and oppression, the hope of progress, and the triumph of the American Dream. African American history is an essential thread of the American narrative that traces our Nation's enduring struggle to perfect itself. Each February, we recognize African American History Month as a moment to reflect upon how far we have come as a Nation, and what challenges remain. This year's theme, "The History of Black Economic Empowerment," calls upon us to honor the African Americans who overcame injustice and inequality to achieve financial independence and the security of self empowerment that comes with it.
Nearly 100 years after the Civil War, African Americans still faced daunting challenges and indignities. Widespread racial prejudice inhibited their opportunities, and institutional discrimination such as black codes and Jim Crow laws denied them full citizenship rights. Despite these seemingly impossible barriers, pioneering African Americans blazed trails for themselves and their children. They became skilled workers and professionals. They purchased land, and a new generation of black entrepreneurs founded banks, educational institutions, newspapers, hospitals, and businesses of all kinds.
This month, we recognize the courage and tenacity of so many hard-working Americans whose legacies are woven into the fabric of our Nation. We are heirs to their extraordinary progress. Racial prejudice is no longer the steepest barrier to opportunity for most African Americans, yet substantial obstacles remain in the remnants of past discrimination. Structural inequalities -- from disparities in education and health care to the vicious cycle of poverty -- still pose enormous hurdles for black communities across America.
Overcoming today's challenges will require the same dedication and sense of urgency that enabled past generations of African Americans to rise above the injustices of their time. That is why my Administration is laying a new foundation for long-term economic growth that helps more than just a privileged few. We are working hard to give small businesses much-needed credit, to slash tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas, and to give those same breaks to companies that create jobs here at home. We are also reinvesting in our schools and making college more affordable, because a world class education is our country's best roadmap to prosperity.
These initiatives will expand opportunities for African Americans, and for all Americans, but parents and community leaders must also be partners in this effort. We must push our children to reach for the full measure of their potential, just as the innovators who succeeded in previous generations pushed their children to achieve something greater. In the volumes of black history, much remains unwritten. Let us add our own chapter, full of progress and ambition, so that our children's children will know that we, too, did our part to erase an unjust past and build a brighter future.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 2010 as National African American History Month. I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
BARACK OBAMA

4th International Congress of Black Women

AFRICA FEMMES PERFORMANTES, Inc.
International Women�s Day: Preparation for the 4th International congress of Black Women
March, 8-9-10, 2010 in Washington DC
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CONTEXT:
Following the 3rd international congress of Black women held in December 2009, under the high patronage of the first Lady of the DRC, a decision was taken with the agreement of the First lady of the Republic of Zambia, to designate Zambia as the host country for the 4th INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF BLACK WOMEN. This congress is scheduled to take place in November 2010.
As part of the preparation for the congress, the Workshop sessions would be held on March 8-9-10, 2010 in Washington DC. We expect 300 participants, 50% from the African Diaspora in America, with the rest drawn from civil society and African Diaspora associations from Europe and Africa.
The theme of the 2010 Congress is: �Marketing Africa: Bringing together professionals to accomplish work that can have an important impact on society�
PROGRAM
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DAY 1: MONDAY, March 08 2010
08h45 � 09h15: Arrival of Delegates at the Conference Venue 09h30: Official Opening and Welcome Remarks10h30: Order of Proceedings, Preparation for the 4th International Congress of Black Women.10h40: Discussion to ensure clarification.
11h00: Panel Discussion1: involvement of the African Diaspora for the promotion of Africa.Guidelines: The panel should discuss the practical actions of the Diasporas in promoting the continent. In this regard, the plenary session should focus on: � Main areas of action to promote Africa� Mechanisms to carry out programs of action between the Diaspora and the countries hosting the International Congress of Black Women.� Coordination and selection of strategies to be implemented.
11h40 �12h15: Questions and Answers Session
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12H30-14H00 LUNCH
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14h00-17h00 Working Group Sessions Commission 1: African Renaissance, history and ChallengesGuidelines: Setting up Procedures for African Renaissance, in priority areas such as education, Patriotism, responsibility, involvement of the Diaspora to the challenges facing the continent, promoting cultural diversity. Building coalitions for women's empowerment, economic empowerment, promoting the role of women in the structures of civil society, maximizing and using women's skills: "The Right Women at the right position"Discussion
Commission 2: Strengthening bridges between Diaspora and Africa: Industrial Development � exploitation of Tourism resources.Guidelines: Objectives: Promoting Tourism and infrastructure in Africa. Fight against the scarcity of skills in African economies: Programs to promote skills in the fields of industry, cooperation in business: interactive marketplace, enhancing of knowledge, partnerships. To boost exchange programs between Universities in the Continent. Technology transfer, promoting research and innovation.Discussion
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Commission 3: creating a Fund to support business and women activities Guidelines: brainstorming, strategies for the creation of a real bank of women. Support determined women willing to achieve their professional ideal.
Discussion
17h00 Conclusion of proceedings for the day
Free evening
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DAY 2: Tuesday, 09 March 2010
09h00: Welcome Remarks09H10: Panel Discussion
THEME: Unity of women to deal with challenges and to seize opportunities in 2010.
Guidelines: Women have the gift to lead with heart and head. Both are added value used in doing things differently. How to overcome obstacles such as self belief, cultural, discrimination, poverty, domestic violence, ignorance, limitation of resources.
09H40: Questions and Answers Session

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11H00-11H30 BREAK � COFFEE - REFRESHMENTS
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11h30: Report Back
Facilitator, in conjunction with the rapporteur of each panel discussion/commission to present a summary of discussions and the proposals detailing the way forward
11h30: Panel Discussion 1 Facilitator and Rapporteur Discussion, Scribes to note amendments
11h50: Commission 1: Facilitator and Rapporteur Discussion, Scribes to note amendments
12h10: Commission 2: Facilitator and Rapporteur Discussion Scribes to note amendments
12h30: Commission 3: Facilitator and Rapporteur Discussion, Scribes to note amendments
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13H00-14H30 BREAK � COFFEE - REFRESHMENTS
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14h30: The Way Forward
15h20: Closing Remarks
16h00: Conference concludes
Free evening

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DAY 3: Wednesday, 10 March 2010
� ONLY FOR AFRICA FEMMES PERFORMANTES MEMBERS �

09H00: Welcome Remarks

09H30: Session on Africa Femmes Performantes vision and representatives worldwide.

10h30 Dialogues: focusing on businesses or projects of members

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12H30-14H30 INTERACTIVE LUNCH
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14H30: One on one discussion matching with projects and cooperation across continents.Meet our US partners.
15H30: Delivery of Membership Certificate

16h30 End of the meeting
============================================================
REGISTRATION FORM
Please complete all fields, print and email or fax this form to our Executive Secretary: Annie Landu, annie@femmesperformantes.com fax : + 1 301 434 2728
Communication-Press : Deborah Kipene Lubula, Executive Manager deborah@femmesperformantes.com
Any enquiry concerning commissions, panels, speakers, facilitators, presentations, rapporteurs, please email Patricia Faraut : congres@femmesperformantes.com or congres.international@gmail.com
Tel: +1 240 701 3972 /Tel: + 1 571 606 5215 / Fax: 301 434 2728
http://www.femmesperformantes.com
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Africa's Financial Guideline for 2010 By: Judy Miriga

Africa’s Financial Guideline for 2010.


Money is all around us people of Africa continent, it is flying in the air closely around us, but they seem so far yet so near....... we must force CHANGE and minimize the BEGGING BOWL our leaders go around the world BEGING FOR MONEY for Africa survival. We need to develop responsible and valuable strategy for Partnership Development. We must develop critical thinking and share strategy with the rest of Civil Society of Africa, where a larger popular participation involvement are able to change our destiny for better.

This 2010, should be a year of Transformation for Africa. Without looking back, we are faced with challenges from China and other Asia communities who have taken Economic Lead in World Recovery using Africa as their platform through underworld of rip-off. A good example is of Kenya and other Africa Countries where these Chinese, Libya, Egypt and Russia ship away unprocessed raw Natural Resources such as Gold, Cobalt, Copper, Titanium, Uranium etc., As Africans we must begin to dream big and stop looking for Manna from Heaven. We must begin to look for ways and means to boost Africa Economic Growth and create job opportunities from our own Natural Resources and Minerals we have in Africa. This is how the Global Countries will respect us and develop confidence in our ability to deliver in a competitive world for prosperity?

2010 is going to be a tough year. If 2009 was the year of the unexpected, 2010 may turn out to be a year of the unwanted ghosts (the double standard criminal terrorizing leaders) where people lived in fear from intimidation of loosing dear lives and fear of no jobs or hope for the future. The ghosts in the Leadership that developed to a monster which consumed our valuables and reduced African to valueless dummies, where our dignity has been undermined and our worth, value and virtue stolen from us, must now be a thing of the past. We have been reduced to beggars and not development concious participants, out of fear, we did not have voices to protect our resources or speak on behalf of our National financial stability or have a say on our economy, or speak up when we are sit on legally or under Civil Marginalization. The monster pushed us to the edge and reduced us to worthless International Beggars, the remaining straw as the final nail on a coffin box, is to drain us poor African to extinct.

2010 is our hope to get out of the mud of dictatorship control, we must design Way Forward, protect our Nationhood and together struggle to improve our destiny. This is a year of being optimistic for a better future. 2009 put us in a combative spirit, but as we end 2009, and after our concerted struggle, it is leaving behind a feeling of accomplishment and exhilaration. We have accomplished, through our determination, ways and means we are able to improve our dignity, value and virtue and have triumphed to have our voices heard. It did not come easy. We are still in solidarity and our Civil Society Groups continue to dare devil with facts and with the truth, so we can gain ground to move forward. We will continue to brake loose the yoke of the demon monster which is pulling Africa down. We believe this is the way to go and eventually we will gain improved hope to face challenges in 2010. In 2010, we must take Control of our Financial Destiny, and this is how:

1) Domestic Consumption:

Domestic Consumption is our priority and it must remain to be our common burden within a six months period. Government projects to be sanctioned within budges of 2010 – 11 on infrastructure budget 70% must go to Civil Society and private business sector and that brings together Civil Society business community lobby group dialogue with the Coalition Government as incentive to development structure involving partnership with the Government.

2) Geo-Politics:

Competing political temperature in Kenya where we see wrangling for power has become a theatre in every funerals fundraisings and homecoming, I must say, this is very unhealthy presently. The idea is to create confusion and cover-up our eyes so they get into underworld dirty tricks of engaging neighboring countries like Uganda and Somalia to invade Kenya and provokingly own one such island of Migingo where they threw Kenyans fishermen of Migingo into serious confusion with loss of lives and destroying community survival and income. We have seen how the Government behave like they have no idea what’s cooking at Migingo. On the other hand, pirating at the Mombasa coastal become a terrorizing menace. Such leaders thrive where there is confusion. This is impunity which the International Court must take up and give a protection and just rule. These are the leaders we do not want in our midst. They will import more problem and pain than good in our Development National Agenda.

This is cheap politics and their strategy is the divide and rule, and they thrive and prosper when they create conducive environment to unscrupulous investors who gain profitably at a time we are busy wrangling. This may arraign global opinions across dogmatic lines and distract leaders from economic issues. Kenya and Uganda have had peaceful co-existence and co-operation for many years, which is now being driven to a waste by President Museveni of Uganda and where our social economic and political cooperation is extremely important for Africa's survival where together, we are able to provide for competitive contribution to global growth. Our neighbors are our brothers we must develop harmony for our existence……fake politicians must begin to pack off and leave mainstream politics. They have no business staying in power.

3) Emerging Economies:

We must engage in export orient and take care and watch Domestic Institution of learning including our economic market and share in forum discussions for improvement factors. We will base our success upon supportive regulatory discipline within our Policy framework for prosperity. We must move to increase volumes in secondary market as we will deploy the same. We must close open ended debt incurred by our leaders, reduce manufacture and production of AID BEGGING BOWL, but utilize AID more responsibly and effectively involving the community in planning and disbursement, so we know we are paying for what we consumed. We will go for aid only when we will profit from it as a Nation not for a few where it offer access money to politicians for their pockets. We will built trust and create sustainable bonds for long run development focus.

4) Infrastructure Development Program:

The construction of roads and Titanium, Gold and other mine diggers, as we see in Africa and specifically in Kenya, must not be done by Chinese prisoners, imported from China as expatriate manpower an opportunity that should be derived from the Public Nationals who are in huge percentage are jobless. The importation of Chinese prisoners is a slap on the face…..it is undermining the intelligence of people of Africa and is an abuse of Social ethics and community peaceful existence. It demoralizes the spirit of Country’s Republic dignity, pride and value of Citizen and ownership. Chinese prisoners are everywhere in Kenya, Tanzania, Congo and Southern Sudan…….we demand help from International Court, to help African Republic Nationals to put these African Leaders who allow such intimidation, marginalization and dictatorial rule where Citizens are exposed to dangerous criminals in their communities.

Consider Commonwealth games and meeting hosting as major opportunities for Citizens to participate in service, culture, and art as well as physical participation in small business competitive delivery as a showcase of Africa’s potential and value to the world.

5) Emergence of Green Technology:

What we can do together in a united spirit as people of Africa to save mankind from perishing and protect the environment from pollution or damage should be our goal. We must search for technologies that will preserve our African environment to a point we can have a win-win bargain for our green technology options. We must avoid toxic gases and incorporate natural fertilizer for our agriculture for example. We must be ready to plan and restore afordable and adoptable strategy to preserve a healthy generation even in the future…..this can be achieved when Civil Society Organization work in harmony with the Government to plan and discharge safe methods not arrangements that are done under-table.

Kenya and other African Leaders have done greater damage amounting to felony to the Republic of Africa. This is a serious abuse and crime against humanity through the acts of corruption, felony and impunity. These cases cannot be taken lightly or left to fate, they must be addressed thoroughly and must be concluded. We demand that the International Treaty be observed and the International Court step in for fair justice and compensation. This is because lives have been terminated, and human lives are exposed to health hazard with no remedy or precautions taken. The environmental pollution condition is also not observed. The Digo people and Kamba are prone to extinction from environmental pollution from mineral and mine digging. I must elaborate that Mine digging is done secretively and privately and public are not aware their poor health is as a result, aggravated to harsh conditions attributed to mine digging. The unfortunate part is that those leaders in the Government are ready to silence anyone who could open their mouth. So people are living in fear and have no where to go to lodge complain.

In this situation as we know it. The land was initially fenced, taken and owned by former President Jomo Kenyatta who unlawfully grabbed it from the poor inhabitants of Mijikenda Digos and Kambas who are the indigenous of the area. Kenyatta unlawfully gave some bigger portion to the Kikuyu’s to occupy those minerals producing areas at no cost. The former Member of Parliament Jembe Mwakalu suffered irrepairable loss and he finally died from frustrations of trying to complain about the grabbed land.

There is a disconnect between the people public and the Government and there is no link for dialogue or forum between the people/public including Civil Society Agency that can be applied for people DEMANDS to be heard unless the International Jurists under Human Rights steps in to fairly represent the people of Kenya and Africa against their leadership advancement of terrorism and felony over innocent people they represent. We demand that we involve International Jurist to help take this matter on behalf of the poor public land owners of Kwale & Msambweni, and the Human Rights Agency to get involved in the health welfare of people living in this areas. The Chinese are sneakily digging this area without health precaution of people living in this areas. Mining must stop in this area immediately until all health care precautions are considered and observed and until proper law governing dispensation of land is complied including resolving growing complaints by Kenyans from Land grabbing are resolved.

We have been informed from reliable sources that, there are some coincidence of shared corrupt interest which is the reason why “Birds of the Same Feathers Flock Together” why KKK, Uhuru, Kalonzo and Ruto have a common bond to continue to corrupt and lead Kenyans in three-some corruption galore. They both want to accomplish their mission of “Fuata Nyayo”. Robert Ouko was first the Minister for Foreign affairs then came Biwott, Kalonzo and Tuju is still holding the same position so they seem to enjoy fun of dealing in corruption in Foreign and Finance Ministry. We therefore request authorities of Kenya Government and the International Intelligence for Human Rights, to prove this heartache story we have been told, that Ms. Joyce Misoi was the second last Secretary of Robert Ouko and in 1988 was sponsored to Toronto in Canada for study with all her expenses paid for her by the Government of Kenya. She stayed in Toronto Canada until 2008 where between 2006 and 2008 she paraded between Kenya and Toronto to seal the deal in a corrupt manner through Michuki and others in the corrupt circle and she spend over 2 billion trying to get license for the business where finally she confidently negotiated for a Canadian Company to undertake Titanium business in Kenya. She left for Kwale sometimes on 2008 to manage the Titanium business in Kwale, earning a whooping salary of US$ 200 per year for both the Canadian and Chinese Partnership so to protect these Company’s interest because of her connection with Michuki and Moi. Canadian Company holding is 49% while Chinese took 51%. Government of Kenya and the Republic People of Kenya got nothing. The indigenous were swindled and were not part of the negotiating deal. The deal for titanium was made at 15 billion dollars for 15 years commencing from 2008. Strangely enough, all these years she was in Toronto Canada, her salary was going to bank directly. Upon arriving to Kenya in 2006, she went through the Foreign Ministry and found her salary was still being paid to her account while at the same time, the Government was paying all her needs, pocket money and her upkeep in Toronto Canada. Upon going to the bank, she found all her money withdrawn.

If true, these are some of the corruption we DEMAND should be investigated urgently – how public money is being squandered. We DEMAND to know how much Kenya Government officially gained from this Titanium business in Kwale, why the Local Community were not involved in its negotiation (there are evidence that Maitha was advocating to his constituents not to agree to be paid lip service, they must resist). Why the DEMANDS of the Local Community was never considered? Why TIOMIN KENYA should not stop business until matters are officially resolved by a competent jurists of the International Court? Kenyan Public and Civil Society treat this deal as NULL and VOID UNTIL THE MATTER IS RESOLVED in Court. This is a half-backed-deal where people were killed and human lives is at risk, taking into account that negotiation was done under dubious circumstances – The Community has a Right to be fully Compensated for health hazard with loses incurred.

From now on, we will never ever sit back and watch while our leaders act with impunity and without consulting our experts in the Social, Economy and scholars in higher learning, Lawyers and the Civil Society Network Agency Organizations on behalf of Kenyans in Kenya. Our economy is being plundered in exchange for Chinese Prisoners some of who have committed serious criminal offence are having pathway in Kenya, Congo, Tanzania and South Sudan. Is there some dots we need to connect? What business had Ruto gone to do in Uganda with Museveni......why the coincidence with Chinese visitor to Kenya?

As Civil Society in collaboration and dialogue with Association Network of the world for Africa security, we will stay focused in collaboration with International Human Rights where we DEMAND for African Government cooperation with their Electorates, the people/public without being in a sneaky hide and seek drama from the public. We DEMAND the Governments of African Nationals be transparent and be open in their foreign undertakings which involve PUBLIC MATTERS and PUBLIC RESOURCES.

As we move forward with activities of repairing and fixing the broken pieces of the African Face through information & sensitization, Education, Agriculture booster as well as promoting Local Tourism to match the expectations of International Business Trading, we must sharpen and perfect human skillful service, talents, culture and Art, through polishing performance. We must stand in SOLIDARITY to motivate our Youth and Women to work as a team and put in committed hard work and time management to meet competition and challenges of the Social Community Welfare and by putting their DEMANDS known through their Civil Society Community Agencies including the Ministry of Social Welfare arm of the Government. So both are in harmony to improving life of Kenyans, as we try to come out of the mad.

Barack Obama's Address to Ghanaian Parliament

The White House (Washington, DC)

11 July 2009


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Accra — The following are the remarks by the President of the United States to the Ghanaian Parliament at the Accra International Conference Center as delivered and released by the White House.

12:40 P.M. GMT

THE PRESIDENT: (Trumpet plays.) I like this. Thank you. Thank you. I think Congress needs one of those horns. (Laughter.) That sounds pretty good. Sounds like Louis Armstrong back there. (Laughter.)

Good afternoon, everybody. It is a great honor for me to be in Accra and to speak to the representatives of the people of Ghana. (Applause.) I am deeply grateful for the welcome that I've received, as are Michelle and Malia and Sasha Obama. Ghana's history is rich, the ties between our two countries are strong, and I am proud that this is my first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as President of the United States of America. (Applause.)

I want to thank Madam Speaker and all the members of the House of Representatives for hosting us today. I want to thank President Mills for his outstanding leadership. To the former Presidents -- Jerry Rawlings, former President Kufuor -- Vice President, Chief Justice -- thanks to all of you for your extraordinary hospitality and the wonderful institutions that you've built here in Ghana.
I'm speaking to you at the end of a long trip. I began in Russia for a summit between two great powers. I traveled to Italy for a meeting of the world's leading economies. And I've come here to Ghana for a simple reason: The 21st century will be shaped by what happens not just in Rome or Moscow or Washington, but by what happens in Accra, as well. (Applause.)

This is the simple truth of a time when the boundaries between people are overwhelmed by our connections. Your prosperity can expand America's prosperity. Your health and security can contribute to the world's health and security. And the strength of your democracy can help advance human rights for people everywhere.

So I do not see the countries and peoples of Africa as a world apart; I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world -- (applause) -- as partners with America on behalf of the future we want for all of our children. That partnership must be grounded in mutual responsibility and mutual respect. And that is what I want to speak with you about today.
We must start from the simple premise that Africa's future is up to Africans.

I say this knowing full well the tragic past that has sometimes haunted this part of the world. After all, I have the blood of Africa within me, and my family's -- (applause) -- my family's own story encompasses both the tragedies and triumphs of the larger African story.

Some of you know my grandfather was a cook for the British in Kenya, and though he was a respected elder in his village, his employers called him "boy" for much of his life. He was on the periphery of Kenya's liberation struggles, but he was still imprisoned briefly during repressive times. In his life, colonialism wasn't simply the creation of unnatural borders or unfair terms of trade -- it was something experienced personally, day after day, year after year.

My father grew up herding goats in a tiny village, an impossible distance away from the American universities where he would come to get an education. He came of age at a moment of extraordinary promise for Africa. The struggles of his own father's generation were giving birth to new nations, beginning right here in Ghana. (Applause.) Africans were educating and asserting themselves in new ways, and history was on the move.

But despite the progress that has been made -- and there has been considerable progress in many parts of Africa -- we also know that much of that promise has yet to be fulfilled. Countries like Kenya had a per capita economy larger than South Korea's when I was born. They have badly been outpaced. Disease and conflict have ravaged parts of the African continent.

In many places, the hope of my father's generation gave way to cynicism, even despair. Now, it's easy to point fingers and to pin the blame of these problems on others. Yes, a colonial map that made little sense helped to breed conflict. The West has often approached Africa as a patron or a source of resources rather than a partner. But the West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy over the last decade, or wars in which children are enlisted as combatants. In my father's life, it was partly tribalism and patronage and nepotism in an independent Kenya that for a long stretch derailed his career, and we know that this kind of corruption is still a daily fact of life for far too many.

Now, we know that's also not the whole story. Here in Ghana, you show us a face of Africa that is too often overlooked by a world that sees only tragedy or a need for charity. The people of Ghana have worked hard to put democracy on a firmer footing, with repeated peaceful transfers of power even in the wake of closely contested elections. (Applause.) And by the way, can I say that for that the minority deserves as much credit as the majority. (Applause.) And with improved governance and an emerging civil society, Ghana's economy has shown impressive rates of growth. (Applause.)

This progress may lack the drama of 20th century liberation struggles, but make no mistake: It will ultimately be more significant. For just as it is important to emerge from the control of other nations, it is even more important to build one's own nation.

So I believe that this moment is just as promising for Ghana and for Africa as the moment when my father came of age and new nations were being born. This is a new moment of great promise. Only this time, we've learned that it will not be giants like Nkrumah and Kenyatta who will determine Africa's future. Instead, it will be you -- the men and women in Ghana's parliament -- (applause) -- the people you represent. It will be the young people brimming with talent and energy and hope who can claim the future that so many in previous generations never realized.

Now, to realize that promise, we must first recognize the fundamental truth that you have given life to in Ghana: Development depends on good governance. (Applause.) That is the ingredient which has been missing in far too many places, for far too long. That's the change that can unlock Africa's potential. And that is a responsibility that can only be met by Africans.

As for America and the West, our commitment must be measured by more than just the dollars we spend. I've pledged substantial increases in our foreign assistance, which is in Africa's interests and America's interests. But the true sign of success is not whether we are a source of perpetual aid that helps people scrape by -- it's whether we are partners in building the capacity for transformational change. (Applause.)

This mutual responsibility must be the foundation of our partnership. And today, I'll focus on four areas that are critical to the future of Africa and the entire developing world: democracy, opportunity, health, and the peaceful resolution of conflict.

First, we must support strong and sustainable democratic governments. (Applause.)
As I said in Cairo, each nation gives life to democracy in its own way, and in line with its own traditions. But history offers a clear verdict: Governments that respect the will of their own people, that govern by consent and not coercion, are more prosperous, they are more stable, and more successful than governments that do not.

This is about more than just holding elections. It's also about what happens between elections. (Applause.) Repression can take many forms, and too many nations, even those that have elections, are plagued by problems that condemn their people to poverty. No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves -- (applause) -- or if police -- if police can be bought off by drug traffickers. (Applause.) No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top -- (applause) -- or the head of the Port Authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. (Applause.) That is not democracy, that is tyranny, even if occasionally you sprinkle an election in there. And now is the time for that style of governance to end. (Applause.)

In the 21st century, capable, reliable, and transparent institutions are the key to success -- strong parliaments; honest police forces; independent judges -- (applause); an independent press; a vibrant private sector; a civil society. (Applause.) Those are the things that give life to democracy, because that is what matters in people's everyday lives.

Now, time and again, Ghanaians have chosen constitutional rule over autocracy, and shown a democratic spirit that allows the energy of your people to break through. (Applause.) We see that in leaders who accept defeat graciously -- the fact that President Mills' opponents were standing beside him last night to greet me when I came off the plane spoke volumes about Ghana -- (applause); victors who resist calls to wield power against the opposition in unfair ways. We see that spirit in courageous journalists like Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who risked his life to report the truth. We see it in police like Patience Quaye, who helped prosecute the first human trafficker in Ghana. (Applause.) We see it in the young people who are speaking up against patronage, and participating in the political process.

Across Africa, we've seen countless examples of people taking control of their destiny, and making change from the bottom up. We saw it in Kenya, where civil society and business came together to help stop post-election violence. We saw it in South Africa, where over three-quarters of the country voted in the recent election -- the fourth since the end of Apartheid. We saw it in Zimbabwe, where the Election Support Network braved brutal repression to stand up for the principle that a person's vote is their sacred right.

Now, make no mistake: History is on the side of these brave Africans, not with those who use coups or change constitutions to stay in power. (Applause.) Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions. (Applause.)

Now, America will not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation. The essential truth of democracy is that each nation determines its own destiny. But what America will do is increase assistance for responsible individuals and responsible institutions, with a focus on supporting good governance -- on parliaments, which check abuses of power and ensure that opposition voices are heard -- (applause); on the rule of law, which ensures the equal administration of justice; on civic participation, so that young people get involved; and on concrete solutions to corruption like forensic accounting and automating services -- (applause) -- strengthening hotlines, protecting whistle-blowers to advance transparency and accountability.

And we provide this support. I have directed my administration to give greater attention to corruption in our human rights reports. People everywhere should have the right to start a business or get an education without paying a bribe. (Applause.) We have a responsibility to support those who act responsibly and to isolate those who don't, and that is exactly what America will do.

Now, this leads directly to our second area of partnership: supporting development that provides opportunity for more people.

With better governance, I have no doubt that Africa holds the promise of a broader base of prosperity. Witness the extraordinary success of Africans in my country, America. They're doing very well. So they've got the talent, they've got the entrepreneurial spirit. The question is, how do we make sure that they're succeeding here in their home countries? The continent is rich in natural resources. And from cell phone entrepreneurs to small farmers, Africans have shown the capacity and commitment to create their own opportunities. But old habits must also be broken. Dependence on commodities -- or a single export -- has a tendency to concentrate wealth in the hands of the few, and leaves people too vulnerable to downturns.
So in Ghana, for instance, oil brings great opportunities, and you have been very responsible in preparing for new revenue. But as so many Ghanaians know, oil cannot simply become the new cocoa. From South Korea to Singapore, history shows that countries thrive when they invest in their people and in their infrastructure -- (applause); when they promote multiple export industries, develop a skilled workforce, and create space for small and medium-sized businesses that create jobs.

As Africans reach for this promise, America will be more responsible in extending our hand. By cutting costs that go to Western consultants and administration, we want to put more resources in the hands of those who need it, while training people to do more for themselves. (Applause.) That's why our $3.5 billion food security initiative is focused on new methods and technologies for farmers -- not simply sending American producers or goods to Africa. Aid is not an end in itself. The purpose of foreign assistance must be creating the conditions where it's no longer needed. I want to see Ghanaians not only self-sufficient in food, I want to see you exporting food to other countries and earning money. You can do that. (Applause.)

Now, America can also do more to promote trade and investment. Wealthy nations must open our doors to goods and services from Africa in a meaningful way. That will be a commitment of my administration. And where there is good governance, we can broaden prosperity through public-private partnerships that invest in better roads and electricity; capacity-building that trains people to grow a business; financial services that reach not just the cities but also the poor and rural areas. This is also in our own interests -- for if people are lifted out of poverty and wealth is created in Africa, guess what? New markets will open up for our own goods. So it's good for both.

One area that holds out both undeniable peril and extraordinary promise is energy. Africa gives off less greenhouse gas than any other part of the world, but it is the most threatened by climate change. A warming planet will spread disease, shrink water resources, and deplete crops, creating conditions that produce more famine and more conflict. All of us -- particularly the developed world -- have a responsibility to slow these trends -- through mitigation, and by changing the way that we use energy. But we can also work with Africans to turn this crisis into opportunity.

Together, we can partner on behalf of our planet and prosperity, and help countries increase access to power while skipping -- leapfrogging the dirtier phase of development. Think about it: Across Africa, there is bountiful wind and solar power; geothermal energy and biofuels. From the Rift Valley to the North African deserts; from the Western coasts to South Africa's crops -- Africa's boundless natural gifts can generate its own power, while exporting profitable, clean energy abroad.

These steps are about more than growth numbers on a balance sheet. They're about whether a young person with an education can get a job that supports a family; a farmer can transfer their goods to market; an entrepreneur with a good idea can start a business. It's about the dignity of work; it's about the opportunity that must exist for Africans in the 21st century.

Just as governance is vital to opportunity, it's also critical to the third area I want to talk about: strengthening public health.

In recent years, enormous progress has been made in parts of Africa. Far more people are living productively with HIV/AIDS, and getting the drugs they need. I just saw a wonderful clinic and hospital that is focused particularly on maternal health. But too many still die from diseases that shouldn't kill them. When children are being killed because of a mosquito bite, and mothers are dying in childbirth, then we know that more progress must be made.

Yet because of incentives -- often provided by donor nations -- many African doctors and nurses go overseas, or work for programs that focus on a single disease. And this creates gaps in primary care and basic prevention. Meanwhile, individual Africans also have to make responsible choices that prevent the spread of disease, while promoting public health in their communities and countries.

So across Africa, we see examples of people tackling these problems. In Nigeria, an Interfaith effort of Christians and Muslims has set an example of cooperation to confront malaria. Here in Ghana and across Africa, we see innovative ideas for filling gaps in care -- for instance, through E-Health initiatives that allow doctors in big cities to support those in small towns.

America will support these efforts through a comprehensive, global health strategy, because in the 21st century, we are called to act by our conscience but also by our common interest, because when a child dies of a preventable disease in Accra, that diminishes us everywhere. And when disease goes unchecked in any corner of the world, we know that it can spread across oceans and continents.

And that's why my administration has committed $63 billion to meet these challenges -- $63 billion. (Applause.) Building on the strong efforts of President Bush, we will carry forward the fight against HIV/AIDS. We will pursue the goal of ending deaths from malaria and tuberculosis, and we will work to eradicate polio. (Applause.) We will fight -- we will fight neglected tropical disease. And we won't confront illnesses in isolation -- we will invest in public health systems that promote wellness and focus on the health of mothers and children. (Applause.)

Now, as we partner on behalf of a healthier future, we must also stop the destruction that comes not from illness, but from human beings -- and so the final area that I will address is conflict. Let me be clear: Africa is not the crude caricature of a continent at perpetual war.

But if we are honest, for far too many Africans, conflict is a part of life, as constant as the sun. There are wars over land and wars over resources. And it is still far too easy for those without conscience to manipulate whole communities into fighting among faiths and tribes.

These conflicts are a millstone around Africa's neck. Now, we all have many identities -- of tribe and ethnicity; of religion and nationality. But defining oneself in opposition to someone who belongs to a different tribe, or who worships a different prophet, has no place in the 21st century. (Applause.) Africa's diversity should be a source of strength, not a cause for division. We are all God's children. We all share common aspirations -- to live in peace and security; to access education and opportunity; to love our families and our communities and our faith. That is our common humanity.

That is why we must stand up to inhumanity in our midst. It is never justified -- never justifiable to target innocents in the name of ideology. (Applause.) It is the death sentence of a society to force children to kill in wars. It is the ultimate mark of criminality and cowardice to condemn women to relentless and systemic rape. We must bear witness to the value of every child in Darfur and the dignity of every woman in the Congo. No faith or culture should condone the outrages against them. And all of us must strive for the peace and security necessary for progress.

Africans are standing up for this future. Here, too, in Ghana we are seeing you help point the way forward. Ghanaians should take pride in your contributions to peacekeeping from Congo to Liberia to Lebanon -- (applause) -- and your efforts to resist the scourge of the drug trade. (Applause.) We welcome the steps that are being taken by organizations like the African Union and ECOWAS to better resolve conflicts, to keep the peace, and support those in need. And we encourage the vision of a strong, regional security architecture that can bring effective, transnational forces to bear when needed.

America has a responsibility to work with you as a partner to advance this vision, not just with words, but with support that strengthens African capacity. When there's a genocide in Darfur or terrorists in Somalia, these are not simply African problems -- they are global security challenges, and they demand a global response.

And that's why we stand ready to partner through diplomacy and technical assistance and logistical support, and we will stand behind efforts to hold war criminals accountable. And let me be clear: Our Africa Command is focused not on establishing a foothold in the continent, but on confronting these common challenges to advance the security of America, Africa, and the world. (Applause.)

In Moscow, I spoke of the need for an international system where the universal rights of human beings are respected, and violations of those rights are opposed. And that must include a commitment to support those who resolve conflicts peacefully, to sanction and stop those who don't, and to help those who have suffered. But ultimately, it will be vibrant democracies like Botswana and Ghana which roll back the causes of conflict and advance the frontiers of peace and prosperity.

As I said earlier, Africa's future is up to Africans. The people of Africa are ready to claim that future. And in my country, African Americans -- including so many recent immigrants -- have thrived in every sector of society. We've done so despite a difficult past, and we've drawn strength from our African heritage. With strong institutions and a strong will, I know that Africans can live their dreams in Nairobi and Lagos, Kigali, Kinshasa, Harare, and right here in Accra. (Applause.)

You know, 52 years ago, the eyes of the world were on Ghana. And a young preacher named Martin Luther King traveled here, to Accra, to watch the Union Jack come down and the Ghanaian flag go up. This was before the march on Washington or the success of the civil rights movement in my country. Dr. King was asked how he felt while watching the birth of a nation. And he said: "It renews my conviction in the ultimate triumph of justice."

Now that triumph must be won once more, and it must be won by you. (Applause.) And I am particularly speaking to the young people all across Africa and right here in Ghana. In places like Ghana, young people make up over half of the population.

And here is what you must know: The world will be what you make of it. You have the power to hold your leaders accountable, and to build institutions that serve the people. You can serve in your communities, and harness your energy and education to create new wealth and build new connections to the world. You can conquer disease, and end conflicts, and make change from the bottom up. You can do that. Yes you can -- (applause) -- because in this moment, history is on the move.

But these things can only be done if all of you take responsibility for your future. And it won't be easy. It will take time and effort. There will be suffering and setbacks. But I can promise you this: America will be with you every step of the way -- as a partner, as a friend. (Applause.) Opportunity won't come from any other place, though. It must come from the decisions that all of you make, the things that you do, the hope that you hold in your heart.

Ghana, freedom is your inheritance. Now, it is your responsibility to build upon freedom's foundation. And if you do, we will look back years from now to places like Accra and say this was the time when the promise was realized; this was the moment when prosperity was forged, when pain was overcome, and a new era of progress began. This can be the time when we witness the triumph of justice once more. Yes we can. Thank you very much. God bless you. Thank you. (Applause.)

END - 1:10 P.M. GMT

The Constituency for Africa Having Conversation with Ambassador Jonnie Carson

US Official Sheds Light on Possible Upcoming Obama Africa Policy

By James Butty
24 June 2009


The new U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs said the Obama administration plans to invest substantial amounts of money over the coming years in agricultural development to promote food security in Africa.

Ambassador Johnnnie Carson spoke Monday in Washington to a constituency of Africa advocacy groups.

He outlined what is likely to be the Obama administration's Africa policies for the next four years.

Carson told the African American Unity Caucus that over the next four years the Obama administration will focus on four key issues as part of its Africa policy.

These, he said, include promoting and strengthening democratic institutions and the rule of law, preventing and resolving conflicts, encouraging sustained growth and working with African countries to address what he called the new and old global challenges.

Ambassador Carson praised Africa for the progress the continent has made over the last 15 years in strengthening democratic institutions. He referenced recent successful elections in Ghana, South Africa and Malawi.

But he said challenges still remain as evident by recent electoral problems in Zimbabwe and Kenya. He said Washington will do all it can to help strengthen democratic institutions.

"We constantly have to encourage those in civil society to be the voice and conscience of their countries, and we have to promote constitutional democratic governments, strong court systems, strong legislatures, regular elections, free media, and religious tolerance," he said.

Carson praised the African Union for the role it played in resolving the conflicts in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Angola.

He said challenges also remain as evident by the continued conflicts in Somalia, eastern Congo, and Sudan.

"We have to do as much as we possibly can to help resolve those conflicts," Carson said.

Carson said President Obama has taken a keen interest in resolving the conflict by his appointment of General Scott Gration as special envoy on Sudan.

He said the Obama administration plans to focus on food security and agricultural development in Africa.

"The administration plans over a number of years to put a substantial amount of money into agricultural development to do two things. One is to lift people out of poverty and the other one is to help grow…agriculture," Carson said.

On what he called the new and old global challenges, Ambassador Carson said the Obama administration plans to work with African countries to address the issues of climate change and illicit drug trafficking

Carson said President Obama will elaborate on some of these topics when the president visits Ghana on July this year, the earliest visit to Africa by a sitting American president.

US Arrests Anglo Leasing Suspect

US arrests Anglo Leasing suspect

By BENJAMIN MUINDIPosted Wednesday, March 25 2009 at 22:08
The United States has arrested a key suspect in the Anglo-Leasing scandal in which Kenya lost billons of taxpayers’ money through fraudulent transactions.
A 43-year-old American, Bradley Birkenfeld may be a key lead to the controversial dealings in which the Kenyan government paid some Sh56 billion in promissory notes to bogus companies. Mr Birkenfeld, a banker and a financial advisor, has been working for UBS bank and is indicted with crafting tax-evasion schemes.
The Neue Zurcher Zeitung, a leading Swiss newspaper, has revealed that Mr Birkenfeld is intimately connected with Anglo Leasing and the Deepak Kamani brothers, alleged architects of the scam.
He signed one of the 18 fraudulent Anglo Leasing contracts on behalf of Info Talent Limited and his private residence, 20 Cours de Rive in Geneva, was listed in a second credit contract as the offices of Midland Finance & Securities Limited.
“This is a man the Kenyan government should be dying to interview to get information on Anglo Leasing,” said Mars Group director Mwalimu Mati, who broke the news on Mr Birkenfeld.
Midlands Finance has since sued the government for repayments of the never-received credit and even succeeded in blocking the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission from using a report by Price WaterHouse Coopers to prove the fraud.
“Why it was signed by the permanent secretary on the authority of the then Finance minister David Mwiraria is the enduring mystery of Anglo Leasing, and Bradley Birkenfeld may have the answer,” said Mr Mati.
Bogus financier
In November 2003, another bogus financier, Info Talent obtained 58.688 million Euros in promissory notes from the Treasury. In 2004, the company mysteriously refunded Sh509 million after Anglo Leasing was exposed by Mr Maoka Maore in Parliament in April of the same year.
That Info Talent fraud was proved by the Parliamentary Accounts Committee investigation of 2006, headed by current minister for Finance Uhuru Kenyatta.
Mr Birkenfeld has pledged to enter a plea bargain where he will volunteer information in return for his release.
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TaxesBanker Charged With Helping Billionaire Dodge TaxesJanet Novack, 05.13.08, 6:02 PM ET

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A federal judge in Southern Florida today unsealed an indictment charging two foreign bankers, one a former private banker for UBS AG, with defrauding the U.S. by helping billionaire Orange County, Calf., real estate developer Igor M. Olenicoff evade U.S. taxes on $200 million hidden in Swiss and Liechtenstein bank accounts.
One of the those indicted, Bradley Birkenfeld, is a 43-year-old U.S. citizen who, the indictment says, worked from 2001 to 2006 in the private banking division of a Swiss bank, which "also owns and operates banks, investment banks and stock brokerage businesses throughout the United States." Federal election records show a Bradley Birkenfeld contributed to candidates during that period, listing his employer as UBS (nyse: UBS - news - people ) and his address as Geneva, Switzerland.
UBS disclosed recently that the U.S. Department of Justice was investigating whether it had helped wealthy Americans evade U.S. taxes on offshore accounts. In addition, earlier this month a senior UBS employee was briefly detained by U.S. authorities as a witness in that investigation.
In a statement today, UBS said it is "continuing to cooperate with this investigation" and that "in light of the pending investigation, it is not appropriate to comment on charges brought against a former UBS employee."
Separately, UBS is also being investigated by U.S. prosecutors for its past involvement in the U.S. tax shelter industry.
Birkenfeld was arraigned this morning in Fort Lauderdale and entered a plea of not guilty. He was released on a $100,000 secured bond, and a $2 million personal surety bond, surrendered his passport and is subject to electronic monitoring. The other defendant, Mario Staggl, 43, a Liechtenstein citizen and resident, remains at large, the government said.
In the indictment, brought by the U.S. Attorney for Southern Florida, Olenicoff, who Forbes estimates is worth $1.6 billion, is named as an "unindicted co-conspirator" and referred to as IO. Olenicoff settled with the government in December, by pleading guilty to one felony count of filing a false 2002 individual income tax return; paying $52 million in back taxes, interest and civil fraud penalties; and agreeing to bring all the money in his foreign accounts back to the U.S. On April 14, he was sentenced to two years probation. Olenicoff's use of offshore accounts, which was described in a story in Forbes in 2006 (see: " The Billionaire With The Empty Pockets"), dates back to the early 1990s.
Olenicoff's attorney, Edward M. Robbins Jr., declined comment, but the indictment left no doubt as to who the unnamed billionaire was, including among other things, details about the ownership of his 147-foot yacht.
The indictment notes that in 2001, Birkenfeld's employer entered into a Qualified Intermediary agreement with the U.S. That agreement required UBS to identify any customers who received U.S. source income that was reportable to the Internal Revenue Service and to report that income. As part of the process, UBS agreed to have customers fill out IRS form W-8BEN, which requires foreign beneficial owners of bank accounts to be identified---a departure from historical Swiss bank secrecy laws.
But Birkenfeld and Staggl, the indictment alleges, defrauded the IRS by falsifying Swiss bank documents and W-8BENs, and by setting up "nominee entities" to hide the true ownership of assets. Staggl, according to the indictment, was the owner of New Haven Trust Company Ltd., a Liechtenstein trustee of accounts used to hide Olenicoff's ownership of assets.
The indictment indicates Olenicoff wasn't Birkenfeld and Staggl's only wealthy client. According to the indictment, the men marketed to U.S. taxpayers the advantages of Swiss and Liechtenstein banks for attempting to evade U.S. income taxes, "claiming that Swiss and Liechtenstein bank secrecy was impenetrable.''
Wesley Snipes' Jailhouse Role
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US Arrests Anglo Leasing Suspect

US arrests Anglo Leasing suspect

By BENJAMIN MUINDIPosted Wednesday, March 25 2009 at 22:08
The United States has arrested a key suspect in the Anglo-Leasing scandal in which Kenya lost billons of taxpayers’ money through fraudulent transactions.
A 43-year-old American, Bradley Birkenfeld may be a key lead to the controversial dealings in which the Kenyan government paid some Sh56 billion in promissory notes to bogus companies. Mr Birkenfeld, a banker and a financial advisor, has been working for UBS bank and is indicted with crafting tax-evasion schemes.
The Neue Zurcher Zeitung, a leading Swiss newspaper, has revealed that Mr Birkenfeld is intimately connected with Anglo Leasing and the Deepak Kamani brothers, alleged architects of the scam.
He signed one of the 18 fraudulent Anglo Leasing contracts on behalf of Info Talent Limited and his private residence, 20 Cours de Rive in Geneva, was listed in a second credit contract as the offices of Midland Finance & Securities Limited.
“This is a man the Kenyan government should be dying to interview to get information on Anglo Leasing,” said Mars Group director Mwalimu Mati, who broke the news on Mr Birkenfeld.
Midlands Finance has since sued the government for repayments of the never-received credit and even succeeded in blocking the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission from using a report by Price WaterHouse Coopers to prove the fraud.
“Why it was signed by the permanent secretary on the authority of the then Finance minister David Mwiraria is the enduring mystery of Anglo Leasing, and Bradley Birkenfeld may have the answer,” said Mr Mati.
Bogus financier
In November 2003, another bogus financier, Info Talent obtained 58.688 million Euros in promissory notes from the Treasury. In 2004, the company mysteriously refunded Sh509 million after Anglo Leasing was exposed by Mr Maoka Maore in Parliament in April of the same year.
That Info Talent fraud was proved by the Parliamentary Accounts Committee investigation of 2006, headed by current minister for Finance Uhuru Kenyatta.
Mr Birkenfeld has pledged to enter a plea bargain where he will volunteer information in return for his release.
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TaxesBanker Charged With Helping Billionaire Dodge TaxesJanet Novack, 05.13.08, 6:02 PM ET

More Business In The Beltway Columns
Business In The Beltway";
A federal judge in Southern Florida today unsealed an indictment charging two foreign bankers, one a former private banker for UBS AG, with defrauding the U.S. by helping billionaire Orange County, Calf., real estate developer Igor M. Olenicoff evade U.S. taxes on $200 million hidden in Swiss and Liechtenstein bank accounts.
One of the those indicted, Bradley Birkenfeld, is a 43-year-old U.S. citizen who, the indictment says, worked from 2001 to 2006 in the private banking division of a Swiss bank, which "also owns and operates banks, investment banks and stock brokerage businesses throughout the United States." Federal election records show a Bradley Birkenfeld contributed to candidates during that period, listing his employer as UBS (nyse: UBS - news - people ) and his address as Geneva, Switzerland.
UBS disclosed recently that the U.S. Department of Justice was investigating whether it had helped wealthy Americans evade U.S. taxes on offshore accounts. In addition, earlier this month a senior UBS employee was briefly detained by U.S. authorities as a witness in that investigation.
In a statement today, UBS said it is "continuing to cooperate with this investigation" and that "in light of the pending investigation, it is not appropriate to comment on charges brought against a former UBS employee."
Separately, UBS is also being investigated by U.S. prosecutors for its past involvement in the U.S. tax shelter industry.
Birkenfeld was arraigned this morning in Fort Lauderdale and entered a plea of not guilty. He was released on a $100,000 secured bond, and a $2 million personal surety bond, surrendered his passport and is subject to electronic monitoring. The other defendant, Mario Staggl, 43, a Liechtenstein citizen and resident, remains at large, the government said.
In the indictment, brought by the U.S. Attorney for Southern Florida, Olenicoff, who Forbes estimates is worth $1.6 billion, is named as an "unindicted co-conspirator" and referred to as IO. Olenicoff settled with the government in December, by pleading guilty to one felony count of filing a false 2002 individual income tax return; paying $52 million in back taxes, interest and civil fraud penalties; and agreeing to bring all the money in his foreign accounts back to the U.S. On April 14, he was sentenced to two years probation. Olenicoff's use of offshore accounts, which was described in a story in Forbes in 2006 (see: " The Billionaire With The Empty Pockets"), dates back to the early 1990s.
Olenicoff's attorney, Edward M. Robbins Jr., declined comment, but the indictment left no doubt as to who the unnamed billionaire was, including among other things, details about the ownership of his 147-foot yacht.
The indictment notes that in 2001, Birkenfeld's employer entered into a Qualified Intermediary agreement with the U.S. That agreement required UBS to identify any customers who received U.S. source income that was reportable to the Internal Revenue Service and to report that income. As part of the process, UBS agreed to have customers fill out IRS form W-8BEN, which requires foreign beneficial owners of bank accounts to be identified---a departure from historical Swiss bank secrecy laws.
But Birkenfeld and Staggl, the indictment alleges, defrauded the IRS by falsifying Swiss bank documents and W-8BENs, and by setting up "nominee entities" to hide the true ownership of assets. Staggl, according to the indictment, was the owner of New Haven Trust Company Ltd., a Liechtenstein trustee of accounts used to hide Olenicoff's ownership of assets.
The indictment indicates Olenicoff wasn't Birkenfeld and Staggl's only wealthy client. According to the indictment, the men marketed to U.S. taxpayers the advantages of Swiss and Liechtenstein banks for attempting to evade U.S. income taxes, "claiming that Swiss and Liechtenstein bank secrecy was impenetrable.''
Wesley Snipes' Jailhouse Role
High-Tech Tax Help