Minutes of Closing Session of the Inaugural Meeting of The
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Minutes of Closing Session of the Inaugural BOARD OF DIRECTORS Meeting of the TransAfrica Forum BERTRAM M. LEE Scholars Advisory Council CHAIRMAN ARTHUR ASHE DR. LOCKSLEY ED MONDSON I Ad Hoc Working Group Reports DONNA BROWN GUILLAUME THE HONORABLE RICHARD HATCHER DR . SY LVI A HILL A. RECOMMEND A TIONS OF AD HOC WORKING GROUP ON - EDWARD LEWIS SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES HARRIET MICHEL DR. JAMES TURNER The Working Group on Substantive Issues recommended several major areas RANDALL ROBINSON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of study, research, and policy analysis. These were derived based on suggestions advanced by the members of the larger body and further discussion by this group. 1. Culture, Agency and the Reconceptualization of African/Global African Development Of particular interest is the advancement of conceptual analysis as a framework for human-social agency and resulting policy implications. This may include an understanding of Africa/Global Africa as subjects of their history; political-cultural agency; visions of the future, institution building, etc. 2. Reconceptualization and Restructuring of Economic Development Assistance, and Multilateralism The policy focus is on the formulation of U.S. aid and trade policy as well as other multilateral organizations including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the United Nations. What are the implications of past, present, and future policy decisions for the survival and development of African/Global African people and countries? Some of the specific issues to be addressed are the conditionalities and problematics of trade, foreign aid, "the debt trap", aid and development, multilateralism, U.N. restructuring and development assistance implications. 3. Gender Analysis/Role and Status of Women A Research and Educational Affiliate of Tron sAfri co 545 Eighth Street, S.E . • Suite 200 • Washington, D.C. 20003-2883 • (202) 547-2550 • Fox (202) 547-7687 l 4. Natural and Human Resource Management, and Quality of Life · The policies of governmental and nongovernmental agencies and institutions have many implications for the life chances and the social and physical conditions of African and Caribbean peoples and their communities. These range from the sustainability of their social and physical environment, to penetrating survivability problems and ongoing crises related to AIDS; the health, development, and welfare of children, and food security. Included among the issues to be addressed by this committee are agricultural development and food security, the welfare of both children and families, health and environmental conditions, and science and technology policy. S. Human-Social Displacement: Refugees, Exiles, and Displaced Persons The social displacement of individuals and groups in Africa/Global Africa has created an extraordinarily large number of refugees, exiles, and asylum seekers throughout Africa and the world. Natural forces such as droughts and hurricanes, and socially constructed forces including famines, economic underdevelopment and marginality, wars, political conflicts, racial and ethnic inequality, results in significant numbers of men, women, and children seeking refuge across cultural, political, and national boundaries. This quest for individual and collective freedom, economic independence, and socio cultural and political liberation as well as identity require thoughtful, fair and equitable policies related to immigration and refuge. Most important are the resulting legal, social, and economic ramifications for the range of actors and publics involved. Some of the specific issues to be addressed are the political, demographic, and social impact of U.S. immigration policy; legal aspects of refugee and immigration policy; and race and immigration policy. 6. Political Process and the Relationship Between State and Civil Society Considerable scholarly and public interest are focussed on "democratization" processes currently in progress on the African continent. State restructuring and the mobilization of various groups throughout civil society (e .g. labor unions, women, students, professionals, commercial entrepreneurs ... ) create a dynamic and conflictual process of social change. Important issues related to these processes of change are the role and effectiveness of an independent judiciary, enfranchisement and denationalization, individual and human rights, minority rights and protection; role of the state and economic restructuring, etc. 7. Security Issues and Norms of Intervention 7 -~~~~[S~~[b~ ~ rn woo~ 8. Understanding U.S. Policy Formulation Toward Africa/Global Africa BOARD OF DIRECTORS as a Process BERTRAM M . LEE There is a need to take a broad view of the range of structures and processes CHAIRMAN which result in specific policy outcomes vis a vis U.S. policy toward ARTHUR ASHE Africa/Global Africa. What is the scope and range of governmental DR . LOCKSLEY EDMONDSON DONNA BROWN GUILLAUME departments and agencies involved? What is the input and involvement of THE HONORABLE RICHARD HATCHER African-Americans in this process? DR. SY LVIA HI LL EDWARD LEWI S HARRIET MICHE L DR . JAMES TURNER SOCIAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE OF TRANSAFRICA FORUM SCHOLARS ADVISORY COUNCIL: RANDALL ROBINSON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR --Africa (general) --Country and Regional Crises in Africa --Caribbean --Global Diaspora Communities --Central and South America, especially Brazil --Other regions of the world RECURRING/SIGNATURE THEMES IN COUNCIL'S WORKS: --Social Inequality: Race, Class, and Gender --Political-Culture Agency --Institution Building --Policy Implications All or some combination of these cross-cutting themes should permeate the scholarly productions of the Scholars Advisory Council. B. RECOMMENDATIONS OF AD HOC WORKING GROUP ON PROCESS, STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION I. Leadership and Organizational Identity A. Special Recommendation: Ruth Hamilton and Charles Ogletree, Acting Co-Chairs, should be made Permanent Co-Chairs. A Research and Educational Affiliate of TransAfrica 545 Eighth Street, S.E. • Suite 200 • Washington, D.C. 20003-2883 • (202) 54 7-2550 • Fa x (202) 547-768 7 • B. Name Change: TransAfrica Forum Scholars Advisory Council 1. Scholars Council will be changed to Scholars Advisory Council. This will avoid problems with the TransAfrica Forum Board and avert the possibility of confusion with the now defunct African American Scholars Council. II. TransAfrica Forum is launching a foreign policy think tank, and it is this new programmatic activity that the Scholars Advisory Council is being set up to advise. A. Recommended Staffing Pattern 1. A staff person to service the Scholars Advisory Council 2. 4 Fellows: 2 Resident (an Africanist and a Caribbean specialist), and 2 Visiting Fellows a. The Visiting Fellowships would be selected by a competition and would carry one year appointments b. One African Fellow and one Caribbean Fellow c. [Pearl Robinson: "This wasn't discussed, but perhaps one of the Visiting Fellows might focus on any region of the African Diaspora. This could be a way of beginning to focus on Brazil, for example.] 3. The goal is to develop an in-house staff capacity to produce the basic policy documents issued by TransAfrica Forum. a. The Scholars Advisory Council is an advisory group. b. It cannot and should not be expected to produce the basic foreign policy documents for TransAfrica Forum. c. At this juncture, the Forum staff should produce a list of TransAfrica's legislative priorities and identify the substantive things on which it wants some kind of product from the Scholars Advisory Council. B. International linkages should be structured into the think tank's operations from the beginning. BOARD OF DIRECTORS BERTRAM M. LEE 1. These networks could help TransAfrica to develop its policy CHAIRMAN agenda ARTHUR ASHE DR. LOCKSLEY EDMONDSON DONNA BROWN GUILLAUME 2. International networks may also have a beneficial impact on THE HONORABLE RICHARD HATCHER some of the burgeoning research institutes in the Black World DR. SYLVIA HILL EDWARD LEWIS HARRIET MICHEL II. Purposes of the Scholars Advisory Council DR. JAMES TURNER RANDALL ROBINSON A. Advise TransAfrica Forum on its program and policy research agenda EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR B. Liaison function in TransAfrica's contacts with research and policy groups in the Black World C. Serve as advisors for the TransAfrica Forum journal and sit on the referee board D. Make recommendations on TransAfrica's legislative agenda E. Products: 1. Policy statement for release in May 2. Refereed journal 3. Policy papers 4. Op-ed pieces 5. Short, pithy issue briefs III. Meetings Schedule A. The Scholars Advisory Council should meet twice a year on a schedule that will enable it to make timely inputs into the congressional legislative and budget processes 1. November and June 2. Each meeting should be 1 1/2 full days of work B. Standing committees, task forces, policy dialogues and other working groups would be expected to establish their own working calendars. A Research and Educational Affiliate of TransAfrica 545 Eighth Street. S.E. • Suite 200 • Washington. D.C. 20003-2883 • (202) 547-2550 • Fax (202) 547-7687 ,,. IV. Production of a Foreign Policy Document for the African World Together Weekend A. Production of this document is one of a range of tasks to be undertaken by the Scholars Advisory Council B. We should set up a Subcommittee and a Drafting Group to: 1. Help define the issue 2. Write some of the sections 3. Coordinate the process of putting the document together C. Since this group is an advisory council,