2 THE SOUTH AFRICAN, AFRICAN UNION AND CARIBBEAN DIASPORA CONFERENCE REPORT Contents FOREWORD 7 INTRODUCTION Towards Unity and United Action 8 SUMMARY OF THE PROCEEDINGS 14 OPENING STATEMENT Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Minister of Foreign Affairs, South Africa 34 STATEMENT BY Mr. K.D. Knight, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Jamaica 40 Report Commissioned by STATEMENT BY The Department of Foreign Affairs Mr Patrick Mazimhaka, Deputy Chairperson, African Union 42 Tel: +27 12 351 1000 Website: http://www.dfa.gov.za OPENING ADDRESS BY Pictures: Department of Foreign Affairs and GCIS Mr P.J. Patterson, Prime Minister of Jamaica 45 Page 78: A child in traditional gear at a cultural event during the AU diaspora conference held in KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY Senegal 2005. Dr Pallo Jordan, Minister of Arts and Culture, RSA 50 Inside front cover picture: A woman performing a dance at a cultural event during the AU diaspora conference held in Senegal 2005. KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY Dr. The Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines 61 Report Prepared by The Africa Institute of South Africa CONFERENCE STATEMENT AND PLAN OF ACTION 70 PO Box 630, Arcadia, Pretoria, South Africa CLOSING STATEMENT BY Cnr Edmond St & Bailey Lane, Arcadia Tel: +27 12 304-9700 Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Minister of Foreign Affairs, RSA 76 Fax: + 27 12 323-8153 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.ai.org.za Foreword The South African, African Union and Carib- and to initiate dialogue on common challenges; strengthen bean Diaspora Conference was held in Kingston, partnerships and co-operation between the peoples of the Jamaica from 16 – 18 March 2005. The theme of two regions; establish mechanisms for building stronger po- the Conference was “Towards Unity and United litical and economic relations between Africa and the Carib- Action by Africans and the African Diaspora in the bean; identify new opportunities for future collaboration that Caribbean for a Better World: The Case of South can be of mutual benefit in political, economic, social and Africa”. Over 250 delegates from Africa and the Af- cultural spheres; develop a common agenda for confronting rican Diaspora in the Caribbean participated in the common problems between Africa and the Caribbean and to Conference. The participants included Ministers support the implementation of AU decisions on the African and Parliamentarians, Diplomats, Business Peo- Diaspora. ple, Academics, Civil Society, Non-Governmental Organisations, the Media, Cultural Organisations, The Programme of Action adopted by the Conference will Rastafari and the Youth. undoubtedly enhance the quest for Afro-Caribbean Diaspora Solidarity and promote linkages between the two regions. The Conference, which formed part of South Africa’s 10 Years of Democracy celebrations, It is important that both the African Union and CARI- was the result of the initiative of the Government COM should continue to develop collaboration and concrete of South Africa to acknowledge the contribution of mechanisms for the institutionalisation of relations between the African Diaspora in the Caribbean in the anti- the two Bodies. Apartheid struggle. The Conference, which was co-hosted by South Africa, the African Union (AU) I believe the Conference contributed to reinforcing the and the Government of Jamaica, contributed to the reconciliation of hope and the spirit of renaissance between efforts of the AU to reach out to the Diaspora. the people of the Caribbean and their brothers and sisters on the African continent. This will, undoubtedly, lead to a The objectives of the Conference were to: re- political reaffirmation by the two regions of the intellectual affirm the historical and cultural bonds between contribution we can make together, underlined by the poten- Africa and the African Diaspora in the Caribbean; tial capacity of the skills banks we have brought about in our create linkages between Africa and the Diaspora individual countries since independence. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. THE SOUTH AFRICAN, AFRICAN UNION AND CARIBBEAN DIASPORA CONFERENCE REPORT 7 Introduction Towards Unity and United Action of Africans and the African Diaspora in the Caribbean for a Better World: The Case of South Africa The celebrations to commemorate South Africa’s celebrations took South Africa’s 10th anniversary of the place in the context of a 21st cen- defeat of apartheid, and the establishment tury that is underpinned by Af- of true democracy and social justice for its rican development imperatives. citizens, have continued unabatedly since In a speech at the University of 1994. The victory over apartheid was pri- the West Indies in June 2003, Mr marily defined by the outcome of the strug- “...the African Thabo Mbeki, President of South gle of those who were oppressed. At the Africa, made the following obser- same time, however, the contribution of the intelligentsia united vations: global anti-apartheid movement was also of great significance in this regard. in the search for Over the past few years, we have made bold to speak about an Af- In remembrance of this decade-long feat, ways and means by rican Renaissance. We have also the Government of South Africa planned a spoken of the need for us as Afri- series of activities in various parts of the which to confront cans to ensure that the 21st cen- world, with a view to thanking those who tury becomes an African century. supported the anti-apartheid struggle and this problem.” In reality, I stand here today to talk to engage them on the challenges of the about what we might do together post-apartheid transition to democratic rule. to accomplish these goals, under- These celebrations were organised under standing that when we speak of an the theme “A People United for a Better African Renaissance, we speak of South Africa and a Better World”. a rebirth that must encompass all Africans, both in Africa and the Af- One such activity was a conference involv- rican Diaspora. Delegates at the South African-African Union-Caribbian Diaspora Conference. ing the African continent and its Diaspora, which was duly held in the Caribbean between 16 and 18 The recent formation of the African Union and the March 2005, under the theme: “Towards Unity and United formulation, adoption and implementation of the Mbeki added that in response to this encumbrance, Diaspora Conference, therefore, was also a Action of Africans and the African Diaspora in the Caribbean New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) “...the African intelligentsia united in the search for contribution to the efforts by the African Un- for a Better World: The Case of South Africa”. This publica- agenda attest to the realisation of this quest for a ways and means by which to confront this prob- ion to reach out to the African Diaspora. tion is the Report of the latter Conference – the initiative of rebirth of the African continent and its peoples. lem.” the Government of South Africa –jointly organised with the Within this 21st century, deemed the ‘African cen- HISTORICAL JUSTIFICATION Government of Jamaica and the Commission of the African tury’, NEPAD has, amongst other developments, President Mbeki then made his own clarion call: Africa’s quest for unity and social and eco- Union (AU). committed itself to “determine what is wrong in our “Perhaps the time has come for the African intel- nomic recovery is a centuries-old endeavour. societies and what we want done to correct these ligentsia in the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe The common historical experience of, first The contribution of the Caribbean region to the struggle wrongs and design any programme of action aris- and Africa to come together again, this time to slavery, and later colonialism, ensured that against apartheid in particular, and colonialism in general, ing out of this determination...”. make the statement – the problem of the Africans Africans developed a commonly shared con- has for decades been an inspiration to the masses on the in the 21st century is the problem of poverty, un- sciousness as one people with a common African continent. It is for this reason that South Africa’s Ten- In his address at the University of the West Indies, derdevelopment and marginalisation – and togeth- destiny. This consciousness converged into Year Anniversary celebrations would have been incomplete President Mbeki told participants that the aim of er search for ways and means by which to confront a Pan-African Movement that developed in- without touching base on the Caribbean islands. The com- the envisaged reforms was to change the condi- this problem.” stitutionally from the turn of the 19th century memoration of the ten-year anniversary, with the realisation tions that have, for many years, imposed the “sta- under the leadership of the Diaspora. Pan-Af- of a Diaspora Conference, not only provided a platform for tus of underlings” on Africans everywhere. He then The African Union, since its inception and espe- ricanism rests on four fundamental pillars: reflection on the historic solidarity between the peoples of reminded them of the first Pan-African Congress in cially in the aftermath of the Maputo Summit of July 1. A sense of common historical Africa and the Caribbean, but also strengthened the resolve London, where W.E.B. Du Bois made the prophet- 2003, has taken a number of decisions and meas- experience; and determination of all those of African descent to confront ic statement that the problem of the 20th century ures aimed at strengthening links between the 2. A sense of common descent, identity the plight and predicament of the African continent. would be the problem of the colour line. President African continent and its Diaspora. The Jamaica and destiny; 8 THE SOUTH AFRICAN, AFRICAN UNION AND CARIBBEAN DIASPORA CONFERENCE REPORT THE SOUTH AFRICAN, AFRICAN UNION AND CARIBBEAN DIASPORA CONFERENCE REPORT 9 3.