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Washington State Africa Network
National Summit on Africa
 

Meeting Report
Wednesday, July 21, from 7:30 to 9:00 P.M.,
Miller Community Center, 330 19th E (at East John, Capital Hill), Seattle WA.

Called to order at 7:40 PM

Attendance: More than 55 people attended the meeting, including at least 44 Washington State residence from Coupeville to Olympia and at least a dozen people from the USAID African Business and Trade Delegation. Washington Delegation Officials: Jean Lenz - Co-Chair, David Mozer - Co-Chair, Nancy Farrell - Co-Vice-Chair, Wendy Prosser - Co-Vice-Chair.

David Mozer, co-chairperson of the Washington State Delegation to the National Summit on Africa, opened the meeting and welcomed everyone from the private sector, public sector, public-interest section and the African Business and Trade Delegation. And explained that this is intended to be a very inclusive process so everyone is whole heartedly welcome to all the meeting.

Linkages between Washington State and Africa were identified. In addition to trade linkages there are numerous other linkages, including those in education, culture and arts, government, religious, labor and non-governmental activities. A list of these is being collected on the web site, http://www.ibike.org/africamatters/network.htm

The evening's agenda was then reviewed:

Purpose of the National Summit on Africa
   Short-term project: selecting and sending a delegation to the National Summit on Africa, Feb 2000.
   Long-term project: forming a Washington State organization to raising awareness about Africa
National Policy Plan of Action description, process and thematic areas and report from Pacific Regional Summit, San Francisco.
   Human Rights
   Sustainable Development
   Education and Culture
   Economics and Trade
   Peace and Security
Discussion on Delegate Selection Process.
Organizing Fundraising Committee
Charting the Future

Everyone present was then ask to introduction himself or herself and include a few words about their connection to Africa.

Purpose of the National Summit on Africa:

The National Summit on Africa is a non-profit, non-partisan, and inclusive nationwide effort working for the betterment of U.S.-Africa relations by

  • educating the American public about Africa;

  • broadening and strengthening the network of Africa's supporters in the U.S.; and

  • developing a shared National Policy Plan of Action for mutually beneficial relations between the U.S. and the countries of Africa.

The National Summit process is a three year project funded primarily by the Ford Foundation. It is designed to change the way the U.S. looks at and interacts with the countries of Africa. The National Summit on Africa process will culminate in a national summit event in Washington, D.C., held from 17-20 February 2000. The year 2000 national summit event is the finale offering all people resident in the U.S. the opportunity to help develop a strategy to bring about that change. The event is intended to accomplish multiple goals. Among its objectives are:

  • to complete the Summit's National Policy Plan of Action and plan for its implementation;

  • to strengthen existing organizations focused on U.S.-Africa relations;

  • to organize a broader, stronger constituency base for Africa;

  • to stimulate political debate; to increase business and people-to-people linkages; and

  • to educate the American public about Africa.

The outcome of the national summit event is intended to be a highly motivated, well mobilized cadre of people from all sectors of U.S. society who care about Africa, and who have contributed to the formulation of a concrete plan for bringing about real change.

Preceding the National Summit of Africa is a series of six regional summits (four of which have been held) and preparatory meetings at which all interested people can participate in public education activities and engage in discussions to develop policies to guide U.S.-Africa relations.

Thus, at the conclusion of the regional summit process, there will be six regional policy plans of action (Southeast, Midwest, Northeast, Pacific, Mountain/Southwest, and New England). The regional policy plans of action covering the five thematic areas will then be consolidated into one Draft National Policy Plan of Action for U.S.-Africa Relations. This Draft National Policy Plan of Action will serve as the working document at the national summit event in Washington, D.C.

In February 2000 at which National Summit on Africa delegates representing all 50 states will meet to discuss, amend, and vote upon the Draft National Policy Plan of Action. The result of these deliberations (a structured and formalized process) will be a National Policy Plan of Action for U.S.-Africa Relations. This Plan will then be presented to policymakers in government and to decision-makers in the private sector, including those in non-governmental, corporate, education, labor, religious, media, and other sectors —as a guide for U.S. relations with the countries of Africa in the new millennium.

Between now and next February we can solicit further recommendations on the future of U.S.-Africa relations from different sectors and constituencies within the state. The delegation will then bring this input (in the form of recommendations) to the national summit event in Washington, D.C., where it will be considered, along with input from other state delegations, during discussion of the Draft National Policy Plan of Action.

Locally we are looking at two tasks:

  • Short-term project: selecting and sending a delegation to the National Summit on Africa, Feb 2000.

  • Long-term project: forming a Washington State organization to raising awareness about Africa

Just to be clear, while there exists a national organization, for all intents and purposes there currently is no Washington State organization and no budget. It is what we make of it!

Explanation of the Draft National Policy Plan of Action and Report from the Pacific Coast Regional Summit.

Expert panels wrote the Draft National Policy Plan of Action s between 1996 and 1998. The plan is divided into five thematic areas: Human Rights, Sustainable Development, Education and Culture, Economics and Trade, and Peace and Security. The same draft documents are used as a basis for all the regional meetings. At the regional meeting there was a formal process for submitting changes to the draft Plan of Action. The instructions were "to amend the recommendations and the body of the text as you see fit."

The Pacific Regional Summit got a reputation for being an activist summit, adopting more changes to the draft plan than the previous regional summits.

Discussion on delegate selection process

During the course of each regional summit, time was set aside for each state to caucus and elect delegates. However, we were not able to fill our full slate of delegates at the regional summit. In which case state delegation's instructions were "to aim to elect or appoint at least a chairperson and/or vice-chairperson at the regional summit." Furthermore: "If a state is unable to elect its full slate of delegates at the regional summit, it is the responsibility of the chairperson and vice-chairperson to spearhead the effort of identifying the remaining delegates."

Anyone with an interest in working for the betterment of U.S.-Africa relations is eligible to stand as a delegate to the National Summit on Africa. The only qualifications are that each delegate:

i. must live in the state that she or he seeks to represent;
ii. must be prepared to take an active role in the state delegations activities;
iii. must be prepared to travel to Washington, D.C. to participate in the national summit event on Africa.

Delegates represent their state in the National Summit on Africa process. The primary responsibilities of a delegate are:

i. To work with other delegates to organize state meetings and activities for purposes of a) obtaining policy recommendations on future U.S.-Africa relations; b) preparing for the national summit event in Washington, D.C.; and c) providing public education on U.S.-Africa relations. As such delegates are expected to keep themselves fully informed about current events in Africa. It is therefore in the best interest of each delegation to meet periodically to discuss these current events and their impact on U.S.-Africa relations (particularly as they relate to the Summit's five themes).

ii. To use the Draft Policy Plan of Action and the regional policy plans of action (see above) to solicit further recommendations on the future of U.S.-Africa relations from different sectors and constituencies within their state. The delegation will then bring this input (in the form of recommendations) to the national summit event in Washington, D.C., where it will be considered, along with input from other state delegations, during discussion of the Draft National Policy Plan of Action.

iii. To work with other delegates to identify three (3) priority policy priorities on U.S.- Africa relations that each state would like to serve as the anchors of the final National Policy Plan of Action for U.S.-Africa Relations that will emerge at the national summit event. Please note that these 3 policy priorities are in addition to, not instead of, general recommendations made under each of the five themes.

iv. Delegates help to raise funds that will enable their state delegation to travel to Washington, D.C. to participate in the national summit event.

v. Delegates work to develop a proposed follow-up mechanism that will help to ensure the implementation of the National Policy Plan of Action. This follow-up mechanism, along with those from other states, will be discussed at the national summit event.

Fundraising

It is intended that no delegate has to pay their own way to Washington DC, but this will depend upon our collective success at fund raising. A half dozen people volunteered for the fund raising committee. The first meeting will be held Monday, July 26. 

Charting the Future

We have two local tasks:

  • Short-term project: selecting and sending a delegation to the National Summit on Africa, Feb 2000.

  • Long-term project: forming a Washington State organization, identifying its mission, raising awareness about Africa

It was decided that both issues needed to be addressed in a separate "brain storming" meeting. The meeting is tentatively set for Sunday, August 8, from 3 to 6 PM, location to be announced.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 PM

 
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