The AfriCAN Magazine

Editorial

Africa MUST change

Did you know why President OBAMA visited Ghana as his first Sub-Saharan African country and not even his fathers homeland of Kenya? These guys in Ghana have proved to the rest of the world that they are able to change things for the better and also develop the country. This artical I came accross on the Ghana Wave website clearly shows that they are fighting crime too from all those involved in it whoever they are. Unlike most of the African nations where criminals are even rewarded for there crimes.

Until the rest of Africa follows the example of Ghana, we shall be left wondering why us and waiting for this son of Africa to pay us a visit. Please read on and see what the boys in blue in Ghana are doing and if possible, please try and copy this example and practice the same in your respective African country.

Police Detain Crow for 'Stealing' Pen

The Nkaseimu Police in the Asunafo District of the Brong Ahafo Region, has released a detained crow for allegedly stealing a pen from the Chief Inspector of the station.

The crow which was detained for more than twenty four hours is suspected of being sent on a spiritual mission. Speaking on Joy FM Wednesday afternoon, journalist Ankrah George of Nananom FM said he has been told of a power struggle between the Charge Officer and Crime Officer of the station. “When I got there this morning, the crow had been tied and was weak,... not yet dead. The Charge Officer suspects it was sent to kill him”, he said.

According to the Charge Officer, he found the crow Tuesday morning on the counter holding the Chief Inspector's pen. He then reported the case to his boss who ordered the detention of the animal.Meanwhile the Asunafo District Commander, Superintendent Twumasi Ankrah, has dismissed speculations that the crow might have been sent on a spiritual mission.

Britain to track slave trade money

THE BRITISH government has earmarked over £600,000 for the University College, London (UCL), to carry out an in-depth study to measure how monies accrued from the slave trade were spent.

The study will look into those British companies and institutions established from the profits of slavery. The government has said that the study should highlight how the owners were involved and how they contributed to the provision of social services.

Encouraging development

University of the West Indies (UWI) professor of history, Verene Shepherd, has hailed the development as encouraging.

"This major project has the potential to add strong support to the reparation movement," Shepherd said.

She added: "It will place the matter of culpability for African enslavement - that great crime against humanity - squarely on the table and will allow an unambiguous naming of those who benefited from the labour and productive skills of enslaved Africans in the Caribbean."

Meanwhile, another UWI professor, Barry Chevannes, who is chairman of the National Commission on Reparations, told The Sunday Gleaner that he was looking forward to the research.

"It is an exciting piece of research. It is the kind of study which will certainly enrich the work of the commission and something that we will be very interested in," Chevannes told The Sunday Gleaner.

But Government minister Mike Henry, a champion in the fight for reparation, is not salivating at the grant by the British government to research the beneficiaries of the slave trade.

"It is a sleight-of-hand approach," Henry told The Sunday Gleaner.

"They already know who are the beneficiaries of the slave trade. They have enough material to show who benefited. This money should go towards paying the descendants of the slaves, rather than studying to escape the responsibility, or to reduce what they must be asked to pay," Henry added.

Henry said that up to last week, he discussed the matter with an international lawyer and he intended to pursue the issue of slavery and reparation at the International Court of Justice.

Do you want to become a Councillor?

The representation of Black and other minority ethnic (BAME) women at every level of governance from the Houses of Parliament to local government is woefully low. Of the 646 MPs in Westminster, two are BAME women and out of 20,000 Councillors, 149 are BAME women, representing less than 1% of Councillors nationally.

Operation Black Vote in partnership with the Government Equalities Office is launching the country’s first national BAME Women Councillor Shadowing Scheme. The aim of the project is to address the national deficit of Black and minority ethnic women councillors, and to ensure that BAME communities engage with the council in all areas and at all levels of local governance.

We are looking for fifty BAME women to shadow high level councillors for a minimum of six days over a six month period. The cross-party initiative will focus on giving participants first hand knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of councillors, serving officers and an insight into the Authority’s systems and procedures. Our aim is that upon completion, this leadership programme will equip and motivate participants to engage in party politics. Participants will also be encouraged to become Community Ambassadors, explaining and promoting the benefits of civic engagement and encouraging others to also become involved in community affairs. The scheme will also give Councillors the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of BAME communities. OBV view this process as essential to involving BAME communities in the wide scope of activities within the decision making process.

Applications are invited from BAME women who live or work in the following areas:

Birmingham, Chilterns, East of England, Gloucester, Leicester, London (see below), Newcastle, North West, Scotland, Wales, Windsor and Maidenhead, York and Humberside
London: Camden, Harrow, Islington, Lambeth/ Southwark, Tower Hamlets

Individuals who live outside the above areas are encouraged to apply for the Solace Certificate in Community Leadership using the same application form.

The First Certificate in Community Leadership is a modular online learning package which facilitates the individual learning for each candidate. The modules will look at the skills and qualities of an effective councillor, principles of community leadership and give you an understanding of the local government environment. Basic computer literacy and access to a computer is necessary to complete the certificate.

Please contact OBV to obtain a Councillor Shadowing Scheme application on: Tel: 0208 983 5471 / Fax: 0208 983 5492/ Email: councillor@obv.org.uk or download the information from our website: www.obv.org.uk

AFRICAN ROLE MODELS

Africans have longed for role models especially within the Diaspora. After the demise of the generations of African pre-independence fathers, a big vacuum existed until Nelson Mandela took over the mantel of Leadership in Africa, which brought back African pride, and a sense of “We can do it”. However, the people of African origin in the Diaspora kept the search and just when all seems fruitless, came a young and charismatic senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, the president of the United States of America. Since then “Obamamenia” as we all know it today has taken over the world’s younger generation.

The truth, however is that we do not need to look only towards the USA for our role models, because just within us thousands of Africans living both inside or outside the continent are providing leadership and contributing to the development of mankind and not only to Africans. It was on these premises that the African Achievers Award International (AAAI) was inaugurated three years ago in Bradford to identify and honour such people and since then, it has been an annual event.

The NILE African Development Organisation, parent company of The AfriCAN Magazine and organizers of the event in alliance with its partners, have deemed it an obligatory duty to recognize outstanding sons and daughters of Africa who have put in their best to make Africa proud, by honouring them with the African Achievers Award.

The Award is presented to notable Africans, Afro-Europeans, Afro-Caribbeans and friends of Africa who have made substantial contributions to the enhancement of the African cause and brought about policies that have been beneficial to the continent and its people. The goal is to portray these recipients of the African Achievers Award as role models, so that the younger generation of Africans, resident in both Europe and Africa, may learn and emulate their ideals as achievers and leaders in their chosen fields of activity.

Find out in this edition who these award recipients and role models are and why?

As promised in our last edition, we feature our chat with the multi-million dollar ship owner and Honorary Consul of Cape Verde in Germany. Read him share the key to his success.

Our regular columns will as usual not be disappointing. We have exciting updates on lots of Afro-British stars. Glamorous society weddings, colourful cultural events as part of the features brought to you to keep you in tune with the current trends.

I wish to also use this opportunity, on behalf of the The NILE-Committee members to congratulate the AAAI-Recipients and to say, “thank you”, to all those corporate organisations (espesially University of Bradford, The Pulse of West Yorkshire Radio) and individuals who helped to make the African Achievers Award presentation ceremony a remarkable one. Thanks for sharing your time with us.