THE INTERNATIONAL WORKING GROUP FOR THE PERMANENT FORUM OF PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT
On 10 June 2022, the Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective
Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (IGWG), met regional coordinators. In order to
facilitate discussions during the IGWG 20th session, the Chairperson proposed to prepare a
Chair’s zero draft United Nations Declaration on the promotion and full respect of the human
rights of people of African descent. As requested by Resolution A/RES/76/226, the Chairperson
will also consult with the Permanent Forum on people of African descent and the Working
Group of Experts on People of African descent to seek their views on the draft declaration.
These two mechanisms will be also invited to the IGWG 20th session, which will take place
from 10th to 21 October 2022, in Palais des Nations, Geneva. The Chair’s zero draft declaration
will also take into account inputs from Member States, UN agencies and human rights
mechanisms, and civil society, particularly people of African descent organizations. The
Chairperson will share the zero draft with the IGWG two weeks prior to the discussion of the
draft. Kindly read the document attached in French, Spanish and English below.
Following the launch of the UN PFPAD in August 2021, the UN PFPAD's Working Group has developed guidelines and action plans towards the launch of the PFPAD. The Working Group consists of six sub committees, Partnerships, Advocacy, Fundraising, Education and Outreach, Communications, and Culture. To date the organisation has not been funded in its endeavours. Please join me in supporting Edfu Foundation's campaign: International Working Group For The Permanent Forum of People of African Descent.
Here's the link: https://givebutter.com/XW1FgG
You are also encouraged to share the campaign in your networks.
Sinceres amites
Fully virtual
On October 26, 2021 I had the honour of presenting to the plenary "A Shared Journey With Multilateral International Organisations," of the 2021 Africa and African Diaspora Conference, which takes place between October 23 and October 29, 2021, under the theme ‘From Manchester 1945 to a Pan-African Renaissance’. The Conference brings together a confluence of Pan-African initiatives across the world to congregate, exchange on and build a Pan-Africanism for the future. Global representatives from Africa and all regions of the world where people of African descent are found, including the Americas, Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Oceania—from both civil society and political institutions revisited the ground-breaking decisions of the 1945 6th Pan-African Congress in Manchester and the 2001 World Conference against Racism. Please find here my contribution to the Conference as a UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab Expert & Co-facilitaor of the Partnerships Sub-Committee of the newly formed Working Group of the Permanent Forum for people of African Descent. You can see the Programme - AAD Conference here.
Pan Africanism For All and With All Plenary, Africa and African Diaspora Conference 2021
"If You Don't know Where You Are Going, Know From Where You Come," Fatou Wurie
.
Pan-Africanism, Feminism and Finding Missing Pan-Africanist Women | AAIHS
Marcha mulheres negras - Legendas em Inglês - YouTube
Blog post by | World Council of Churches (oikoumene.org),
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS & EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
Forwarded From: OHCHR-International Decade For PAD <ohchr-decadepadgeneva@un.org>
Sent: 19 November 2021 13:06
To: OHCHR-International Decade For PAD <ohchr-decadepadgeneva@un.org>
Subject: Letter from the President of the Human Rights Council on the appointment of 5 members for the Permanent Forum of people of African Descent
Dear Colleagues,
We have the honour to transmit to you the following message from H.E. Ms. Nazhat Shameem KHAN, President of the Human Rights Council.
Best regards,
Anti-Racial Discrimination Section,
OHCHR
Dear Colleagues,
Allow me to recall that through its resolution 75/314 entitled Establishment of the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent, the General Assembly decided “to establish the Permanent Forum of People of Africa Descent as a consultative mechanism for people of African descent and other relevant stakeholders as a platform for improving the safety and quality of life and livelihoods of people of African descent, as well as an advisory body to the Human Rights Council, in line with paragraph 29 (i) of the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent and in close coordination with existing mechanisms”.
In the same resolution, the General Assembly decided “that the Permanent Forum shall consist of 10 members: 5 members to be nominated by Governments, based on equitable geographical distribution, and elected by the General Assembly and 5 members to be appointed by the President of the Human Rights Council following consultation with the Bureau and the regional groups through their coordinators, on the basis of broad consultations with the organizations of people of African descent; membership shall take into account the diversity and geographical distribution of people of African descent in the world, ensuring gender parity as well as the principles of transparency, representativity and equal opportunity for all people of African descent, and all members shall serve in their personal capacity as independent experts on issues of people of African descent for a period of three years with the possibility of re-election or reappointment for one further period”.
In this regard, and in my capacity as President of the Human Rights Council, I have the honour to inform you that I have begun the process of considering the appointment of the five experts for the Permanent Forum established by GA resolution 75/314. In the interest of inclusiveness, I wish to invite all civil society organisations to transmit to me recommendations for or expressions of interest from suitable candidates, along with their curricula vitae, for the above-mentioned Permanent Forum.
I welcome receiving recommendations and expressions of interest by email at hrcpresidency@un.org, as soon as possible and before 10 December 2021.
Kind regards,
Nazhat Shameem Khan
International civil society initial response to the call for expressions of interest and nominations to PFPAD.
(ESPANOL)
Apreciados colegas,
Saludos, espero que este correo electrónico le encuentre bien. A continuación, encontrará un formulario de Google para las firmas de una carta a la Asamblea General, el Consejo de Derechos Humanos y el Alto Comisionado para los Derechos Humanos sobre el proceso de elección en curso de los nuevos miembros expertos del Foro Permanente de los Afrodescendientes de las Naciones Unidas. Ya en este primer proceso electoral hay varios temas que deben abordarse para que este Foro esté a la altura de su potencial. Si nosotros, como sociedad civil, no actuamos ahora y abordamos estos problemas esta vez, será más difícil hacerlo en el futuro.
Aquí encuentra el formulario para firmarlo
Aquí encuentra la carta en español
Pronto se compartirán las traducciones del formulario y la carta de Google en inglés, francés y portugués. Anime a sus organizaciones a que firmen y compartan la información lo más ampliamente posible. La fecha límite para las firmas es mañana al final del día. La carta se enviará con firmas el martes 30 de noviembre por la mañana.
Cualquier comentario, pregunta o sugerencia es muy bienvenido.
Adelante Siempre Atrás Nunca (en orden alfabético),
Ana Barreto
Amara Eniya
Gay McDougall
Michael McEachrane
David Murillo
Sheila S. Walker
Ikram Warsame
Sheldon Williams
(PORTOGUES)
Querides colegas,
Saudações! Espero que este e-mail encontre você bem. Abaixo, você encontrará um formulário do Google para as assinaturas de uma carta para a Assembleia Geral, o Conselho de Direitos Humanos e o Alto Comissário para os Direitos Humanos sobre o processo eleitoral em andamento dos novos membros especialistas do Fórum Permanente de Pessoas Afrodescendentes das Nações Unidas. Já neste primeiro processo eleitoral existem várias questões que devem ser abordadas para que este Fórum faça jus ao seu potencial. Se nós, como sociedade civil, não agirmos agora e resolvermos essas questões desta vez, será mais difícil fazê-lo no futuro.
Aqui você encontra o formulário em portugues para assinatura
Aqui você encontra a carta em portugues
As traduções de cartas e formulários do Google em francês serão compartilhadas em breve. Incentive suas organizações a assinar e compartilhar as informações o mais amplamente possível. O prazo para assinaturas é hoje, no final do dia.
A carta será enviada com as assinaturas na manhã de terça-feira, 30 de novembro.
Quaisquer comentários, dúvidas ou sugestões são muito bem vindos.
Avançar Sempre Voltar Nunca (em ordem alfabética),
Ana Barreto
Amara Eniya
Michael McEachrane
David Murillo
Sheila S. Walker
Ikram Warsame
Sheldon Williams
"There were concerns about the characteristics of 5 of the 6 nominees in terms of geographic diversity, their positions as having mainly been recent government officials, etc"
The following letters will be sent both to the President of the GA as well as High Commissioner for Human Rights on Wednesday, Dec. 1st. Please share widely in your networks:
Here are the sign-on form and letters in four languages/ Aquí está el formulario de inicio de sesión y la carta en cuatro idiomas/ Voici le formulaire de connexion et la lettre en quatre langues/ Aqui está o formulário de inscrição e a carta em quatro idiomas:
Forwarded: Season’s greetings!
As we come to the last weeks of 2021, I would like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to so many of you for the on-going support and collaboration that you have blessed me with this year. As always, I have learnt a great deal from our encounters and interactions, and it is a humbling privilege to journey with you all as we strive for a just and fair world.
Here are the links where you can find the recordings of our various webinars:
I am extremely grateful to each Moderator, panellists and colleagues who have joined efforts in the success of these webinars. As I often say, these online conversations are an opportunity to briefly (90 minutes) reflect on complex issues. Like seeds we just planted, we hope these conversations will flourish in the months and years to come in more in-depth activities.
I hope the Feast of the Nativity will be a moment for all of us to remind us of our vulnerability as human beings and will encourage us to recommit to support one another in all times.
I wish you God’s blessings during this advent season, and look forward to continuing our collaboration in 2022.
Grace and Peace,
Segma
----------------------------------
Mrs. Semegnish Asfaw Grosjean
Programme Executive
Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
World Council of Churches
150 route de Ferney, P.O.Box 2100
CH-1211 Geneva 2
Switzerland
http://www.oikoumene.org/en/what-we-do/statelessness
Forwarded: Season’s greetings!
As we come to the last weeks of 2021, I would like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to so many of you for the on-going support and collaboration that you have blessed me with this year. As always, I have learnt a great deal from our encounters and interactions, and it is a humbling privilege to journey with you all as we strive for a just and fair world.
Here are the links where you can find the recordings of our various webinars:
I am extremely grateful to each Moderator, panellists and colleagues who have joined efforts in the success of these webinars. As I often say, these online conversations are an opportunity to briefly (90 minutes) reflect on complex issues. Like seeds we just planted, we hope these conversations will flourish in the months and years to come in more in-depth activities.
I hope the Feast of the Nativity will be a moment for all of us to remind us of our vulnerability as human beings and will encourage us to recommit to support one another in all times.
I wish you God’s blessings during this advent season, and look forward to continuing our collaboration in 2022.
Grace and Peace,
Segma
----------------------------------
Mrs. Semegnish Asfaw Grosjean
Programme Executive
Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
World Council of Churches
150 route de Ferney, P.O.Box 2100
CH-1211 Geneva 2
Switzerland
http://www.oikoumene.org/en/what-we-do/statelessness
FWD: A Message of Solidarity From The Frantz Fanon Foundation On Martin Luther King Day 2022
"The Frantz Fanon Foundation wishes resistance and solidarity to all those who persist in the long struggle to build a world free from white supremacy and racial capitalism. More than a year ago, we called for resisting the amazement of rulers pushing their countries out of the rule of law and flirting with what some regimes have most authoritarian. This is the case of France, which with the adoption of the Separatism Law and the multiplication of arbitrary dissolutions of Muslim and anti-racist organizations has taken a step further into international indignity.
Many Western colonial nation-states experience such a flight forward in identity, which invariably leads them to pursue the same struggle against the peoples of the Global South, in their imperialist interventions abroad as in their domestic colonial management.
Denying the Kanak people specific respect for rituals honoring the dead of the coronavirus on the pretext of holding a referendum demonstrates that the colonial power does not intend to grant them the right to full sovereignty. The management of health and socio-economic crises in the colonies illegally occupied by France is yet another example of how a colonial state views some of its citizens.
Both in France, where the field of political anti-racism will be polluted by elections, and in all places where Afro-descendants and Africans fight for their political dignity and sovereignty, the Frantz Fanon Foundation will participate in the establishment of a balance of forces inscribed in a decolonial combativeness and carried by all those who are racialized because blacks, Muslims and/or non-Whites who question universalism. It is a question of forcing the capitalist and racist powers, identified by the defense of Euro-centric modernity, to assume the indignity they develop towards racialized, invisible and precarious people.
The Frantz Fanon Foundation will infallibly stand with all those who, racialized because of their black bodies or their belief in Islam, fight to demand dignity and reparations."
https://fondation-frantzfanon.com/voeux-de-resistance-de-la-fondation-frantz-fanon-pour-2022/
Et fb! https://www.facebook.com/FondationFrantzFanon/posts/4892952304102135
--
#Afrodescendientes #AfricanDescent #humanrights
Rainbow Push Coalition Commemoration of Martin Luther King Day 2022
"Fifty-six years ago, in 1966, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. began a movement in Chicago, Illinois that led to the passing of the Fair Housing Act. In 1966, Dr. King temporarily moved his family to a third-floor walkup apartment at 1550 S. Lawndale in Chicago’s South Lawndale neighborhood. The publicity brought to the deplorable, substandard living conditions that were typical for many African American neighborhoods in the North helped mobilize public opinion and obtain passage of this landmark civil rights legislation. The Fair Housing Act was passed one week after Dr. King’s assassination in April of 1968. Taking note of the vicious resistance from many white Chicagoans and its political establishment, Dr. King asked one of his most trusted lieutenants, the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson to lead his Chicago initiative. In 1971, Operation PUSH, which later became the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition was developed. Dedicated to Dr. King’s vision of racial, economic, and social justice, the Chicago-based coalition has had a tremendous impact across the country and around the world. The 32nd annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration will showcase the iconic, 51-year history of PUSH for EXCELLENCE. The PUSH Excel Oratorical Society will present a special tribute on the legacy of Dr. King and Rev. Jackson will present award Honorees.
The event can be viewed at the following link https://youtu.be/6_NRMUg1oxk
Notwithstanding the challenges of AI and algorhythms, we have decided to expand our advocacy of IDPAD 2015-2024, and its thematic objectives of recognition, justice, and development through use of social media. We hope you will join us on Saturday, February 8, 2022 at 2000h CET, when I will moderate the Introductory Meeting of our club "IDPAD 2015-2024" in the Clubhouse app.
The evening's theme is "History, Memory, & legacies of IDPAD 2015 -2024", and we already have an interesting panel including UN WGEPAD Member Miriam Ekiudoko, fellow UNESCO Expert, Academic Activist, & Diplomat Jared Bell, and MIPAD Fellow Zied Rouine to discuss their views, perspectives, and experiences as well as Q & A.
As the meeting will be in a closed room, kindly join us via the following link
.
... a bientot,
Solidarité.
Apologies, here is the link https://www.clubhouse.com/join/idpad-2015-2024/cxzsHSF9/PYye0KnP to join Saturday's meeting in Clubhouse.
Solidarité
Adé
Update: The !st Discussion of IDPAD 2015-2024 on the Clubhouse App took place last Saturday and was well attended. We now have a membership including from the UN WGEPAD, academic activists, fellow experts in the Lab as well as grassroots and civil society organisations. The meeting discussed challenges as well as achievements to date, including the recent UN WGEPAD country visit to Switzerland. OHCHR | Statement to the media by the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, on the conclusion of its official visit to Switzerland.
Other issues discussed include establishment of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent & the work being done by representatives of civil society towards it's launch this year.
I have also attached a project brief from the UK's All Parliamentary Party Group for Afikan Reparations Youth Action Learning Focus Group supported by the International Network of Scholars and Activists for Afrikan Reparations Rep Afrika (Student & Youth Fellowship), for circulation in your networks.
Kindly download the documents attached below.
The International Centre for the Promotion of Human Rights at the Local and Regional Level under the auspices of UNESCO and the UNESCO Chair in Human Rights and Human Security in cooperation with the UNESCO, OHCHR, UN-Habitat, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, the Provincial Government Styria, the City of Graz and the University of Graz, organised an Academy on Human Rights and the Local and Regional Levels which is at its second edition and took place between 1st and 8th February 2022. Earlier today, 8 FEBRUARY 2022, I attended and partcipated in UNESCO's CONFERENCE ON HUMAN RIGHTS AT THE LOCAL AND REGIONAL LEVELS 2022- “HUMAN RIGHTS GO LOCAL: WHAT WORKS - From Intentions to Commitments: Towards the Effective and Sustainable Implementation of Human Rights." The International Working Group for PFPAD was also represented by Dr Vickie Willis-Cassanova, Co- Lead of the Communications Team. Much of the Conference which was held online, revolved around educational skits followed by panels which discussed housing policy and homelessness in countries such as Austria and South Korea in Asia. For example, it was argued policy development to tackle homelessness (of marginalised indigenes and immigrants) in Austria should involve multilevel multistakeholder interventions including but not limited to civil society, local public bodies, private landlords, and investors in the property market. Panel discussion between renowned experts on how to encourage local-level governments worldwide to transform human rights commitments to responsibility included
See also OHCHR | Annual thematic reports of the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing
INVITATION TO MEETING BETWEEN HRC PRESIDENCY & INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SOCIETY
Dear Madam/Sir,
We have the honour to transmit to you the following message from H.E. Federico Villegas, President of the Human Rights Council.
Best regards,
Anti-Racial Discrimination Section, OHCHR
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Madam/Sir,
Allow me to recall that through its resolution 75/314 entitled Establishment of the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent, the General Assembly decided “to establish the Permanent Forum of People of Africa Descent as a consultative mechanism for people of African descent and other relevant stakeholders as a platform for improving the safety and quality of life and livelihoods of people of African descent, as well as an advisory body to the Human Rights Council, in line with paragraph 29 (i) of the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent and in close coordination with existing mechanisms”. In the same resolution, the General Assembly decided “that the Permanent Forum shall consist of 10 members: 5 members to be nominated by Governments, based on equitable geographical distribution, and elected by the General Assembly and 5 members to be appointed by the President of the Human Rights Council following consultation with the Bureau and the regional groups through their coordinators, on the basis of broad consultations with the organizations of people of African descent; membership shall take into account the diversity and geographical distribution of people of African descent in the world, ensuring gender parity as well as the principles of transparency, representativity and equal opportunity for all people of African descent, and all members shall serve in their personal capacity as independent experts on issues of people of African descent for a period of three years with the possibility of re-election or reappointment for one further period”.
In this regard, and in my capacity as President of the Human Rights Council, I have the honour to inform you that I am currently in the process of considering the appointment of the five experts for the Permanent Forum established by GA resolution 75/314. In the interest of inclusiveness, I wish to invite organizations of people of African Descent to a meeting on Thursday, 10th February 2022, at 17hrs (Geneva time), in virtual format (please see meeting details below). In this sense, I would like to hear your views regarding, mainly, the criteria and profiles that would best contribute to the mandate of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, also taking into account the profiles of the 5 members appointed in New York last December.
Kind regards,
Federico Villegas
Call for inputs / Appel à contribution / Solicitud de aportaciones
Français ci-dessous
Español abajo
Dear representatives of non-governmental organizations,
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has the honour to refer to Human Rights Council Resolution A/HRC/RES/47/21 of 13 July 2021, entitled “Promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers through transformative change for racial justice and equality”.
In light of the preparation of the High Commissioner’s report, as requested by Human Rights Council resolution 47/21, OHCHR invites non-governmental organizations to send written contributions to the attached call for submissions, no later than 26 March 2022.
We thank you for your kind attention.
---------------------------------
Cher/es représentant/es des organisations non gouvernementales,
Le Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l’homme a l’honneur de se référer à la résolution du Conseil des droits de l’homme A/HRC/RES/47/21 du 13 juillet 2021, intitulée “Promotion et protection des droits de l’homme et des libertés fondamentales des Africains et des personnes d’ascendance africaine face au recours excessif à la force et aux autres violations des droits de l’homme dont se rendent coupables des responsables de l’application des lois, grâce à une transformation porteuse de justice et d’égalité raciales”.
En vue de la préparation du rapport de la Haute-Commissaire, tel que requis par la résolution 47/21 précitée, le Haut-Commissariat invite les organisations non-gouvernementales à envoyer par écrit et avant le 26 mars 2022 les informations demandées dans l’appel à contribution ci-joint.
Nous vous remercions de votre attention.
----------------
Estimados representantes de organizaciones no gubernamentales,
La Oficina del Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos tiene el honor de referirse a la resolución del Consejo de Derechos Humanos A/HRC/RES/47/21, del 13 de julio de 2021, titulada “Promoción y protección de los derechos humanos y las libertades fundamentales de las personas africanas y afrodescendientes frente al uso excesivo de la fuerza y otras violaciones de los derechos humanos cometidas por agentes del orden, mediante un cambio transformador en favor de la justicia y la igualdad raciales”.
Con vistas a la preparación del informe de la Alta Comisionada, tal como se solicita en la resolución 47/21 antes mencionada, la Oficina del Alto Comisionado invita a las organizaciones no gubernamentales a que envíen contribuciones por escrito a la convocatoria de aportaciones adjunta, a más tardar el 26 de marzo de 2022.
Le agradecemos su amable atención.
The 1st Public Meeting with All Stakeholders of the newly established International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement was held on 3 March 2022, and may be viewed here 1st Session, IIEM on Law Enforcement | UN Web TV .
In 2021, further to the presentation of the High Commissioner's report on racial justice and equality
which introduces a four-point agenda to end systemic racism and human rights violations by law enforcement against Africans and people of African descent, the Human Rights Council established the International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in the context of Law Enforcement...
For further information visit OHCHR | First Session – 28 February-4 March 2022
On 8 March 2022, the President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Federico Villegas (Argentina), announced the appointment of Gaynel Diana Curry (Bahamas), Huang Hongjiang (China), Pastor Elías Murillo Martínez (Colombia), Michael McEchrane (Sweden) and Alice Angèle Nkom (Cameroon) to serve as five independent experts on the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. They join the five members appointed by the General Assembly, on 16 December 2021, after being nominated by member states: Epsy Campbell Barr (Costa Rica) Justin Hansford (USA), Martin Kimani (Kenya) Mona Omar (Egypt) and June Soomer (Saint Lucia).
The ten-person Forum is tasked with providing expert advice and recommendations to the Human Rights Council, the General Assembly and other United Nations' bodies, aimed at addressing challenges resulting from racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance confronting people of African descent that impede their human rights.
See OHCHR | President of the Human Rights Council appoints members of Permanent Forum on People of African Descent