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By Any Means Necessary
The International Decade for People of African Descent: A Call to Action Kwame-Osagyefo Kalimara
The International Decade for People of African Descent (A10) is a vital initiative for Afrikan populations to display the significance and importance of correcting the narratives of the Afrikan experience worldwide. A10 is a charge subsequent to the United Nations World Conference against Racism, Xenophobia and Related Intolerances, held in 2001 in Durban, Azania (South Africa). The Durban Declaration recognized that peoples of Afrikan descent have been victims of racism, racial discrimination and enslavement for centuries. The denial of that history allows for the continued denial of Afrikan rights to just reparations for the past and current human rights violations. Article 13 of the declaration articulated an admission that Afrikan people have demanded without cease, that “slavery is a crime against humanity.” This specific language opened the international legal doors for petitions of redress. There were two states who fought in opposition to this acknowledgment, the United States and Israel. They continue to lobby against just causes by global peoples of color. The International Decade for People of African Descent was adopted on December 23, 2013 focusing on the theme of “recognition, justice and development.” Between 2015 and 2024 organizations are to operationalize effective programs to: • • •
Promote respect, protection and fulfillment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by people of African Descent, as recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Promote a greater knowledge of and respect for the diverse heritage, culture and contribution of people of African descent to the development of societies; Adopt and strengthen national, regional and international legal frameworks according to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and to ensure their full and effective implementation.
Global organizations are calling on United Nations member states to support a UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent that: 1. Is a freestanding and independent mechanism with its own strong mandate reporting to the Council; 2. Is democratic, inclusive and empowering to people of African descent; 3. Is inclusive of all civil society organizations—be they registered to ECOSOC or not or even without any legal standing in their countries—and also individual experts, research institutions and associations; 4. Is well funded through the general budget of the UN and a Voluntary Fund. The New Afrikan People's Organization/Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (NAPO/MXGM) is one of many revolutionary and progressive formations that have signed on to support this work. Working with grassroots and “civil society” organizations from around the world to “apply constant pressure and demands” is one of the many vehicles necessary to advance the strategic goals and objectives of the Pan Afrikan Movement (PAM) and the New Afrikan Independence Movement (NAIM). Along with the December 12th Movement International Secretariat (D12), the Durban Declaration and Program Watch Group (DDPA Watch), and the Latin American and Caribbean Community Center (LACCC) have led forces in the U.S. Empire in pressuring the United Nations and its member states.