Africa and its diaspora: A new global power?

AFRICA AND :

¿A NEW GLOBAL

ITS DIASPORA

POWER?

CONFERENCE

SUSANA EDJANG Organiza

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AFRICA AND ITS DIASPORA: A N E W G LOB A L P OW E R ?

S U SA NA EDJA NG

Susana Edjang - International Development and Global Health Policy Expert at UN, she is executive board member at Africa 2.0. Foundation and council member at the Royal African Society RAS. This paper was presented at the launching of the initiative of the Corporation Manos Visibles, Afroinnova at Icesi University –Cali, Colombia.

(May 19, 2016)

Becoming Diaspora and Recognizing Oneself as African-descendant: from Equatorial Guinea to the World Equatorial Guinea, with some 28,000 square kilometers, is one of the twenty smallest countries in the world. Just above the equator line and nestled between Cameroon and Gabon, it is located in the Gulf of Guinea, in what may be called the "armpit" of Africa. In the last census, published in 2015, it has an estimated population of one million two hundred thousand inhabitants1.

To my mind, three things make Equatorial Guinea special: the only African country with Spanish as the official language2; its most renowned artist, Leandro Mbomio, inspired the Cubist movement3 when he gave Pablo Picasso a fang sculpture; and our president, Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo after 37 years remains the longest-serving president in the world4.

I was born in Equatorial Guinea in the late 70s, amidst a massive political upheaval which forced an estimated 200,000 people to flee the country.

Many of these political exiles were forced to live in neighboring countries with Spain as their final destination. My family were among these 200,000 people forced into exile. We were luckier than most and were able to reach Spain, where I grew up. From Spain, I visited other European countries and later studied and began my career in the United Kingdom, followed by several African countries and now the United States. Although each of these contexts were different and my experience of them were also different, what they all had in common – especially in the professional contexts that spans NGOs, government or international organizations, academia, etc. is the existence of a trust network. Whilst the number of Equatoguineans in each new country was relatively small, it is these trust networks of the emerging Equatoguinean diaspora, Afro-descendant migrants, women and Spanish speakers who helped me to understand each new circumstances and navigate my evolving realities.

Diaspora - African-descendants

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Guinea Ecuatorial Press, 18/09/2015. ‘Ehate Tomi presenta el censo de la población de Guinea Ecuatorial.’ http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com/noticia.php?id=6929 (Accessed 10 May 2016) 2 In Africa, there are three Guineas: Guinea Bissau, one of the five Portuguese-speaking countries on the continent, Guinea (Conakry), one of the 26 African countries where French is an official language and Equatorial Guinea.

3 Fraguas, R.2012, ‘Obituario: Leandro Mbomio, una vida consagrada al arte africano’ El País, 12 Noviembre .. http://cultura.elpais.com/cultura/2012/11/16/actualidad/1353025949_694013.html (Accessed 9 May 2016) 4 Mjamba KO, 2014, ‘Africa’s longest serving leaders’, This is Africa, 10 November, http://thisisafrica.me/10africas-longest-serving-leaders/ (Accessed 9 May 2016) 1

The Diaspora refers to the spreading or scattering of seeds and it was first used to identify Jewish, Armenian and Greek living outside of their perceived country of origin and later, Africans in the Americas with the experience of the transatlantic slavery. More recently the term now embraces communities who self-identify as diaspora, people living in a country other than the country where they were born or where their family have their origins5. The African diaspora is therefore a mixture of Diasporas: a) the older diaspora born out of transatlantic slavery; b) that of the postindependence 54 African countries and territories, living outside of the continent; and c) the post-1980 economic migrant. These diasporas are often referred to as people of African-descent or Afro-descendants.

Afro-descendants are people with African origin born or live outside of Africa. Some definitions include Africans living in other African countries, but it is generally understood that this concept refers to people outside the continent. The network of African-descendants is huge and cannot be ignored. Table 1 on African diasporic waves helps us to put into perspective its size and distribution around the world.

We can establish that there have been four diasporic waves.6 The first diasporic wave is the African diaspora in the Indian Ocean, which took place during the fifth and sixth centuries and beyond. Of this relatively unknown wave, for which research is currently growing, it is known that it was made out of a mixture of explorers, soldiers, merchants and slaves that settled down in Asian and Middle Eastern countries from the 5th century onward that are citizens of their destination countries such as the IndoAfrican Shidis or Habshis.7 The second diasporic wave is the estimated 10.7 million people who survived the forced relocation from Africa to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade8. One of the most significant aspects of this diaspora -- besides its resilience and contribution to the economic foundation of the Americas -- is that with genetic studies, descendants of 5

Brubaker R,2005, ‘The ‘diaspora’ diaspora’, Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 1-19. http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/brubaker/Publications/29_Diaspora_diaspora_ERS.pdf 6 There is a fourth diasporic wave ‘the Indian Ocean African diaspora’ made out of explorers, soldiers, merchants and slaves that settled down in Asian and Middle Eastern countries and for which a body of research is growing rapidly.

7 Boyce Davies C (ed.), 2008, Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora: origins, experiences and culture, ABCCLIO, California 8 According to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database, of the 12.5 million Africans that were taken by boat to the Americas, only 10.7 million survived the brutal crossing. Of these, the majority, 4.8 million went to Brazil, and other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean; only about 450,000 were brought to the United States. Gates Jr. HL. 2014, ‘How many slaves landed in the US?’, The Root, 6 January. http://www.theroot.com/articles/history/2014/01/how_many_slaves_came_to_america_fact_vs_fiction/ (Accessed 9 May 2016) 2

this diaspora have been able to trace their history to a country of origin in Africa. However, these original countries have not claimed or recognized them in the way that the State of Israel does with the Jewish diaspora. Still, this African diaspora belongs to the African continent and has been recognized as the sixth African region by the African Union9.

Table 1: African Diasporic Waves Wave

Century

Context

Country of Origin

Politicians , Indian Ocean V-VI merchant Known country s, soldiers, slaves Unknown country; the Forced Slave trade XV-XIX Diaspora belongs labor to the whole continent. colonial Colonial/Post workXIX-XX Known country -colonial study programs Brain Contemporar drain, XX-XXI Known country y wars, refugees Source: Boyce Davies C (ed.), 2008, Encyclopedia of the origins, experiences and culture, ABC-CLIO, California

Destination Country(ies) Asia, Middle East

Americas (North America, Caribbean, Latin America) Colonial empire metropolis

Global metropolis African Diaspora:

The third wave of the Africa diaspora was during the colonial and postcolonial era (1940s-1990s) when African students, athletes, and men and women of businesses migrated to colonial metropolis for higher university studies, business or training. Many of them contributed to the nationalist movements back in their countries (Kwame Nkrumah, Leopold Senghor, Fela Kuti, Julius Nyerere, etc.). Many of them stayed or had to return to the 9

African Union 2012, Declaration of the Global African Diaspora Summit, 25 May 2012, http://pages.au.int/sites/default/files/Global%20Diaspora%20Summit%20Declaration-E.pdf (Accessed 9 May 2016) 3

West after the failure of several postcolonial governments across the continent. Also, included in this period are the exports of workers from other colonies to the empires. For example, between 1950 and 1970 in the United Kingdom, Caribbean nurses were recruited to work in institutions of the national health system10. We can consider this second diasporic as the colonial and postcolonial wave. People belonging to this diasporic wave can identify their country of origin and often have the intention of returning.

The fourth diasporic wave is the most contemporary. It is an amalgamation of people like me, who are part of forced or economic migration seeking better political, economic and human rights conditions in other African or Western countries. This wave represents what has been called a “brain drain” since it included many highly educated people (doctors, engineers, nurses, etc.) that although maintain links with their country of origin, have no interest in going back permanently. Those belonging to this diasporic wave can also identify their country of origin and tend to maintain connections.

It is estimated that there are about 250 million people in the African diaspora and about 1,100 million people on the African continent. In total then, the population of African-descendent people is about 1,350 million.

Given the economic situation in many African countries, the number of African-descendent people in the diaspora will continue to grow as people search for better opportunities within and outside the continent and population rises within those communities.11 The reflection of Africa: Africa the 'place' reflected in Africa ‘the peoples’ and vice versa Irrespective of the different diasporic waves, all African-descendent people belong to Africa and feel deeply connected to the continent across time and space, whether they want it or not. If Africa is perceived as poor, corrupt, unable to develop and sustain good governance etc., the Africandescendant populations are also perceived as poor, corrupt and incapable of governing. African and Afro-descendent communities are perceived as mirror images of each other, but these reflections do not have always to be negative.

It is true that in many cases the social and economic problems in African countries and communities of African-descendants outside of Africa are 10

Snow S and Jones E, 2011, Immigration and the National Health Service: putting history to the forefront, History & Policy http://www.historyandpolicy.org/policy-papers/papers/immigration-and-the-national-healthservice-putting-history-to-the-forefron (Accessed 8 May 2016) 11 Lopes C, 2016.‘Africa and the immigration conundrum’. The New Time, 14 July, http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/article/2016-07-14/201682/ (Accessed 9 May 2016) 4

similar. With Table 2 I have tried to present public information about how these problems are presented in the media on issues such as poverty, corruption, socio-economic exclusion, human development indexes, intolerance towards minorities (ethnic, religious, sexual, persons with disabilities, etc.), and the treatment of women. The purpose of the table is to show the resonance in how the situation of African-descendants outside and within Africa is presented. The issue is not to criticize this situation but to find a way to help visualize and amplify the positives in African-descendent communities because the positives do exist.

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Table 2: Similarities between the news about African-descendent communities and African countries African-descendent Subject African countries communities 78% of African-Brazilians 41% of South Sahara Poverty live below the poverty Africans live in extreme line12 poverty (PNUD)13 “As Minority Officials Are Caught Up in Scandals, “Abuse of power: African Corruption/misrule Some See a Conspiracy” leaders and their flying (Thomas Kaplan, The machines” (France 24)15 New York Times)14 "Afro-Colombians remain The commerce in Africa in oblivion" (Pilar Cuartas Economic exclusion represents a 3% of world Rodríguez, El trade (WTO)17 Espectador)16 "South Africa known as “Live y die in Tumaco, the the world capital of place with more murders rape. Living in the most Crime of Colombia” (Ethel criminal country in Africa Bonet, El Confidencial)18 " (Carolina Valdehíta, El Mundo)19 “Women and indigenous “1 in 5 children in Africa Low human and African-descendent do not have access to development population are the most life-saving vaccines” indexes 21 affected groups by (OMS) 12

World Directory of Minorities, 2014. Afro-Brazilians, Minority Rights Group International. https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/eoir/legacy/2014/09/29/Afro-Brazilians.pdf (Accessed 7 May 2016) 13 Valdehíta C, 2016, ‘Viviendo en el país más criminal de África’, El Mundo, 6 July, http://www.elmundo.es/internacional/2016/07/06/5773f44dca474132558b45c1.html (Accessed 7 May 2016) 14 UNDP, About sub-Saharan Africa: Africa at a turning point, http://www.africa.undp.org/content/rba/en/home/regioninfo/ (Accessed 7 May 2016) 15 Centro de Noticias ONU, 2010, La desigualdad obstaculiza desarrollo humano en América Latina y el Caribe, advierte PNUD, 26 July, http://www.un.org/spanish/News/story.asp?NewsID=18833#.V9af_nhAdU (Accessed 7 May 2016) 16 Kaplan T, 2013, ‘As Minority Officials Are Caught Up in Scandals, Some See a Conspiracy’, The New York Times, 23 June, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/28/nyregion/as-minority-officials-are-caught-up-inscandals-some-see-a-conspiracy.html (Accessed 7 May 2016) 17 WHO Regional Office for Africa, 1 in 5 children in Africa do not have access to life-saving vaccines http://www.afro.who.int/en/media-centre/afro-feature/item/7620-1-in-5-children-in-africa-do-not-haveaccess-to-life-saving-vaccines.html (Accessed 7 May 2016) 18 Jacinto L, 2016, ‘Abuse of power: African leaders and their flying machines’. France 24, 23 Apr, http://www.france24.com/en/20160422-africa-presidential-planes-power-prestige-corruption (Accessed 7 May 2016) 19 Wee D, 2016, ‘Three in four LGBTI people want to flee Jamaica due to homophobia’, Gay Star News, 22 Jan, http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/three-in-four-lgbti-people-want-to-flee-jamaica-due-tohomophobia/#gs.5CMEZdI (Accessed 7 May 2016) 6

inequality in Latin America and the 20 Caribbean” (PNUD) “Meet the LGBTI Ugandan community living in fear in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp” (Elsa Buchanan, International Business 23 Times) “South Africa: Why Is Violence On Black “Women learn Women's Bodies So prevention against Normalized On Our domestic violence” (El Screen That We Don't Pilón)24 Even Blink?” (The Daily Box)25

“Three in four LGBTI Intolerance/violence people want to flee towards other ethnic, Jamaica due to religious and sexual homophobia” (Darren minorities Wee, Gay Star News)22

Women situation

The positive reflection: the narrative of "Africa Rising", leaders, women, Afrophilanthropy and a commitment to science Mutual reflection between African-descendants outside and within Africa does not have to be always negative or always positive; it can and must be balanced.

Africa rising. In Africa, there is a new narrative known as "Africa rising" that has accompanied the regional economic growth of a 5% annual average, which has been sustained over the last 10years thanks not only to natural resources but also to the growth of the private and agricultural sectors, and the use and innovations in new technologies. This economic growth also 21

Buchanan E, 2016, ‘Meet the LGBTI Ugandan community living in fear in Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp’, International Business Times, 21 Jun, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/meet-lgbti-ugandan-communityliving-fear-kenyas-kakuma-refugee-camp-1566516 (Accessed 7 May 2016) 20 Cuartas Rodríguez P, 2012, ‘Afrocolombianos siguen en el olvido’, El Espectador, 26 Nov, http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/nacional/afrocolombianos-siguen-el-olvido-articulo-389287 22 International trade in Europe, by contrast, represents 36.8% of global trade. WTO, 2015, International Trade Statistics 2015, p.42, WTO Publications, Genevahttps://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/its2015_e/its2015_e.pdf 23 Llamas Nova A, 2016, ‘Mujeres aprenden prevención contra la violencia intrafamiliar’, El Pilón, 11 Aug, http://elpilon.com.co/mujeres-aprenden-prevencion-la-violencia-intrafamiliar/ (Accessed 15 Aug 2016) 24 Bonet E, 2016, ‘Vivir y morir en Tumaco, el lugar con más homicidios de Colombia’, El Confidencial, 8 Aug, http://www.elconfidencial.com/mundo/2016-08-08/colombia-tumaco-crimen-narcotrafico-americalatina_1242666/ (Accessed 15 Aug 2016) 25 The Daily Box Team, 2016, ‘South Africa: Why Is Violence On Black Women's Bodies So Normalized On Our Screen That We Don't Even Blink?’, The Daily Box, 7 Aug, http://allafrica.com/stories/201608081380.html (Accessed 15 Aug 2016) 7

goes hand in hand with the expansion of the middle class. Although this growth is not perfect, because it has not benefited the poorest and in some cases has led to increasing socio-economic inequalities, it has however managed to inspire improvements in governance structure in many countries and has generated new business models, alliances, and partners for Africa. Examples of these new partnerships and models of cooperation include the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the Tokyo International Conference of Africa’ Development (TICAD), the India-Africa Forum Summit, the United States-Africa Leaders Summit and the EU-Africa Summit, –which brings together political and business leaders at the highest level.

At the same time, the contribution of Africans in the Diaspora to Africa's development is also being recognized and valued. Although sub-Saharan Africa received some US $ 36, billion in international aid in 2014, remittances to Africa (south and north of the Sahara) resulted in more than US $ 40, billion that directly impact the lives of people and their opportunities.26,27 Leaders. Apart from the visibility of the 54 heads of Africans states, new crop of leaders – from the private sector, civil society, government level - are emerging and gaining greater visibility and recognition at the national, regional and global level. In Table 3, I present a few of the people who have achieved some visibility and recognition on at least two continents or have been pioneers in their fields28. As can be seen, there is a significant representation of leaders in the public sector and of US African-descendent leaders and of Anglophone countries.

Women. The representation of women in leadership positions, following the pattern of the role in communities, are reflected in their positions in the public and NGO sector. It is worth noting that in Rwanda, 64% of parliamentarians are women, the highest percentage of women parliamentarians in the world. In other African countries like Senegal, Seychelles and South Africa, there are also leaders committed to the

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Radlicki M, 2015,‘The 30m-strong Africa diaspora likely sends $160bn home every year: Where does it go?’, Mail & Guardian Africa, 2 Jun, http://mgafrica.com/article/2015-05-29-remittance-in-africa-wheredoes-it-go (Accessed 8 May 2016) 27 Anderson M, 2015, ‘Foreign aid close to record peak after donors spend $135bn in 2014’, The Guardian, 8 Apr, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/apr/08/foreign-aid-spending-2014-leastdeveloped-countries (Accessed 8 May 2016) 28 The list has many limitations because I created it based on conversations with my social and professional circle, and for those reasons there is a special representation of women, of African-descendent leaders at the UN, and English and Spanish speaking leaders. In the table I assume the visibility, positive and negative, of African heads of state and therefore I do not include them; also of cultural and sports leaders.

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empowerment of women at the political level and women account for over 40% of parliamentarians29 in these countries.

Commitment to science. Although Table 3 does not include African leaders in science, these are being promoted through initiatives such as the 'Next Einstein Forum' (NEF) led by the Beninese Thierry Zomahoun, whose purpose is to promote science and science education in Africa, as well as African scientists in order to ensure that the next Albert Einstein comes from the region.30 NEF recognizes 15 scholarship holders every year, of which at least 40% must be women. Another initiative worth mentioning is ‘Planet Earth Institute’ an international NGO working for the scientific independence of Africa.31 PEI focuses on ensuring that Africa’s technology boom can be applied for scientific development and a campaign to ensure science is at the top of the development agendas of African countries and their partners. Although the number of scientific reports produced in Africa represents only 2.4% (55,400 in 2013) of global scientific reports, the number and quality have tripled in the last decade32. To maintain and improve this level of quality and scientific growth, initiatives such as these engage in partnerships with several institutions of global prestige at the regional and international levels and count leaders at the highest levels, including from Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Macky Sall of Senegal (NEF) and President Ameenah Gurib of Mauritius (PEI) as partners in development.

Afro-philanthropy. Economic growth in Africa has been accompanied by a growth of leaders in the private sector, many of them have become billionaires. Many of these business leaders are becoming more involved in philanthropy and are creating their own foundations which extend beyond their home provinces to include national and regional work on giving.

Private sector leaders such as, Aliko Dangote from Nigeria, who is considered the richest man in Africa and one of the twenty richest people in the world, is one of the most avid job creators in his country and the region. Through his foundation, Dangote invests in the development of academic institutions and the empowerment of women. He finances the 29

Mozambique, Angola, Tanzania and Uganda are not far away. In these countries, women hold more than 35% of all parliamentary seats. Given that women hold only 19% of the seats in Congress and 20% in the US Senate. Igobhor K, Apr 2015, ‘A celebratory rise in women’s political participation’, Africa Renewal Online, http://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/april-2015/celebratory-rise-women%E2%80%99s-politicalparticipation (Accessed 7 May 2016) 30 Next Einstein Forum http://nef.org/ (Accessed 7 May 2016) 31 Planet Earth Institute http://planetearthinstitute.org.uk/ (Accessed 7 May 2016) 32 ‘Scientific research in Africa is gathering momentum’, The Economist, 9 Aug 2014, http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21611112-scientific-research-africa-gatheringmomentum-rise (Accessed 7 May 2016) 9

participation of young African leaders at global forums, and with other leaders of the African sector, has formed an alliance in the private sector for the Health of Nigeria to improve access to quality health services for all Nigerians.33 Another Nigerian, is the former banker turned philanthropist, Tony Elumelu, whose foundation has decided to invest US $ 100 million in 10,000 African entrepreneurs.34 Also noteworthy is the Sudanese billionaire Mo Ibrahim, who introduced mobile phones to Africa.35,36 Through his foundation offers the most valuable prize in the world –US$5 million over 10 years, then US $ 200,000 per year for life– to African heads of state who have contributed to the development of their countries, strengthened democratic institutions and protected citizens’ human rights. His foundation, therefore gives visibility to exceptional African leaders. Since its launch in 2009, the prize has been awarded to five African heads of state: Joachim Chisanno of Mozambique (2007), Nelson Mandela of South Africa (2007), Festus Mogae of Botswana (2008), Pedro Pires of Cape Verde (2011), Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia (2014).37 All these examples show that there are initiatives and individuals who lead transformations at all levels and in all sectors in Africa and its Diaspora. It is important that these positive examples have the same visibility and resonance as the negative ones – to inspire, promote and develop solutions in African-descendent communities in and out of Africa. Many of these leaders and African initiatives are not recognized by several Africandescendent communities. It is also the case that many of the leaders and initiatives of African-descendants in Latin America and the Caribbean are not recognized in Africa. Imagine the socio-political and economic impact if we talk more in terms of Afro-descended women leaders as opposed to African women leaders? How could this mutual recognition be facilitated?

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Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria, http://www.phn.ng/whoweare.php (Accessed 7 May 2016) Tony Elumelu Foundation, http://tonyelumelufoundation.org/ (Accessed 7 May 2016) 35 It should be noted that the penetration of mobile telephony in Africa in 2015 was over 65%, which has led to many innovations in the field of mobile payments developed by the M-PESA program of the Kenyan company Safaricom. Adepetun A, 2015, ‘Africa’s mobile phone penetration now 67%’, The Guardian, 15 Jun, http://guardian.ng/technology/africas-mobile-phone-penetration-now-67/ (Accessed 7 May 2016) 36 The World Bank, ‘Yes Africa Can: Stories from a Dynamic Continent - Mobile payments go viral: MPESA in Kenya’, http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22551641~pa gePK:146736~piPK:146830~theSitePK:258644,00.html (Accessed 7 May 2016) 37 Mo Ibrahim Foundation, http://mo.ibrahim.foundation/ (Accessed 7 May 2016) 34

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Table 3. Recognized African and African-descendent leaders Sector Name, position, African- descent /country of origin Public sector Heads of State Barak Obama, President, EEUU (2008-present) (Kenya) Nelson Mandela, President, South Africa (1994-1999) Ministers/Secretaries of State Colin Powell, Secretary of State, EEUU (2011-2005) (Jamaica) Condoleeza Rice, Secretary of State, EEUU (2005-2009) Paula Moreno, Culture Minister (2007-2010) (Colombia) Gilberto Gil, Culture Minister (2003-2008) (Brazil) Cecyle Kyenge, Integration and Cooperation Minister, Italy (2013-2014) y Member of European Parliament (2014-) (Democratic Republic of Congo) Christiane Taubira, Justice Minister, France (2012-2016) (Guyana) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Finance Minister, Nigeria (2011-2015) Deputies/Mayors Dianne Abbot, MP for Hackeney North and Stoke Newington, Labour Party (1987present) (Jamaica) Rita Bosaho, Deputy for Alicante, Podemos, EspaĂąa (2015-present) (Equatorial Guinea) David Lammy, MP for Tottenham, Labour Party, UK (2010-present) (Guyana) Kwasi Kwarteng, MP for Spelthorne, UK Conservative Party, (2010-present) (Ghana) Kate Osamor, MP for Edmonton, Labour Party, UK (2015-present) (Nigeria) Private sector/Foundations

Tidjame Thiam, CEO, Credit Suisse (Ivory Coast) Kenneth Frazer, President and CEO, Merck and Co (EEUU) Ursula Burns, President and CEO, Xerox (EEUU) Kenneth Chenault, President and CEO, American Express (2001-present) (EEUU)

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Aliko Dangote, President y CEO, Dangote Group (1977-present) (Nigeria)

Academic sector

NGOs

International regional Organizations

Foundations Koffi Appenteng, President of the Board of Directors, Ford Foundation (Ghana) Darren Walker, President, Ford Foundation (2013-present) (EEUU) Mo Ibrahim, President, Mo Ibrahim Foundation (2006-present) (Sudan) Valerie Amos, President of the School of Oriental and African Studies, London University, UK (2015-present) (Guyana) Freeman A. Hrabowski III, President, Maryland University, Baltimore County (EEUU) Gwendolyn Boyd, President, Alabama State University (EEUU) Winnie Byanyima, Executive director, Oxfam International (2013-present) (Uganda) Elhadj As Sy, General secretary, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (2014-present) (Senegal) Helen Gayle, President, CARE International (2006-present) (EEUU) Kumi Naidoo, CEO, Greenpeace (2009-2015) (South Africa) and Koffi Annan, General secretary, UN (1997-2006) (Ghana) Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) (2010-present) (Nigeria) Ertharin Causin, Executive director, United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) (2012-present) (EEUU) Carlos Lopes, Executive director, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) (2012-present) (Guinea Bissau) Phumzile Mlambo-Ngucka, Executive director, UN Women (2013-present) (South Africa) Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, President, Commission of the African Union (2012-present) (South Africa) Donald Kaberuka, President, African Development Bank (2005-2015) (Ruanda)

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The 'Africa Rising' narrative together with the visibility of African-descendent leaders have resulted in the growth of groups of Africans in the diaspora (organized by country or issue)38 to create platforms and initiatives to mobilize the diaspora and African-descendants in the development of Africa. These initiatives facilitate the mutual recognition and connection between African-descendants outside and inside Africa.

In Europe, for example, for a little more than a decade ago, one can hear the terms Afro-European39 and Afropean40, terms that have grown in visibility and are used to create platforms that give visibility to the experiences and contributions of Europeans of African descent. This visibility has led to the existence of development initiatives that involve and help the African Diaspora to create projects such as the Africa-Europe Diaspora Development Platform (ADEPT).41 The most active and long lived movements are the Afro-Latinos and of course those of the African Americans in the United States. The youngest movements are in Asia, which gradually across platforms such as associations of college students in India42 and promoting African presence and contribution in India since the sixteenth century43, are giving visibility to African-descendants.

Platforms like Africa 2.0, a pan-African network of emerging leaders of which I am a participant also operates from the diaspora and allows groups in France, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Morocco and the United Kingdom to collaborate on initiatives to promote employment and entrepreneurship among African-descendants inside and outside the continent.44 There are other similar platforms like Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance, which promotes young entrepreneurs. But, what can be done to make them more inclusive, so that their impact is felt in African-descendent communities around the world?

In 2015, the UN opened the fourth International Decade for People of African Descent, for its recognition, justice, and development, which has been approved by the 193 member states. The decade, also known as the 38

Diaspora Organisation and Initaitives, The African Leadership and Progress Network http://africanprogress.net/diaspora-organizations-2/ (Accessed 8 May 2016) 39 Afroeurope@s: cultura e identidades negras en Europa, http://afroeuropa.unileon.es/ (Accessed 8 May 2016) 40 Afrøpean: Adventures in Afro Europe, http://afropean.com/ (Accessed 8 May 2016) 41 ADEPT: Africa-Europe Diaspora Development Platform, http://www.adept-platform.org/ (Accessed 8 May 2016) 42 Association of African Students in India, https://www.facebook.com/AssociationOfAfricanStudentsInIndia/ 43 http://indianexpress.com/article/research/african-rulers-of-india-that-part-of-our-history-we-choose-toforget/ (Accessed 8 May 2016) 44 Africa 2.0 Foundation, http://www.africa2point0.org/index.php?lang=en (Accessed 8 May 2016) 13

decade of African descent, focused on people of African descent outside of Africa. The decade is also an opportunity for Africa to be highlighted for positive things. If Africa and its Diaspora are reflected, development and recognition will go hand in hand. This would result in not only 250 million Afro-descendants claiming their rights, justice, and recognition but also 1,350 million Afro-descendants also claiming the recognition of the contribution of African-descendants to global progress.

That is why a platform like AfroInnova –which offers visibility options, creates relations and helps transform the narrative between African-descendants inside and outside Africa– is pioneering and necessary. A platform like this can help us look beyond what is in front of us, to think big, to identify groups or individuals that may trigger this transformation. In doing so, we present a more balanced, more complex narrative from Africa to its diaspora and vice versa.

Conclusion: We are the ones we have been waiting for Power is the ability one has to accomplish something, based on brute force, intellectual capacity, resources (financial, networking, material, etc.). The examples I have presented here suggest that groups and individuals from the African diaspora, African-descendants in all sectors have those powers.

In order for this power to become a global power, to harness the power of these individuals and individual initiatives into a collective power, there is a need for recognition, unity and collaboration. These can help galvanize some of these collective powers into sustainable development and justice for Afro-descendants wherever they are. This will also help us seek recognition for Afro-descendants contribution to the development of humankind. United we can have a stronger and more meaningful voice.

When I asked Paula Moreno, President of Manos Visibles, what she thought was the power of Africa and her diaspora, she immediately responded “the power of Africa and her diaspora is cultural. Think about it Susana. Music, literature, sculpture, paintings, theater, gastronomy, comedy… The visibility, resonance, longevity and plasticity of the culture forms are probably among the most impactful on the whole world.” In table 3 I did not include cultural and sports leaders on purpose. I wanted to explore whether in other sectors (political, business and foundations, etc) we had a similar recognition and my argument is that we might have similar visibility that we don’t know about. Reasons for this include the fact that we have often allow culture and sports to overshadow all other sectors, simple because we just don’t know and are not curious enough. As a result, we are losing out.

Culture can be African and Afro-descendants Trojan horse and platform for recognition, justice and sustainable development.

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Africa 2.0’s slogan is "we are the ones we have been waiting for." We are at a perfect time in the world’s history – there is a strong body of research on African and Afro-descendants experience, there are meaningful and well recognised leaders both within the diaspora and in Africa across all sectors, there is economic growth on the continent, there is a meaningful push for science and innovation etc, and an opportunity to change the negative reflections between Africa and her diaspora into something positive. Let’s find out about each other, let’s work together, let’s harness the various powers of its individuals and initiatives into something sustainable, so that we can ensure that Africa and her diaspora are truly recognized and respected as new global power.

Acknowledgments Corporación Manos Visibles highlights the commitment and diligence of CEAF and University ICESI in providing the space and necessary conditions for the development of the initiative AfroInnova that was financially supported by the Spanish Cooperation Agency in Colombia. Likewise, Corporación Manos Visibles is thankful to CEAF (Centro de Estudios Afrodiaspóricos) team at Universidad ICESI for the transcription and translation of this document and Bibi Bakare-Yusuf for your excellent edition.

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diaspora@manosvisibles.org www.manosvisibles.org AV Carrera 28 N°39 Bis A-63 PBX: (57) (1) 4873188 Bogotå D.C, Colombia

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