Why This African Women’s and Youth Conference
We are
in the process of building powerful African Women’s and Youth Movements
throughout the world that will connect all African women and youth, inside and
outside of Africa. This is a very important part of the African independence
movement. An African Women’s and Youth movement is necessary to educate,
mobilize, and organize the largest number of African Women and Youth as
possible. Our vision includes collectively solving our problems to obtain proper
childcare, housing, collective kitchens, transportation, healthcare, clean
drinking water for all and employment/skills, etc. We must build a strong
infrastructure in Africa and we must be tightly organized outside of Africa.
The
African Women’s Charity Organization is proud to announce that we are organizing
an African Women’s and Youth Conference in Dakar, Senegal in West Africa on
May 27, 2007. This is going to be our second conference organized in
Africa and our 13th conference that we have organized since 2000. The
theme of this conference is “the importance of self-reliance.” The conference is
in honor of African Liberation Day.
Africa has everything that it needs to
develop into a world power. What is necessary to develop Africa is organization
and confidence (among Africans that we can build Africa). The United States is a
superpower in the world, but it was Africa (African people) that built the
United States. Let us be clear. It was African slaves that built the United
States and African people cannot be separated from Africa. So, if Africa built
the United States, certainly Africa can build Africa.
One of the biggest negative effects of
colonialism on Africa is that it left us with an inferiority complex. This is
one reason that we do not have the confidence that we can build Africa.
Colonialism and exploitation affected our consciousness in such a negative way
that it has contributed to us thinking small and being
petty.
The Strength of Being
Self-Reliant versus the Weakness of Being
Dependent
The strength of being self-reliant is
that it gives us the power to make decisions in our own
interest.
The weakness of being dependent is that
we have to do things that are in the interest of the people who gave us the aid
and most of the time these things are not in our best
interest.
The strength of being self-reliant is
that we develop our own organizational capability.
The weakness of being dependent is that
we depend on other people’s organization.
The strength of being self-reliant is
that we are taking responsibility for our own well being. The weakness of
dependence is that we give someone else the responsibility for our
well-being.
The strength of being self-reliant is
that we can change things in our best interest.
The weakness of being dependent is that
we cannot change things in our best interest.
The strength of being self-reliant is
that we take advantage of all our resources and
creativity.
The weakness of dependence is that we
waste our resources and do not develop our
creativity.
The strength of being self-reliant is
that we work hard in our own interest.
The weakness of being dependent is that
we become lazy and don’t develop good work habits.
The strength of being self-reliant is
that we gain confidence in our ability and we have
dignity.
The weakness of being dependent is that
we become beggars, feel inferior, and lose our
dignity.
The strength of being self-reliant is
that we will develop enough to solve our problems and someday even help others
solve the same problems.
The weakness of being dependent is that
we will never be able to help ourselves and therefore we could not help anyone
else.
The strength of being self-reliant is
that we can unify Africa without anyone’s
permission.
The weakness in being dependent is that
we will never unify Africa because it is in the interest of those who give us
AID, for us to remain weak and divided.
The strength of being self-reliant is
that we set an honorable example, an example that our youth can be proud
of.
The weakness of being dependent is that
it is the worst example for our youth.
The strength of being self-reliant is
that it leads us to the emancipation of women and of all of the
people.
The weakness of being dependent is that
it is a continuation of the oppression of women.
