Latest / DA CREW Podcast / SEASON 2 EPISODE _103 _ DA CREW PODCAST _HOST QUEEN MOTHER DR CHENIZRA

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SEASON 2 EPISODE _103 _ DA CREW PODCAST _HOST QUEEN MOTHER DR CHENIZRA · DA CREW Podcast

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Hey, Hey, and welcome to another episode of The Crew Podcast. I
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am your visionary Queen Angel And if you are a diva that's looking to amplify
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the blue sky, that's foot aptor so well person, All things and what
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they used? Dropping in September, book to Footprint in the Sands of Time,
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At Wings of Transformation Publishing, we are committed to helping our authors reach
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to putting you on the path to writing your book. Greetings, greetings,
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greetings, welcome you again to another live broadcast of Speaks building a new legacy.
2:54
We're really excited to continue part of our conversation, especially since persons from
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out the US observing in Chemist Day from seventeen seventy in the Virgin Islands and
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Massification Day. So we can speak of things that let it flow, you
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will, bringing that energy that lets us keep things flowing and really identifying what's
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taking place. We take a moment of reflection and silence also of the great
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words of Frederick Douglas on what is fourth of July a time and reflection.
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This is also a time in care in Americas where we are sending prayers and
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action for the most expedient efficient and with the least amount of intergenerational trauma for
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our sisters and brothers that are expansing the impact the devastation of Hurricane Thorough that
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one of the earliest Atlantic hurricanes on the record, going from a category one
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to two, to three to four up to five, causing more than ninety
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five percent damage. It's been identified as one hundred percent. This tranquility represent
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Grenada labor. Then I'm in Vincent Grenadine's surrounding areas with the significant as they
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are support for the disap share that. So hurricane season is something we experienced.
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The impactful climate change for the people believe in it needs to be acknowledged
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and we really need to get to next. Ri We've just gone beyond stay
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alive when we really need to be at next makes serious changes. If we
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anticipate being able to die, ride live. Please for those that may not
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be familiar, you'll just look at the hide from the media. Reach out
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to some of our sisters and brothers because everything will help basic accessit non perishable
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group. Just reach out to some of the embassies. We'll see. It's
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a lot happy. I just desire to share that. So tonight we're going
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to step it up to a conversation that we were having with one of our
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illustrious sisters across even further than just the Caribbean listeners and viewers that are hearing
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us from the Virgin Islands. Here in the Isle of Saint Croid, the
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cultural capital of the Virgin Islands, which, by the way, at this
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particular time live carnival activities correction festival activities are happening in our sister island of
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Saint John. This is the time of their annual parades, celebrations, pageantry,
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culinary arts, concerts, par excellence. So we're also sharing that type
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of information and energy because here on us speaks building a new legacy. We
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like to offer trans cultural information. So who is joining me this evening is
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none other than Nana, Sister Queen Grace Avina James, and she served as
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the chair of the sixth Region Tanzania Organization. I think it's really important that
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we take a minute to just welcome her because she is up at some ridiculous
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hour in the morning joining us from Tanzania. Greetings Nana, greetings, Yes,
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it's three am for me, okay, So we'll just we'll treat it
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like you're in the line with us at festival. We'll try to look at
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it like that. We know you early. Now, thank you so much
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for joining us and being able to highlights different things. Well, last time
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we were like going through all of the portions, you had just had a
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very significant convening on what was acknowledged Juneteenth on this side of the Atlantic,
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and you were hosting the right to return conference and was a significant panel of
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representation from Africa, Europe, Caribbean Central. I mean you had a little
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bit of everyone. It was a real Luobal experience in exchange. And this
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evening part of what I would like our listeners to just be aware of how
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we're moving this evening, so that we can have some of the contexts,
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because it's a lot to cople in a relatively short amount of time. And
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I shouldn't say it's short, it's just that we're doing our best to make
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sure that we give like the cogent points, like the key points. So
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we'd like to be able to look at some things in regard to what is
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the sixth region, so the person's recognize when we're speaking of this sixth region
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for those that aren'test familiar, just the concise definition of that. And then
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we're going to move into some of the focus of what made you and your
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family choose to repatriate, to actually return to Africa and make that your home
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while still engaging with your family on this side of the Atlantic. And then
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we'd like you to share when people use that prick it's right to return,
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what does that mean? And then any links for persons that are interested in
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either travel with patriation other forms of eco tourism, cultural tourism, historical tourism,
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economic tourism. Make sure I highlight that that it's available. And then
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as time permits, we'd like to also incorporate, you know, what is
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the role of some of these international organizations, whether it's the Sixth Region and
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of itself, the African Union, their actual Commission, and the other agencies
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that are supportive of seeing how important the African global diaspora community is. I
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think that'll give us enough to talk about for the evening. What do you
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say, yes, yes, I think so. All right, so let
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us start at the beginning of just giving our viewers and listeners an idea,
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a concise idea of what the sixth Region. Okay, yes, First of
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all, I just want to say thank you so much again for including us
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in this space and for giving us the opportunity to really share what we're doing,
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where we are and what's going on. First and secondly, I want
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to also give thanks that you are doing okay and that this hurricane that just
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went through is still going through, did not wipe out. Let me just
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say, or the damage you know, is it still had left to damage,
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but it wasn't as bad as it could have been or other times.
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So you know, even my family that's left in Jamaica. You know,
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I'm really just want to say I give thanks that you guys are doing okay,
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yes, and so all right, so for myself and you know,
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for those who may not have been around the other two times that I've been
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here with you. I'm originally from Jamaica and I'm currently domicile in Tanzania in
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Darsalam and that I am the chair person for the Six Region African Diaspora Alliance
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in Tanzania, and that's an organization that was created. It started out with
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just individuals from different places coming to Tanzania around twenty twenty and you know,
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some of us really seeing that others like myself, I had already been living
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in East Africa in Kenya, but some people were just coming to Africa for
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the first time, some for the first time in East Africa, and there
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were challenges because it's different, you know, from your life in America or
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the Caribbean or even in Ghana, which some people were familiar with Ghana,
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and so it was recommended that we form an organization so that we can then
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approach different bodies, whether organizations or departments of government, when we have an
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issue, we need to be heard, and so we did create this organization.
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So it's an organization for and by the historic diaspora who are living in
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Tanzania. But we alliance, we are prepared and and do work with other
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organizations in in on the continent. And so that's what I'm doing. I
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was gonna say that's my day job, but that is a it's ob sid
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mm hmm. Yeah. I I am also the CEO for a software development
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company. My husband's a software architect, and we have we created an organization
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a company and we provide software development services. We create applications, enterprise level
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applications, and we do that from here, right. So but make sure
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to put that website in the chat though. It's important person. You know,
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we're talking about all of this what people may think is fluffy, fluffy,
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feel good stuff, but we're talking about fluffy, feel good stuff that's
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connected. Tom. Yeah, the business development of livtment because it's for us.
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It's that's how when we say holistic, we're speaking of it in that
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context. So thank you for sharing that m Yes, you're welcome. And
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so you know, just from growing up in Jamaica and many of us,
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especially from the Caribbean, know that. You know, so many of the
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reggae songs and other songs would talk about repatriation. And my personally, my
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family has had links with Africa indirectly. And so she's three. So yeah,
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thirty two years ago, I just really got into the Pan African mindset,
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I would say, and then work when in Toronto there was and I'm
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bringing you this this up for a reason. I'll show you how it's so
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relevant today. And I didn't even realize the connection, right, So,
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yeah, you know, we would all talk about back to Africa. Yes
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we know about Africa and whatever. But it's when at my five year old
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at the time in Toronto came from school one day crying that she doesn't I
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don't want to be black, mom, I'm not black. And I panicked.
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Yes, something happened mm hmm, because in my mind, I know,
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in her five year old mind, she's talking about color. But however
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this was presented to her. It was presented to her in a negative way
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for her not wanting to be that. Yeah, and so I won't go
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into the story, but my husband and I we have to do something.
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So we went to a black bookstore downtown Toronto and we said, we're going
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to get all of the books that represents us and our people positively, and
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those will be the books that will be in the house. So that's how
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I really started. At the bookstore, they had a flyer about an exhibit
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about Africa at the Royal Inaria Museum, and so we went to the museum.
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I'm like, oh, this is great, and we went there and
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found out there are people protests in the exhibit because it was it has had
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a lot of negative how it started. It was a really negative name,
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and the black community in Toronto were opposing that. So we went inside and
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after about I would say fifteen minutes inside I saw why because there were pictures
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with African women washing and a white woman standing over them and it says teaching
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the natives how to wash, and yes, yes, and there were others
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that we just couldn't even go through it. I'm like, this is not
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going to help what I'm coming here to do. So we left and instead
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of just walking away, we joined the protest because we saw that no,
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this is not okay, right, and so we started a protest and eventually
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the museum had to close the exhibit because it refused to redo it. And
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it was supposed to be a traveling exhibit and it never went anywhere, and
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so, you know, there's different steps. And I went to we went
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to Ghana thirty years ago for the first time, and I saw the connection
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with Africa, with Jamaica, and I said, this is definitely where we're
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from, and this is what I want to come back to. And so
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that desire was in us for a while until over twelve years ago when we
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said, okay, the children are I've graduated university and so we can go
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now. And we went. First we were living in Ganda for a short
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time and in Ethiopia. With those two places, it was hard to run
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us off for development business, and so we moved to Kenya. And then
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at twenty twenty, you know, the world issues that were going on around
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the world opened up a way for us to be here in Tanzania, and
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so I started helping people to to navigate, you know, being here,
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especially with the immigration issues, because some people didn't know that when us as
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African descendants get off the plane and land in Africa. We're treated as and
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regarded as foreigners, tourists. Those were the options that were available to us,
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and it does not adequately represent who we are. And then some of
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us were coming and not visiting, not touring, but we are repatriating.
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But many of the countries don't have that capacity, don't have any process in
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their immigration system that would accommodate for us moving back to live here. So
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a lot of people found themselves having to leave the country in three months and
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then come back again, and then trying to find ways to get sup sidency
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resident permits, and it's a lot and so our organization helps people to to
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get themselves, their their lives, their personal situation ready to come to Africa.
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If you come in to live, and if you're coming to visit too,
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that's great. There are tour companies that we've aligned ourselves with that you
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can do that, but us, you know, will help you to prep
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to come no matter where you're coming from, if it's Europe, the Caribbean,
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or the US, and get here. And during that process and navigating
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that system, I started to learn a lot about just the I found out
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about the African Union and it's designation of African descendants outside the continent as the
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sixth region. And so Africa is the divided categorized as five categories economic categories.
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Like echo was, we're in East Africa, so we're in the EAC.
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And so just looking at whether those that voluntarily left and are in various
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places in the world or us the sendants of those who were forcibly taken away,
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that we do have economic power. We are in many spaces doing things
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around the world, creating, building and being and we can contribute to Africa.
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And so the African Union after that was in one of the ministerial meetings,
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it was pointed out, now listen tap into us, because many of
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us want to come back home. And so they created the sixth region and
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it is the UH it come. It is the sixth region is all of
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the African descendants that are outside the continent. Now, the the experience in
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engaging with us shows that okay, those who voluntarily left have certain things that
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just made the category. The category made it better in terms of interacting with
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to categorize that sixth region. And so it was we didn't choose these words,
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but this was by the African unions. So you have the contemporary that
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are those who voluntarily left, you know, even if it's for refugee reason,
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but who know which where they're from, who probably speak the language even
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you know, uh, carry some of the culture with them. Those are
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contemporary diaspora. And then us they the descendants of those who were forcibly taken
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away. Are was categorized as a historic diaspora. Now now some of the
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country, so the persons are clear because that was a bit. So there's
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the African diaspora that are those persons born in the continent and are residing outside
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the continent and may return. And then there are the historic diaspora, which
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are those not born in the twelve million square miles of the African continent but
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have returned to the Okay, thank you for that clarity. Yes, and
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let me just edit what you just said. It covers those living outside the
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continent, no matter what you citizenships. So at the time when it was
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creating, yes, it was not even referring to me because I'm now residing
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here, but more like you who right, who is currently outside? Right?
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Right? Because in the largest sense, it expects those who know which
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country they're from or you know, still have their connection to be able to
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return. They're they're going back and forth. But the emphasis was on those
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on the outside who are living outside, yeah, whether by choice or by
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force. So uh, like myself, for example, we put we we
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introduced another uh, smaller categorization in the historic because even though we're living on
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the continent right now, we are we're still part of the historic because many
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of us don't know a tribe and can't say we're from this tribe in this
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country, you know what I mean. Even Tanzania for instance, and I'm
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trying to move to where we are today. Tanzany for instance, for instance,
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just redid their diaspora policy, revised their diaspora policy and had to make
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some changes to how it interacts and how it sees its diaspora. So from
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two thousand and one, when this whole thing started with the six Region and
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the African Union acknowledging us and saying we are invited to come and to build
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the African Union and Africa, right, the experience that the historic diaspora who
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have now repatriated and are in various places on the continent is a little different.
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And so you know, who are we are we still part of the
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sixth region or are we now a part of whichever of the five regions that
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we're currently living in. But many of the current African countries, you know,
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let's just say the land issue for instance, it's a common one and
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an easy one to show. So Tanzania in its its constitution only allows a
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Tanzanian to own land, right, so you know, you you you can
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now see how even though we're back now, we're still based on some of
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the laws, regarded as still outsiders. Yet regardless if I've been here five
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years or ten years, and so I could be here. I know people
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who have been here for forty forty years. Some in Tanzania have been here
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for over thirty five years and are still not citizen and still regarded as a
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foreigner when there's fluent in Swahili, know the culture and live that way,
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you know. So yeah, and so we've had to now start working more
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actively on the African Union's designation, right because you know, after a certain
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amount of years are here now, you know, and certain things should really
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apply to us as residents of some of these countries. So in engaging the
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member state, the various member states in the countries I've lived and also working
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on African different African Union initiatives, I came across the right to return and
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it's part of the United Nations Declaration Article thirteen, fourteen and fifteen, which
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focuses on the movement of people, and so it says, as part of
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the one of the human rights that we have is to be able to move
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from one country to an next if we choose, we can leave where we're
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born and come back to it. We can also where we regard home,
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come from someplace else and come to a place that where we might be foreign
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to. We might be coming there for the first time, but we regard
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it as home. And so I found out that this is a UN declaration
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and all of the countries who are consider themselves a part of the United Nations.
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Our signature is to this. And then I found out that many of
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the Member states don't even think about this. And then when I look at
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African Union Charter, I think it's part of the twelve. It does talk
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about that we have the right to move to another place and become part of
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that society. And then some of the Member states who in creating their constitution
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did use a lot of what they saw in the African Union Charter and also
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in the in the Yuan Declaration of Human Rights, and through that is where
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the Member States does say that we have the freedom of movement. So so
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hence I realized that, hold on a second, who knows about the right
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to return in general, you know, across the world, and who are
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using it? And I found a few countries that do. One it was
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just you know, being a part of the human family, they do acknowledge
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this. And so if you're born in let's say in the US, and
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you you know, uh, and your grandparents sometimes it's not just your parents,
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but grandparents, and you know, one day I want to go back
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to this place that they've always talked about. Are able to just get on
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a plane. Let's say go to Israel and say, listen, I am
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from this culture even though me and my mother and grandmother was born in the
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US, and I want to move here, and the country, the laws,
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the departments of governments help you to do this right. And there's also
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countries that may have had some kind of whether it's civil war or tribal wars,
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that forced some of their citizens to have to leave after the war's done
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and people are resettling, they have a right based on the government, to
31:53
return, no matter how long they were outside and what they were doing,
31:56
and even if they became citizens that place that they were living because they had
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to forcibly leave their home, they have a right to return, to come
32:07
back to that place and to be assisted by the government to reintegrate. And
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so hence why that became a passion of mine and a passion I will I
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will say that, but also just an acknowledgment of there is there are things
32:27
that is in place already that should allow us who are from the various places
32:35
in the world, especially the historic asborg to come to just come to Africa,
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pick a place, and you know, I think one of the constitutions
32:45
are one of the the resolution says a lot abiding citizen. So yeah,
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you can easily find out what the constitution of the country is, what the
32:54
law is, and live by that. Once you're doing that, you're fine.
32:58
You know, should be allowed. And so that started me on that
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path and any organization that I end up being a part of, that is
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something that I carol with me because right now we are still regarded as foreigners
33:15
by immigration law. By regular law, by even just the children that attend
33:22
that school across the street. I don't speak so heally. My grandmother wasn't
33:28
born here, and so I'm still regarded as one and that is something that
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it really has to change because it prevents a lot from happening. You know,
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we're coming with our skills, with whatever little money we've saved up or
33:45
are still earning, from where we're coming from. And you know, we're
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contributing to from the man selling a water coconut down the road to you know,
34:00
to participating in huge institutions and with our you know, our skill sets
34:07
and things like that. And I see you thank you so much because I'm
34:13
talking on my hands. I that's why, you know, that's we're having
34:20
you here because I think it's really critical for persons for you to speak freely.
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And I can put up the sites and the links and so forth so
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that our viewers and listeners can know that we're not speaking guest of this is
34:37
well researched. I think it's important that since people are in that frame,
34:42
you know, here in the Virgin Islands, it's all around emancipation. We
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just finished the highlight of our Virgin Islands Freedom Week, which is from June
34:51
twenty sixth to July third, with July third this year being one hundred and
34:54
seventy six years since emancipation in eighteen forty eight from enslavement, and a number
35:01
of things have shifted, of course in our favor as persons are experiencing what
35:07
freness, freedom, self determination, independence. All of that means it's important
35:13
that we speak about this right to return and then take it right back actually
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to what nineteen forty eight was the centennial anniversary of the Virgin Islands emancipation,
35:24
but it was the opening of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and persons
35:30
forget that document very frequently, so that right to return language is actually enshrined
35:38
inside of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. So I'm hosting that site so
35:44
that persons can go to the United Nations site get an opportunity to just review.
35:50
I mean, it's a declaration that persons tend to overlook. If we
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were to have just continued to do what was put in place in nineteen forty
35:58
eight world work too, we might not have had a succession of other many
36:05
World War I can't see to say many, but a multiplicity of different elements
36:08
of work, and this return would not only apply to like one or two
36:15
nations or select shouldn't be selective. It's the right is for all humans to
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be able to have their human rights exercised positively, right, and especially those
36:30
indigenous ancestral African sisters and brothers that we have a legacy of returning, We
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have a legacy of contributing to different places where and this is different in this
36:45
time. And I'm glad that you brought up the part of what you know
36:49
has transpired in terms of contributing, whether it's documented or not, you know
36:54
the fact that persons are there, some of them fluent in the language,
36:59
they're children, are being raised in these spaces, and they're still seen as
37:04
foreigners or outsiders. But in actual it shouldn't just be that those that are
37:09
returning, especially under the vestiges of the former enslavement institutions and colonization, that
37:16
we're still struggling through to return them and then be seen like you don't belong,
37:23
because that is a nomadic conversation, and we can see that other nations,
37:30
other entities, other ethnic groups are able to go to places and space
37:39
secure land, maintain support and resources from other countries, and we'll just leave
37:46
that conversation for that moment so that we can continue to our peace on you
37:52
know, we come with the right to return. I know that that was
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the focus of your recent thank you that was hosted on June nineteenth, which
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I thought was really a positive. I think it was intentional. I'm sure
38:07
for it to happen on Juneteenth, because this side of the Atlantic and the
38:13
US was focusing on Juneteenth, and June teen's has become more than just Texas.
38:17
Juneteenth is a national, yeah, national, but it's also now moving
38:23
regional because persons outside of the fourty eight contiguous US, outside of US colonial
38:31
spaces like Wam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, are now observing or having
38:40
you know, because you know, once it's in Walmart economically driven, there's
38:47
another cob right so big, you know, but I think that that's something
38:53
that has happened. You know, you have various parts of the Caribbean,
38:59
because it's also at the center of what is nationally observed as Caribbean American heritage
39:05
Monel so connecting to a lot of different elements in the region. And then
39:13
people even in Africa are you know, not only dies foreign Africans, but
39:16
Africans. Let me make sure I say this clearly, Africans in the continent,
39:22
whether born there or not, are also having that alliance and that connectivity,
39:27
which you take a similar story are they're not being treated like they're free.
39:34
So what that's that happened in the eighteen sixties. Right now twenty four
39:39
people are returning to their ancient plans as that is foreign Africans and not being
39:47
welcome. So that gives an opportunity to really encourage with the widow and the
39:55
skills, talents and expertise of all of those members of the African Union,
40:00
the African Union ZITO, the African Union ECO, SOAC. I'll say I
40:05
said it to open up all these different articles that have been pending. You
40:12
know, this year is the twentieth anniversary not of the African Union's ECOSOC as
40:16
a body, you know, dealing with economics, social affairs, and cultural
40:22
affairs that their council. And it's also I mean they're doing this in July.
40:29
In September, it's going to be the twentieth anniversary of the Caribbean Pan
40:32
African Network, which actually works within the African Union through community and all of
40:40
its differentities. And so this gives us an opportunity to really expand on these
40:45
things of the right to return, pacreation, citizenship, land acquisition, development,
40:53
et cetera, repatry of the other a, restitution and reparations. And
41:00
when I say reparations for those that get nervous, we're not looking for a
41:02
check. We're not looking for that's nice, But we're of intergenerational wealth,
41:10
development and resources. Yeah, just yes, thank you, yeah, thank
41:20
you. You slid all of those things in and yes, you know,
41:25
I don't know. Maybe this conversation is such a big topic and it has
41:32
so many things underneath it, and I'll just I see twenty minutes. So
41:38
I'm going to try my best to yes too, to highlight some points.
41:46
Now fast forward to now I've seen we've seen recently where some of the members
41:54
stays again, because in twenty twenty a lot of people had started to move
42:02
to the continent for many different reasons. But I think there was this one
42:07
thing that really those who were trying to or planing to said, okay,
42:14
I'm going now one of the I think I would say within the first five
42:22
persons that I met in twenty twenty when we my husband and I were in
42:29
the US and we couldn't get back home to Kenya because all the borders were
42:34
closed. So US knowing Tanzania, we said, okay, let's wait in
42:39
Tanzania because their airport had just reopened. And so we said, let's come
42:47
to Tanzania and wait because we're just next door. Yeah, And during that
42:55
we came in March. So by June. Some of the people I have
43:00
met were one sister and who actually was part of the organizing body for this
43:09
organization, the Six regioncies, and she was she had quit her job in
43:19
the US. Her company had an office in South Africa, and she was
43:23
planning to just do a transition to Essay and continue with the company, but
43:31
they their borders were closed as well, so she decided, let me just
43:34
wait intense and let me be on this land mass so that when all of
43:38
the borders are open, it's an easier trip to South Africa. Right.
43:43
One sister and I met, she was actually on her way to Ghana,
43:45
sold her house, packed up everything and was moving to Ghana with her son.
43:51
And again I said sun emphasis for another reason, and Ghana had closed
43:57
their borders. She was in the plane on them when the yeah, the
44:02
information came down. We're only allowing Ghanaian citizens to come, so if you're
44:10
not Ghanaean, please exit the aircraft. She had to get off the plane
44:15
and she waited in the US for a month and then said I got to
44:20
get off, get on Africa somewhere, and she came to Tencimia. So
44:23
it's situations like those, yes, So her initial thought was to also be
44:30
here and wait till Ghana open up, because she had been to Ghana one
44:34
time, you know, with the year of return and all of that,
44:37
and so she was going to go back. And one of the things I
44:40
found out after looking at the demographics within the first year of people who were
44:45
repatriating, it was a lot of families with mostly male children, and uh
44:52
huh. Even a personal friend of mine who he's eighteen now I knew,
45:00
met them when he was three. So fifteen years ago I met her in
45:04
La and we kept in touch and then she just sent me a message,
45:07
I meeting the US with my sons. She has two, and she came
45:12
and what had happened to George Floyd had a lot of and what was going
45:20
on in the US at the time and still does. A lot of families
45:27
or women, single parent women were taking their sons out of the US because
45:30
of what was going on, right and just coming to Africa for that reason,
45:36
others for economic reasons, others for like myself even been here for is
45:45
that I recognize that Africa is the home of my forefathers, and my intention
45:53
is to bring my skills and experience to contribute, you know, to the
46:00
to the building of this place. And so you know, I would I
46:04
had I was more flexible than those other other ones, but they would be
46:08
some of the people we we we had to represent and and help to navigate
46:14
the system. Yeah. So as an example, Tanzania is not a dual
46:20
citizenship country and so it only recognized those with Tanzanian passport. And let's say
46:28
Ghana for instance, UH for for instance is Kenya they UH have dual citizenship.
46:36
So and so some healthy efforts that falls under the right to return some
46:45
of the initiatives or the work is for countries to give us citizenship. When
46:50
we come, we declare that we belong here, and so people should come
46:55
we you know, and when they come, right, So doing that granting
47:04
citizenship, especially if it's not written in the constitution, is difficult more difficult
47:08
for member states to do. So you're talking about adding something new to the
47:14
constitution, and that's you know, getting the input of the population, the
47:17
citizenry go through the legislation and it's a lot of words to change the constitution.
47:24
And we saw that and know also that some countries outside of Africa,
47:30
if you change your citizenship, whether acquire another citizenship or give up that one,
47:39
you lose your benefits. So whether it's social security or retirement, some
47:47
people, let's say in Tanzania, don't want to become a citizen of Tanzania
47:52
because it means that they would lose what they have invested in, whether it's
47:57
Europe or the US. Yes, so you know this is these are part
48:06
of the information sheet for persons that overlook what happens with benefits, what happens
48:12
with insurances, what happens with foreign texts or whatever. Pieces navigate so that
48:19
when you're coming, you're coming with full preparation and not adding more stress and
48:23
tens. Of course it will be acting anxieties operated a little differently so that
48:30
there were these how shall I say, we tend to do economic development programs
48:36
and policies for investors. Mm hm, Yes, And I think there needs
48:44
to be a revisitation. So it's not just the investment of liquid capital.
48:51
It should be the investment of social and human capital well, because that has
48:58
and you know, it seemed to work very well a few centuries. And
49:02
I think it's a good time for the healing of those relations to incorporate that
49:08
return, that rights return with some teeth. And it should not take us
49:15
another century. You should take us another score. It's definitely a decade to
49:23
be able to do that. So yes, please, I think you're bringing
49:30
home. And so you know again, I've been on the continent since twenty
49:37
ten, and I've lived in four different countries and visited a lot more and
49:43
realized that those who have returned on our domicile, that many of the countries
49:51
do not have anything in place that will allow that transition for us to come
49:57
and to be and integrate and part dissipate. They don't have anything in place.
50:02
So you know, we we, yes, we chose the nineteenth We
50:10
realized that, you know what, we need to reach out to more countries
50:15
on the continent and more people internationally, and so we decided to hold a
50:22
symposium that is going to now share with people our status and what we're talking
50:32
about, right and so I partnered with Judge Peter Herbert, who is a
50:42
historic diaspora He's a retired UK judge and has is now domicile in Kenya and
50:51
his focus and a lot of his work has been on restitution, and so
50:58
he has been working with the Kenyan government and a lot of the ethnic groups
51:04
to help to bring their artifacts and human remains that are in the UK and
51:10
are in especially Germany when you're talking about Tanzania and East Africa back to the
51:16
ethnic groups where these artifacts belong. Because you have some people who really feel
51:22
that one of the reasons that we are moving so slow with our development and
51:29
growth is because there were some things that were of cultural and spiritual significance that
51:36
was removed from them and it's still outside and so they're almost feeling disjointed in
51:42
a way. So we came together to put on this symposium and the focus
51:47
was the right to return of the people back to Africa and the restitution of
51:54
the artifacts in human remains to the various countries that they belong and so for
52:00
the right to return portion. We were blessed to have doctor June Sohmer,
52:09
the chair for the Permanent Forum for People of African Descent, as our guest
52:16
speaker, and she really gave me so much joy when she did say that
52:25
we are a part of the objectives of that organization and she will be including
52:36
the writer return and what it means for some of the things that we need
52:40
in place to now be able to accept and and act the invitation of the
52:47
African Union if not again, even in my family when my great great grandmother
52:57
said I am from Africa, and any one of you my children that can
53:00
go, that should go. You know, her children couldn't go, but
53:04
we're looking at a great grand who has done that. So whether it's you
53:08
know what I'm saying, personal reasons or this accepting that these things should be
53:15
in place. And so one of the main things that we have been highlighting
53:22
in our work is residency permits or visas, because that gives us to those
53:29
who still want to be a citizen of where they're coming from. That's fine,
53:34
but we have now some rights being on the continent, working, sharing,
53:40
helping, you know what I'm saying, If we're not going to be.
53:45
We can't be. If we can't be or choose not to be citizens,
53:50
we're still residents. We're still here, and so some of the rights
53:53
that they would give their member state diaspora would should really apply to us too.
54:01
And so that's been some of the work. So we have decided to
54:07
work with the various ministry of Foreign Affairs because that's where we connect as foreigners,
54:15
and then through that advocate for some amendments to the immigration law so we
54:24
can get stuff in place without having to go through all of the work of
54:27
the constitution. Right, Ministry of Right, Ministry of Labor can make adjustment,
54:32
immigration can make some adjustments. It's just a different category from we're not
54:37
a foreigner, right, you know, we're not an investor because whatever money
54:43
need we make here is going to stay here, right, And so creating
54:47
that category where we fit in and then just help us to work with you,
54:53
shoulder to shoulder, to build and to grow and to help the countries
54:59
where we are to develop. So we also had invited Cara Com and Ecosoft
55:05
to participate. However they did not they declined it to but we still had
55:15
those discussions and on this side. It was just wonderful having the Ministry of
55:21
Foreign Affairs participate and they told us about the changes that they made for their
55:29
diaspora. So they the diaspora had ten requests and they were able to grant
55:37
eight of them and two would need to go through some the parliament to parliamentary
55:45
discussions and all of that. And I'll just tell you real quick. One
55:49
of the things that they pass, which it was for their diaspora, but
55:52
we benefit is for those with just the resident permit to be able to open
55:59
a bank account, because some countries, if you're not a resident, legal
56:04
resident or a citizen, you cannot open a bank account. It's not like
56:07
the fire where they give you a chip and you could put it in your
56:10
phone and create accounts and so forth. Correct mm hmm. So that's one
56:16
of the things that okay, they did for their diaspora, but we're benefiting.
56:21
And so now what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said to us is that
56:24
listen, we see you, we hear you, we understand and now that
56:30
we've worked on doing these things for our diaspora, right who are considered part
56:39
of the sixth Region, we acknowledge and recognize that you are the other part
56:44
of the six region and so next year we'll be working on some amendments that
56:51
will benefit your sector. So out of this conference, this symposium we had
56:57
that was those two things, was just really amazing to hear that we do
57:02
have the support and the promise to work with, you know, from both
57:10
the Permanent Forum for People of African Descent and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Diaspora
57:19
Desk. So now I'm going forward actually directly working with other members, says
57:24
today. I just had a conversation with those in Uganda, a large group
57:31
of people from the Caribbean, and I'm telling them, Okay, you guys
57:36
have been there struggling just like us. This is how we're going to go
57:38
forward now. So the path that we've just experienced, I know works.
57:45
And so now I'm working with other countries where the historic diaspora are to work
57:52
out and work with their ministry which will help them to present our needs to
58:00
their member states. Beautiful. So we did a lot. So for those
58:07
that are listening, you've been listening to us Speaks building in new legacy with
58:13
our feature returning guests. We keep this up, my my co host,
58:19
we keep this up, Sister Queen Nana Abana Grace James of the sixth Region
58:28
a lot. Yeah, it's a long name right, sixth Region African Diaspora
58:35
Alliance, so we just go six Region TZ there you see that one,
58:40
so that that way persons know that that it is an alliance, that it
58:44
is part of the African Asporta. They're based in Tanzania, Tanzania, and
58:50
I think it's important. Thank you so much in your capacity as chair as
58:53
in your capacity as an entrepreneur doing so much around technology. Thank you for
58:59
sharing with us about martech dot com is the other things that the sixth Region
59:05
African bast Bora Online in Tanzania is involved in the connections. I would like
59:09
to make sure that I highlight that there are things coming up in Ghana later
59:15
this month. I know that you were also invited by members of the African
59:20
Union ECOSOCK and different entities to present in Ghana. So I hope that that
59:25
manifests so that you know there is always that resourceful support for you to be
59:31
able to represent, because you would be able to give voice to some issues
59:36
that not be covered as as proficiently as it should. I also wanted to
59:43
highlight for those that are listening, please look in the chat for some of
59:45
the links that would give some information for you about some of the things that
59:50
were discussed tonight. That's what we try to be able to provide information and
59:52
give links that support that. There's also when you were talking about repatriation of
59:58
artifacts, and what I like to refer to I'm learning to refer to as
1:00:02
our ancestral belongings is that in the Pocomo country, you know, be honorable
1:00:09
His Royal majesty, doctor King correction, doctor Makarani Munga say, the seventh
1:00:15
of the Pocomo nation community. They have been able to reconnect with their ancestral
1:00:22
and gaji that was stripped by the British from their ancestral homelands of the Pocomo
1:00:29
community over one hundred and fifteen years ago. So there's a lot at least
1:00:32
for this was the first time he as a king was able to actually see
1:00:37
it, even though it's in a vault inside of the British Museum's collection.
1:00:43
I think it's important that you know, and this is a sacred belonging.
1:00:49
So I just want people to understand there's things that are happening so that you
1:00:52
can see. And there's other things happening in Nigeria, Kenya, Cha Chad,
1:00:59
stenical that's going on in the African continent that's tied to things that are
1:01:02
happening in the forty eight contiguous US as well as the Caribbean, America's specific
1:01:08
aisles, all of that. So I don't wish for people to take that
1:01:12
we're forgetting anyone. We have definitely exhausted our time, so I will just
1:01:15
ask you for your last thirty second work. Please anything you'd like to share,
1:01:22
yes, please go to our website, reach out to us to get
1:01:25
more information. We're domicide in Tanzany, but we're not just here. We're
1:01:31
working on getting the various forms of the right to return to be implemented by
1:01:39
all of the Member states so that anywhere on the continent we want to move
1:01:45
to, we can do that and have a better, less expensive process for
1:01:51
us to be a part and return home beautiful. Thank you so much,
1:01:58
sister Queen Grades, I mean James of the sixth regiin I gotta say sixth
1:02:07
regions eas but make sure people notice is all part of the African dives for
1:02:12
this whole conversation. It's been about that and again encouraging people keep your spirits
1:02:17
up around independence, keep your spirits up around emancipation and freedom and self de
1:02:22
Germany, all these things, speaking of repatriation, restitution, reparations, these
1:02:30
are intertwined. It's a holistic opportunity because remember, culture feels humanity learned is
1:02:35
our foundation and spiritual harmony unifies us. So we're encouraging persons to really do
1:02:39
your part, to be able to share your voice, your actionable deliverables,
1:02:45
but most importantly be a part of building a new legacy. And with that,
1:02:51
we're encouraging brothers and sisters, you know, learn as much as you
1:02:53
can, share what you know is part of your vision, and just stay
1:02:59
tuned because we have a lot we want to here, and just keep sharing,
1:03:02
keep sharing it. Thank you, my sister, thank you so much
1:03:07
for all your support. Always we dislike to encourage. Now we understand how
1:03:15
they pushed down and shop people who into the dimly lit carders of their history
1:03:23
book. But we know the truth how we've searched down a load to lift
1:03:29
our minds out for Europe. Some still don't understand how much strength and will
1:03:36
power it too. To get from and uh there's spell prop and know them
1:03:49
one how we sprouded me that shekisn we boom by We let them know we
1:03:57
were our fun. But we found our mother being re united with our lost
1:04:01
sisters and brother. African stretches brought their hands to her protay with sons and
1:04:06
daughter gattered across the water in this great disaster with the klim that was parted
1:04:18
by the thirty rotons, thinking how you won't stay the world. But they
1:04:24
tried to kill every last semblance of African spirit hand skin, But destiny must
1:04:30
handfold prophecy must fulfilled emancipationism amounting it's our real sleeping and to get to the
1:04:36
top of the is at Jadine. That's why from town to Cayro, Brazil,
1:04:47
no matter where we were taken, we are Afrikan skin and we with
1:04:56
he yield those emotional scars and be with reclaim everything that's ours and we will
1:05:05
retain complience amongst the stars and we will redeem our ancest s. Yes that
1:05:15
part, that part, so it's it's always a joint of privilege. We
1:05:19
definitely give thanks for your sister Queen and to our viewers and listeners Thank you
1:05:23
for tuning in to our speaks, building a new legacy. We look forward
1:05:29
to our next broadcast first encouraging, thank you,