In 2003, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was transformed into the African Union (A.U) and acquired a new mandate of fostering regional integration and sustainable socio-economic development of the continent. The new mandate focused on bringing positive impact on African citizens.

1. INTRODUCTION

“Recently, three students from Kenya were mistaken for African Americans and were brutally beaten by the New York police. Shortly after that two diplomats from Uganda were also beaten by the New York City police, who mistook them for African Americans.

The awards will honour exceptional individuals who peacefully promote and protect universally recognized rights as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Christmas has come and is long gone yet it would seem that every special interest in international development continues to play a curious version of “let’s hang our baubles on an already overloaded Millennium Development Goal Christmas tree”.

On 3 May 2013, a small piece of history was made when the African Diaspora Awards organisation [ADA] had its launch and inaugural awards event at the Intercontinental Hotel in London.

Do I start at the beginning? Do I start by asking for some clarification that we all understand what Diaspora means?

My own journey as a member of the diaspora providing business support in Africa is best understood through sketching out and providing answers to the following areas: my background with African Foundation for Development (AFFORD) , what diaspora business support means, what role the diaspora have

An Austrian statesman, Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, once remarked: ‘When France sneezes, Europe catches the cold’, referring to the 1848 revolutions which started in France and spread to other European states.

In June 2013, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, delivered a lecture [1] in London hosted by the Royal African Society.