SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS IN MESSAGE FOR WORLD REFUGEE DAY

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for World Refugee Day, to be observed on 20 June:

On this observance of World Refugee Day, we must note a troubling trend: the decline in the number of refugees who are able to go home.

In 2005, more than a million people returned to their own countries on a voluntary basis.  Last year, only 250,000 did so — the lowest number in two decades.  The reasons for this include prolonged instability in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Southern Sudan.

The theme of this year’s observance — “Home” — highlights the plight of the world’s 15 million refugees, more than three quarters of them in the developing world, who have been uprooted from their homes by conflict or persecution.  For many refugees today, rapid urbanization means that home is not a crowded camp run by an international humanitarian organization, but a makeshift shelter in a shantytown, outside a city in the developing world.

As these cities continue to experience spectacular growth, refugees are among their most vulnerable residents.  They must struggle for the most basic services: sanitation, health and education.  The impact of the global financial and economic crisis only increases the threat of marginalization and destitution.

We in the humanitarian community must adapt our policies to this changing profile of need.  This means working closely with host Governments to deliver services, and intensifying our efforts to resolve conflicts so that refugees can return home.

On World Refugee Day, let us reaffirm the importance of solidarity and burden-sharing by the international community.  Refugees have been deprived of their homes, but they must not be deprived of their futures.

Welcome to the official blog site for WORLD AFRICAN CONGRESS (WAFCO or WORLD AFRICAN). It is a social activist organization set up to protect the social, financial, economic, psychological and political interests and the well being of people of African origin and ancestry globally.

STATUS

WAFCO (or WORLD AFRICAN) is not yet in business, operational or engaged in any activities. It would take 5 yrs of hard work to properly set up WAFCO for it to become operational and when it is, it would be publicly announced at this site and in the mass media.

WAFCO is currently developing its agenda, structure, programs and networking.

MEMBERSHIP

Until WAFCO (or WORLD AFRICAN) is properly established it would not be accepting any membership.

When it is ready for operation, it will be announced at this site and in the mass media.

At that time you may apply and become a member and enjoy all the membership benefits.

Even though WAFCO (or WORLD AFRICAN) is primarily set up to look after the interests of people of African ancestry and origin globally, however anyone who loves and support Africa and Africans and is a friend of Africa may be allowed to become a member.

Anyone or company or corporation who does business with any African company or who has an office or branch office in any country in Africa would be considered as a friend of Africa.

SUPPORT

Until WAFCO is properly set up, it would not accept any type of donations. Please don’t send any donations to WAFCO. When it is ready and launched, it will be announced at this site and in the mass media and at that time you may apply to become a member and if approved you may make donations of any type and may receive all membership benefits.

For now, you may become a friend of WAFCO (or WORLD AFRICAN) by adding us as your friend, by requesting your friends to add us and by spreading information about us by word of mouth, online blogging, articles and offline through Radio, TV, newspapers and magazines.

AFRICAN PROBLEMS

Africa is one of the largest continents in the world both in size and population and yet countries in Africa are poor because they have undeveloped economies and they are saddled with many problems including social, financial, economic, health, medical, and political problems.

Until the colonization and the birth of modern Africa, many Africans lived in villages and belong to different tribes.

They survived by farming and trading among themselves. Therefore, ownership of land was considered among the topmost asset and of great importance because to have land means to have the to ability to cultivate it and produce foodstuff which generates revenue.

During the colonization of Africa, it was carved up arbitrarily into different countries by the different colonizers based upon the agreements they had among themselves, without any consultation and agreement of the African people.

Many people and tribes who belong to the same country should not have been.

This is one of the most IMPORTANT factors that continues to create acrimony among Africans in some African countries, leading to strife, political instability, discrimination and the lack of economic and industrial progress of the countries and their people.

After African countries became independent, many Africans began to migrate to newly built African cities and town that have modern amenities to live. They abandoned their farming and agriculture. Many began to imitate their former colonial masters, their cultures and mannerisms. They began to dress like them and to prefer white collar jobs where they worked as clerks in offices to blue collar jobs (working in factories), that they considered as menial.

This retarded the economic and industrial progress of these countries and forced them to become “nations of consumers” who import almost all of their everyday needs and consumer goods from countries outside the continent.

Thank you for reading this blog.

Please link to us and tell your family members, friends, colleagues, associates, partners, employees and everyone you meet about us.

May God and the Universe bless you, give you good health, shower you with much blessings, wealth, power, fame, success and happiness.

Thank you.

warmly,’

CHAIRMAN IKOKWU BENNEY,

WAFCO,

NEW YORK CITY