BILL NUMBER: SR 31 INTRODUCED BILL TEXT

INTRODUCED BY Senator Price

MAY 21, 2012

Relative to Africa Day 2012.

WHEREAS, On May, 25, 1963 the Organization of African Union was
founded to promote the unity and solidarity of the African nation
states to act as a collective voice for the African continent. Today,
the African Union continues the journey to secure Africa's long-term
cultural, economic, and political future; and

WHEREAS, The African Cultural Foundation, California Black
Agriculture Working Group, and community supporters join global
celebrations of Africa Day to celebrate the African Diaspora with
leaders from all over the world who meet in Stanton, Johannesburg,
South Africa where African Presidents, Presidents from Caribbean
nations, as well as Presidents from South America will attend the
first ever extraordinary Global African Diaspora Summit, African Day
2012; and

WHEREAS, The California Black Agriculture Working Group is focused
on expanding California African Trade and Commerce to grow job
creation and career development while expanding healthy solutions of
local food system production by people of African ancestry to the
"California Grown" brand both within the urban service boundary and
rural California; and

WHEREAS, California political, business, and community leaders are
invited to build a solid foundation for reviving market based
diverse African specialty crops with higher nutritional value that
targets diet related disease with epidemic health care costs
throughout California and beyond; and

WHEREAS, Africa Day 2012, celebrating the African Diaspora, seeks
to grow a commitment by California toward structured relationships
between Africa to define key goals and identify specific projects to
which collective African efforts, governmental and non-governmental,
will be directed. Together we can chart a way forward in
institutionalizing processes of African cooperation, dialog,
planning, and implementation of strategies and projects; and

WHEREAS, The Africa USA International Chamber of Commerce, African
Culture Foundation, and California Black Agriculture Working Group
join in the building and commitment to the development of a formal
California - African Union partnership; and

WHEREAS, In collaboration with the African Union and the Global
African Diaspora Summit we will consolidate a historic vision and
will build the framework for effective implementation and celebrate
African Day, May 25, 2012; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate
recognizes Friday, May 25, 2012 as Africa Day 2012 to celebrate the
African Diaspora and to reinforce our economic relationship with the
continent of Africa; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.