Left Forum African speaker addresses Pan-African organizing

An AFRICAN VOICE

FREE and OPEN to the public. Refreshments will be provided.

Join The Commons SF in a casual conversation, street-side, with

Mr. Chernoh Alpha M. Bah, who has made the journey from soldier to peacemaker, journalist, and human rights leader. He tells the story of the efforts of Africans to regain control of their continent. In doing so, he and his colleagues are moving beyond nationalism, beyond ideology, and beyond neo-colonialism. He has seen many people die in this struggle, but he speaks without bitterness.

Africa remains the "dark continent" for Americans because there is a virtual news blackout about what is going on there. We hear incessantly about civil wars, "blood diamonds," corrupt leaders, and famines. But all of these stories are told by outsiders, many of whom are insistent that Africa is a "basket case," unable to manage its own affairs. There are also thousands of social entrepreneurs in the U.S. who are eager to help Africa by providing wells or mosquito nets in villages or other piecemeal solutions. But this "help" always creates unhealthy dependency.

If you want to learn how Americans can truly help in Africa, you first need to become better informed about the actual situation there. Come hear Chernoh speak on the ways in which the colonial legacy in West Africa still interferes with the ability of Africans to take charge of their own development. This includes wars by foreign powers (U.S., European) to gain cheap access to minerals, medical experiments on Africans to test new vaccines or deadly diseases, and political regimes imposed by outsiders who consistently fail to stand up for the rights of ordinary Africans.

Chernoh, who comes from Sierra Leone, will talk on the following topics:
1) The true story of the Ebola outbreak, which is quite different than what was reported by the media.
2) The corruption and endemic hunger that result from having a high concentration of foreign corporations in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea (Conakry), countries with which Chernoh has personal familiarity.
3) Why pan-African unity is important in overcoming the legacy of national boundaries imposed by foreign powers and reinforced by foreign military operations in Africa today.