Thursday, May 26, 2011

Why Eastgate Hotel in Accra, Ghana Has no ECOWAS or AU Flag--Where's the Business Sense??

The celebration of AU day has both encouraged and mobilised me to action, so I finally decided to do something constructive...like taking a walk across the street from work to the hotel there. Now I have covered Eastgate Hotel in my Accra blog before--you can read it here -- so it is not like I am castigating the hotel without reason. Overall, it's an interesting hotel, though I have never lodged there.

On the specific case of the flags, I asked at the receptionist, who in turn called the manager. Within minutes, he was there to talk to me. Doubtless perplexed by my question as to what informs the kind of flags that the hotel hoists, he still tried to proffer an answer.

His explanation--in sum--was that they hoist flags of "constituencies"[my words] that are likely to visit the hotel. So the EU, US, Ghanaian, Canadian flags they fly suggest that clientele from those countries are free (and likely) to visit the hotel.

I cannot help but wonder whether it would not make good business sense--even--to hoist both an AU and ECOWAS flag--given that the latter hosts many conferences at hotels round the capital?

Beyond the fact that it is serious food for thought, I think there's merit in sending a questionnaire, perhaps arranging for an interview(maybe even an email one) as to why the state of non-flying AU and ECOWAS flags is the case.

If you're interested in this endeavour, join me as I continue to assemble a bunch of African heroes online and offline who are selfless and dedicated to seeing a united Africa -- the soonest time possible. We are the Q9 Brigade...uniting Africa ONE communication at a time.



Email me on q9brigade@critiquing-regionalism.org, and or join the google groups here: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/q9-brigade-africa-unite

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Happy Africa Liberation Day to all AU Citizens...on 25 May!

Every 25 May, Ghana, along with many African Union(AU) member states, celebrates what has now come to be known as Africa Liberation Day(ALD). It is erroneously celebrated as African Union day, which is actually celebrated on 9 September, when the Sirte Declaration was conceived to transform the-then Organisation of African Unity into the African Union.

In Ghana, Chelsea's Michael Essien (a Ghanaian) in his capacity as AU Peace Ambassador will lead a team of other international Chelsea superstars to play in a "Peace for Africa" match. This poster is merely to reflect this reality.

Wherever you may be on 25 May, have a fabulous Happy Africa Liberation Day!

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Reasons by 51 Member States for Establishment of African Economic Community (AEC)

Many Africans are unaware that alongside what is now the African Union(AU) is what is the "African Economic Community". Signed in Abuja, Nigeria (and known as the Abuja Treaty) of 1991, it came into force on 12 May, 1994--exactly seventeen years ago today.

In reality, 3 June will be 20 years since it was established, probably shifting the celebrations of 12 May up to 3 June to make it truly a Pan-African celebration!

According to the Republic of South Africa's official website, "since May 1994, the OAU has been operating on the basis of the OAU Charter as well as the AEC Treaty, and the organisation is now officially referred to as the OAU/AEC". It remains unclear whether that now means under the AU that the AEC is an AU/AEC...

===================

MINDFUL of the principles of international law governing relations between States;
BEARING IN MIND the principles and objectives set forth in the Charter of the
Organisation of African Unity;

CONSCIOUS of our duty to develop and utilise the human and natural resources of
the Continent for the general well-being of our peoples in all fields of human
endeavour;

RECOGNIZING
the various factors which hinder the development of the Continent
and seriously jeopardise the future of its peoples;

HAVING REGARD to the various resolutions and declarations adopted by our
Assembly in Algiers in September 1968, in Addis Ababa in August 1970 and May
1973 providing that the economic integration of the Continent is a pre-requisite for
the realisation of the objectives of the OAU;

HAVING REGARD
to our decision taken in Libreville in July 1977 endorsing the
Kinshasa Declaration adopted by our Council of Ministers in December 1976
concerning the establishment of an African Economic Community, objective to be
attained in successive stages;

CONSIDERING the “Monrovia Declaration of Commitment on the Guidelines and
Measures for National and Collective Self-reliance in Economic and Social
Development for the Establishment of a New International Order” and which, interalia,
calls for the Creation of an African Common Market as a prelude to an African
Economic Community;

CONSIDERING FURTHER
the Lagos Plan of Action and the Final Act of Lagos of
April 1980 reaffirming our Commitment to establish, by the year 2000, an African
Economic Community in order to foster the economic, social and cultural
integration of our Continent;

FINALLY CONSIDERING our Declaration made on the occasion of the Twentyfifth
Anniversary of the OAU and, in particular, the reaffirmation of our
commitment and our determination to take the necessary steps to accelerate the
establishment of the proposed African Economic Community;

NOTING that the efforts already made in the sub-regional and regional sectoral
economic co-operation are encouraging and justify a larger and fuller economic
integration;

NOTING
the need to share, in a equitable and just manner, the advantages of cooperation
among Member States in order to promote a balanced development in all
parts of the Continent;

Have decided to establish an African Economic Community constituting an integral
part of the OAU
and hereby agree as follows (...)

Read the full document here: http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/Documents/Treaties/Text/AEC_Treaty_1991.pdf

Happy African Economic Community Day! Kindly Sign a Petition...


Tuesday, May 10, 2011

"May- A month dedicated to Africa" (Two more days...)

The celebration of African Union Month every May, is "historically" considered to be the most important month of the year to the continent, according to a posting on Facebook.

A Facebook group was created by Emmanuel K Bensah Jr, contributor to regional integration studies at United Nations Economic Commission for Africa "Teamworks" community. Emmanuel comes from Ghana and has studied international politics.

In an effort to inform and remind readers that the African Economic Community remains the "FRAMEWORK" of the African Union the Facebook entry highlights the following events have happened:

12 May 1994 entry into force of the African Economic Community

25 May 1963 establishment of the OAU, now AU

25 May 2004 establishment of the AU's Peace and Security Council

27 May,1975 establishment of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Monday, May 9, 2011

Fwd: [African Citizens] PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL CALENDAR: MAY 2011

At a time when I get the impression that the tectonic plates are a-shifting with regard to global governance, I obtain further indication that the world is slowly and surely moving along regional poles. The reality of the peace and security discourse is so blatant it's not funny.

In Africa, we have the African Union's Peace and Security Council:http://www.ausitroom-psd.org/PSCProtocol/Protocolmain.html ;
At the UN, we have the UN Security Council: http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/;
The EU does not have a council, but a Political and Security Committee: http://www.deljpn.ec.europa.eu/union/showpage_en_union.external.security.psc.php

I read the other day that ASEAN is thinking of establishing a peace institute.(http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/asean-ministers-agree-to-establish-peace-institute/439633)

 Do we need ANY more proof of the regional realities of the world??

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Desire Assogbavi <desire.assogbavi AT oxfaminternational.org>
Date: 2011/5/9
Subject: [African Citizens] PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL CALENDAR: MAY 2011
To: AfricanCitizens AT yahoogroups.com


 


PROVISIONAL PROGRAM OF WORK OF THE PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL (PSC) FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2011
CHAIRPERSON OF THE MONTH: SOUTH AFRICA



1.        Tuesday 3  May 2011, 10:00 a.m. CR.1

-        Informal briefing by South Africa's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, on issues of mutual interest between the AU Peace and Security Council and the UN Security Council

2.        Friday 6 May 2011 3.00 p.m. CR.1

-        Preparation for the Joint Meetings of the AU PSC and the EU PSC, and of AU PSC and the UNSC

3.        Wednesday 11 May 2011, 9.00 a.m. CR.1

-        Annual Joint Consultative meeting between the African Union Peace and Security Council and the European Union Political and Security Committee

4.        Friday 13 May 2011, 10.00 a.m. CR.1

-        Briefing by the AU Panel of the Wise

5.        Wednesday 18 May 2011, 10:00 a.m.  

-        Consideration of progress in the development of guidelines for the protection of civilians  (open session of the PSC and PRC- Room to be identified)

6.        Friday 20 May 2011, 10:00 a.m. CR.1

-        Consideration of the situation in Sudan (CPA implementation)

7.        Saturday 21 May 2011, 10:00 a.m. CR.1

-        Annual Joint Consultative meeting between the African Union Peace and Security Council and the UN Security Council

8.        Monday 30 May 2011, 10:00 a.m. CR.1

-        Consideration of the situation in Madagascar

9.        Tuesday 31 May 2011, 10:00 a.m. Plenary Hall

-        Briefing by the Chairperson of the PSC for May 2011 to the PRC on the activities of PSC during May 2011

**********************************************
Desire  Assogbavi (Mr.)
Head of Office
Oxfam International
Liaison Office with the African Union
TK Building - Bole Airport Area Suite 304 B
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel.: +251 11 661 1601
        +251 11 661 2492 (direct line)
Mobile: +251 911 20 83 32

Fax:        +251 661 2795
E-mail: desire.assogbavi@ AT oxfaminternational.org
              assodesire AT yahoo.com



Thursday, May 5, 2011

Result! An AU Flag at a Hotel in Ghana!

You might think that given all the noise I have made in the past about getting the AU to put up AU flags at hotels round the continent--especially in Addis, then, therefore, I might have led a supersonic campaign to prosecute this agenda.

Sadly...no. The result, though, is positive--as exemplified by this picture. Right in between the FRENCH and US flags at this hotel at East Legon--a suburb of Accra--is the inimitable AU flag! I needs must give this hotel special cover in the future!!

The question now remains whether many more of us can look at the flags of any hotels in Africa we frequent--just to see whether there is an AU flag present...

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