THE NELSON & WINNIE MANDELA STORY ~STORIES~

Winnie Mandela may have emerged as an anti-apartheid leader in South Africa during her ex-husband Nelson Mandela's imprisonment in 1963, but it took until 2013 -- as she turns 76 -- for her story to get the full Hollywood treatment.
Jennifer Hudson Was 'Very Intimidated' By the Role of Winnie Mandela

The Oscar-winner confined herself to the prison set to prepare for the role.

I'm so glad that Jennifer went to the Motherland in order to understand better and spend time there; GREAT (y)

NELSON MANDELA IN NEW BIOPIC~The film is based on Mandela's autobiography~

A new screen biopic of Nelson Mandela does not shy away from the less flattering aspects of his character, according to its British star.

"It was important we had both sides, the good and the bad," said Idris Elba.

Early scenes in Justin Chadwick's film show Mandela as a womaniser who was violent to his first wife Evelyn.

"I didn't want to deface Mr Mandela in any way," the Luther actor continued. "But I didn't want to portray him in a way that wasn't honest."

Elba was speaking at the Toronto Film Festival, where Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom had its world premiere this weekend.

Based on the former South African president's autobiography, the film charts his early life as a lawyer, his political activism and the 27 years of imprisonment that preceded his democratic election in 1994.

Naomie Harris, also British, plays Mandela's second wife Winnie in Justin Chadwick's two-and-a-half hour drama.

'Brave choice'

The film has had a mixed reception from critics, with one calling it "more dutifully reverential than revelatory or exciting".

"We've seen the saintly Mandela we all know and love," continued Elba, who did not meet "Madiba" before embarking on the project.

"It was important for us to take the audience on a journey prior to that and understand who he was."

The internationally revered anti-apartheid campaigner, now 95, was released from hospital last week after three months of treatment for a recurring lung infection.

"Like everybody I've been very concerned for his health but I've been keeping optimistic," Elba told reporters on Sunday.

According to Chadwick, the Hackney-born actor was the right person for the biopic despite being from England and bearing little physical resemblance to its subject.

"There were other obvious choices, but Idris was the brave choice," said the director, whose other credits include the BBC's 2005 dramatisation of Dickens' Bleak House.

"He doesn't look like Madiba, but we weren't going for a lookalike, soundalike version."

"Idris managed to capture the Mandela magic," agreed Terry Pheto, the South African actress who plays Evelyn in the film.

Industry reviews

Morgan Freeman, Danny Glover, David Harewood and Sidney Poitier are among the others to have portrayed the beloved statesman on film and television.

Elba, whose other films include summer blockbusters Thor and Pacific Rim, has been singled out for praise by critics who have seen the film in Toronto.

"It takes a commanding actor to fill the shoes of the man most instrumental in ending institutionalised oppression in South Africa," wrote David Rooney in the Hollywood Reporter.

"The charismatic Idris Elba proves equal to the task."

According to Screen International, though, the film is "too tasteful and conventional to offer much insight into the remarkable man it wishes to celebrate".

"It doesn't have much of a point of view about its narrative, serving more as a rote recitation of memorable moments."

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is one of several Toronto titles this year to draw their inspiration from real-life figures.

Julian Assange, Jimi Hendrix and Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts also feature in films in this year's line-up.

The launch of Chadwick's film coincides with the UK release of Diana, a biographical drama about Diana, Princess of Wales that drew a withering response from the British media.

The Toronto International Film Festival continues until 15 September.

reuters, bbc, afp

                                            IDRIS ELBA AS NELSON MANDELA                                                   

WELL DONE TO OUR ACTORS AND ACTRESSES 

Abro~

BAMBOO HOMES IN GHANA, KENYA, BELIZE... INVENTIONS, INNOVATION, NEW DESIGNS & TECHNOLOGY... IS THE WAY FORWARD FOR BLACK PEOPLE WORLDWIDE

GREETINGS & A VERY WARM AFRICAN WELCOME!

GHANA, KENYA, BELIZE...

BAMBOO HOMES

STORY

ACCRA, Ghana—Architect Joe Osae-Addo moved back to his native Ghana in 2004 from Los Angeles to build a home for his family. A simple enough idea, except that Mr. Osae-Addo wanted to use local timber, local bamboo, and local adobe mud blocks in the construction of his home, none of which exist in commercial quantities in Ghana.
So Mr. Osae-Addo, a former architecture lecturer at the University of Southern California, had to source the materials himself and work with local builders who weren't necessarily open to his new approach.

"It was very, very difficult," Mr. Osae-Addo says. "Everything takes twice as long in Ghana."

Construction projects in Africa are slow-moving, bureaucratic affairs in the best of times. They rely on imported materials, mostly concrete. To veer from that formula is to invite trouble, frustration, headaches.

But Mr. Osae-Addo does have some experience in this regard.He designed a house for the Brad Pitt-led charity in New Orleans, Make it Right, and runs his own firm, Constructs LLC, which strives to use local materials for long-lasting, energy efficient housing and commercial projects.

The firm has several large-scale projects in the works in Ghana, Liberia and Angola. Those include a proposed 500-unit site in Ghana's future oil hub, Takoradi, for Anglo-Irish oil company Tullow Oil Plc. TLW.LN +3.58%

"The way things have been built over the last 30 years [in Ghana] is not sustainable," Mr. Osae-Addo says. "The passion is not about the intrinsic quality of the products we buy locally but how we can use them in a much more commercial and industrial application so they're available to the people."

One such effort led Mr. Osae-Addo to work with a Chinese company to begin building a bamboo-processing facility in Ghana, where bamboo grows in the wild.

"Until Africa, or Ghana, develops the materials and the system for industrial, sustainable construction techniques we will never solve our housing problem," he says. "If we keep importing housing solutions it will never work."

Mr. Osae-Addo's own house is a 2,500-square-feet, one-story environmental marvel. It's slightly hidden from view by trees and vines that hang down from its wrap-around timber balcony. The inside of the house is spacious and breezy, since Mr. Osae-Addo didn't want air conditioning in his home despite the tropical heat and humidity. He built the house on a raised foundation and used slatted window screens to allow air to pass through. Rainwater is collected in several large tanks to be reused, and solar panels on the roof provide supplemental energy during frequent power outages.

Yet the house requires constant vigilance from nearby dangers. Mohamed, the caretaker, lives on the property and often has to run over to neighbors' homes to tell them to stop burning refuse or wood—the sparks could easily waft over the wall and set Mr. Osae-Addo's house on fire.

Since he didn't want to put a coil of barbed wire on top of the wall or install an alarm, as do many homeowners in Ghana, Mr. Osae-Addo has two dogs that act as a security system. A recent visitor to the house was greeted with deterrent-worthy growls and bared teeth before Mohamed came and silenced them. They are likely the only dogs in Ghana with a neatly-made, well-ventilated bamboo house built by an architect.



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STORY SOURCE:
WSJ:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703882304575465502937442216.htmlOTHER SOURCES: http://www.villagevolunteers.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Bamboo.pdf

BAMBOO BICYCLE

MICHELLE OBAMA: A WOMAN FOR ALL SEASONS

     As a Black and African man, I am compelled to express the sentiments evoked by Michelle Obama'z speech, last night at the Democratic National Convention. Ms. Obama not only represented the beauty, grace, and charm of African Women, but also the intellect and wit of African Queens. These qualities were complimented by her love, appreciation and support for her man, her devoutness and commitment to her children, and because of these, her aspiration for a higher level of life for her community and human family. Michelle Obama follows in a long path of African Women who have paved the way for humanity since the beginning of time, from Isis, to Hatsheput, Nzinga, Yaa Asantewaa, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, Mary Mc Cleod Bethune, Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks and Wangari Maathai. Ms. Obama represents the resilience and the enduring love and passion of African Women to create a world in which we all can love freely and our children can grow to reach their fullest potential and possibilities without impediment. As an African Community, we applaud her for being a shining example of what it means to be both African and Human in the world. May hers, and the legacy of African women she represents, live for as long as the Grass is Green, and the Waters flow. Ashe'

By Mwalimu W. Kabaila

Chair, Congress of African People 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CongressOfAfricanPeople/

9/4/12

CONGRESS OF AFRICAN PEOPLE'S IMHOTEP HEALTH AND WELLNESS POLICY: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE

IMHOTEP HEALTH AND WELLNESS POLICY: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE 

A. PRINCIPLES

1. FOOD IS OUR MEDICINE, NOT DRUGS!! THEREFORE, WE RECOGNIZE A DIVINE RELATIONSHIP WITH ORGANIC FOOD FROM THE EARTH, NOT TO BE REGULATED BY ALIEN MEN OR LAWS. SOUL FOOD SHOULD BE REDEFINED AS RAW OR VEGAN AND FISH OR FOWL IN MODERATION.

2. ANY EFFECTIVE HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYZTEM, MUST BE NEED BASED AND PEOPLE DRIVEN, AND NOT MOTIVATED BY PROFIT.

3. HEALTH CARE IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE.

4. IN THE IMHOTEP SYSTEM, PREVENTION IS PRIMARY AND FUNDAMENTAL; SURGERY AND OTHER OPTIONS ARE SECONDARY. THUS, WHOLISTIC MEDICINE IS GIVEN EQUAL VALUE AS A COMPONENT OF INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE, WHERE EACH ARE DETERMINED BY NEED.

5. PAN AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES ISSUING DOCTORAL, PHYSICIANS ASSISTANT AND NURSING DEGREES, MUST DEVELOP STANDARDIZED CURRICULI, SUCH THAT GRADUATES CAN PRACTICE ANYWHERE IN THE PAN AFRICAN WORLD WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION AND/OR PREJUDICE.

6. UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL WHEREVER AFRICAN PEOPLE RESIDE. THIS IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT.

7. SPIRITUALITY IS RECOGNIZED AS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF HEALTH CARE IN THE AFRICAN COMMUNITY. RECOGNITION OF THE BODY AS A TEMPLE IS A DIVINE CONCEPT IN AFRICAN CULTURE, AND THEREFORE HEALTH AND WELLNESS BECOME FORMS OF WORSHIP, AND IS NOT SUBJECT TO ALIEN DEFINITION OR IMPOSITION OF ALIEN LAW.

B. PRACTICE 

1. EVERY MORNING SHALL BE MET WITH A FORM OF EXERCISE, MEDITATION AND OR PRAYER, GIVING RECOGNITION TO THE DIVINITY WHICH RESIDES IN EACH OF US. THESE CAN BE DONE IN COMMUNAL/COLLECTIVE OR PERSONAL SETTINGS, THOUGH THE FORMER IS PREFERRED, (E.G.TAI CHI IN ASIAN CULTURE).

2. WELLNESS CLINICS SHALL BE ESTABLISHED IN EACH COMMUNITY, AND CAN BE RUN BY HEALTH PRACTITIONERS WHO ARE LICENSED BY AN AFRICAN BOARD OR A CERTIFIED QUEEN MOTHER PROGRAM.

3. ALL FORMS OF MEDIA SOURCES (RADIO BLOG, TV, SYNDICATED BLOGS, MAGAZINE, PODCAST) SHALL BE USED TO EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITIES IN MATTERS OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS, BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES ABOVE.

4. BICYLCLE, YOGA, MARTIAL ARTS, MASSAGE, WALKING CLUBS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED AND NETWORKS ESTABLISHED AMONG AND BETWEEN GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS AND TRIBAL/NATIONS TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION AND/OR TECHNIQUES DEVELOPED.

5. THE GROWING AND USE OF HERBS IN MEDICINE IS A SACRED PRACTICE IN THE AFRICAN COMMUNITY AND A SYSTEM SHALL BE DESIGNED FOR THE PASSING ITS KNOWLEDGE FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION .

6. AROMATHERAPY, ACUPUNCTURE, CRYSTALS AND OTHER WHOLISTIC MODALITIES CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO OUR SYSTEM, BUT INTRODUCED IN A CULTURAL CONTEXT WHERE THERE VALUE IS MEASURED AS A COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE, NOT DEFINED BY ALIEN INTERESTS.

7. RITES OF PASSAGE PROGRAMS SHOULD INCLUDE EXCURSIONS INTO THE FOREST TO EDUCATE OUR YOUTH OF THE VALUE OF NATURE, IN ORDER TO INSTILL THE VALUE FOR ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING A BALANCE AND HARMONY BETWEEN MAN AND NATURE.

INTRODUCING NKOSAZANA DLAMINI-ZUMA: NEW ERA IN THE AFRICAN UNION?

Bridging the African Union's divides

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma's success at the AU will be measured by her ability to gain consensus among heads of state, writes Liesl Louw-Vaudran.

When the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was trying to cajole the rest of Africa into accepting his grand idea of a United States of Africa, it was rumoured that he offered Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma the job of prime minister if she would back him. At the time she was South Africa’s minister of foreign affairs.

A lot has changed since that summit in Accra, Ghana, in 2007 when a number of smaller African states gave in to Gaddafi’s bullying and buying of votes. Yet Dlamini-Zuma was duly elected as chairperson of the African Union Commission by a majority of heads of state at its 19th summit in Addis Ababa on July 15.

In effect, she will be the prime minister of an institution that aims to be the continental decision-making body. Of course, things are complicated because she will not be reporting to one executive president but to 54, give or take a few, depending on how many coups there have been on the continent.

The way South Africa lobbied for votes since the last unsuccessful bid for the position in January will not make her job any easier. Some countries are accusing South Africa of using the same tactics of which Gaddafi was guilty.

When she takes up office in Addis Ababa in three months’ time, her first task will have to be an attempt at some radical improvements at the commission – an institution bogged down by inefficiency, understaffing and underspending. Only 52% of posts are filled and the average underspending is 37%.

A hardship post
On this score she will probably do very well, or at least better than her ¬predecessors. Walking into the AU Commission cannot be much worse than walking into the portfolio of home affairs in 2009.

For a while, Addis Ababa has been considered by diplomats to be a hardship post – a perception reinforced by the strain of working in a country with terrible phone infrastructure, restrictive laws and very little to offer expats.

The Anglophone and Francophone divide at the commission is also a reality – the men in boubous (robes) do not sit at the same lunch table as the East Africans in suits – but she will be able to use her skills as a South African to convince bureaucrats from diverse backgrounds to work together.

Despite what the rulebooks say, she will probably have to define her role and relationship with the heads of state as things go along. This she has to do with the rotating head of state who gets the position of AU chairperson for a year – a title often confused with that of the commission chairperson. Benin’s President Yayi Boni has this job at the moment and is doing it relatively well, but sometimes the AU chair is largely symbolic, especially when it is occupied by leaders such as Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who filled this post last year.

Following the extensive battle to get Dlamini-Zuma elected, many are claiming that she will raise the profile of the AU. Certainly the drama between her and her predecessor, Jean Ping, has captured imaginations, but it will take much more than this to restore the credibility of the commission and of the AU. This is true of the union’s image internationally and among ordinary Africans.

Africa policy
Dlamini-Zuma will have the power and influence of South Africa behind her, but it will not always be an advantage given South Africa’s much-criticised Africa policy. Ping, also a former foreign minister, was unable to get heads of state to agree on almost anything and was decried for being weak.

Still, heads of state are unclear about how much power the commission chairperson should have. Former Mali president Alpha Omar Konaré clashed with many of his peers when he had this position. After his term ended the commission chair was again occupied by a minister, just as it was during the time of the Organisation of African Unity.

Consequently, when half of Africa’s heads of state at last year’s summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, decided to recognise the fledgling Libyan National Transitional Council and the other half – led by South Africa – refused to do so, Ping could not do much about it. The AU’s road map for Libya was completely ignored by Nato – a huge embarrassment for Africa. 

Earlier this year, when some agreed with Malawi’s president that the International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Omar ¬al-Bashir of Sudan should be respected and the other half wanted the 19th AU summit (that just took place) to be moved to Addis Ababa, Africa again looked hopelessly divided.

These divisions and the stalemate that preceded Sunday’s election made some analysts fear a total breakdown of the institution. Some advised that the AU should abandon efforts to model itself on the European Union, but rather look at a loose structure, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, leaving integration up to the regions.

For now, the AU’s reputation has been salvaged and there is real hope for a more efficient commission with Dlamini-Zuma at the helm.

Constitutive act
A huge advantage for her is that she knows the AU commission very well. After all, she helped to implement its constitutive act in the early years after its creation in 2002.

“Your foreign minister doesn’t take no for an answer,” I remember a West African foreign minister telling me at an AU summit in Addis Ababa in 2003. It was during a marathon session on getting a resolution on gender parity pushed through the agenda.

At the time Dlamini-Zuma showed the same unwavering determination and work ethic she has become known for at home. It was not unusual for the media to be called to press briefings by Dlamini-Zuma at 2am or 3am to explain the latest AU decisions.

Ten years after its creation, things at the AU have not moved as quickly as what she and Thabo Mbeki, then her commander in chief, had envisioned. Funding remains a huge problem. More than half ($160-million) of its budget of $275-million for 2012 is paid for by external partners, mostly the European Union. An audit of the commission finalised in 2007 recommended vast reforms of it, but little of this has been implemented by Dlamini-Zuma’s predecessor.

An efficient AU will hugely improve its relations with international donors, especially now that this kind of money is getting scarce. Real action in solving peace and security issues will also improve the AU’s standing in the eyes of its citizens. But achieving credibility and raising the profile of the AU will ultimately depend not on the commission chairperson, but on the quality of leadership in its member states.

HARAMBEE GLOBAL RENAISSANCE DRUM CALL FOR LIBERATION AND SOVEREIGNTY

HARAMBEE GLOBAL RENAISSANCE DRUM CALL

FOR LIBERATION AND SOVEREIGNTY

The African Drum has long been an instrument of communication and spiritual healing and expression. Even when drums were denied to South African miners, they duplicated the beats of the drum by patting on there boots, thus, the Boot Dance. As one of the first instruments the drum has been used to call our people to action, to express reverence and adoration in spiritual ceremonies, and to announce the comings and goings of our spirits upon such events as birth and death. Many African beats and rhythms are said to be formulated with mathmatical precision and to be in harmony with vibratory frequencies in the universe and cosmos. This is not an esoteric conclusion, but a highly evolved spiritual one, which permeates African Culture. It is with this backdrop, that we, African People, Rescue and Ressurect the meaning, substance and symbol which the drum has had to the African Community.

In many African ceremonial rituals, the Drum Call is performed first, to awaken consciousness, welcome ancestors and the unborn into our midst, and to call on the participation and engagement of participants in sacred and community oriented activity. We, African People, again, call on our Drum Circles and Dancers to do Drum Call, but this time for Liberation and a Higher Level of Life for the entire Global Pan African Community. We do Drum Call to revere and honor our Ancestors who sacrificed that we might have a fuller, more fulfilling life. We do Drum call for those who continue to wage Revolution in pursuit of a Sovereignty and Dignity which allows African Descendent Peoples to determine their own destiny and future. We do Drum Call for our children now, and those unborn that they might fashion and achieve a Pan African Community reflective of our ancestors' vision and which gives adoration to those Heroes and Heroines, who have given their life in Revolutionary Struggle.

8 FOLD PATHS TO AFRICAN RENAISSANCE

1. Unity of the Pan African Community – Continental and Diasporan using Operational Unity
2. Self Determination and Sovereignty – Recognition of and Engagement in determining our own destiny and future.
3. Food Security – NO GMO Seeds on African land; Build seed banks; Urban and personal gardening; Redefining Healthy food as Soul Food.
4. The Ascension of Black Women to Queens and Goddesses – and their shared Role in building viable and sustainable Institutions and Industries for and in our communities. A key industry Associated with this Ascension is the Natural Hair and African Centered Design Industries.
5. Adopting and Adapting Traditional African Institutions into the Revolutionary Process – Cultural Revolution is defined by the quality of institutional structures which promote and advocate for progressive African values, ethics, and morality systems. Among the most Pan African are the Nguzo Saba and Ma'at Those Institutions worthy of rescue and reconstruction are Council of Elders, Queen Mother Associations, Rite of Passage, Arusi (African Marriage), Maziko (African funeral or transition ceremonies), Akika (African Naming Ceremony), Pan African Flag (Bendera), Pan African Song

6. Reclamation of African Land from Alien Hands and Reparations – No African has the right to sell African Land to NON African descendent aliens; Every African Descendent affected by the
   Trans Atlantic Slave Trade and subsequent Colonization has the right and responsibility to be made whole via some form of agreed to, compensation.
7. The raising up of a Pan African Youth Corps and/or Simba Wachanga - which are responsible for the defense and development of our Global Pan African Communities and who serve as added Gatekeepers for the preservation and promotion of African Culture, Values, Institutions, and the unique African Personality.
8. Healing on a Personal and Collective Level - Healing from the forced displacement and dispersement of our people from our Homeland. This healing process is currently being defined by our healing community and involves ritual, herbs nutrition, prayer and active engagement in a significant and substantive manner, the process of making Cultural Revolution.
   
   

   
   

PROCESS, RITUAL AND PROCEDURE

1. DAYS: First and last days of Kwanzaa - Umoja/Unity and Imani/Faith. Early morning or Evening Event
2. VENUES – Parks, Halls, Community/Convention/Culture Centers
3. RITUAL –
   A. Umoja Day - is more celebratory and is a call to Unity and Unification of Africa and Diaspora. The Fihankra Chief will issue a major address which gives focus for the upcoming year. After the Drum Call (which should be a standard beat chosen by a committee of Master Drummers), the Standard Dance for this event, will be the Zulu Warrior Dance which will be done by young males and females. The rationale for selecting one dance as standard is that it would serve as a unifying factor for youth, and give them something in common which they all can identify with as a unifying African cultural activity. Also, Chaka and the Zulu Warriors, have historically been the symbol and substance of the African Warrior Spirit in opposition to alien intrusion and domination. No matter which part of the African world they travel too, all African youth will know the Harambee Drum Beat, Dance and Song. The Dress, shield and spears should be uniform. The Dance, Drumming and Song should be incorporated into all Pan African Youth Corps and Rites of Passage curriculum and orientation.
   (1) Libation, which reveres and invites our ancestors to enjoin the celebration, should be performed by an accepted Cultural Leader in your community.
   (2) Speakers at this event should focus on each of the 8 Paths to African Renaissance (above).
   (3) Karamu – Optional. It is up to the discretion of the organizers if they wish to have a mini or major Karamu (Feast) at the conclusion of the event.
   
   

   
   
   B. Imani Day – Imani Day marks the end of one year, and the beginning of another, and therefore it's Drum Call and Dance movements should be more solemn and sacred allowing participants to be contemplative about the lessons of the past, even while charting a path to our collective and personal vision of the future. The African Warrior no matter where from, engages in a Movement to Restore the Ancient Values and Ethics passed down to us by our Ancient Kemetic Ancestors, in the form of Ma'at. Therefore, speakers at this event should focus on the Seven Cardinal Virtues of Ma'at; Truth, Justice, Balance, Harmony, Order, Propriety and Reciprocity. Master Drummers (and Koro players) are mandated to submit beats or vibrations to be chosen along with a Council of Elders, or in their absence, the Fihankra Queen. It is suggested this event begin on the eve of the day, Kuumba, and end after 12am Midnight on Imani. Again, Council of Elders are encouraged to make sure that Youth are intricately engaged in these rituals and re-enforcing gestures, which, in turn, support African Values and Ethics. Drum Interludes can be conducted all during program.
   

   
   

INTRODUCTION TO THE FIHANKRA TRIBE: THE NEWEST AFRICAN TRIBE REPRESENTING 300M DIASPORANS

                                                                 

                                                               

Awo Yaa Asantewaa writes:

A citizen of the FIHANKRA Stool and Skin is any person who is a descendant of an African born in the Diaspora as a direct result of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

How did FIHANKRA Develop?

On December 9, 1994, one of the most historically significant events of this millennium took place in Accra, Ghana, West Africa. The event was the inaugural purification of a specially carved wooden stool and the specially prepared skin of an animal. Together these two sacred articles were customarily given the name "FIHANKRA", which literally translated means "when leaving home good-byes could not be said".

In the traditions of Africa, both the Stool and Skin are sacred symbols of divine chieftaincy authority in which, it is believed resides the very spirit and soul of its people. Chiefs of Southern Ghana sit upon stools, while Chiefs of Northern Ghana sit upon skins. In their symbolic form the Stool and Skin can be compared to the traditional throne of other peoples and nations. Thus, in keeping with tradition, the Purification of FIHANKRA restores to Africans born in the Diaspora two sacred symbols as one, thereby reaffirming the cultural and spiritual ties that had been denied them for centuries.

The purification of FIHANKRA evolved from a coalition of persons under the leadership of his Majesty Odeneho Oduro Numapau II, then President of the Ghana National House of Chiefs.

The importance of this traditional purification ceremony lay in the following:

* It was the first time that African chiefs had gathered especially to perform traditional rituals to atone for the misdeeds of ancestral traditional rulers who helped to sustain the trans-Atlantic slave trade initiated by European powers in the 15th century.

* It was an act of restoring customary authority to the Africans of the Diaspora, presumed to have been lost as a result of the slave trade.
It also provided for the appointment of a Diaspora born custodian, and the subsequent establishment of a Traditional Council and an International Council of Elders to administer the affairs of FIHANKRA on behalf of the descendants of Diasporans.

We are Honored to Introduce to the Pan African Community,  the newly selected Queen of the Fihankra Tribe:

H.R.H. Yaa Asantewaa aka Tonya C. Saafir, Esq.

Her Highness, Yaa Asantewaa, was born in Clarksdale, Ms, but grew up traveling with her military parents.  After completing her high school education at Daleville, High School in Daleville, AL., she enlisted in the U.S. Army for three years following in the footsteps of both her parents.  She served in the Army as a computer programmer.  After serving her country for three years, Yaa Asantewaa enrolled in college at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN, where she completed her Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science with the honors of cum laude in May 2000.

She was accepted into law school at the Cecil C. Humphrey’s School of Law at the University of Memphis in Memphis, TN.  Yaa Asantewaa received a number of awards for her academic performance while attending law school and received her Juris Doctor in May 2003. 

Upon graduating from law school, Yaa Asantewaa took and passed the Tennessee state bar exam and was immediately employed by the Shelby County Public Defender’s Office as an Assistant Public Defender, where she practiced criminal defense law.  In August 2004, she went to work in a small private law firm at the Law Offices of Michael Harrell, Esq. where she handled a variety of criminal, family and civil law cases.  In 2005, Nana Yaa left the law office of Michael Harrell to open her own private law practice.  While in private practice, she taught law classes as an adjunct professor at Lemoyne Owen College in Memphis, Tennessee and she was regularly requested by Memphis City Judges to sit on the bench in their absence as a special judge.  Her Highness managed her own law practice until January 2008 at which time she was offered the position of Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice in the U.S. Virgin Islands where she remains today.

Her Highness is currently licensed by the Supreme Court of Tennessee to practice in the state of Tennessee.  She is licensed in the U.S. Federal Court to practice in the Federal District of Western Tennessee and she is licensed by the Supreme Court of the U.S. Virgin Islands.  Upon her repatriation to Ghana, she intends to take the Post Call course at Ghana School of Law so that she may sit for the Ghana Bar and obtain her license to practice law in the country of Ghana.

Yaa Asantewaa began to dream of repatriating to Africa in 2006.  She began her travels to Africa in 2011.  Since that first trip, it was solidified in her heart and mind that Africa was be her home.  She has a cocoa farm in Ghana, a taxi business and several other small ventures that she is working on to create sustainable income for her family upon her final trip home.

She is the mother is 5 children, Prince Octavius age 22, Prince Rashedi age 20, Prince Tyriq age 17, Princess Ayanna age 14 and Prince Ausar age 2. Awo Yaa Asantewaa is also the grandmother of 8 month old Princess Imani! 

Her Highness Yaa Asantewaa is a true Garveyite who tirelessly encourages Africans in the diaspora to always look towards Africa!!

                                                                              

* These are subject to revue, revision and approval. MK