[AU-Monitor] Reports from Continental Public Consultations on the Union Government and more

[Hakima Abbas]

Reminder: Please Return Information for the Database on CSO Pre- 
Summit Activities

The Institute for Democratic Governance is the secretariat of the  
Ghana CSO Coalition – AU July 2007 Summit.  To facilitate  
coordination, collaboration and networking among CSOs that wish to  
organize or participate in pre-summit activities in Accra, Ghana, the  
secretariat is creating a database on CSO/NGO pre-summit activities  
in the months of June and early July 2007.  The database will be  
accessible to all the registered CSOs and will enable visiting CSO  
actors to also interact with the secretariat.  Registered CSOs will  
also be updated periodically on pre-summit activities and events in  
Ghana.

If you with to participate in this exercise, please return the  
attached form to au at ideg.org.


SA Moves To ‘Rekindle Flames Of African Solidarity’, Says Dlamini- 
Zuma

BuaNews Online, May 29, Cape Town - A number of key events this year  
and the next are adding some velocity to the process of African unity  
while there is a also renewed focus on the progress of previous  
commitments made by the world towards the continent.

Speaking at the budget vote in parliament on Tuesday for the  
Department of Foreign Affairs, the minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma  
said that in July this year an African Union summit will discuss  
“the feasibility of an African Union government”.

Read more:
http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/index.php/AUMONITOR/comments/ 
sa_moves_to_rekindle_flames_of_african_solidarity_says_dlamini_zuma/


An African Union Government: Towards the United States of Africa

25 May 2007, South Africa - The seminar, co-hosted by the Institute  
for Security Studies and Southern African Trust, brought together  
about 30 participants from civil society, research and academic  
institutions, government and diplomatic missions.

Cheryl Hendricks opened the seminar by underlining the significance  
of Africa Day which commemorates the formation of the Organisation of  
the African Union and which celebrates Africa’s achievements. She  
observed that in many respects this year we will be reliving the  
grand debate of the early 1960s with pan-Africanists calling for  
political and economic integration and moderates calling for a more  
gradualist approach that gave birth to the OAU.

Read more:
http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/index.php/AUMONITOR/comments/ 
an_african_union_government_towards_the_united_states_of_africa/


May 25th Ethiopia Public Forum Calls For A Union Of Peoples

Afroflag Youth Vision, a network of youth organizations, and Oxfam GB  
recently held discussions on the African Union’s proposal to  
establish the Continental Government, at the Axum hotel, in Addis  
Ababa. 150 participants from mainly local NGOs, universities,  
international organizations, and embassies, national and  
international media attended the event.

Three presentations clarified the implications of the AU proposal.  
Desire Assogbavi, Oxfam GB, Pan Africa Senior Policy Analyst provided  
a brief analysis on “AU Study on the Continental Government towards  
the United States of Africa” document.  Dr. Tim Murithi, Senior  
Researcher, Direct Conflict Prevention Programme, Institute of  
Security Studies (ISS) presented a paper on “From Pan Africanism to  
the Union of Africa” while Derese Getachew, Lecturer, Sociology and  
Social Anthropology, Addis Ababa University presented a paper on  
“African Citizenhood and Challenge to realize the United States of  
Africa”.

Read more:
  http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/index.php/AUMONITOR/comments/ 
may_25th_ethiopia_public_forum_calls_for_a_union_of_peoples/


Nigeria CSOs Propose Performance Assessment Before AU Government

Civil society groups in Nigeria have raised the need to look  
critically at the performance of existing institutions before a  
consensus is reached on the formation of an African Union Government  
or a United States of Africa during a one-day roundtable organised by  
ActionAid in Abuja, Nigeria on Friday May 25, 2007.

The roundtable attracted 32 representatives from civil society  
organisations, media, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the labour  
movement, academia, ECOWAS, private sector and other stakeholders.  
The meeting noted that the United States of Africa is a desirable  
vision but raised some challenges which include: common political and  
cultural values, identity, citizenship integration and state power.

Read more:
http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/index.php/AUMONITOR/comments/ 
nigeria_csos_propose_performance_assessment_before_au_government/


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Ms. Hakima Abbas
Policy Analyst, AU-Monitor
Fahamu - Networks for Social Justice
Email: hakima at fahamu.org
Skype: hakima_abbas
www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor
www.fahamu.org

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