THE AFROLATIN@ PROJECT’S 2013 LIST OF NOTABLE EVENTS FOR AFROLATIN@’s

UN Declaration on the Decade of Afrodescendants

•On December 30, 2013 (following up on the Year of the Afrodescendant which took place in 2011) the United Nations voted for and approved a resolution calling for the Decade of Afrodescendants which would run from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2024.

• The declaration called for action on the part of governments to promote racial equality, noting that despite some advances African descendants continue to face racism, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance.

Nelson “Madiba” Mandela (July 18, 1918-December 5, 2013)

• On December 5, 2013, the world mourned the loss of iconic leader Nelson Mandela at the age of 95. The influence that Madiba, former South African political prisoner, the face of the anti-apartheid movement, head of the African National Congress (ANC) and former South African president had on the world but especially Africans and African descendants was profound.

Robert Zurbano in N.Y. Times • On March 23, 2013, Roberto Zurbano, then Director of the

Casa de Las Americas in Havana, Cuba published an article in the New York Times entitled For Blacks in Cuba the Revolution hasnt Begun. The article created a stir both within Cuba as well as abroad. While some Afro-Cubans rushed to Mr. Zurbano's defense others criticized his decision to publish the piece in a U.S. media outlet. Following the uproar, Mr. Zurbano was removed from his position at the Casa. Given the reactions Mr. Zurbano's article served its purpose, bringing the ongoing conversation on race in Cuba to the forefront.

Day of Braids– Panama May 20, 2013

• May 20, 2013 the Afrodescendant community in Panama celebrated its 2nd year of the “ Day of Braids”. The campaign which started as a protest to a ban on natural hair in public schools has gained the support of Panamanians at home and abroad. Social media was also used to encourage all Panamanians regardless of identity to submit pictures of themselves, friends or family in braids.

National Day of Afro-Argentineans and African Culture

• Following several years of activism on the part of many AfroArgentinan organizations including Agrupacion Xango and many others, on April 24, 2013 the Argentinean legislature approved Law 28.652 Día Nacional de los/as afroargentinos/as y de la cultura afro (National Day of Afro-argentineans and African Culture) to be celebrated on November 8. In a country which has historically made the contributions of African descendants all but non existent this is a significant achievement.

Day of the AfroMexican Black Community of Oaxaca

• Afro-Mexicans successfully push the Mexican state for recognition and secured October 19 as the "Day of the AfroMexican Black Community of Oaxaca”. This is a huge achievement for the AfroMexican movement who have been able to make significant advances in recent years, pushing for official recognition of the human rights and cultural roots of the AfroMexican community. With Census counts varying the movement has embarked on a consciousness raising effort, while developing a plan for inclusion in the Mexican Constitution.

• http://www.noticiasnet.mx/portal/oaxaca/176042-celebran-su-dia-mas-74-mil-afromexicanos

US$27,000 Fine against “Negro Mama”

• Fine leveled against media group for Blackface show "Negro Mama". Following up on a fine originally imposed by the Peruvian government after a successful but contentious campaign to remove the blackface character "Negro Mama", LUNDU-Peru scored a victory by having the Frequencia Latina tv station fined $27,000 for failing to comply with the original decision. Sadly the popular backlash in support of the character was full of hateful, violent, mysoginistic and racist rhetoric.

Decision of the Tribunal Court of the Dominican Republic TC 168/13

• In October 2013 the Tribunal Court of the Dominican Republic issued a ruling and a plan retroactive to 1929, that imposed responsibility on the Dominican state to effectively strip nearly 200,000 Haitian immigrants, their children and Dominicans of Haitian descent of their Dominican citizenship. International condemnation swiftly followed the ruling, which then gave rise to a nationalist opposition movement from within the Dominican Republic which claimed any criticism disrespected national sovereignty. At present the Dominican and Haitian governments are in discussions in an effort to resolve the issue. OUR DECLARATION

1st Afrolatino Festival of NY June 28, 2013• New York saw its first festival dedicated to the

broad range of Afrolatino cultures. The Festival, the brainchild of co-founders Tania Molina, of Garifuna descent and Mai-Elka Prado Gil, of Afro-Panamanian descent, took place in Brooklyn and was attended by hundreds including cultural and political figures. Visitors and participants from as far away as Puerto Rico, New Orleans, Boston and Chicago attended. The Festival returns this June 2014 so stay tuned.

50th Anniversary of the March on Washington

• In August 2013 the world celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington where African-American civil rights icon Rev. Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech pushing for civil rights, an end to racial discrimination and greater economic equality. MLK has had a significant impact on Afrolatino human rights advocacy as seen by the outpouring of support. Click for commemoration speech by Mr. Federico Pita of DIAFAR, Argentina

3rd World Conference of African & Afrodescendant Mayors and Leaders

• In September 2013, Cali and Cartagena, Colombia hosted the The Third World Conference of African and Afrodescendant Mayors and Leaders . Prior conferences were held in Senegal (2011) and Nigeria (2009). Key themes of this year included the use of tourism for socioeconomic development, the environment, the importance of the peace process in Colombia and the need for increased industrial, cultural, economic, spiritual and political cooperation in the diaspora.

SEGIB Conference of Ibero-American Heads of State and Government

• October 2013, the Secretary General of Ibero-America (SEGIB) organized the Conference of Ibero-American Heads of State and Government in Panama City, Panama. This Summit aimed to facilitate the exchange of ideas and regional cooperation among Latin American leaders, to foster public-private partnerships and to encourage awareness of digital citizenship and digital tools for development including among Afrodescendant communities. The SEGIB is the creator of "Ciudadania 2.0" ("Citizenship 2.0") "AfroXXI”

Conference on Racial Equality, Brazil• In October 2013, Brazil’s SEPPIR organized the

Third Conference on Racial Equality. Key topics included the need to continue the push for racial equality in employment, education and political representation for the nearly 50.7% of Brazilians who self-identify as Afrodescendants. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff announced the establishment of a System for Monitoring the Promotion of Policies for Racial Equality. The Plan for the Prevention of Violence Against Black Youth, Plan Brasil Quilombola and the Guide for Implementation of Racial Equality for States, Federal Districts and Municipalities were also launched.

Other notable events:

•2d Conference on HIV /AIDS (November 2013) among AfroCentral Americans to present findings to the General Assembly of ONECA

• 20+ HBCUs to Welcome More Than 150 Brazilian Students in Exchange Program This Fall