African reparations tribunal launches pledge drive

international | crime and justice | press release Monday April 02, 2007 19:20 by Uhuru African Liberation Solidarity Campaign

African Liberation Solidarity Campaign launches pledge drive to support the International Tribunal on Reparations for Afrikan People

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Contact the Uhuru African Liberation Solidarity Campaign, 510-625-1106, giveback@SolidarityforAfrica.org

Africans from throughout the world will converge on Berlin, Germany, June 7-10, 2007 for The International Tribunal on Reparations for Afrikan People (ITRAP). ITRAP is the African people's court aimed at putting the U.S.A and European imperialism on trial for crimes against African people during the slave trade, colonialism and neocolonialism. The tribunal in Berlin marks a return to “the scene of the crime” where in 1884-5, European colonial powers drew borders designed to divide African people and facilitate the theft of their resources.

Key organizers of the tribunal include the African People’s Socialist Party, as well as African groups in the UK, France, Portugal, Spain, and South America. They plan to call experts and witnesses from throughout the African world to testify on past and ongoing crimes including:

• Genocide: such as that of the Herero in the Namibia region, Africans in the Congo region during Belgian rule, as well as the lynching campaigns and current police containment policies in the U.S.
• Theft of resources: such as diamonds, gold, oil, timber and other minerals stolen from Africa to develop Europe, resulting in extreme poverty for most Africans.
• Neo-colonialism: Western-backed African leaders that continue colonial terror, violence and exploitation.

Organizing an international event of this scope requires a significant amount of resources so the Uhuru African Liberation Solidarity Campaign (Uhuru ALSC) has launched a pledge drive to raise $15,000 by April 9th. Funds are urgently needed to bring judges and witnesses from around the world, for logistics and to spread the word.

ALSC raises resources for the campaigns and programs of the African People's Socialist Party (APSP), organizing African people worldwide to end more than 500 years of oppression and poverty, the results of slavery and colonialism. ALSC Coordinator Maureen Wagener states, “As African working people struggle to regain control of the resources of Africa to benefit all African people everywhere, ALSC encourages everyone to contribute to the success of the International Tribunal on Reparations for Afrikan People.”

Donations can be made online at http://solidarityforafrica.org/giveback.shtml.

Or checks can be made out to “I-TRAP” and sent to:
Uhuru ALSC, 484 Lake Park Avenue, Suite 357, Oakland, CA 94610

More information about the tribunal and pledge drive can be found at:
www.SolidarityForAfrica.org and www.apspuhuru.org/tribunal