Policy Advocacy with TransAfrica Forum

Policy Advocacy with Policy Advocacy with TransAfrica ForumTransAfrica Forum

Hepburn Center InternshipHepburn Center Internship

Summer 2009Summer 2009

Ntshadi Mofokeng ‘12Ntshadi Mofokeng ‘12

About TransAfrica ForumAbout TransAfrica Forum

Founding principleFounding principle

““We believe the success of Afro-Americans is We believe the success of Afro-Americans is bound up with the emancipation of all bound up with the emancipation of all

African peoples and also other dependent African peoples and also other dependent peoples and laboring classes everywhere…”peoples and laboring classes everywhere…”

- excerpt, Declaration of the 5th Pan-African Congress - excerpt, Declaration of the 5th Pan-African Congress (1945)(1945)

A Quick HistoryA Quick History

Established by the Congressional Black Caucus in Established by the Congressional Black Caucus in September 1976 as a private advocacy groupSeptember 1976 as a private advocacy group

Incorporated July 1st, 1977 in Washington DC, Incorporated July 1st, 1977 in Washington DC, with Randall Robinson as Executive Directorwith Randall Robinson as Executive Director

Early work was in southern Africa and HaitiEarly work was in southern Africa and Haiti Orchestrated crucial protests during the 1970s and Orchestrated crucial protests during the 1970s and

1980s outside the South African Embassy in 1980s outside the South African Embassy in Washington DC which led to high profile arrests Washington DC which led to high profile arrests including Rosa Parks’including Rosa Parks’

Organizational SetupOrganizational Setup

Seven person full-time staffSeven person full-time staff Department BreakdownDepartment Breakdown

CommunicationsCommunications LegalLegal Public AffairsPublic Affairs Public OutreachPublic Outreach

Specialization by region: Africa, the Specialization by region: Africa, the Caribbean and Afro-Latin AmericaCaribbean and Afro-Latin America

MentorsMentors

Imani CountessImani Countess,,

Senior Director of Public Senior Director of Public AffairsAffairs

Key task: shaping Key task: shaping TAF’s policy positionsTAF’s policy positions

Representing TAF at Representing TAF at conferences and conferences and visiting topical visiting topical countriescountries

Mwiza MunthaliMwiza Munthali,,

Public Outreach DirectorPublic Outreach Director Key task: Key task:

implementing public implementing public outreach activitiesoutreach activities

Runs the Arthur Ashe Runs the Arthur Ashe Foreign Policy LibraryForeign Policy Library

Hosts AfricaNow Hosts AfricaNow weekly radio showweekly radio show

Hot IssuesHot Issues

Africom - Africom - militarization of aidmilitarization of aid Vulture Funds - Vulture Funds - exploitation of highly exploitation of highly

indebted poor countriesindebted poor countries President Obama’s Trip to Ghana - President Obama’s Trip to Ghana -

opportunity to reshape foreign policyopportunity to reshape foreign policy Effects of Global Financial Crisis - Effects of Global Financial Crisis - failure of failure of

US economic policy punted through the US economic policy punted through the IMF’s recommendationsIMF’s recommendations

Events: Cabral/Truth CircleEvents: Cabral/Truth Circle

Topic: Africom and the Topic: Africom and the Militarization of AfricaMilitarization of Africa

Model for public Model for public educationeducation Short film presentationShort film presentation Book readingBook reading Case studyCase study Expert panelExpert panel Audience participationAudience participation

Event: Film FestivalsEvent: Film Festivals

DC Caribbean Film DC Caribbean Film FestivalFestival

African Diaspora Film African Diaspora Film FestivalFestival

Model for Model for collaboration:collaboration: Interest groupsInterest groups Partners with Partners with

experienceexperience Accessible sitesAccessible sites

Event: Poetry and ProtestEvent: Poetry and Protest

Day of the African Child Day of the African Child 16 June16 June

Model for cross-cultural Model for cross-cultural engagementengagement Providing historical Providing historical

contextcontext Honoring Dennis Brutus, Honoring Dennis Brutus,

South African poetSouth African poet Inviting local poetsInviting local poets Hosting Comrade Fatso, Hosting Comrade Fatso,

Zimbabwean poetZimbabwean poet

Focus on President Obama’s Trip Focus on President Obama’s Trip to Ghanato Ghana

Weekly/Bi-Weekly Weekly/Bi-Weekly MeetingsMeetings

Produced Briefing Produced Briefing Book and Sign-On Book and Sign-On LetterLetter

Model for forming a Model for forming a coalitioncoalition Emphasizing general Emphasizing general

principlesprinciples Building up supportBuilding up support

Writing: Policy BriefsWriting: Policy Briefs

Piracy in SomaliaPiracy in Somalia Change in ZimbabweChange in Zimbabwe FormatFormat

IssueIssue HistoryHistory Previous policyPrevious policy Policy Policy

recommendationsrecommendations Call for progressive US Call for progressive US

Foreign PolicyForeign Policy

Take-Home MessageTake-Home Message

TransAfrica Forum is a very robust TransAfrica Forum is a very robust advocacy organizationadvocacy organization

The staff are supportive of interns and The staff are supportive of interns and encourage individual developmentencourage individual development

Many opportunities to initiate ideas, gain Many opportunities to initiate ideas, gain experience and interact with a variety of experience and interact with a variety of organizationsorganizations

Overall, a very fulfilling experience

Some of the 2009 Summer Interns