Welcome address at the 10th Africando Conference at FIU – North- September 19,2007 – by Anthony D Okonmah – Executive Director, The Foundation for Democracy in Africa.

Your Excellencies, Honorable Minister-

Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Mayors, Commissioners, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:

I feel privileged and honored to welcome you to this Special Conference on African Cultures and Development. On behalf of The Foundation for Democracy in Africa and our partner organizations - (The African New World Studies at Florida International University and the Miami Dade College and our sponsors – Vertical Source Pharma, Inc, Enterprise Florida, The Jay Malina International Trade Consortium of Miami Dade County, The Miami International Airport, Greater Miami Convention & Visitor Bureau, Port of Miami and the Dade County Government,

I would like to welcome everyone attending this important Hemispheric Conference to Miami Dade County.

We are honored and delighted by your presence with us this morning and we thank you for honoring our invitation.

Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to share with you the importance of this conference, to my organization – The Foundation for Democracy in Africa. We are here today to deliberate on how Africa should once again use its Traditions, Cultural Values and Diversity to Support Africa’s political, social and economic development and improve the standard of living for the African people.

As you know, Africa is the center of the world, the mother of all humanity, and the father of all civilizations.

To repeat, Africa is the geological parent, the biological parent and the cultural parent of humanity. These conclusions are supported by scientific findings that humanity first emerged from Africa, and that human culture began in Africa.

We now know conclusively using DNA technology and the science of archeology, that all humans in the world today, can trace their ancestry back to Africa.

So, therefore, there are no separate races, only the human race, that has its original root from Africa.

We know that the study of mathematics, science, astronomy and technology, originated from Africa.

In-fact, we know that the first university in the world was located in Timbuktu and that people traveled far and wide to seek knowledge from the great African scholars.

The pyramid of GIZA in Egypt, the great civilization of Sudan and others, are all testimony, that Africa used cultural values, knowledge and tradition to advance its development.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Why then is Africa, the cradle of humanity and civilization, in its present predicament?

This is why we have gathered the best scholars and experts to shed light on this important issue.

Despite all of the great contributions of Africa to human development and civilization, Today’s Africa lags behind in development and struggles to provide basic need for its citizens.

However, Europe and other emerging civilizations have used cultural values, tradition and knowledge to advance their development.

Ladies and Gentlemen: There is an urgent need in Africa for cultural “re-evolution” so that once again, Africa can re-establish her position as the center of human civilization and take full credit for her contributions to humanity.

African leaders and scholars are therefore called upon to assume the primary responsibility for Africa’s cultural re-evolution – putting back cultural values, traditions and knowledge in the development paradigm.

Presently, the development paradigm in use by international organizations and some African countries, limit or ignore cultural inputs. Subsequently, some of the projects fail dramatically, due in part to lack of harmony between expectations and culture.

Africans must develop strategies that are appropriate for Africa’s development, strengthen cooperation and cultural ties with its Diaspora globally, to take full advantage of globalization.

In conclusion, it is our expectation that this conference will provide recommendation that can be use for policy reforms

And improve legislative framework, to advance development in Africa.

I look forward to your full participation during the conference and would like to take this opportunity to thank again, our sponsor, resources persons and volunteers.

I hope that everyone visiting Miami for the first time will spend some times and enjoy our beaches and experience the real Miami Hospitality.

Again, I welcome you to Africando 2007 and hereby declare the conference open.