July, 17 2009, 09:21am EDT
Africa Action Honors Nelson Mandela's Birthday
On his 91st birthday, Africa Action honors Nelson Mandela,
one of
Africa's most prominent international figures, for his long-standing
tradition
of human rights activism.
Gerald LeMelle, Executive Director of Africa
Action said
this morning, "Today we celebrate Nelson Mandela's birthday. His leadership and courage in making South
Africa a more just society lives on through the work of a robust civil
society
on the continent."
WASHINGTON
On his 91st birthday, Africa Action honors Nelson Mandela,
one of
Africa's most prominent international figures, for his long-standing
tradition
of human rights activism.
Gerald LeMelle, Executive Director of Africa
Action said
this morning, "Today we celebrate Nelson Mandela's birthday. His leadership and courage in making South
Africa a more just society lives on through the work of a robust civil
society
on the continent."
Africa Action has been engaged in efforts to
promote more
just U.S. policies toward Africa since 1953, and played a significant
role in
the solidarity struggle in the U.S. against apartheid in South Africa.
Africa
Action's predecessor organization, the American Committee on Africa,
hosted
Nelson Mandela on his first trip to the U.S. after his release from
prison in
1990.
"Just as we did in 1990, today we are working
to build
stronger relationships with key organizations and coalitions across the
continent of Africa," said Michael Stulman, Associate Director for
Policy
and Communications. Stulman is currently traveling in South Africa to
meet with
civil society organizations working on the issues that surround human
rights
and democracy. He adds, "We have
long valued consultation with African allies and we look to ensure that
our
work in the United States complements the work happening in Africa."
Africa Action is a national organization that works for political, economic and social justice in Africa. Through the provision of accessible information and analysis combined with the mobilization of public pressure we work to change the policies and policy-making processes of U.S. and multinational institutions toward Africa. The work of Africa Action is grounded in the history and purpose of its predecessor organizations, the American Committee on Africa (ACOA), The Africa Fund, and the Africa Policy Information Center (APIC), which have fought for freedom and justice in Africa since 1953. Continuing this tradition, Africa Action seeks to re-shape U.S. policy toward African countries.
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