MASSACRE IN EGYPT

PRESS RELEASE

 

The massacre unfolding in Egypt is deeply painful to behold and a reminder of the tragedy trailing a failure of a world order that has outlived its humanity.  

African women worldwide condemn the massacre of Egyptians by the Egyptian Security forces supported by fellow Egyptians in political offices. Our bleeding hearts are with the families of the victims and the people of Egypt. We are calling on the international community and world Governments to act promptly to end this massacre and destruction of humanity and democracy in Egypt.

The termination of democracy in Egypt represents a breakdown of efforts by world governments to implant political ideologies on developing Africa and the rest of the so-called third world countries. The slaughter of women and their families unfolding in Egypt is a crime against humanity, democracy and human rights that should be condemned by every Government.

The actions of the Egyptian Security Forces are reminiscent of governments using armed forces across Africa and other parts of the developing world. African women call on the international community to condemn the blatant terrorism against democracy, human rights and sanctity of life in Egypt. No government should be allowed to kill its own citizens regardless. The Egyptian revolution of 2011 that produced the first democratic process should have been protected and allowed to evolve.

African women stand with the women of Egypt and their families without religious sentiment.

We call on the International Criminal Court to take urgent action to bring the Egyptian Security forces and its civilian terror perpetrators to justice. Egypt belongs to every Egyptian equally irrespective of religious affiliation. It is clear that the only viable Road-map to PEACE in Egypt now is the ability of the world to bring the killers of Egyptians to Justice. African women call on the United Nations and other world governments to condemn the termination of Egypt’s democratic process and the terrorism aimed at silencing Egyptian women and their families.

If Africa is to democratise successfully, the rights of Africans to choose their leaders as they deem fit must be respected and protected without fear or favour. Democracy is never pure at its onset.  Democracy is a process that must be worked on and not achieved by force.

WORLD PEACE CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED THROUGH RESPECT FOR OUR MUTUAL HUMANITY.  Visit WOA at www.womenofafrika.org  

Contact email: ukokoA@gmail.com and +44 (0)7903 937 705

African Women Standing in the Gap - Redefining Gender Roles in Africa

ALICE UKOKO Founder and CEO of Women Of Africa Speaks: SOAS 8.6.13

Firstly, I wish to draw attention to the state of emergency imposed on three Northern States of Nigeria; where women and children are experiencing a secret war that is claiming civilian lives, destroying their meagre properties and creating a refugee crisis, as the world looks on. We are informed that this is a war on Boko Haram a terror group we are told are faceless.

Would this war against women and children in secluded areas of Northern Nigeria, deliver sustainable peace at the face of unquenchable hunger, impunity and massive corruption in high places? We must wait and see!!

When the world continues to witness armed conflicts, man-made famine, tragedies, forced migration and monumental abomination against our humanity then, we should know that it is time for women to stand in the gap.

Women are important stakeholders in Africa and in the world and not just “gender” implied as creatures that came down from Mars. Women are human beings with equal rights and responsibility for the survival and development of Africa and our global world.

From time immemorial in African societies, women define the culture and tradition of the Continent. The men as the head of their families and communities had the responsibility of welcoming visitors while the women take care of the hospitalities.  Before the arrival of foreign visitors, no decision was concluded without the consent of the womenfolk.

However tragically, during the visit of the slave and commercial traders, mama did not eardrop to know what the mission of the visitors to Africa was. This was when the early slave and commercial traders arrived to secure their various interests in Africa. As was expected by mama, the visitors never left and papa did not feedback on the mission of the visitors.

Thus, the outcome and nightmare of the slave and commercial trading in Africa continue to haunt this Continent so rich and yet so impoverished because the women were excluded from talks and the decision making process.

I wish to state categorically that legalised slave trading displaced Africans to such an extent that we now have African Caribbean; African Americans etc spread across the world. They are the descendants of the victims of this inhumane trade and represent Africa Diaspora firstly. For them to return to their roots and the land of their ancestors, women must stand in the gap to make the corrective and positive changes necessary.

Whilst I do not advocate for reparation for the wrong doing aided by papa in the slave and commercial trading in Africa, I stand firmly on the need for the world to empower African women to stand in the gap to redefine gender roles now, rather than later.

I am concerned that whereas African women are the back bone and hence the continuing survival of their families, communities and Continent, they are portrayed as the victims; the uneducated; the perpetrators of harmful practices; and the specie over populating Africa and the rest of the world.

Humanity is not homogenous so that a global project aimed at creating a homogenous world is certainly failing Mother Earth. Mother Africa wants to be Free to enjoy and develop at her own pace and to partnership with the rest of the world as equals. We are all born equal under GOD irrespective of our gender, Continent and circumstances of our birth.

It is time for the world to understand and to empower women in order to reform Africa genuinely; instead of arming and aiding governments to sustain the global project as unequal partners.

It is to effectively stand in the gap and enrich Africa’s gender roles that Women Of Africa is leading efforts to end poverty, conflicts and sexual abuse in Africa and across the world.

Restoring the status of African women through international recognition is Key to addressing the misconceptions of the past. African women are the missing partners at the tables of world policy decision making, not only in political offices, but as civil society voices and effective participants in global socio-economic processes. African grassroots women have been fish and crop farmers and traders since time immemorial and never basket weavers.

Concluding, I wish to draw our attention to the continuing civil war in Syria where women and children are losing their lives every second for two years now. Women are experiencing sexual violence and gang rape all over the world that, it is irrelevant to identify what part of the world is experiencing the worse incidence of rape both within the home and outside.

By African tradition, the woman represents Mother Africa and no son of Africa is expected to rape his mother as such, urgent action is needed to end violence against women so that peace can return to Africa and our world. Remember! Sexual abuse of African women is a TABOO and it should be stopped with military speed. It is time to reform Africa by empowering and following the lead of African women standing in the GAP.

For information about Alice Ukoko, visit our websites: www.womenofafrika.org www.aliceukoko.org and www.aliceukoko.com

A DAY TO BE BORN AND A DAY TO DIE (Farewell Pa Nelson Mandela)

As Pa Nelson Mandela prepares to join our Ancestors, Women Of Africa congratulates President Jacob Zuma the South African President and his government for the honour of observing this historic event on Africa’s soil. It is important that he departs this world from Africa; the land of his birth. We are proud that we have not had to travel to far away land to share this moment of our HISTORY.

We stand with our South African sisters as we wish our African father safe passage into the Great Beyond. We remember his mission of liberating firstly the South African peoples and Africa as a Continent with great pride and inspiration.

Pa Nelson Mandela is leaves behind a Continent with great potential and in dire need for reform; hope and gender balancing. He has shown us that a life that the life that has meaning, is that which is lived for the freedom and benefit of others.

Farewell Pa Nelson Mandela!

Rest In Perfect Peace

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Women Of Africa (WOA) was created in 1994 to give women the platform to engage in efforts to end direct military dictatorship in Nigeria.  Military rule ended in 1999 and WOAs focus shifted to supporting African families and professionals based in the United Kingdom, through advocacy and mediation services.  The aim was to reduce existing cultural misunderstandings and distrust between the UK and African cultures.

Achievements:

1.      Through dedicated one-to-one support, around 4,500 families and professionals benefited over a period of ten years resulting in more children and young adults of African origin remaining in formal education and progressing to higher institutions of learning. Better understanding of African culture led to more children and young adults of African origin returning from foster homes to their natural parents and successfully prevented African children from being adopted.

2.      Through our effective support, African families were granted leave to appeal a murder conviction by the British Court of Appeal in 2005.

3.      For more information about our achievement through our one to one support services visit our website: www.womenofafrika.org historical background: Diary of cases.

Addressing Africa’s Backwardness for the good of all

The experience we gained from working directly with families in the UK and Africa highlighted the root cause of the many challenges that Africans face both at home and abroad; namely the delay of Africa’s reform. Africans love Africa and those outside will return home if the situation on the ground was improved and less would emigrate.

The Problem and Presumptions

Contrary to international efforts to help Africa through international aid, UN Conventions, AU’s Decades For Women amongst others, the responsibility for Africa’s recovery and reform rests with Africans themselves and alone.

Our Mission is to raise the profile of African women for international recognition through lobbying influential people (politically and otherwise) across the world. We aim to achieve a positive shift of consciousness in favour of African women.

Policy decision makers in governments both in Africa and globally need to become aware that without African women at the high table, partnership agreements would not yield the desired outcome. African women are the providers in most homes and therefore understand the challenges they face. African women would deliver sustainable peace, socio-economic and political development. Importantly, the growing rate of violence against women and girl children can only be halted through direct involvement of Africa’s women.

  Our Working Philosophy:

It is true that African women define Africa’s culture and tradition and are the back bone of the Continent. Representing the combined voices of women, we react to challenges by issuance of position Press Releases amongst others from time to time.

Globalisation presumes partnership between Nations of equal standing.  However given Africa’s continuing backwardness, it is clear that most countries in the continent fall within the categorization of third world or developing countries. One therefore wonders how developed countries can comfortably partner with under-developed countries and expect them to interact as equals. For how long can developed countries support failing African countries with arms and international aid?

Negative Impact of Immature globalisation on African Women & Civil Society:

• Globalisation changed the developmental reality through the imposition of international norms on a still backward Africa.
• The misunderstanding of the role and status of women by the foreign traders who arrived on the Continent during the commercial and slave trading and colonial era injected a gender gap and role frustration which continues to haunt and hurt African women into the 21^st century. So now, the world is global without African women.
• The globalised agenda thus portrays African women as victims within their families and communities. This scenario ignores the fact that African women are the care givers and leaders of their Continent.
• Across the African Continent grassroots women are organising in an attempt to empower themselves and attract international attention to no avail as the rules of the globalised world appear to be set in stone in favour of African governments and hence African men. This is to the detriment of world peace, stability and Africa’s reform.

Africa’s recovery from her negative past depends on international recognition of African women as equal stakeholders.

Our Strategy & Progress:

We wrote formally to Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth of Britain and Head of the Commonwealth of Nations informing Ma’am of the work we are doing to raise the profile of African women for international recognition for Africa’s reform.

We have attempted to make contact with the African Union through letters to the immediate past President Dr. Thomas Yayi Boni: President of Benin Republic; The American President; The British Prime Minister; Secretary of State for Foreign Affair; World Bank Vice President for Africa; Mrs. Hillary Clinton; The Secretary General of the United Nations Ban-Ki Moon and many others with the message that a New World Order is urgently needed to end the global unrest and help Africa recover. Women as important civil society players need to be recognised and effectively empowered to contribute to Africa’s recovery and end centuries of abuse and negative imaging. It is important that the continuing growth in commercial interests in Africa’s market should include Africans themselves. African women want to be the catalyst for the emerging economic change so as to make it beneficial and sustainable in the future.

Our Partners: Women across Africa and in the Diaspora are organised under various groups under grassroots leadership, to support themselves to meet their day to day needs. Many organise as Non Governmental Organisations to meet their needs. Our work will bring women’s groups together to connect with what governments are doing nationally and internationally for greater impact and relevance.

The creation of the African Women Commission (AWCOM) aims to become a civil society body/voice for African women working with themselves; world governments and donors in the interest of our global project.

Exposure to leadership at the continental level as is being aimed, would Mentor, Support, Empower and give voice to African women.  This would enable them to regain their traditional status and authority to modernise Africa and equalise our standing with the rest of the developed world.

Women understand better what their needs are in their role as mothers, in the home and as peace makers.  AWCOM would enable women to bring their individual skills and authority in the home to bear on international decision making process.

Sexual abuse is a major challenge for Africans. African women working together void of competing interests have the capacity and authority to reduce this abominable act against humanity, tradition and culture. Most health concerns facing Africans and the world today will become a thing of the past if women are given the opportunity to restore their traditional role within Africa and the global world.   

To add value to humanitarian efforts worldwide, AWCOM aim to launch Project Africa Direct, a project that would ensure that every donation and effort expended by Africans living abroad and the goodwill of world citizens gets to the grassroots of Africa for whom these efforts and sacrifices are meant.

A major problem facing women across Africa and the Diaspora is isolation due to a lack of information. AWCOM aims to put an appropriate information mechanism in place to ensure that every African woman is connected to their government and is aware of how her contributions create a peaceful and better world. African women should be supported to feed their families, communities and the world in their own rights and through their own efforts.

Our Funding: As equal stakeholders in humanity we are appealing for world governments and investors in the humanitarian well-being of the world to kindly support this unique Mission so that together, we can save Africa in our lifetime

   

The Organisation of African Unity (African Union) At 50

The Organisation of African Unity (OAU): at 50

The creation of the OAU on 25^th May 1963 was an initiative aimed at strengthening and kick-starting sustainable independence in every developmental aspect like other nations. Fifty years on, Africans are concerned that their continent is yet to be truly independent and progressive.

The Indicators of Success

As the saying “the proof of the pudding is in the eating” thus, the true test of success of the OAU (now the African Union) fifty years on can only be judged by Africans themselves.

In reality Africans worldwide are aware that the African Union exists to protect the individuals in political and governmental offices to the exclusion of the people. Governments have failed to integrate and include their citizens in developing their country and continent.  The result of this failing has created an African Union partnership that is an empty shelf in the words of a prominent Member of the European Parliament with Governments unable to deliver on the terms of the partnership.    

Africa is the richest Continent measured in terms of natural and human resources; yet Africans are forced to leave their home countries in search of economic opportunities due to the lack of effective governance. This reality on the ground paints a conclusive picture of the failings of African Governments and the African Union collectively.  

Some academics and writers on African affairs argue that the engagement of the African Union in peace keeping missions in Africa is a positive indicator of success. This view appears short sighted as it ignores the root causes of conflict in the first place. Africa has self imposed leaders whose main interest is the embezzlement of public funds that is spent and banked abroad.  The African Union exists to protect members’ personal interests rather than the interest of unity and recovery from the backwardness imposed through commercial, slave trading and direct colonialisation in Africa. 

It is an open secret that most African Head of States are dictators with many in political power directly since the 1980s.  Others maintain strangle holds over their countries through cronies. The struggles against colonial domination and apartheid have not yielded the dividends that were envisaged by all of those engaged to free Africa.

Examples Include

Sacrifices made to end apartheid in South Africa by Steve Biko Pa Nelson Mandela and Winnie Mandela amongst others ended political apartheid in South Africa but, economic apartheid deepens to prevent South Africans to enjoy the gains of political equality.

Sacrifices made by Ugandans to end dictatorship under General Idi Amin are yet to deliver democracy and sustainable socio-economic development for Uganda. The leader of the guerrilla army that removed Idi Amin continues to hold Ugandans hostage for the personal contributions that he made over twenty years ago. Women of Africa stand with Ugandan Journalists who are now standing against their modern day dictator’s imposition of his son on Uganda after he retires. Nigerians face untold inhumanity and untimely deaths from their governments and cronies who manipulates the electoral, governmental and security processes to meet international expectations.  

Fifty years of political independence from colonial masters is that individually, African nations continue to manipulate electoral processes to meet international calls for world democracy; thus alienating Africans whose participation in the political socio-economic recovery process would deliver the African Dream. Collectively, the African Union represents the interest and unity of Africa’s head of governments who are using every means    

The Way Forward:

The international community need to insist on an end to centuries of impunity against Africans; Africa is richer than most continents in the world and therefore should not expect to receive International aid for Africa’s development. Global partnerships should impose compliance with international standards by African Heads of State.

The deepening backwardness of Africa in the 21^st century necessitates a change of tactics by the United Nations, European Union and other world bodies who are actively engaging with the African Union. United Nations should be about united peoples instead of just the few in position of advantage. The growing threat of global terror is an indication of the need to change world consciousness in favour of Civil Society women’s right of engagement in the decision-making process.

It is time to encourage and recognise the creation of Civil Society women structures that would to a large extend dilute the failing political governments in Africa. The recent World Bank Review suggested that Africa is growing economically; it is grossly misleading to equate paper growth and/or growth achieved through foreign investment as Africa growing economically. It is not a secret that the celebrated emerging market and economic growth is to the exclusion of Africans in their own land and Continent.

It is not possible to achieve sustainable peace, stability, good governance, transparency, protection of human rights and true democracy in Africa without the active engagement of Africans themselves in the process.

African governments must create the enabling environment for Africans to step into the vast opportunity for production and the trade available in Africa.  

Fifty years after the creation of the OAU (now African Union), Africa is still struggling and Africans are still trotting the globe in search of food and safety. It is time to support the creation of an African women’s commission to represent Civil Society. The African Union has failed to meet the aspirations of Africans 50 years on and the necessities of the 21^st Century.

The realisation of reform and progress can only be through the recognition of African women by the international community, as equal stakeholders in African and world affairs at civil society level..

Women Of Africa (WOA) is working to raise the profile of African women onto the international level for Africa’s reform. African women are decision makers in their homes and communities by tradition and continue to represent the economic survival of the African continent.  The international community continues to not recognise the important role of African women commensurately on the international stage. Sexual violence, exclusion from national and international affairs is amongst the woes African women are suffering due to their loss of status through immature globalisation.

Visit www.womenofafrika.org for further information.

Contact us by email: ukokoA@gmail.com  

 

 

                                       TRAFFICKING IS AN INTERNATIONAL CRIME

Why should NGOs and donors lavish efforts and resources into finding a humanitarian solution to a large scale criminal aspect of political office holding?  

Corruption in public offices is the root cause of trafficking of Africa's girl children and women for prostitution and other vices. This was the point I made at the workshop organised by Comic Relief in London on Thursday 3.5.12 to find ways of preventing this crime against women and humanity.

To prevent this crime against humanity, there need to be combined campaign to raise the profile of trafficking. World citizens should join hands in persuading the British Government and other international governments to assist in tracking down embezzled and laundered public funds and these international thieves prosecuted and brought to due justice where ever the stolen wealth goes. These people kill and rob their own citizens to fund their personal lifestyles with impunity.

The British Government succeeded in bringing James Onanefe Ibori of Delta State to justice for embezzling and laundering the resources of  Delta State blessed with abundant crude oil and natural liquid gas. Yet, the people of Delta State - Nigeria are amongst the poorest and most brutalised in the world.

I congratulate grass roots women and children of Delta State for their courage in presenting Victim Report to His Honour Judge Pitts of Southwark Crown Court, London, informing him of the impact that James Ibori's crimes continue to have in their every day and life chances, the tragedies they face while trying to escape from Delta State - Nigeria to foreign lands.

Those who died on 30th March 2008 in the coast of Libya trying to cross to Italy after under taking dangerous routes to arrive Libya, were victims of these crimes and the women ensured that the HH Judge Pitts knew about this. They told him of a young lady who was raped over and over again during the journey, she became pregnant but drowned trying to cross to Italy.

I am deeply grateful to the British Government for succeeding where Nigeria failed to hold James Onanefe Ibori accountable for his crimes against humanity and the people of Delta State. It is my hope that the case of James Onanefe Ibori would send a strong warning signal to all those whose main reason for imposing themselves on the people of Nigeria under the guise of being political leaders, know that it is only a Matter of Time before they are held accountable for their own crimes against the Nigerian people.
                                             
                                        JUSTICE DELAYED IS NEVER JUSTICE DENIED

International trafficking and illegal migration from Delta State and other parts of Africa is as a result of the embezzlement and laundering of public funds.  It is sad that while other nationals are working hard to make their natural resources serve their people and their country, there are those who are killing and robbing their own people to fund their personal lifestyle and starching their people's wealth away in foreign banks.

I wish grass roots women and children of Delta State best of LUCK as they aim to pursue the return of their stolen wealth to Delta State. I am aware that Deltans are concerned that returning the loot to the current government amounts to returning the loot to James Onanefe Ibori through his first cousin, family members and cronies. I will strongly advise that we should allow the women and the children of Delta State to cross that bridge when they get to it. I am aware that in the Victim Statement, the women and children made their fear in this regard known to HH Judge Pitts.

GREED IS A MENTAL ILLNESS THAT WOULD LEAD THOSE DIRECTLY AND         INDIRECTLY PLAGUED WITH IT TO DESTRUCTION

Alice Ukoko for Women Of Africa: “Why do civilizations flourish and fail?”

Alice Ukoko for Women Of Africa: “Why do civilizations flourish and fail?”: “Why do civilizations flourish and fail?” World history maintains that humanity and civilization began in Africa Throug...