On Saturday, 25th June 2016 the interim National Afrikan People’s Parliament (iNAPP), that will be holding its next General People’s Assembly (GPA) under theme ‘Ain’t No Stoppin Us Now.’ The GPA starts at 4.30pm and finishes at 9.30 and takes place at Queen Mother Moore School, Clapham Methodist Church Hall, Nelsons Row, Clapham, London SW4 7JR.
Key features of the event will be the working towards laying the foundation for establishing a National Credit Union towards economic empowerment and the S.U.T.I. (Sign Up To iNAPP) Campaign that plans to recruit 100 active members to drive a campaign to amass a 1,000 strong membership and raise £1,000,000.
Looking forward to the event, iNAPP Co-Chair Bro Ldr Mbandaka enthused:
“We in iNAPP are convinced that with 1,000 Afrikan people (to start) pooling their human and material resources and working diligently towards fulfilling this vision, no force on earth can stop us. This will be a serious, focused discussion on the road to Self-Repair: the true and only way to achieve Reparations and total Liberation. So, join us and help to fulfil this vision.”
Those of you who attended the said NBPDA and the very dynamic GPA in January, will recall iNAPP’s exciting projections towards ‘Economic Empowerment,’ including concrete ideas for establishing a credit union and other economic development strategies. At our prior GPA in November 2015, we submitted our draft Constitution and Manifesto for public consultation (see attached for your information and feedback).
This coming GPA aims to reactivate the membership, by mobilising 100 people to Sign-Up To iNAPP and work together toward amassing 1,000 Sign-Ups by March 2, 2017. As active members, these 1,000, will provide the social, political and economic capital to drive forward our Nation Building agenda, including a drive to raise our first £1,000,000 (one million), by March 2, 2018, for investing in the infrastructure (economic, educational, social, scientific, etc), to fulfil this vision.”
Should iNAPP be successful in its endeavours, it will mark a major turning point, given the numerous previous efforts to establish a representative body. Back in 1931 Dr Harold Moody established the League of Coloured Peoples in London and its members included: C. L. R. James, Jomo Kenyatta and Una Marson. Its four main aims, printed in each issue of its journal The Keys were:
- To promote and protect the Social, Educational, Economic and Political Interests of its members;
- To interest members in the Welfare of Coloured Peoples in all parts of the World;
- To improve relations between the Races;
- To cooperate and affiliate with organisations sympathetic to coloured people
In 1937, a fifth aim was added:
- To render such financial assistance to coloured people in distress as lies within our capacity. (1)
The LCP did have an impact as a pressure group striving to alleviate the hardships faced by Afrikan families in the UK. Unfortunately, it didn’t survive much beyond Dr Moody’s death 1947.
In succeeding decades, various attempts to establish a representative body have been made (some of whom are still in existence). However, there is also a school of thought that regards such activities as separatist, while urging Afrikan engagement in the existing societal structures (e.g. political parties, EU Referendum, etc.)
Yet it could be argued that ongoing attempts to establish a representative body are an acknowledgement that the conditions faced by Afrikans in the UK that can only be combated with organised action. The reasons why none made (or is making) a lasting impact does need some exploration.
To some, the ‘personality factor’ is a major issue where one individual (“the leader”) so personifies the organisation their departure is seen as its death knell (arguably as seen in LCP). Other considerations are when the programme offered appears too radical (or conversely not radical enough) to attract widespread support. Another scenario is when the proposed programme is simply beyond the capacity (e.g. lack skills/personal) of the group proposing it.
An often unacknowledged element is the extent to which organisations are infiltrated by the state/enemies. For many, infiltration is a feature of 1960s USA but attracts little attention here. There is certainly a case for including this in the analysis of the rise and fall of organisations in the UK.
A respected Elder in the community once referred to iNAPP as “our last best hope.” Certainly, iNAPP’s draft manifesto proposes a compelling programme around key policy areas including: politics, economics, education, criminal justice, health, employment and media. The task now is to amass sufficient support to implement them.
(1) Fryer, Peter (1984) Staying Power: The History of Black People in Britain, Pluto Press, p. 327.
So tonight we ask the question:
What is stopping us from building a functional national representative body?
1. Will you be signing up to iNAPP on the 25th?
2. Is iNAPP’s programme inclusive enough?
3. Are groups like iNAPP separatist?
4. Has infiltration played a role in destroying organisations in the UK?
5. If so, how can it be combatted?
6. Is the way forward engagement in the existing societal structures?
Our very special guests:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and UNIA-ACL Ambassador for the UK and national co-Chair of the interim National Afrikan People’s Parliament. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of over 30 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An Africentric Guide To Excellence.
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