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Overarching objective of the Pan-Afrikan Society Community Forum
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By Omowale Rupert and Pan-African Society Community Forum
14 Gowlett Road, Peckham, London SE15 4HY,
Website: www.pascf.org.uk – Email: pascfevents1@gmail.com –
The Pan-Afrikan Society Community Forum (PASCF) is a Britain based Revolutionary Pan-Afrikanist organisation. We seek to make our contribution to the unification and liberation of Afrika and Afrikan people under a just social system. The achievement of this objective is Afrikan people’s contribution to the worldwide revolutionary movement.
It is within this context that we welcomed and facilitated the visit of senior comrade Bob Brown of the AAPRP-GC to our operational territory from 18th September to 30th October 2013. The PASCF operated with the following objects in focus:
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Objectives of the visit:
- To deliver the 2013 Kwame Nkrumah Annual Memorial Lecture;
- To facilitate educational forums broadcasting and advancing the aims and messages of Revolutionary Pan-Afrikanism to Afrikan people and others;
- To support and enhance the PASCF/CPP consciencism study programme;
- To build the membership and public image of the PASCF;
- To lay the foundations for future strategic and tactical alliances with AAPRP (GC);
- To strengthen operational working relations with CPP (UK & Ireland) with a view to building a future working alliance;
- To develop and strengthen working relations with a widened range of Afrikan and non-Afrikan progressive groupings operating in Britain;
- To support AAPRP (GC) in:
- Sharing its political massages in Britain;
- Building its public image in Britain;
- Carrying out research for general political education and the production of literature; and
- Visiting other locations in Afrika and Europe.
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Summary of outcomes of the visit:
- The Kwame Nkrumah Annual Memorial Lecture 2013 was a great success. Attended by approximately 60 people, the audience was gripped by Bob’s presentation. The volume of questions and enquiries was of such magnitude that the meeting extended 2 hours beyond its planned finishing time. A follow-up meeting had to be arranged there and then to accommodate the level of interest. It was the quality of engagement that was the essence of the event’s success – a feature which characterised the whole tour.
- Bob spoke at a range of events across Britain including in the cities of: London, Luton, Oxford, Birmingham, Leeds and Newcastle. Events in Liverpool and Leicester though provisionally discussed, did not materialise – nor did speaking engagements at a college and Trade union in London.
- Given the limited planning time, the tour was very successful. Over 100 people attended the Tottenham event (North London) and over 200 the Leeds one. The South London event was broadcast live on PASCF’s newly launched internet TV station. The Revolutionary Pan-Afrikanist message was broadly spread across specific local communities.
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Summary of Program and Events:
- Bob attended 2 consciencism study sessions. His inputs and insights were most welcome. The number of attendees increased as a direct result of his presence. More attention needs to be paid to retention of attendees.
- No new members were directly recruited as a result of the tour. There is a heightened level of interest and there have been specific requests from people wishing to join which are being processed.
- There has been an ongoing character assassination and undermining campaign against the PASCF and its founder by reactionary forces veiling themselves under the banner of ‘Pan-Afrikanism’. Bob’s visit has contributed positively to overcoming that destructive campaign and rebuilding the good name of the PASCF.
- The PASCF and AAPRP-GC have informally agreed to develop a working alliance.
- The CPP participated as chair in all the London meetings. The PASCF/CPP relationship has undoubtedly been strengthened by the visit. The next stage will be to encourage the participation of greater numbers of CPP members.
- New relations have been established with a number of groups around the country. It is hoped that these will be strengthened over time. A number of organisations supported Bob’s delivery of the Kwame Nkrumah Annual Memorial Lecture as sponsors.
- A number of idealist grouping claiming to be ‘Pan-Afrikanists’, including the group using the name ‘AAPRP Britain Chapter’ were not supportive and relations with them will have been further dampened as a result of the visit.
- AAPRP (GC) successfully delivered elements of its political line during the visit and its public profile has been launched/raised. Bob was denied access to some national research institutions on the basis of bureaucratic technicalities. He did manage to access others and was given unrestricted access to a range of materials under the PASCF’s control. Some level of research was facilitated.
- The PASCF is delighted to learn of the publication of Bob’s first book.
- Financial and time constraints meant that a number of planned visits had to be deferred. Bob nonetheless visited Germany and participated in a conference.
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Additional brief comments:
The visit would have benefited from a greater degree of forward and budgetary planning. PASCF members and supports could have benefitted more from Bob’s vast wealth of geo-political knowledge and on future occasions this will need to be factored into the programme. A similar analysis could be made for the holding of joint organisational meetings with Bob. Although improvements are still possible, the visit was a resounding success. The PASCF was pleased to host Bob and looks forward to future co-operative ventures.
Approved by The Pan-Afrikan Society Community Forum (PASCF) Board
27th December 2013
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