Celebrating Three Trailblazers: Honoring the Outstanding Contributions of AFRE, and Afrodescendant Nation at the United Nations
By Afrodescendant Ali
In preparation for the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, being held In Geneva, Switzerland, April 16-19th 2024, a Side Meeting was facilitated by Dr. Tauheedah Bronner which took place on April 13, 2024, among several group leaders. These also included the Honorable Silis Muhammad, Monarch of the Afrodescendant Nation, Harriet Abubakr, Attorney, Ishmael Abdul-Salaam, CEO of All for Reparations and Emancipation (AFRE), Ajani Mukkaram, Board Member of AFRE, Eric Philips, VC of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) and Ida Lawrence of Caucasians United for Reparations and Emancipation (CURE).
The statements made by Dr. Akilah Mukarram, Afrodescendant Nation, Ishmael Abdul Salaam, CEO of AFRE, and Dr. Tauheedah Bronner of AFRE, have now been published on the UN OHCHR website as part of the submissions to the Third session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.
Dr. Akilah Mukarram, President of the Afrodescendant nation, reiterated the losses that Afrodescendants suffer as a people. Her statement, published on the UN OHCHR website, highlights how Afrodescendants were stripped of their language, culture, dignity, name, and religion, and were forced to assimilate into American culture and accept Christianity as their religion. She advocates for reparations today due to the devastating impacts of this history.
Ishmael Abdul-Salaam, CEO of AFRE, has also submitted a statement to the UN OHCHR website for the Third session of the Permanent Forum. In his statement, he discusses the importance of the Second Decade on People of African Descent and the need for reparations, repair, and holistic healing strategies to address the root causes of the challenges faced by Afrodescendants.
Dr. Tauheedah Bronner, a doctor of Naturopathic medicine and holistic primary care medicine, named several of the long-term effects of plantation slavery on the physical, mental, and emotional health of Afrodescendants. Her statement, available on the UN OHCHR website, highlights the disparities in healthcare access and the effects of generational trauma that persist today, leading to disproportionately elevated levels of chronic and preventable diseases in the Afrodescendant population.
The meeting ended with final recommendations that the UN live up to its creed and provide human rights for everyone everywhere, and that the voice of Afrodescendants be heard. The Honorable Silis Muhammad mentioned that if the Lost Found Nation of Islam and Minister Louis Farrakhan could come together, he believed that they could be the voice of Afrodescendants in America. Ida Lawrence recommended that another decade of a working group or panel could be established and fully funded by the UN, establishing a permanent place on the agenda.
Published statement on the UN OHCHR website.
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