Dominica and House of Nyabinghi team up

The government of Dominica is teaming up with the House of Nyabinghi this year to observe African Liberation Day.

Ras Imani Shaw of the House of Nyabinghi says this year’s celebration will include several activities which will also be promoted and supported by the cultural division.

Shaw says the while Africans claim to be liberated there is still some level of mental slavery.

“We are refocusing on where we are going as a people. Right now there are a number of problems affecting humanity and we see almost the decaying of society,” he said.

According to Shaw, while shackles have been removed from the Africans, there is still a level of bondage.

“We always tend to look outside for the solutions to our problems and we have forgotten our culture, our identity and this is leading to more dependence rather than independence,” he said.

African Liberation Day is carded for May 25, 2010.

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15 Comments

  1. Ras Rafael Agosto
    November 25, 2014

    Greetings Jah Bless:
    One Love
    Jah guide

  2. a woman of the soil
    October 29, 2010

    Watch and pray, we are in the last days wakeup dominicans,

  3. wolde selassie
    June 2, 2010

    All Hail in the name of HIM Haile Selassie 1
    I am a Dominican living in England Born in Penville To Maria Laville and Conrad Wenham. I was named Oliver wenham. that is my foregroung.i have been in England from childhoood and have kept in touch with the Island as much as possible. It warms my heart to see the blessed day that the DA government has embraced the Afrika liberation day celebrations. This is a milestone in the cultural developments on the Island as some of the contributors have already mentioned Ras Kabinda who I had the pleasure of meeting in Ethiopia in 1992. I will only say it is a pity that he could not be in DA to witness this glorious occassion. The ancestral memories buried in the Atlantic, are quickened by these rememberances and are with us in spirit. This watershed in our history is truly blessed. Let us continue to grow in the tradition of the prophets , saints and martyrs of our noble cause.
    Give thanks
    Wolde SElassie.

  4. A SOLIDARITY MESSAGE

    From

    Ras Albert and Empress Tempie

    May 25, 2010

    Greetings from the United Kingdom

    I and I send solidarity greetings in the name of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Sellassie The First, on this AFRICAN LIBERATION DAY 2010 celebrated in the Commonwealth of Dominica and in several other countries in the world, particularly on the African continent.

    The efforts of the House of Nyabinghi in keeping the awareness of the struggle of I and I people at the forefront of the minds Dominicans must be commended. ALD activities have been observed in Dominica since the 1960’s however, a lot of changes have taken place in Dominica, the Caribbean and the world since then. Many countries in Africa and the Caribbean including Dominica have attained political independence from their former European masters, yet, the struggle for total freedom continues

    Consequently, the Rastafari movement is at the forefront of that struggle, and must continue to increase the rapport between the Government, and the people of Dominica so that I and I voice may be heard at the local and International level on such issues as: reparations and compensations to the sons and daughters of enslaved Africans forcibly brought to the West Indies in chains that is rightfully due to I and I; unfair economic practices that continue to put a stranglehold on third world countries denying their governments the wherewithal to provide for the welfare of their citizens; lobbying for the decriminalisation of the herb which is I and I holy sacrament, and for which hundreds, nay thousands have been unjustly imprisoned and fined for mere possession and cultivation; lobbying for the religious and human rights of the Rastaman to be protected in jail so that he may grow his dreadlocks unhindered and to lobby for educational institutions so that the teachings and history of Rastafari can be universally accessible to the youth so that the youth of tomorrow may be empowered.

    The concept of African Liberation Day (ALD) was born in April 15, 1958, when a historical meeting of African leaders gathered at Accra Ghana for the first Conference of Independent States to discuss the state of the African continent and the impact of colonialism. Represented were governments from Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, The United Arab Republic, representatives of the National Liberation Front of Algeria, and the Union of Cameroon. In recognition April 15th was dubbed Africa Freedom Day.

    Five years later, on May 25, 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,32 leaders of independent African States met to form e the Organization of African Unity (OAU). By then more than two thirds of the continent had achieved independence, mostly from imperial European states. At this meeting, the date of Africa Freedom Day was changed from April 15 to May 25th, and Africa Freedom Day was declared African Liberation Day (ALD). 2

     

    African liberation, is Dominica’s liberation and it is incumbent upon the Rastafari community to speak out on issues that continue to enslave I and I people such as illiteracy, drug abuse and crime in all its manifestations. To become a free people, illiteracy, drug abuse crime, poverty, preventable illness must be eradicated. The youth need healthy and positive role models that can fire their imagination and spur them on to positive action, and thereby making a worthwhile contribution to society.

    As man and man come together to observe ALD, I and I call on the organisers to remember the Days of the Dread Act when young dreadlocked men and women were hounded, beaten, jailed and killed simply for expressing their African heritage through their habits, beliefs and mode of wearing their hair.

    As Rastafarians, I and I must continue to engage the society and government through finding linkages and common grounds on which there can be mutual sharing and growth guaranteeing success in all areas of life for all.

    The ethos of African Liberation Day is the ethos of the Negres Maron who had a vision of emancipation. And many who paid the ultimate price.

    As the decades progress it is important that clear aims and objectives be set, marking what ALD means in this dispensation, and what it means in the modern context. Further a field on the African continent, there is much work to be done… This brings to mind an admonition from His Imperial Majesty in speaking to Rastafarian elders in Jamaica in 1966 when he visited that island. He advised them, that they must liberate Jamaica, before they can liberate Ethiopia.

    Having said that, one must applaud the pioneer Rastafarians who have made the trod from all parts of the earth to Ethiopia. Today there are about 300 Rastafarians who have repatriated. In particular, I and I very own, Ras Kabinda Habre Sellassie, who despite victimisation and imprisonment in his early days, has used his freedom and intelligence to bring relief to many Ethiopian children through his humanitarian work among the schools in Shashemane, Ethiopia.

    Another Idren is Ras Mo who through his cultural work as a community animator is addressing the ills associated with domestic violence, teenage pregnancy and drug abuse and gang violence among inner city kids in California USA.

    No matter where the Rastaman is he must stand as both prophet and priest, and revolutionary and thinker and be the liberator of I and I people. At home and abroad regardless of colour, class or creed.

    And so, we say to each of you, as I and I have indicated above, representing that same spirit that I and fore fathers who fought and died even before 1958 or 1963, and whose spirits are manifested in all of us day in 2010. My wife and I again salute each and every one of you to say I AND I must continue the struggle, must continue to hold up that torch of liberation so high that no matter where I and I are, it can be seen brightly As it was yesterday, so it will be for I-ver…

    May Jah Rastafari grant his richest blessings on all of the activities this year and in the years to come.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  5. Starseed
    May 21, 2010

    Greetings
    I’m not so sure that many countries inside of the African continent are doing much better economically than in the Caribbean.

    I remember the figure from Michael Palin’s Sahara series and was just as shocked as you were, Omowale. I guess the romantic notion that it was the terror from other countries has kept the story going that it was Europe’s bad behaviour, when apparently the truth is another story.

    Below is a news item about Henry Louis Gates’ work in this field. Even if the 60% turns out not to be correct, it appears that rather a lucrative business deal was being run by the Africans to the slaves’ detriment.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/opinion/23gates.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

    We could all say it was so long ago that nobody should be held responsible I guess and just make the best with what we all have now or everybody should all own up and apologise for terrors commited. Pointing fingers at Europe is short-sighted when it seems that our African forefathers were in on the act possibly more so as they did not do anything to prevent any of this happening.

  6. Celus
    May 20, 2010

    Big up Ras Imani. I grew up in DA in the seventies when Ras Imani was still a rasta and was just in the inception of his beliefs and way of life.I applaud him for sticking to his beliefs and speading the word of unity and more responsibility .

  7. change the law
    May 20, 2010

    jah rasta 4 i

  8. Bagguyla
    May 20, 2010

    Positive vibration, emancipate ourselves from mental slavery. It i nice to see that African liberation day activities are being incorporated into the main stream and it not just cast aside as a rastafarian event. The issue they address concern all of us who are of African descent and have suffered and may still be suffering from the vestry of slavery, colonialism and now neo-colonialism.

  9. Starseed
    May 19, 2010

    I often wonder whether Africa will ever apologise for slavery – 60% of all trade was slavery in Africa before the white people even appeared on the scene – but I haven’t heard any apologies from the African nations. Seems as though they are looking for others to do it and not addressing it themselves.

    • RISINGSUNMUZIK.COM
      May 19, 2010

      WELL I DO AGREE WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT WAS A FOOLISH THING THAT WE DID TO OURSELVES….EVEN IF WE KNOW THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN ……SO AGAIN THAT’S A GOOD POINT…BIG UP….ALL DOMINICANS ABROAD

      • Akua
        May 20, 2010

        Well, many of these African “nations” weren’t really nations back then, in the sense that they are today. So, I’m not sure African politicians would really be speaking on behalf of their people, the way Britain or the US could in apologizing for their behavior. And, I think most societies in times foregone practiced slavery amidst themselves and their neighbors, so a Universal apology would be a better suggestion. What European and Arabic nations conducted in Africa cannot be likened too much to inter-African slavery, in my opinion. I say this because we are still reeling from the effects of their actions today. The mere fact that we populate lands outside of Africa that are mostly mired in poverty/under-development is a testament to that.

        I think Africans in the Diaspora (i.e. Dominicans, Jamaicans, etc.) as well as those still on the continent need to conduct a collective, thorough study on what got us into this situation to begin with, and what we are still doing today that mirror that type of behavior. In my opinion, as Ras Imani stated, we do not investigate our past (African) systems for governing, health, etc. We take what was handed to us, even when it doesn’t fit!

    • Omowale
      May 20, 2010

      Warmest greetings to you Starseed. I have never come across the 60% figure that you mentioned before. Please can you tell me your source?

      I am a member of the organising committee for Afrikan Liberation Day in London. We offer our congratulations to the Dominican government for this progressive initiative.

      • andy
        May 31, 2010

        Omowale, just do some simple searches online. Starseed is 100% correct in saying that we just have to do the best with what we have right now. This notion that black people are handicapped because our ancestors were enslaved largely by African tribes and then by Europeans is absurd. Black people have to move on. We were not the only race that was enslaved by the Europeans either. Should the East Indians, Native Indians, Chinese, etc. seek apologies too?
        The other thing that should be noted is that there is still a considerable amount of slavery still taking place in several parts of Africa today. What do we do about those atrocities? What is the UN doing?

        This is the reality. You’ve got lemons – make some lemonade, and be grateful.
        People like this RAS are good at stirring pots and inciting unrest, but they have absolutely NO solution to the problems that are so good at pointing out. Believe it or not they are the bane of humanity.

        • wolde
          June 7, 2010

          Greetings all
          I am very much aware thar there were some Afrikans involved in the slave trade, yes. Howerver we should also acknowledge that there were Afrikans who fought tooth and claw to stop this trade in human cargo. Down to the age of colonial expansion there were millions of Afrikans who collaoborated as welll as the vast majority of West Indians, check the great migration to UK in the 1950’s to serve mother country no chains there. We need to stop and think there are colaborators in every human generated misery witting and unwitting, there are also those who stand up even in death to oppose tyranny. Andy needs to do some research in the history of the oppressed to see that the Native Americans and other people who have suffered undere the heel of European downpressionn are still deprived of their fulll humanity and testricted to reservations, ghettoes and projects. We cannot move on as Tony Blair suggested until we are liberated and united as a people charting out our own destiny, unmolested by CIA , FBI, WORLD BANK. IMF and all the other parasites that feed offf our blood sweat and tears. let us be the best of ourselves not a carbon copy of another.’ until lions have their own historians tales of hunting will always glorify the hunter’.

    • Anonymous
      May 22, 2010

      Many of the West Indians tribes in West Africa already have actually. I was a part of one of the peace rituals in 2007.

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