World African Diaspora Unio n (WADU)

P.O. Box 115073 Atlanta , GA 30310-0095

718-523-3312/Georgia - 404-527-7756/WADUPAM.ORG 4/20/2010

HUJAMBO! On behalf of our beloved President, His Excellency Baba Dudley Thompson of the World African Diaspora Union (WADU) and its leaders, it is our pleasure to invite you to the next historic WADU Summit and African Heritage Tour from July 5-10, 2010 in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia . Our 2010 theme is “Economic Self-Determination with a United Africa .” The 2010 Summit marking the 110^th anniversary of the first Pan African Congress (PAC) is to continue building a powerful African Diaspora with Africa .

At the last WADU 2009 Summit , Her Excellency Amina Ali, African Union Ambassador to the U.S./Diaspora charged the African Diaspora to do more to support African unity and advancement. Since that 2009 successful Summit , we have taken the message to other parts for the African Diaspora to build support for the political and economic union of African people. Recently, WADU leaders also took this message to President Abdoulye Wade of Senegal during the 50^th anniversary commemoration service dedicated to African and African Diaspora unity and renaissance. Our President, Baba Dudley Thompson leaders impressed upon the major leaders from across Africa and the African Diaspora that the time is now to move forward as One Africa.

Our WADU 2010 Summit is focused on the fulfilling our Pan African mission knowing quite well our responsibility to our ancestors to continue reshaping the African world. We are carrying the mantle of those noble Pan Africanists who in 1900 and successively initiated the models for direct civil and global action for African freedom. Our 2010 objectives are to: 1. Press for the political union of African people (2007 Summit ); 2. Promote our Pan African culture as central to African thought and action (2008 Summit ); and 3. Make the economic reconstruction of African communities our business (2009 Summit ). As a result of our 2010 WADU Summit, we will fully engage the long term prospect for a Pan African economic model and agenda that will create new opportunities and promote new networks for trade, businesses and investments across the Africa world. Indeed, WADU intends to mobilize the best of the African Diaspora for the rebuilding of our Motherland and thus urging the African Union to ensure that the African Diaspora has the rights to dual-citizenship, political representation, and business partnerships. Finally, WADU will expand African cultural education and heritage tours to reconnect and recommit our people to our beloved Homeland, Africa .

We look forward to your full participation in the WADU Summit beginning on July 5-15, 2010 in Addis Ababa . Your participation will send a powerful message of our commitment and willingness to move forward with the Pan African agenda envisioned by our Ancestors to build a powerful Africa and African people. Please contact us at 718-523-3312, 404-527-7756 or WADUPAM.ORG to confirm your participation, to become a WADU organizer or to give financially to assist us in meeting our goals and objectives.

Kwaheri (blessings)

MGANGA (Rev.) P.D. Menelik Harris,

Secretary General, WADU

The Coming of the Mother and Birth of the Daughter is the first book in a collection of my writings entitled "Call in Sista Love", which is centered by the Omega Vision of Rastafari and illuminated by the light of Rastafari as well as quotes from Their Imperial Majesties, the Emperor Haile Selassie 1 and His chose bride Empress Menen. It is the result of a command I received in a vision I had of Emperor Haile Sellassie 1 at the Nyahbinghi center at 10 Miles Bull Bay. I had fled there as a refugee from the political tug of war between the rival political parties in Jamaica in the island that placed me in its cross fire because of my position as a leading journalist and a Rastafari. The Emperor commanded me in vision to, "Go tell the world who Queen Omega is."

I began researching the Rastafari woman after this command. I discovered that she played a crucial, undocumented role within the rising of the Rastafari movement. Brother Howell, often called 'first announcer' of the Rastafari faith, who was later reputed to have witnessed the Cornation himself, had in fact adopted the practice of circulating copies of His Majesty's coronation postcards from Sister Annie Harvey, whom he had met in Harlem, NY. David and Annie Harvey had indeed witnessed the Coronation, and went on to initiate a Methodist ministry in Costa Rica recognizing the divinity of HIM Ras Tafari. It is coming to light also that Brother Hibbert, another pioneer patriarch, encountered them in Costa Rica before arriving in Jamaica, thereby receiving firsthand testimonies of the Coronation. Sis Annie Harvey's name cannot be forgotten, for she was not only witness to the Coronation, she will forever be the proof that the Rastafari woman's birth took place at the same time as the Rastafari man's birth at the time of their Imperial Majesties' Coronation.

Queen Makeda

Queen Makeda, the Queen of Sheba lived in the 10th century B.C. Her story is partially recorded in the Bible. King Solomon wrote rapturous love psalms to her in the book, "The Songs of Solomon." Many a young girl pretending to read the bible for spiritual reasons can be found reading "The Songs of Solomon" and dreaming of a lover who could express their love with the beauty and splendor of King Solomon.

Queen Makeda visited King Solomon, after she was told of his wisdom. She questioned him thoroughly and discovered that he was greater than his reputation. As my poem says, she was "empressed" not suppressed and through Solomon's wisemind, she came to love the One True God. It was through their son Menelyik that the Solomonic line was established in Ethiopia. His Imperial MAjersty, the Emperor HAILE SELASSIE 1, is the 225th, ascendant from that line. Because the Ark of the Covenant departed from Israel to Ethiopia through the Queen of Sheba's son with King Solomon, Queen Makeda is regarded as bringing the blessing of Israel to her country. It was Makeda herself also who established that after her, the throne would pass through the male lineage and females would not rule. Up until the time of Queen Makeda, several Candaces had emerged and ruled.

Incantation to Queen Omega, Queen Omega Arise

Queen Omega

Incient Black Mary,Mother of the Christ, Queen Mekeda

The Queen of Sheba

Downtrodden in the dust

Subjected to the lust of every nation in creation

Sold for a drink of wine

Bearing youths to be treated like swines

Arise and shine!

(See Joel 3 :3; Isaiah 62:11)

kingston, JA 1983

In Praise of Queen Nanni of the Maroons

Hail Queen Nanni of the Maroons

Queen who led the revolt

Against colonial rule with courage, fortitude and foresight.

Descending from the Blue Mountains of Jamaica

To fight the freedom fight

Against colonial might

Winning victory after victory.

Using your spirituality

Military strategy

African technology

To overcome the enemy.

Hail Ashanti Priestess

Sent across the waters

To free our sons and daughter

From the British Overlords.

Salute Grande Nanni of the Maroons

Champong Nanni our inspiration

Freeing over 800 enslaved Africans

Queen Mother of our Nation

Freedom fighter for our liberation

Queen Nanni of the Maroons

Grande Nanni of the Maroons

Nanni, Nanni of the Maroons

Santa Monica , CA 1985

Honoring Empress Menen Empowers the Rastafari Woman

In honoring Empress Menen, the Rastafari woman raises her status to a higher level. The Rastafari woman seeks to use her moonlight to shine in the dark night of mental slavery and confusion among her people. She wishes to work towards freeing the world from downpression and to work for world peace.

Today, as the Rastafari woman's role is receiving more recognition, the significance of the coronation of Empress Menen needs to be known. Empress Menen's story needs to be told. The Rastafari man needs to follow his Emperor's example and allow his queen to share in his glory. The abuna's words to Empress Menen to let her crown be one of piety and charity rings true to the Rastafari woman today with urgency. When the Rastafari woman obeys this charge, she will find that blessings in abundance will shower upon her. 

WORDSMITH, SPEAKER, & STORYTELLER

 

Farika Berhane brings stories from the mystic Blue Mountains of Jamaica, the wildly beautiful Cockpit country known as The Land of Look Behind and poetry to the beat of Nyahbinghi drums, the sound of the abeng through her culture’s nommo – power of the word.  She is an accomplished writer and performer of fiction, poetry and plays a folklorist, oral historian and storyteller with a background in journalism.

 

Farika has performed and read her work at universities, cultural institution schools, festivals and community forums across the nation as well as in Europe and Africa.  Her work is known in the ghettos of Jamaica and the United States particularly among Pan African circles, over hills and valleys and mountains in the Caribbean, at Nyahbinghi campsites and in the Maroon territories. She has opened for such well-known personalities as Gil Scott Heron and reggae icons The Wailing Souls and Freddie McGregor. She shared stage with murdered dub poet Mikey Smith and with Mutabaruka.

 

Her poetry, short fiction and articles are published in England, Germany, France, the Caribbean and the United States.  Her stories for children were used in the Jamaica elementary school system as readers in the Language Power series published by McGraw Hill and Kingston Publishers.  She has done numerous interviews on radio and television stations about Maroon and Rastafari culture as well as on her art.