 November 15th is the |
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Keep in mind that these are only a few individuals from 2022; there are several more not only from this year but from previous years who are still imprisoned or have been silenced.
This international recognition day is to bring awareness to the importance of freedom of expression & press, specifically through writing. It also highlights highlight individuals who are currently detained or have been murdered for reporting news and sharing their experiences with the public.
If you know a journalist in jail or who has been murdered, speak their name. Let people know who they are so they are not forgotten. We must remember them so that their work is not overlooked.
This international recognition day is to bring awareness to the importance of freedom of expression & press, specifically through writing. It also highlights highlight individuals who are currently detained or have been murdered for reporting news and sharing their experiences with the public.
If you know a journalist in jail or who has been murdered, speak their name. Let people know who they are so they are not forgotten. We must remember them so that their work is not overlooked.
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EDFU Foundation is on Substack!
EDFU Foundation is now on Substack. We posted our first article on September 26th this year and continue to post bi-weekly. While a lot of the content on here is elaborated writing on what you see from our social media pages, we will also have exclusive content there that features subject matters and topics we have dialed into and knowledge we want to share with you. Everytime we write something, you will receive an email version of the article. So make sure to subscribe!
Eventually, we will have exclusive content on our Substack. It's free to subscribe. Donations are always appreciated! And we will have paid content in the future.
Eventually, we will have exclusive content on our Substack. It's free to subscribe. Donations are always appreciated! And we will have paid content in the future.
If you have attended any of our virtual or in-person events, you have heard us mention “COP27”. - What is it? Why is it important? - As we are vastly approaching the start of the conference, we would like to help you understand exactly what it is and the importance it has for our earth.
COP27
COP27 is the 2022 climate conference for the United Nations (UN). The official title is “UNFCCC COP”.
UNFCCC = United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
COP = Conference of Parties
The number that follows “COP” is the total number of meetings that the committee has held. This year will be the 27th meeting.
Every year a different member nation of the UN is assigned to be the “COP President” and they are in charge of organizing the meeting. Egypt will host the 2022 conference in the city of Sharm El-Sheikh. The 26th conference was hosted by both Scotland & Italy, but due to COVID-19, the conference was delayed a year. The 2020 event resumed in 2021 and was held in Glasgow, Scotland. The United Arab Emirates will host the 2023 conference, but details have not been released yet. Any resolutions or treaties that are adopted tend to be named after the host city or country; i.e. in 2015, the Paris Agreement was formed in France.
UNFCCC = United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
COP = Conference of Parties
The number that follows “COP” is the total number of meetings that the committee has held. This year will be the 27th meeting.
Every year a different member nation of the UN is assigned to be the “COP President” and they are in charge of organizing the meeting. Egypt will host the 2022 conference in the city of Sharm El-Sheikh. The 26th conference was hosted by both Scotland & Italy, but due to COVID-19, the conference was delayed a year. The 2020 event resumed in 2021 and was held in Glasgow, Scotland. The United Arab Emirates will host the 2023 conference, but details have not been released yet. Any resolutions or treaties that are adopted tend to be named after the host city or country; i.e. in 2015, the Paris Agreement was formed in France.
History
In 1992, the UN held 3 Rio Conventions as a result of their Earth Summit in Brazil. These conventions became the “COPs” and focus on these key topics: Biodiversity, Climate Change, and Desertification. It was also in 1992 that 154 countries signed the “UNFCCC” as an agreement to help combat the harmful effects humans are having on the climate.
While there are many different COPs, the term has almost synonymously been associated with the UNFCCC’s conference and thus this is why many refer to it only by “COP” + the number of the meeting.
While there are many different COPs, the term has almost synonymously been associated with the UNFCCC’s conference and thus this is why many refer to it only by “COP” + the number of the meeting.
2022
This year marks the 30th anniversary since the UNFCCC was adopted and signed. The conference will look at uniting nations around the world, as well as reviewing the Paris Agreement. The world is far off from the goals set in 2015 regarding the Paris Agreement.
COP27 has unofficially been dubbed the “African Cop” by the world, because of its location on the continent and the fact that many feel that the climate issues facing the continent should be at the forefront of discussions. There is also the hope that with the conference being on the continent of Africa, more Africans will have exposure to important events like this.
COP27 has unofficially been dubbed the “African Cop” by the world, because of its location on the continent and the fact that many feel that the climate issues facing the continent should be at the forefront of discussions. There is also the hope that with the conference being on the continent of Africa, more Africans will have exposure to important events like this.
Importance
COP27 is important because the earth is facing climate disasters at an alarming rate. EDFU Foundation will be attending the conference, along with some of our partners, to join the conversation and help create solutions on this concerning topic. This event presents a unique opportunity where national governments, businesses, politicians, and lobbyists are in the same space as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), activists, and civil society. There are also ministers of peace and negotiations present to help.
We will update you on our experiences there, as well as actions that are being taken and discussions that are happening as a result of COP27. We will also continue to keep climate change as a priority issue as it continues to consistently affect Earth at an alarming rate.
We will update you on our experiences there, as well as actions that are being taken and discussions that are happening as a result of COP27. We will also continue to keep climate change as a priority issue as it continues to consistently affect Earth at an alarming rate.
Donate
Donate to EDFU Foundation if you can! Your support helps us continue the work we do and to be able to attend events like COP27 and create space for all to be included!
Who do you hold the door for?
A CSW66 Parallel Event
Earlier this year, in March, we held a virtual discussion for the 66th session on the Commission of the Status of Women through the United Nations. We presented "Food Sovereignty Between Power and Politics" that dove into the many aspects women all over the world face with farming; having access to good, clean food; and solutions to these issues.
The first question:
Our board member and the host of the event, Dr.Dimah Mahmoud, started the event off with a question: "Who do you hold the door for?"
When we come together and we create these spaces for people - our people and those who are consistently left out of these important conversations - who do you help create this space for? Who are holding that seat for so that they may one day join the conversation or benefit from it?
When we come together and we create these spaces for people - our people and those who are consistently left out of these important conversations - who do you help create this space for? Who are holding that seat for so that they may one day join the conversation or benefit from it?
"I'm holding that door for those that are black and mixed, and are tokenized for being black and mixed. I'm calling them in to utilize their priviliges for the movement. I'm holding the door for all of the ghetto youth that are constantly forgotten. I'm holding the door for me and all of those who are younger. I'm holding the coordinate for the real weaving of black land and land back between black and indigenous communities. I'm holding the vision of parks departments utilizing their land for food sovereignty." -Amber Tamm
"The people I hold the door for are the small scale farmers, indigenous women, pasteurized fisher folk, and of course, all of us who consume food and who desire to have good food -and that includes myself." -Bridget Magambi
"I am holding the door for all people who feel disconnected & dislocated, because we've been uprooted and planted in places where we shouldn't be. I'm holding the door especially for our young people who find themselves lost and feel that they don't belong anywhere. And I'm saying that you do belong and you have the right to grow roots wherever you are." -Dee Woods
"I hold the door for every one of our women; our young women and our elders, who know that this is our time. - Who know what it means to hold the other half of the sky." -Dr.Dimah Mahmoud
"The space that I'm holding is to challenge the narrative that exists- that "Africans are poor", that "Africans are beggars", and actually show that there is something good that can come from the continent. We try to connect the North and the South to try and change this narrative." -Leonida Odongo
"I'm opening the door for ancestor, Thomas Sankara. He spoke fiercely on the colonial origin of debt. I also hold this space for thousands of black farmers who organized in 1999 to bring a lawsuit against the USDA for decades of anti-black racism. I definitely hold this space for all the ancestral wisdom, because they knew that debt was a way to dispossess & dislocate us from our lands and the pathway to liberation." -Tracy Lloyd McCurty
We invite you to watch the entire presentation on our YouTube!
Follow us to continue the conversation:
And we pass the question off to you: Who do you hold the door for?
EDFU Foundation held our first parallel event at the United Nation's ECOSOC Youth Forum!
This year, the United Nations held their ECOSOC Youth Forum virtually this year from April 19th-20th. This year's theme was: "Building Back Better from COVID-19 while Advancing the Full Implementation of the 2030 Agenda". (The "2030 Agenda" refers to the Sustainable Development Goals.)
The forum held workshops and dialogue opportunities for young people to talk to member states, stakeholders in civil society, and even private sectors.
The forum held workshops and dialogue opportunities for young people to talk to member states, stakeholders in civil society, and even private sectors.
EDFU Foundation had youth attend on behalf of our organization.
The forum held parallel events on April 18th, a day before the forum actually started. EDFU Foundation held our first parallel event at the Youth Forum. The event was titled "BIPOC Youth in Industry 4.0" and it was a continuation of our discussion from CSW66 and our panel on "Women in Industry 4.0".
The virtual panel was moderated by our president, Sheldon Williams, and our board member, Dr.LaWana Richmond. Our guests included Kevin Nichols, Nathaniel Rose, Lekiesha French, Ko Williams, and Daniel Laster. The panel gave light and voice to the need for youth interest in technology and its development. The young members of our panel had the opportunity to ask the guests in the industry questions and express their accomplishments, as well as their concerns.
The virtual panel was moderated by our president, Sheldon Williams, and our board member, Dr.LaWana Richmond. Our guests included Kevin Nichols, Nathaniel Rose, Lekiesha French, Ko Williams, and Daniel Laster. The panel gave light and voice to the need for youth interest in technology and its development. The young members of our panel had the opportunity to ask the guests in the industry questions and express their accomplishments, as well as their concerns.
The panel is available for viewing at any time on our YouTube page or Facebook page.
Follow along with us, because we are not done with this conversation! We need to keep the interest alive for our youth and we need continue to talk about issues and opportunities for an inclusive and diverse future.
a parallel event
for the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
On May 2, 2022, EDFU Foundation held a virtual panel discussion as a parallel event for the United Nations' Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
The panel was moderated by our founder and CEO, Sheldon Williams. Our panelists were Dr. Amara Enyia, Dr.Dimah Mahmoud, and Paul Old Leitura.
The panel was moderated by our founder and CEO, Sheldon Williams. Our panelists were Dr. Amara Enyia, Dr.Dimah Mahmoud, and Paul Old Leitura.
The panel was a discussion about Indigenous people and their cultures and how they are connected to the African Diaspora. We also bridge the United Nations forums to how we can use these stages and spotlights to amplify our voices, and we're giving a look into the new Permanent Forum for People of African Descent.
If you missed the panel, we encourage you to watch it on replay. The video can be found below and it is streaming from our YouTube Channel.
During the panel, our host and panelists shared some great links to help you continue to learn more about the topics and issues discussed. We have gathered those links for you here! While watching the replay of the panel, please feel free to refer back to this blog entry to find all of the links discussed in the video.
A report by the Oakland Institute about the displacement of the Maasai in Tanzania. This article gives the story and facts about the issues the indigenous Maasai face in being displaced by the Tanzania government.
A report by the Oakland Institute about what the Maasai are doing to fight for their land rights in Tanzania.
Our Afronauts podcast interviewed Eric Holt-Giménez, who is the Executive Director of the Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy In Oakland, CA. Eric spoke to us about how many of the foods we eat today came to be in the USA and how the indigenous peoples of these foods were exploited in the process.
If interested in African Food and Seed Sovereignty, watch this Seed Is Power Rally, cohosted by the Alliance of Food Sovereignty in Africa and A Growing Culture.
A powerful narrative about Seed Sovereignty in Africa by A Growing Culture. This video includes French subtitles.
If you live in the US, please consider signing this letter to support the call to Defund the Alliance of A Green Revolution in Africa.
EDFU Foundation at CSW66 2022
EDFU Foundation attended CSW66 virtually this year and held 7 parallel events between our organization and with our partners.
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Click the image to watch the recording.
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Food Sovereignty Between Power and PoliticsPresented: March 14, 2022
A discussion about women within food sovereignty and navigating through politics to reclaim its power.
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Click the image to watch the recording.
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BIPOC Women in Industry 4.0Presented: March 18, 2022
A discussion about including Black women in the next industrial revolution.
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Click the image to watch the recording.
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Black Women in Black FuturityPresented: March 19, 2022
A discussion about women in the speculative arts & afrofuturism, and how it can uplift humanity.
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Click the image to watch the recording.
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Women in Trade in AfricaPresented: March 23, 2022
A discussion about women and their role in trade on the continent of Africa. This is a continuation of the series: Trade in Africa.
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Click the image to watch the recording.
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A Fair Deal: Moving Towards WellbeingPresented: March 23, 2022
A discussion about how to include women in the future in all aspects of society.
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Click the image to watch the recording.
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Haitain Americans in AcademiaPresented: March 24, 2022
A informational series about the crisis in Haiti and what its people are doing to help. This is part of a the series: A Call for Courageous Action.
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Click the image to watch the recording.
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Indigenous Prophecy Realized: The Women Shall LeadPresented: March 24, 2022
A discussion about Indigenous women. Presented by Spring of Light.
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50th Anniversary
This was EDFU Foundation's 5th consecutive attendance at CSW and the 3rd consecutive CSW forum where we have provided parallel events. We were glad to provide educational, informational, and solution-based discussion on a variety of topics that effect the world. We were so happy to engage and meet with many who attended CSW66 from all over the world. We encourage you to leave comments and feedback for us. If you are an organization who would like to reach out to us to partner or work together, please email: edfufoundation@gmail.com
EDFU Foundation would like to thank our partners from CSW66.
We enjoyed collaborating with you all and hope to work together in the future!
Nubian Initiative
Spring Of Light
Reduce inequality within and among countries.
By 2030
By 2030
What EDFU is doing to reduce inequalities:
President, Sheldon Williams, with the Maori in New Zealand.
EDFU Foundation is committed to bringing equalities in all forms and everywhere in all that we do and are a part of.
Our board is comprised of people from all over the world with various backgrounds and we open membership to anyone who has the same goals as our mission.
We have traveled around the world, including meeting with the Maori of New Zealand, the Nation of Hawaii in Hawaii, and the Ylê Asé de Yansã of Brazil to learn, unite, and help share resources so that we can level the field of opportunities and allow everyone to succeed. -We are working on a major project that includes this work entitled "Project Sankofa". Stay tuned as we start to reveal the details!
Our board is comprised of people from all over the world with various backgrounds and we open membership to anyone who has the same goals as our mission.
We have traveled around the world, including meeting with the Maori of New Zealand, the Nation of Hawaii in Hawaii, and the Ylê Asé de Yansã of Brazil to learn, unite, and help share resources so that we can level the field of opportunities and allow everyone to succeed. -We are working on a major project that includes this work entitled "Project Sankofa". Stay tuned as we start to reveal the details!
EDFU Foundation has participated in the United Nation's CSW forum since 2018 and we have held parallel events for it since 2019.
Join us there year, 2022, as we present panels that bring light and knowledge to big topics that focus on equality for developing nations and women.
Join us there year, 2022, as we present panels that bring light and knowledge to big topics that focus on equality for developing nations and women.
Checkpoint
What are ways that you can help reduce inequalities?
Do you feel your current job/place of employment offers equal pay for all?
How can your local and national politics be more inclusive?
Do you feel the global market is on its way to being equal?
How can developed nations help developing nations reach equality in social and economic forms?
What type of transaction fees do you witness that could be eliminated to help equality for migrants and level socioeconomics for all?
By 2030
From The Global Goals:
A functioning and resilient infrastructure is the foundation of every successful community. To meet future challenges, our industries and infrastructure must be upgraded. For this, we need to promote innovative sustainable technologies and ensure equal and universal access to information and financial markets. This will bring prosperity, create jobs and make sure that we build stable and prosperous societies across the globe.
A functioning and resilient infrastructure is the foundation of every successful community. To meet future challenges, our industries and infrastructure must be upgraded. For this, we need to promote innovative sustainable technologies and ensure equal and universal access to information and financial markets. This will bring prosperity, create jobs and make sure that we build stable and prosperous societies across the globe.
Checkpoint
Do you think there enough jobs are being created in the tech industry to advance science and research?
Do you feel technological advancement is progressing in your country?
How can we increase access to technology for everyone?
How can we help developing nations build sustainable and resilient infrastructure? What are some current setbacks to this issue?
Giving Tuesday 2021
donate
Thank you to all those who have donated to us during the biggest giving week of the year!
There is still time to donate and EDFU Foundation never stops working. We're always in need of help.
 | Sustainable Development Goal #8This week, learn about Sustainable Development Goal #8: Decent Work and Econimic Growth. Make sure to tune into our blog and social media channels every week as we look at a new goal and what it is means, as well as what EDFU Foundation is doing to try and help the world and United Nations reach the target date of 2030. |
 Every Tuesday at 11:30am Melrose Library 4805 Foothill BLVD Oakland, CA |  |
This week, EDFU Foundation stocked 3,000lbs of food and gave out 104 bags of groceries to the Oakland community.
Volunteers Needed
email: edfufoundation@gmail.com
Current Volunteer Needs:
Current Volunteer Needs:
- Volunteers are needed at the library from 10am-11:30am to help pack bags and setup to handout food.
- Volunteers are needed from 11:30am-1:00pm (typically we are finished an hour or so early) to pass out food to the community and clean up.
- We're also looking for volunteers to coordinate food pick-up runs throughout the week!
If you missed it, make sure to check out this weeks Member Spotlight about our president, Sheldon Williams, and his work to celebrate Native American Heritage month.
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