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AFRICA UPDATE/ASIA PACIFIC AMERICAN MONTH/POTPOURRI<br />

May 26, 2006<br />

AFRICAN CULTURE CENTER TO BREAK<br />

GROUND IN NAMIBIA, AFRICA IN 2006<br />

<strong>The</strong> first African Culture Center (ACC)<br />

(www.africanculturecenter.com/project.html), an entertainment village for<br />

tourists visiting Africa, is scheduled to break ground in the Republic of<br />

Namibia in 2006. <strong>The</strong> ACC features Namibia’s indigenous people creating<br />

native crafts, a traditional Namibian feast and a sunset stage performance that<br />

includes live tribal dancing.<br />

<strong>The</strong> ACC was created by <strong>The</strong> PAL Project, Inc., a minority-owned development<br />

company based in California. “Our top priority right now is to raise<br />

investment capital. <strong>The</strong> ACC staff had a successful year raising investment<br />

dollars in 2005 and we are looking forward to an even better year in 2006,”<br />

said company president Karen Crumlin. Crumlin added, “Timing is crucial!<br />

Currently, one U.S. Dollar is worth 6.39 Namibian Dollars. This means that<br />

investment money from the U.S. goes a long way in Namibia. As Africa prepares<br />

for the 2010 World Soccer Cup, this is the perfect time to build a tourist<br />

project, such as the ACC.”<br />

When tourists arrive at the ACC they will have the opportunity to walk<br />

through the African village and interact with natives demonstrating some of<br />

the traditions of their tribe. <strong>The</strong> highlight of the evening is a sunset dinner<br />

filled with the traditional foods of Africa. During dinner, guests are entertained<br />

with a live stage performance featuring song and dance from representatives<br />

of some of the countries 11 different tribes. According to Crumlin,<br />

“It’s like having an African tribesman invite you home for dinner.”<br />

<strong>The</strong> ACC has been endorsed by the Embassy of the Republic of Namibia<br />

in Washington, D.C. as well as representatives from the Namibian government.<br />

Representatives from the various tribes, including the King of Ondonga,<br />

are excited about the opportunity for economic growth in the rural<br />

areas of Namibia. “<strong>The</strong> ACC is a humanitarian effort that gives the Namibian<br />

people a place to tell their story and provides the traditional villager with the<br />

opportunity to earn a respectable salary in a safe environment,” said Crumlin.<br />

<strong>The</strong> PAL Project Inc. is a Mountain View, California-based development<br />

company with offices in the Republic of Namibia, Africa. PAL stands for Project<br />

African Luau. <strong>The</strong> company takes the concept behind the traditional<br />

Hawaiian Luau and redefines it with the traditions of the tribes of Africa. Future<br />

plans include an African Culture Center in Ethiopia.<br />

UGANDA’S DEFENSE MINISTER<br />

PRESENTS TESTIMONY ON<br />

“ENDANGERED CHILDREN”<br />

In written testimony presented on April 26, 2006, to the House International<br />

Relations Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights, and International<br />

Operations, Ugandan Minister of Defense Amama Mbabazi<br />

told Members of Congress about the terrorist threat faced by his country and<br />

its neighbors from the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA):<br />

“<strong>The</strong> Lords Resistance Army (LRA) is one of the most brutal terrorist organizations<br />

the world has known in recent history. This criminal group has<br />

orchestrated a terror campaign against the people of Northern Uganda for the<br />

last 19 years. <strong>The</strong> nature and extent of the heinous crimes perpetrated against<br />

innocent civilians is unparalleled. Atrocities meted out by this group; large<br />

scale massacres, abductions, maiming, mutilation, looting of properties, rape<br />

and defilement of young girls caused untold human suffering. . . . Women<br />

and children bore the brunt of this LRA terror campaign.”<br />

<strong>The</strong> hearing explored the topic “<strong>The</strong> Endangered Children of Northern<br />

Uganda.” Minister Mbabazi said that the Ugandan government has responded<br />

to the threat both militarily and through humanitarian and social programs<br />

designed to rescue and rehabilitate the children who have been victimized<br />

by the terrorists.<br />

“One of the most successful aspects of Uganda People’s Defence Forces<br />

(UPDF) operations against the LRA is the rescue of children this terrorist organisation<br />

has abducted in Northern Uganda. Today over 20,000 children<br />

have been rescued from the LRA by the UPDF. Among the newest are 55<br />

children rescued in different UPDF operations in Pader district who reported<br />

to the Christian Children’s Fellowship (CCF) on Tuesday, 25th April 2006.<br />

<strong>The</strong>se are now receiving psychosocial support and other immediate bodily<br />

needs from the CCF.”<br />

Summarizing his government’s response, Minister Mbabazi stated: “<strong>The</strong><br />

Government of Uganda has a triple challenge in relation to getting these children<br />

back into normal society. <strong>The</strong> first challenge is that of receiving them<br />

and meeting their bodily needs. <strong>The</strong> second challenge is that of re-orienting<br />

the minds of the children many of whom were made to commit atrocities<br />

while the girls were for the most part turned into sex slaves. <strong>The</strong> third challenge<br />

that Government and her partners face with the rescued children is to<br />

provide them with the skills necessary to start a new life.”<br />

Noting that the conflict in northern Uganda is often characterized as “a<br />

forgotten war,” the new Ugandan Ambassador to the United States, Perezi<br />

Kamunanwire, commended the subcommittee chairman, Representative<br />

Christopher Smith (R-N.J.), “for sponsoring a hearing on this important but<br />

often overlooked issue.” He added: “Increased attention in the United<br />

States and other countries,” he said, “can only result in the channeling of<br />

greater resources to address the conflict and to deal with the rehabilitation of<br />

the region when the terrorist threat has been eliminated.”<br />

For more information, visit www.ugandaembassy.com/.<br />

ETHIOPIAN<br />

ENVOY GIVES<br />

“REASONS FOR<br />

OPTIMISM”<br />

TO U.S.<br />

CONGRESSIONAL<br />

COMMITTEE<br />

At a congressional hearing<br />

recently, Ethiopia’s acting<br />

ambassador to the United<br />

States said he is “convinced there<br />

are reasons to be optimistic about<br />

the future.”<br />

In oral testimony and a prepared<br />

statement, His Excellency<br />

Fesseha Asghedom Tessema,<br />

chargé d’affaires at the Ethiopian<br />

Embassy in Washington, told<br />

members of the Subcommittee on<br />

Africa, Global Human Rights, and<br />

International Operations of the<br />

House International Relations<br />

Committee that “democratization<br />

has taken a center stage in the development<br />

discourse of today’s<br />

Ethiopian politics. Despite challenges,<br />

Ethiopia is moving on the<br />

right direction towards democratization.”<br />

Ambassador Fesseha added<br />

that “Ethiopia is experiencing<br />

strong economic growth. Our<br />

gross domestic product grew by<br />

11.5 percent in 2004 and 9 percent<br />

in 2005. Despite drought, the agricultural<br />

sector has grown by 15<br />

percent and exports have grown by<br />

24.5 percent in the past year. <strong>The</strong><br />

primary school enrollment rate,<br />

which was 61 percent in 2000-<br />

2001 grew to 79 percent in 2004-<br />

2005. Coverage of health services<br />

at about the same time grew from<br />

52 to 70 percent. <strong>The</strong> infant mortality<br />

rate (under age five), which<br />

was 167 per 1000 in 2002-2003,<br />

declined to 97 per 1000. <strong>The</strong>re is<br />

a construction boom in Addis<br />

Ababa and other cities, with residences,<br />

offices, retail shops, and<br />

manufacturing facilities being built<br />

at an unprecedented rate.”<br />

Despite aggressive questioning<br />

by members of the subcommittee<br />

about the current political situation<br />

in Ethiopia, Ambassador Fesseha<br />

responded emphatically to concerns<br />

about human rights, democratization,<br />

and the Ethiopian judiciary.<br />

“Ethiopia is learning, through<br />

experience,” he said, about “how<br />

to become a better democracy.<br />

We are pleased that international<br />

observers, such as those from the<br />

Carter Center, agree that Ethiopia<br />

is on the right path. <strong>The</strong> fact that<br />

opposition parties increased their<br />

seats in Parliament from 12 to 172<br />

is evidence of progress, since a robust<br />

democracy depends in large<br />

part on the participation of an active<br />

and loyal opposition, engaging<br />

the majority party in debate, respectfully<br />

challenging the positions<br />

of the Prime Minister and his<br />

cabinet, and helping to hone proposed<br />

legislation into good, strong,<br />

and effective law for the benefit of<br />

all the people.”<br />

<strong>The</strong> full prepared statement of<br />

Ambassador Fesseha is available<br />

for viewing online at www.<br />

ethiopianembassy. org.<br />

HOYER CELEBRATES ASIAN PACIFIC<br />

AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH<br />

Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD), a member of the Congressional<br />

Asian Pacific American Caucus, recently released the following statement<br />

in recognition of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month,<br />

which is being celebrated throughout the month of May.<br />

“Earlier this month, I was honored to attend the first ever Congressional<br />

Democratic Asian and Pacific Islander American Leadership Summit, where<br />

House and Senate Democrats met with over 100 Asian Pacific American leaders<br />

from across the nation.<br />

“Under the leadership of Chairman Mike Honda (D-CA), the Congressional<br />

Asian Pacific American Caucus has been an instrumental and influential<br />

partner in working with the Democratic Caucus and leadership here in<br />

Congress.<br />

“During this month, we commemorate the significant contributions that<br />

the Asian American and Pacific Islander community has made to our country.<br />

“<strong>The</strong>re are more than 14 million Asian American and Pacific Islanders in<br />

the United States, including about 300,000 in my home state of Maryland.<br />

Asian Pacific Americans also have the most diverse background of any minority<br />

population, tracing their roots to almost fifty different countries and<br />

ethnic groups.<br />

“Today, Asian Pacific Americans play an important role in every aspect of<br />

American life - as authors and artists, as business leaders, as political leaders,<br />

as military leaders, as scientists and innovators, as athletes, and in virtually<br />

every other aspect of American society.<br />

“In addition to recognizing the important role that Asian Pacific Americans<br />

play in our country, this month’s celebration is also a time to remember<br />

significant historical contributions that Asian Pacific Americans have made to<br />

our nation. From the construction of our transcontinental railroads to defending<br />

the United States in times of war, Asian Pacific Americans have contributed<br />

greatly to the American tapestry.<br />

“I am pleased Americans have so much to benefit as a result of our diverse<br />

society. We continue to learn from each other and share each other’s traditions,<br />

history, and culture.<br />

“That is why it gives me great pleasure today to recognize the significant<br />

advances and contributions made by the Asian Pacific American Community<br />

to our country during Asian Pacific Heritage Month.”<br />

UNIVERSOUL CIRCUS 2006—<br />

DISCOVER THE JOY<br />

UniverSoul Circus is staging its<br />

largest most ambitious production<br />

ever in its 13th touring<br />

season, breaking new ground once<br />

again with the premier of soulful center<br />

ring Ice Skaters, a brand new Ringmaster,<br />

the return of Ringmaster’s<br />

sidekick Zeke. UniverSoul Circus<br />

plays the Washington area at Capital<br />

Plaza Mall in Landover Hills, Md.,<br />

May 31-June 18.<br />

“It’s cool, it’s fresh, its urban,” explains<br />

UniverSoul Founder and President<br />

Cedric Walker. “It’s more than a<br />

satisfying experience.”<br />

UniverSoul Circus opens in Landover<br />

Hills May 31 thru June 18 at<br />

Capital Plaza Mall, 6200 Annapolis<br />

Rd. Tickets, ranging from $10 to $35,<br />

are on sale now via Ticketmaster.<br />

Group sales are available by calling<br />

800-316-7439. Show times: Opening<br />

night 7:30p.m.; Tuesdays thru Fridays<br />

10:30a.m. and 7:30p.m.; Saturdays<br />

12 noon; 4:30p.m. and 8p.m.;<br />

Sundays 1p.m., 4p.m. and 7p.m.<br />

With acts<br />

from North<br />

America,<br />

South America,<br />

Africa, Asia, Europe, and the<br />

Caribbean, UniverSoul has sought to<br />

infuse center ring with a new energy<br />

and vitality that appeals to urban (and<br />

suburban) America. <strong>The</strong> array of cultures<br />

and talent underneath the Univer-<br />

Soul Circus big top includes new acts<br />

from China, Ethiopia and France.<br />

New in 2006, UniverSoul Circus<br />

welcomes Tony Tone, one of the fastest<br />

rising comedians in America today—<br />

as its new Ringmaster. Tone, a master<br />

impressionist, has opened for Jamie<br />

Foxx, Chris Rock and Dave Chapelle,<br />

among many others. He has appeared<br />

on such shows as HBO’s Def Comedy<br />

Jam and BET’s Comicview.<br />

Zeke, an original member of UniverSoul<br />

Circus, is returning to a familiar<br />

role—as the beloved Ringmaster’s<br />

Sidekick.<br />

“This is a show created especially<br />

produced for everyone’s enjoyment,”<br />

said Walker. “Good, clean, fast paced,<br />

non-stop, family fun does not discriminate.<br />

My worldwide search for young,<br />

cross cultural talent continues to reap<br />

great rewards for the circus and its audience.<br />

<strong>The</strong>se acts are amazing!”<br />

For more information visit www.<br />

universoulcircus.com.<br />

6 THE METRO HERALD

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