On this day August 31, 2023, United Nations International Day of People of African
Descent, we would like to announce our reengagement in the United Nation. We
cannot properly pursue reengagement of the United Nations without honoring those
that have made significant contributions toward Afrodescendant recognition, justice,
and development in the United Nations. On the AFRE website we provide a brief
history of the NGO (non-governmental organization) All For Reparations and
Emancipation. Highlighted is the work of Mr. Silis Muhammad and Queen Misshaki
Muhammad. Together they have amassed over thirty years of work that includes
multiple United Nations interventions, international conferences, and seminars. Their
work is dually noted in the UN records, and we are today honored to have their
expertise as we reengage the United Nations for our quest to secure justice in the form
of human rights and reparations.
For many years Mr. Muhammad has called for a permanent forum to hear and address
the concerns of Afrodescendant people through his interventions at the UN. In
December of 2022, the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent held its first
session. The United Nations General Assembly has requested the Intergovernmental
Working Group on Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and
Programme of Action to draft a United Nations declaration on the promotion and full
respect of the human rights of people of African descent. The Forum will contribute to
this work therefore it is incredibly important that Afrodescendants work within this
body so that our voices will be heard.
We also, look forward to your support and participation at the National Reparation
Convention 2023 which will be held in Atlanta Georgia on October 7th and 8th and
Georgia State University.
Thank you for supporting our efforts to maintain a constant international presence and
to carry further the work of those that have paved the way for us.
Ishmael Abdul-Salaam