As you know, Nigeria, and for that matter Africa as a whole, has not had any voice in American politics till now.
We have had many people who have contributed to political campaigns at the local level or the presidential level over the years. But these contributions have at most amounted to minor individual recognition.
Even though members of the Nigerian Peoples Forum joined with the Ethiopian community to raise over 350,000 dollars on June 27th for the Democratic Party, this money is largely not attributable to continental Africa without our creating an actual constituency.
Other groups have been very wise to build constituency for their regions.
Example: the Cubans, the Jews, the Japanese, the Koreans, etc...But for an entire continent, the second largest in the world, we have no political constituency and therefore no voice.
This year, with the effort of the Nigerian Peoples Forum and the Ethiopian community and a few other groups, we have managed to get the interest of Vice President Gore who, as things look now, may become the President, to consider Africa as an actual constituency for issue considerations.
Because of this, the Gore campaign is the only one to establish for the first time, a Continental Africa Desk at the campaign headquarters in Nashville TN. We understand that there are over 5,000 campaign workers in Nashville representing more than 100 ethnic constituencies, not counting the United States. Of these 5,000 people there is only one African in the campaign and this person is in charge of the African Desk.
Last weekend, I received a distressing phone call from the person in charge of this desk. He said that by this Friday his desk may be eliminated because Africans have not responded to his calls for support. His calls are not about money, although money is good. He is merely asking people to register to support the campaign and for that if he is able to get the critical number of 10,000 people the desk will permanently stay. Otherwise they will eliminate the desk by this Friday the 15th of September.
My fellow countrymen and women, we always complain that we don't have opportunity. Now, we are given opportunity. The value of this desk and our constituency is that Africa can get representation in a Gore government at a very senior level, that Africans can participate in board appointments, that we can request for America to treat Africa as real and serious economic trading partner and that fundamentally our voice can be heard in the government.
All we need to do is to fill out and SIGN the attached form and fax it to my office at 412-624-2910 or fax directly to the Gore/Lieberman headquarters at 615-340-3295 to the attention of Ignatius. You will need to do this before Thursday September 14th.
Let us refuse to be wallflowers in this country. Let us count in decision making. I am confident that we can make a difference to ourselves, to our country, to our families and to our children by waking up the sleeping giant --- Africa.
I also want to mention that the only key to your being invited to events with top political officials such as Vice President Gore is if you fill out, sign and send this form by Thursday September 14th. You will then be treated as part of the leadership of the African community within your area.
Please forward this email to your friends, both Nigerians and other Africans.
With fraternal best wishes,
Bart Nnaji
National Chairman
Nigerian Peoples Forum
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