Africa Diaspora Investment Forum - 19 - 20 Nov 2004



	Africa Diaspora Investment Forum
	19-20 November 2004, London, United Kingdom

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Overview

Agenda

Organisers

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AFFORD was founded as a registered charity in 1994 by a group of Africans in the UK, in response to concerns, that despite the vast number of Africans in the UK who organize themselves and contribute to Africa's development, Africans were effectively marginalized from mainstream development activity directed towards Africa.

There was also a realization that different Africans can and should learn from each other.

AFFORD's first activity was to conduct a Survey of African Organisations in London (PDF)- An agenda for AFFORD's action , in order to listen to and learn from the work that African organisations were already doing. AFFORD wanted to understand better their strengths and weaknesses, listen to their aspirations and tease out ways to help make their work more effective.

The message from African organisations was loud and clear:

let's end our isolation and fragmentation
let's keep doing what we do, but let's do it better
let's bring our young people into the fold and involve them in what we do
let's talk to mainstream organisations and see if we can work together
let's make connections for Africa's development

AFFORD does not undertake traditional development or relief work. Rather it seeks to be a catalytic agent:

facilitating links and networks

sign-posting and disseminating information

undertaking research

brokering new relationships and supporting new ideas

adding value to the work of UK-based African civil society organisations (UKBACSOs)

AFFORD connects UK-based African organisations with mainland African civil society organisations, and a wide range of actors, including governments, businesses, funders, bi-lateral and multi-lateral agencies, and mainstream NGOs.

AFFORD's Mission

AFFORD, The African Foundation for Development has a mission to enhance and expand the capacity of Africans in the diaspora to contribute to Africa's development. AFFORD seeks to achieve its mission through four strategic goals:

To shift the balance of power to Africa
To influence the African development agenda
To strengthen AFFORD's legitimacy and effectiveness
To build a strong and sustainable AFFORD