Dear Ylva,
Thank you for your email message which I came across my computer screen this
morning. Yes, I do want to become a member of the APIC because I appreciate
the great work you are doing in helping to keep alive issues about Africa in
the USA and around the world. I pledge $40.00 as an individual member, and
will send you a check shortly.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Y. Best
[log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Ylva Hernlund <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: den 14 juli 1999 02:21
Subject: APIC: Note to Readers (fwd)
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Sun, 11 Jul 1999 09:38:37 -0500
>From: [log in to unmask]
>Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: APIC: Note to Readers
>
>APIC: Note to Readers
>Date distributed (ymd): 990711
>APIC Document
>
>July 1999
>
>Dear APIC Members and Friends,
>
>As we write this letter, Tarzan -- still the image that most
>defines Africa for millions outside the continent --- takes on
>his latest Disney incarnation. In the new version, writes
>Rita Kempley in the Washington Post (June 16), "there's no
>racism ... There are, in fact, no Africans. While earlier
>movie versions of the tale have included unflattering
>portraits of native folk, here [it] has been politically
>corrected to such an extent that no indigenous peoples appear
>on screen."
>
>Africa's invisibility, as APIC board member Salih Booker often
>reminds audiences, recalls the Invisible Man of Ellison's
>classic novel. It has real consequences. On May 21, for
>example, the Los Angeles Times noted that per capita spending
>on refugees in the Balkans averages more than 11 times that on
>refugees in Africa. The war resumed in Angola in December last
>year attracts only a tiny fraction of the attention given to
>Kosovo, though the casualties in this and other African
>conflicts are many times more numerous.
>
>Even more invisible than Africa's conflicts is the diversity
>of African contexts and initiatives, from the rapid spread of
>internet connectivity to local, national and regional
>initiatives for peace, human rights, democratization and
>development. African non-governmental organizations and
>governments have played key roles in energizing global
>campaigns on issues vital for Africa, such as landmines and
>debt. Yet even on these global issues, African realities often
>remain invisible or distorted by distance.
>
>As you know, making Africa's invisible realities visible, by
>providing accessible information to those willing to use it in
>advocacy and education, is at the heart of APIC's work. We
>continue to reach out to new people: we add over 50 new
>addresses a month to our Africa Policy Electronic Distribution
>List, now at more than 2600 addresses. Last month the Africa
>Policy web site was receiving more than 300 visits a day, up
>from less than 200 visits a day at this time last year. In May
>more than 20 people a day, including large numbers of
>teachers, were filling out the survey on our web site to
>request a free poster of Africa's Regions. In June it jumped
>to over 50 a day. One recent respondent, perhaps the farthest
>north we are going to get, was an elementary school teacher in
>North Pole, Alaska. Meeting this rising demand imposes strains
>on both staff time and budget. But we need to make
>investments like this in order to make Africa more visible
>beyond those already informed.
>
>In addition to our electronic outreach, APIC's print
>publications, such as the recent Africa's Debt background
>paper, are being widely used by advocacy groups. And we have
>been able this year to organize more events outside of
>Washington, including recent workshops in Seattle, Washington
>and Flagstaff, Arizona. Our strategy for the period 1999-2000
>calls for further increasing direct interaction with
>constituencies around the U.S. and with partners in Africa and
>elsewhere, which are the essential complement to our
>electronic publication work.
>
>As you know, APIC has in recent years established itself as
>a leading resource for Africa-focused policy and advocacy
>networks both in the U.S. and internationally. Yet those of
>you who know us only through e-mail and the web may not
>realize that this all depends on a small overstretched staff,
>aided by interns and other volunteers. It also requires a
>constant effort to raise enough funds to keep up with rising
>demands.
>
>Our current staffing picture includes some very positive
>developments. As of June 1, we have our first "Electronic
>Communications and Network Manager," Dawit Isayas. Dawit comes
>to us with more than three years of experience at the Economic
>Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa. The three of us signing
>this letter -- the APIC management team -- include APIC Board
>vice-president Adwoa Dunn-Mouton, who you may remember was
>Staff Director for the Senate Subcommittee on Africa under
>Senator Paul Simon. Adwoa is taking a leave of absence from
>her board responsibilities to spend part-time in a staff role
>as development director and member of our management team.
>
>We have also secured the commitment, beginning September, of
>Dr. Maliq Simone as the principal coordinator of our new
>Electronic Roundtable, to be launched in November. Maliq,
>currently at the University of the Witwatersrand,
>brings to the task extensive experience and contacts with both
>scholars and activists around the African continent, with
>African-based networks such as Codesria and the African NGO
>Habitat Caucus. In addition, we will shortly be welcoming
>former executive director Imani Countess back on board as
>project director of a follow-up to the 1997 Constituency
>Builders' Project, which will allow her to meet with
>constituency groups in several cities around the country over
>the next 18 months.
>
>The bottom-line, however, is that we need your continued and
>increased support to sustain these advances. Unlike commercial
>"internet start-ups," we cannot depend on venture capitalists
>to sustain our growth. We are hopeful of additional funding
>from foundations, but it is clear that this will not be
>enough. Over the past twelve months,contributions from APIC
>members to us have risen by 20%. In order to sustain our
>programs and to demonstrate to foundation funders that we are
>continuing to diversity our support, we need to do even better
>than that.
>
>If you are already a member, please know that we are grateful
>for your support and depend on it. We would be even more
>grateful if you are able to renew your membership early or
>make an additional contribution at this time.
>
>If you are not a member, we hope you will join us soon.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>
>Adwoa Dunn-Mouton, Development Director
>Vicki Lynn Ferguson, Director for Education and Outreach
>William Minter, Senior Research Fellow
>
>*************************************************************
>
>Note: According to our records, you are on this free list to
>receive postings from the Africa Policy Electronic
>Distribution List, but are not yet among those readers who
>have decided to support us by becoming an APIC member. (If you
>are already a paying member, we probably do not have your e-
>mail address matched up correctly with your membership. Let
>us know so that we may correct our records.) If this
>information is of value to you, and you support our goals for
>building informed international constituencies for Africa policy,
>please consider sending in your membership to support our
>services.
>
>$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**BEGIN FORM**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$
>$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**BEGIN FORM**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$
>
>How to Become an APIC Member or Renew Your Membership:
>
>(1) By credit card (Visa or Mastercard)
>
>You may submit your membership on our secure web site (go to
>www.africapolicy.org/join.htm). Or you may send in the form
>below by e-mail to [log in to unmask],
>by fax to 1-202-546-1545, or by post to
>APIC, 110 Maryland Ave. NE, Suite 509,
>Washington, DC 20002, USA.
>
>(2) By check or money order (in US$)
>
>Print out the membership form below or from the web
>(www.africapolicy.org/join.htm). Fill it in and send it by
>post, along with your check or money order, to APIC, 110
>Maryland Ave. NE, Suite 509, Washington, DC 20002, USA.
>
>Note: To return this form by e-mail, either "reply" with
>message included or "copy and paste" to a new e-mail
>message. Fill in the brackets with X or the appropriate
>information. Then send to [log in to unmask]
>
>$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$
>
>[ ] YES, I want to support APIC by becoming a member.
>
>[ ] Student member $30.00
>
>[ ] Individual member $40.00
>
>[ ] Contributing member $75.00
>
>[ ] Supporting member $200.00
>
>[ ] Other amount: [ ]
>
>[ ] I am already an APIC member, but wish to make an
>additional contribution of: [ ]
>
>[ ] I cannot afford a full membership, but wish to make a
>contribution of: [ ]
>
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>
>[ ] I am enclosing a check or money order.
>
>[ ] Charge my payment to my credit card:
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>
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>
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>
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>
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>First name:
> [ ]
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>code: em9907a
>$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$END FORM**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$**$$
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>
>************************************************************
>This material is produced and distributed by the
>Africa Policy Information Center (APIC). APIC's primary
>objective is to widen the policy debate in the United States
>around African issues and the U.S. role in Africa, by
>providing accessible policy-relevant information and analysis
>usable by a wide range of groups and individuals.
>
>Auto-response addresses for more information (send any e-mail
>message): [log in to unmask] (about the Africa
>Policy Electronic Distribution List); [log in to unmask]
>(about APIC). Documents previously distributed, as well as a
>wide range of additional information, are also available on
>the Web at: http://www.africapolicy.org
>
>To be added to or dropped from the distribution list write to
>[log in to unmask] For more information about reposted
>material, please contact directly the source mentioned in the
>posting.
>
>Africa Policy Information Center,
>110 Maryland Ave. NE, #509, Washington, DC 20002.
>Phone: 202-546-7961. Fax: 202-546-1545.
>E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>************************************************************
>
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