[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15745-15746]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             THOUGHTS ON LEADERSHIP AND AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 12, 2005

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, the plight of Africa has been the focus of 
much public discourse in recent months. The G-8 made commendable 
progress on the issue of African development in its Summit, but there 
is still much to be done. On a recent trip to the United States, Nelson 
Mandela visited the Riverside Church in New York City to thank the 
American people for their support in helping South Africa overcome 
apartheid, but also to remind us that Africa still faced enormous 
challenges.
  The Riverside Church where Mr. Mandela spoke has long been a leader 
within America's faith community in bringing attention to various 
issues of social justice, even when the cause was not popular. The 
Church was a major center of activism during the antiapartheid 
movement, and had hosted Mr. Mandela on his first visit to the United 
States after being released from prison in 1990.
  While Mr. Mandela won his fight against Apartheid in South Africa, he 
is still waging a battle against the many problems that face the 
African continent. The beginning of the 21st century sees an Africa 
affected by widespread poverty, the HIV/AIDS crisis, and crippling 
levels of debt. Mr. Mandela, through his Mandela Foundation, is 
fighting to address these critical issues.
  On that note, I submit for the Record a piece from the July 5th 
edition of the CaribNews. The piece is by Harry Belafonte, the 
internationally known entertainer and activist, and was used to 
introduce Mr. Mandela at the Riverside Church event in May. The words 
of this introduction provide us ample food for thought as we continue 
the still unfinished crusade for African development.

               Riverside Cathedral, a Platform for Truth


    a search for africa's development and the role of nelson mandela

       This (Riverside) Cathedral has vigorously embraced its 
     covenant with truth in the midst of the exodus of so many 
     houses of worship that have in the name of faith and God made 
     treaty with the devil.
       Riverside Church has given us reason to believe in speaking 
     truth to power. Many have claimed to be keepers of the flock. 
     They have declared their right to pick who shall or shall not 
     enter into the ``kingdom of Heaven.'' Others have hidden 
     behind the cloak of morality as they indulge themselves and 
     the nation in the sin of homophobia that crucifies fellow 
     human beings. There are those religious leaders and 
     institutions that have announced unjust wars and carry the 
     cross before armies that destroy the innocent and plunder the 
     earth.
       There are many Black church leaders who salivate in the 
     midst of this new Christian inquisition for just thirty 
     pieces of silver rewarded by the Caesar of faith-based 
     oppression. All have made us understand how privileged we are 
     that the (Reverend) James Forbes administers to our soul and 
     can never be charged with patriotic treason.
       Riverside Church has generously yielded its pulpit to many 
     of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century. It has blessed 
     and embraced all those, regardless of faith, who have come 
     here in defiance of the tyranny of the State. Powerful voices 
     have been heard in these walls, which speak out against 
     injustice and bring truth and humanity to rebellious cause. 
     This cathedral inspires change in a world that hungers for 
     more than the food of the body; it hungers for leaders with 
     voices of courage that will provide food and moral plenty for 
     the soul. In this place, we once gather to honor truth.
       After centuries of oppression and destruction, Africa, the 
     greatest resource in the building of the empires of the 
     world, has found no kindness from her conquerors. No one came 
     to her with a Marshall Plan. She has found no generosity from 
     the banks of her bleeders, Quite the contrary. Africa 
     severely hemorrhages from the burden of the financial debt 
     she carries. She cannot even repay the interest on the debt.
       In many places, the continent suffocates from the pollution 
     of decaying bodies that have died from violence. Americans 
     and Europeans often view nuclear bombs, germ warfare, 
     chemical weapons, poison gas and planes crashing to buildings 
     as the only weapons of mass destruction. But for Africa, with 
     15 million of her people dead and millions more wounded, 
     handguns, automatic rifles and land mines are added to the 
     list. The great irony is that Africa does not have the 
     capacity to mass-produce weapons. America and Europe, 
     however, sell her all the arms required while vigorously 
     fueling the conditions that create the demands for them.
       For Africans, poverty, ignorance and illiteracy are also 
     weapons of mass destruction. These realities, coupled with 27 
     million people infected with HIV/AIDS and 10 million children 
     orphaned by the disease, ravage the population. And all of 
     the sins attributable to Africa's pain, global indifference 
     is the greatest offender.
       But a maturing Africa is coming together in ways that are 
     different than before. She is making choices that are African 
     choices. The Africa on the horizon will have no tolerance for 
     colonial status in the World Bank and the International 
     Monetary Fund's economic slavery system, a system that, while 
     admitting to its share of guilt, defined as ``mistakes of the 
     past'', stays tragically addicted to the same sins of the 
     present. Africa will no longer endure these indignities. She 
     will know a decidedly different future. With this new 
     determination, Africa affirms her spiritual, cultural and 
     historical allegiance to her decedents in the four corners of 
     the earth. She is telling citizens of the Diaspora that they 
     are first and foremost citizens of the continent and saying 
     to them, ``Come, for by right of birth and of struggle and 
     our common history, you are of us.''

[[Page 15746]]

       Most of this vision set in motion by the entrance of the 
     Democratic Republic of South Africa into the arena of 
     democratic nations. The African National Congress commits 
     itself and the nation to the development, welfare, peace and 
     dignity of the entire continent and other nations in the 
     world who are in need. Its voice speaks for all to hear that 
     this 21st century will be Africa's century.
       Rolihlahla Nelson Mandela has stood here (at Riverside) 
     before. From this Cathedral our nation was inspired when he 
     spoke of his vision for the future of his South Africa. 
     Through the guidance of his political genius and the 
     compelling force of his moral authority he transformed his 
     nation from a cruel oppressive state into one of the most 
     advanced democracies humankind has ever known. Perhaps the 
     most remarkable aspect of this achievement was Madiba and his 
     comrades did this without the violence and racial upheaval 
     the world anticipated. During the time of his presidency, he 
     transformed his countrymen's mood for revenge into one whose 
     desire to be a continuing search for national harmony rooted 
     in truth and reconciliation.
       Now in the autumn of his winter years he comes again to 
     America at a time when our nation faces one of the most 
     critical crossroads in its history. Would that our nation 
     could be touched by his humanity and be guided by his moral 
     vision!
       (Harry Belafonte, the world famous actor, singer and human 
     and civil rights advocate was introducing Nelson Mandela to a 
     large audience at the Riverside Church during the South 
     African Nobel Peace Prize winner's recent visit to New York 
     City.)

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