UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
Association Friends of Africa (AFA)

Association Friends of Africa (AFA)


The organization Association Friends of Africa (AFA) is international self-regulating, non-governmental and non-political social organization.

The association is an independent juridical entity with its financial support and publication, and is registered in court with No.19312 on 03.02.1993 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The Executive Organs

The supreme body of AFA is the General Assembly, which meets once a year and in emergency, very often upon the request from 1/10 of the membership. The General Assembly is considered as valid upon an attendance of 2/3 of the membership. But for passing bills, stopping the activity of the organization is necessary a majority votes of at least 2/3 of the membership. The General Assembly selects the leadership in the body of the association, the Executive Council and the Control Commission on the basis of candidacy list with request from the members of the association.

The Executive Council

The Executive Council is the ruling body of AFA, which consists of the president, the executive secretary, the two vice presidents and the members of the Executive Council. The Executive Council generate plans, and tasks, represents the AFA in Bulgaria and abroad, assigns tasks, accepts and frees members, signs contracts, keeps documents and prepares the meetings of the General Assembly.

The Control Commission

The Control Commission is consisted of the president, the vice presidents, and the members of the Commission. The Commission follows the executive decisions of the General Assembly in the course of their execution, controls the contracts and ensures keeping them from the part of the association.

The Membership of AFA

AFA grants membership to perspective members in accordance with its precepts and would like to work for the support of friendship with the people of Africa and Arabian countries. The members of AFA could be Bulgarians as well as foreign citizens, who have formally applied for membership to the AFA's executive council. Every member has the right to be elected and reelected as a member of the executive council, to carry out the tasks he or she is assigned to, and participate in the programs of the association both within and without the country. There are also Honorable Membership which is granted to people proved their contribution for the development of the international peace and relief development. The number of the members of the association is more then 860 people between which are famous Bulgarian doctors, professors, diplomats, intellectuals, journalist many Libyan and African students, businessman from different branches etc.

Resources, Expenses and Properties

The funds of AFA are raised through the voluntary funds from the members, gifts and donations from sponsors. The funds of AFA are in Bulgarian currency (Lev), as well as in foreign currency (US$, DM) and real estate acquired through legal methods.

The Basic Goals and Organizational Objectives

The basic goals of AFA are the activities associated with the support of friendship with the countries and people of Africa, as it encourages, widens, deepens through different avenues and activities, relations and cooperation in the different spheres of human activities.

To promote unity, cooperation and understanding; to affirm and define the legacy of African and Arabian Civilizations; to advocate policies aimed at promoting economic self-reliance and increasing the quality of life of Africans and Arabians; to encourage and promote institutions that respect human dignity and the ideals of a civil society; to rescue and promote the African and Arabian art, culture and value system; to provide humanitarian aid, to identify the needs of Africans and Arabians and the resources available to fulfill those needs. To work for the development of the Bulgarian, African and Arabian relationship.

For achieving these basic goals AFA works for cooperation and contacts with similar and appropriate institutions in Bulgaria and in other countries, with European an International organizations on the matters of peace and cooperation between the nations.

Organizational Objectives

Developing mutual activities with similar foundations, societies for friendship with other countries and activities for their execution.

Facilitating the process of training and specialization of African and Arabian youths in the Republic of Bulgaria.

Organizing of festivals in the honor of national and other festivals, important to the African and Arabian cultures.

Creating branches of the association in many towns in Bulgaria, especially in those with high education sites and Africans Arabian students.

Facilitating contacts with Bulgarian towns and the African and Arabian counterparts.

Ensuring consultations in the areas concerning the activities of the association, from the respective specialists and experts.

Working with the popular media: TV, radio, etc., for the popularization of the goals and the precepts of the organization.

Creating clubs with interests to work with different African and Arabian countries and in different trends of cooperation with them.

Establishment of contacts with organizations in Bulgaria and other countries, ready to sponsor the activities of the association.

Humanitarian Objectives

Searching means for presenting humanitarian aids to those African and Arabian countries in need; for example through the Red Cross, the Red Crescent, and other European and International humanitarian organizations.

In this aspect, keeping contacts with the non-governmental organizations from the European countries, specially the so-called non-governmental organizations on the matter of the third world countries, whose activities are coordinated from the International non-governmental organizations with the goal of humanitarian aids in the fields of : health care, child care, etc.

Arranging meetings with the leadership of the African and Arabian migrant community residing in Bulgaria, and discussing their social, political, religious, juridical, labor, and other problems.

Defense of the rights of the African and Arabian migrant's community before the official authority. Cooperation with competent Bulgarian institutions in sphere of human rights defense and respect; hence forming functional groups for the studies and defense of the human rights in Africa and Arabian countries, including the development of international law on the matter of human right.

In this spirit, the AFA develops the training activities for education tolerance to foreign ideas, in global thinking, against racism and xenophobia, since Bulgaria is at the crossroads to flux of many migrants to Europe.

Cultural Objectives

Organization of conferences, seminars, cultural activities supported with the exhibition of African and Arabian art crafts, mutual exchange of visits between the Bulgarian, African and Arabian artists.

Meetings with Bulgarian and foreign artists, painters, publishers, etc., to enhance the creativity of AFA, information and advertisements album for African and Arabian countries, publication of popular scientific, civic and literary books and popularization of African and Arabian countries and its people.

The Executive Council's Biography

Peter Beron, the president of AFA, professor, doctor of biological sciences, director of the Institute of Biology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, director of natural science museum in Sofia, members of many foreign academies of sciences, prominent scientist, author of many works and scientific books.

Emil Dimitrov, the vice president of AFA, doctor of Arts, Music and bachelor of Public Relations, business consultant of a large telecommunication company.

Mohammed Hussein Mohammed, the vice president of AFA, doctor of medicines, president of the Forum of the Intellectuals in Somalia.

Plamen Goulev, the executive secretary of AFA, doctor of Economic geography, director of a publishing house, author of several works and books, studies on the "Green book".

Please visit our URL:
http://members.wbs.net/homepages/a/f/r/africaafa.html

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Date: Wed, 25 Feb 1998 15:58:41 +0200 From: Emil Dimitrov <africa.afa@usa.net> Subject: Introduction



Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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