Greetings in the most precious name of His Imperial Majesty Haile
Selassie I and Her Imperial Majesty Woleta Giorgis Empress Menen.
October 19, 2003 -- Washington, D.C.
A Rastafari Mini-Summit took place at the Blackburn Center in
Washington D.C. yesterday. Ras Carlos Sela, First Vice-President of
the Rastafari Alliance in Panama, along with Ras Daniel, Rastafari
Alliance of Panama US Ambassador and Ras Nathaniel, Coordinator of the
Issembly For Rastafari Iniversal Education (IRIE) traveled from
Shashemane Creations (Ras Daniel and Ras Nathaniel's joint venture
culture shop) in Chicago to Washington D.C. where they were received
by Jake Homiak, Directory of Anthropological Archives at the
Smithsonian Museum. At 6:00 p.m. on October 18 each made presentations
to members of the Nyahbinghi House in Washington D.C.
The presentations began with a small-scale craft making
demonstration. Ras Peter, a graduate of Howard University, gave a
hands-on instruction of his latest clay-modeling work. Clay products
ranged from soap dish holders decorated with Andinkra symbols, to
chalices shaped in the form of Ethiopian Orthodox crosses. Several
molds were displayed and Ras Peter clearly showed just how simple it
is to put the clay into the mold, mash it down, remove and strip the
excess. The process then requires a firing-kiln (MORE FIYAH!) which
Ras Peter currently uses at Howard University. I&I look forward to
seeing his new business, Rising Lion Ceramics, prosper and acquire its
own kiln. Haile Selassie Masgan.
After Ras Peter's presentation, Ras Qashie opened the meeting with
His Imperial Majesty's Opening Address to the Teacher Training Center
in Debre Berhan. That was followed by Psalms and then introductions.
Elder Ras Irice then invited Ras Sela to address the gathering.
Ras Sela praised JAH Rastafari and spoke about the purpose, plans,
and progress for the upcoming "Rastafari in Latin America
International Reasoning" scheduled for May, 2005. This conference
was discussed at the Rastafari Gathering in Panama last year and was
reported in Rastafari Speaks newspaper. Ras Sela emphasized that
generally, and henceforward, any Rastafari "international/global
conference" must emerge with a plan of action. Ras Sela
emphasized that youth who have been privileged with advanced education
must make time and find ways to attend these conferences for they are
the ones who, through their growing educational and professional
experience, will fulfill crucial works at this hour.
Ras Sela reasoned that it is mistakenly believed in the
English-speaking world that the mass of Africans taken during the
slave trade were brought to North America and the Caribbean. He noted,
however that the African population of Brazil alone surpasses the US
-Caribbean black population. Thus, places like Panama and elsewhere in
"Latin America", including Cuba and Puerto Rico, have a
large population of African/Blacks where Rastafari is growing. This,
they see, positions them as a strong force outside of Africa and
requires them, because of their Spanish-speaking heritage, to organize
and centralize as Spanish-speaking Rastafari. Ras Sela noted that
there is a crucial need right now for Rastafari literature in Spanish
to feed the minds of the youth who are seeking to know Rastafari
doctrine and history. Hence, translating-projects, discussed before
the mini-sumit in Chicago with IRIE and Rastafari publishers Frontline
Distribution International, are underway.
Ras Nathaniel was then invited to make a report on the ground
situation in Ethiopia. Ras Nathaniel has just returned from a nine
month Repatriation Fellowship sponsored by the African-Caribbean Self
Help Foundation where he also served as a Foreign Correspondent for
Rastafari Speaks newspaper. Ras Nathaniel detailed the very serious
security situation in Shashemane, stating that the Rastafari Community
is "outnumbered 300 to 20,000" and that theft and physical
attacks against Rasses is frequent. Asked about the progress of the
daughter's quarters at the Nyahbinghi house, to which the D.C.
community has sent more than $3,000.00 and architectural blue-prints
in the past year, Ras Nathaniel stated that he did not witness any
construction. Ras Nathaniel emphasized that conflicts in the house
between Elders and Youth, have weakened the House causing a slack,
low-order and cramped Ises. This has caused a serious need right now
for Brethren and Sistren of high livity to forward and firm up the
House. Ras Nathaniel also spoke about the problems with Ethiopian
Immigration and what he had learned while attending meetings of the
African Union and African Development Bank in Addis Ababa. Ras
Nathaniel concluded his presentation by updating the work that has
been done by the Jubilee Commemoration Exhibition of His Imperial
Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie's First Visit to the United States
(1954--next year is 50 year anniversary) and presented the Nyahbinghi
House with Book #1 which chronicles in detail the first half of that
visit. The Institute of Ethiopian Studies (IES) in Addis Ababa
digitized more than 170 documents for the exhibit and presented them
to Ras Nathaniel before he departed from Addis Ababa. Breddren asked
many detailed question and reports have been posted at
www.rastaites.com (click on Ites-zine and look for Star Order Reports)
or email jce2004@hotmail.com
for more information about the
Exhibition.
Ras Daniel then made a presentation about soap manufacturing and
other works being done at Shashemane Creations in Chicago. Ras Daniel
has stated that after eight years of manufacturing herbal soaps and
expanding it into a self- sustainable business, he is now ready to
expand this project in other Rastafari Communities, either through
distribution or through businesses where he would set-up and teach the
soap manufacturing process. He has already done feasibility studies in
Panama and Puerto Rico, and invited the Nyahbinghi House in Washington
D.C. to get involved. Ras Daniel also gave a testimony about the need
to balance the intellectual and spiritual pursuit with industry.
Jake Homiak then gave a brief overview of the status of the
International Rastafari Archives Project's (IRAP) planned exhibition.
Though it was originally intended for 2004, Jake stated more
realistically that it would not be ready until 2005. Jake reported
that he was in the process of organizing thirteen Rastafari Elders in
crucial stages of the consulting process.
After the presentations, announcements were made about Nyahbinghi
House fundraising, the Gathering of the Saints on November 2, 2003 at
Goring Farms outside the Washington D.C. area, and Ras Seun announced
that a program at the Blackburn Center, Howard University, entitled
Connecting With Africa was scheduled for November 11. Ras Seun stated
that several African Embassies would be present including Zimbabwe,
and indicated that this might be a good time for the Rastafari
Community to show its support for Robert Mugabe.
The meeting then concluded with heartical prayers, and Ras Sela and
Ras Nathaniel, both of whom had visited the former Nyahbinghi House on
10th Street, prayed that His Imperial Majesty find favor and
strengthen the breddren and "put a roof over their heads".
Ises to Eltodopoderoso The Almighty Haile Selassie I!
