Washington, DC — Republican Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas and Democratic Representative Barbara Lee from California were honored by the Africa Society of Washington, D.C. on Thursday for their commitment to the African continent and U.S.-Africa relations.
Rep. Donald Payne (Democrat-New Jersey), who is to become chair of the subcommittee on Africa of the House International Relations Committee when Democrats take control of Congress in January, cited Brownback's strong commitment to bringing peace and stability to Sudan, including sponsorship of the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, signed into law this October, the appointment of a special envoy to Sudan, and divestment legislation.
"This is Africa's moment," Brownback proclaimed, urging international cooperation for Africa's benefit and stressing the moral obligation of Americans towards people in need. "We have a continent that needs us – and we need them, not for their material resources, though those are important," he said. Africa's people should be the paramount concern of world leaders, said Brownback, who has established an exploratory committee as a first step towards running for president in 2008.
The senator spoke of the suffering he witnessed on a recent trip to Sudan with Representative Frank Wolf (Republican - Virginia). For Wolf, helping Sudan has been a spiritual necessity. "If we can help save people's physical lives and save our souls in the process, there's no reason we shouldn't act," Brownback said. Last month, the Senator announced the his family would divest from mutual funds and other investments in companies that do business in Sudan, a step he has also urged state governments to take. Thanking Brownback for his stance, Payne noted that his home state New Jersey was the first of six legislatures in the nation to vote to divest.
Introducing Lee, Payne praised her for "strength of judgment" and her tenacity. As the most senior Democratic woman on the Africa subcommittee and co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, she has been a longtime advocate for HIV/Aids, malaria, and tuberculosis initiatives in Africa. A co-author of the legislation for PEPFAR, the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief, Lee has advocated for increased monies for Aids relief.
Beyond Aids advocacy, Payne noted that Lee supports peace movements in Africa, and has backed peace and divestment legislation for Darfur. Lee was arrested in May 2006 for protesting in front of the Sudanese embassy in Washington, D.C.
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Lee said she viewed the award as encouragement for further action rather than as a capstone of accomplishment, stating "we will move forward until the continent is free from turmoil, that poverty has been eliminated, and that trade and aid, which go hand in hand, become equitable in terms of U.S. foreign policy."
Quoting the Africa Society's late founder, Leonard Robinson, Lee proclaimed that "yes, Africa matters –that's all we have to say, that it matters."
C Payne Lucas, president emeritus of Africare who is currently senior adviser to AllAfrica, in a keynote address that ended the two-hour ceremony called on all those who are working on Africa to recommit themselves to a greater effort to end suffering on the continent. "The only way we can achieve that," he said, "is by working together." He cautioned against "romanticizing Africa," where he said corruption and disease are very real problems, but neither should Africa been seen only in the negative way it is so often portrayed. "Africa has a great future, and we need to help Africa get there."
The Africa Society, founded in 2002 as the successor to the National Summit on Africa, aims to increase communication and understanding between the United States and Africa. Presiding at the event, which was the Society's third annual "Visionairies" award banquet, was Bernadette Paola, who became the organization's chief executive, after serving as vice president for the past five years, following Robinsons' death in July.
