POSTPONEMENT OF THE TOWN HALL MEDIA MEETINGS AS SIDE-EVENTS FOR ENGAGEMENT OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA

Dear All, The African Union Commission wishes to inform the African Diaspora Community that the Town Hall meetings designed as side-events of the Africa-US Leaders Summit to engage the African Diaspora media on the implementation of the AU Communication strategy and Agenda 2063 in Washington and New York on 4 and 8 August 2014 has been postponed. The events will be rescheduled to take place on the margins of the UN General Assembly in September 2014. The event has been postponed because CIDO and the Directorate of information and Communication that were organizing the meeting were advised to change the dates to avoid perceived logistic and political difficulties surrounding the Africa-US Leaders Summit. The Commission wishes to thank Diaspora personalities and institutions for their commitment and support for the program and the efforts that they have invested to mobilize Diaspora communities and build up momentum for the event. Furthermore, we wish to encourage wide participation in events organized by the Diaspora Community around the Africa-US Summit. The delegation of the African Union Commission to the Summit and the AU office in Washington will do all that they can to ensure that the Diaspora Community are well-briefed on Summit events and outcomes. It is important to emphasize that the commitment of the AU to engage the Diaspora media as a vehicle for building a comprehensive stakeholder community in the Union that involves all sectors of society remains paramount. Thus the media event has not been cancelled but has been postponed to facilitate a more focused and wider broad approach church within a more suitable political environment. The Commission deeply regrets any inconvenience that this may have caused. The Directorate of Information and Communication and CIDO are liaising appropriately with the higher authorities of the Commission to fix new and precise dates for this event in September that will not be subject to further changes. We request your kind tolerance and understanding in this process and will communicate the new dates and venue soon. We continue to ask for your support to make the events a success in September 2014. Diaspora Division Citizens and Diaspora Directorate (CIDO) AU Commission