Comprehensive NAACP International Affairs Policy

WHEREAS, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has a long tradition of significant actions in international issues, beginning with Dr. W.E.B Dubois and the Pan African Movement, continued by James Weldon Johnson opposing, and then working to end the United States (U.S.) occupation of Haiti, through Walter White and the efforts in the founding of the United Nations, the liberation movements of independence from colonialism, the anti apartheid movement, efforts for justice for Haiti, to the current efforts to end the suffering in Darfur and the excessive burdens of international debt; and

WHEREAS, never before have global issues so impacted on local communities through the effects of increasing globalization; and

WHEREAS, issues impacting Africa and the African Diaspora have often received limited attention or even negative impacts of United States policy decisions; and

WHEREAS, the NAACP is the logical and most effective organization to address these issues.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP shall develop a comprehensive approach to international issues including the issue of globalization for the use both nationally and by the units. That approach should include but not be limited to the following;

1. A focus on Haiti with the need to make the current actions being considered by the Obama Administration, i.e., temporary protected status, increase of and greater coordination of international donor funds, debt forgiveness et. al, come to fruition in the scope of Marshall Plan type effort.
2. In U.S. approaches to Africa, Caribbean and Latin America, work to reform structures for economic recovery to reflect interdependence and cooperation rather than blind reliance on market forces and with respect to Latin America, attention to protection of the large African descendants populations.
3. Efforts to expand weapons reduction beyond nuclear weapons to include small arms which are devastating much of the world, including neighborhoods in the U.S. today.
4. Work for U.S. policy to integrate regional collaboration and bi-lateral partnerships to foster an inclusive approach to resolve issues particularly in Africa and the Caribbean, reducing the increasing emphasis on military control of development activities and utilizing military commands such as AFRICOM and SOUTHCOM only where military capabilities are necessary, e.g., major natural disaster emergency relief.
5. U.S. security policy in Africa should strengthen multilateral peacemaking and peacekeeping capacity by the African Union, African regional groups and the United Nations.
6. Developing a parallel international volunteer effort similar to the domestic one recently initiated that facilitates shorter time periods than the current Peace Corps opportunities utilizing Africa as a pilot.
7. Developing avenues of cooperation with other organizations in European and Latin American countries working for civil rights and advancement of persons of African descent; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that these efforts proceed with the goal of increasing involvement at the State Conference and Branch levels.