Supporting Africa's regional integration: the African diaspora-prototype pan-Africanists or parochial village aiders

Abstract

This concept paper is presented as a contribution to the debates to be held during the African Development Forum III (ADF III), "Defining Priorities for Regional Integration". The paper attempts to contribute to two of the five thematic areas, Institutional Arrangements and Capacity and Regional Approaches to Regional Issues. Specifically, it draws on the perspectives and experience of the London-based African Foundation for Development (AFFORD) to sketch out ways in which the African diaspora can support efforts towards increased regional integration in Africa. These issues are of central concern to AFFORD with its mission to expand and enhance the contribution that Africans in the diaspora make to Africa's development.