200 year marker of the begining of the end of the trans-atlantic slave trade

Remember the Ifa proverb -If we stand tall, it is because we stand
on the backs of those who came before us …. Odu Ifa Orangun Meji –

On March 25th we will pour libation for and make Bibo (appeasement
offerings) for those African's that survived the Transatlantic Maafa,
as a humble way to say thank you for what they did and for what they
gave. This date is important because March 25, 2007 is exactly the
200 year marker of the beginning of the end of the tragic Middle
Passage. That day is important for us to acknowledge breaking the
cycle.

Those that see this point or feel the need are welcome. For those
that choose to acknowledge the sacrifice of their ancestors and
commemorate this 200th year on March 25th, 2007 practitioners of
traditional African spirituality: Ifa, Orisha, etc. should give ebo
to the Earth, to our ancestors individually and/or with others to mark
the 200th year since the British Government signed the
1807declaration, making it illegal to transport Africans to the New
World and to abolish the Trans-Atlantic slave
trade.

And those that do not feel it important, it is not an issue, we are
all moved in different ways to do different things in life.

Last year the United Nations (UN) declared 2007 as the year to mark
The 200th year - International Day for the Commemoration of the 200th
Anniversary of the Abolition of the Trans-Atlantic SlaveTrade signed
on March 25th 1807 by the British Parliament. It is
also important to note that the USA , signed the bill on March 3rd
1807 to take effect beginning Jan 1st , 1808.

For those that want to recognise the collective sacrifices of our
ancestors: spread the word to commemorate this important bicentennial
in preparation for Jan 1st 2008 which will mark 200 years that the US
signed to cease exporting Africans as enslaved people.

Remember that March 25th, 2007 , can make an impact in our own back
yard. The 25th of March will mark the recognition of how our
realities were shaped within the USA: by stopping the massive exodus
of more Africans, and prevented them from going through the dreaded
Middle Passage, to arrive in the USA to work as slave labor, and
adding more
to our people here still enslaved. This is a very important marker
and one we cannot forgo.

What have you done within your lifetime to commemorate the efforts of
those that came before you on a large scale like the Ifa Council-
Maafa Project is proposing?

The British Federal Government plans to fund national events with 20
million British pounds (approx $40 million US dollars) for events and
activities with the main event at the national memorial service
outside of London, UK . The Jamaican Government is already into its
year of commemoration that began Jan 2nd 2007 and will run until Jan
25, 2008 and their theme: "Our Freedom Journey….Honoring our
Ancestors."

The Ifa Council's – Maafa Project, is generating a theme and ideas to
commemorate this important bicentennial, with several major
activities geared towards honoring the sacrifice of our ancestors.

The 3 key activities wish to acknowledge our progenitors & their
struggles are:
1) Ceremony to those that did not make it through the middle passage
(the 8+ weeks on the slave ships when disease, infections, rapes and
mass murder were rampant, which had no formal burial rites or
anything as yet.
2) A Memorial Event should be used to acknowledge those that did make
it to New World, yet either died holding onto and refusing to give up
our ancestral ways, or for playing African drums and not hiding the
practice of the traditional rites and were massacred for openly
practicing our traditions.
3) Then honor those that managed to survive and hold on to the Yoruba
& other traditions that were carried to the New World (Americas), by
camouflaging the practices with things more acceptable to the slave
master / colonizer, and by calling them something else, all as a
means to allow what they believed inside to survive, until another
day today. ++++++++++++++++

For more info and to be included email: maafa@ifacouncil.com