Greetings Family,

Happy new year and welcome to the first Pan African Drum programme of the year.

Nyansapo - The Pan African Drum is an online community radio programme hosted by the Ligali Organisation. It is designed to enable honest and progressive discussion of community issues, including those raised in the weekly Nyansapo column written by Toyin Agbetu for the New Nation newspaper. Today's programme on 6 January 2009 will ask the question;

Year of the Phoenix? - Can the African community rise in 2009?

Programme Timetable 9pm - 10pm Pan African News (International and Local) Community announcements and contributions from listeners are welcome. 10pm - 11:30pm Talk of the Day On this weeks programme we will be joined by Onyeka, writer and author of the powerful book The Phoenix - Misrule in the land of Nod. Together we will be addressing the topic of community empowerment whilst reviewing his book and some of the events of 2008. 11:30 - 12:00am Loose Ends Organic cookup flavoured discussion on recent media, films, books and cultural arts.

The premiere screening of the final part of the Maafa Series of films will be taking place during African History Month on 7th February 2009 at BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XT. A community donation will be requested on entrance. Pre booking is essential and can be done by sending an email to mail@ligali.org with the subject line Solutions Preview. Please spread the word and reserve this date in your diaries. The event will start at 12 midday prompt. After the screening there will be cultural refreshments, vendors and workshops for those seeking to become actively involved in specific community empowerment projects. The themes will be home/village education, working in Africa and developing community media. The 7th February is the anniversary of the passing of Dr Cheikh Anta Diop. We will be holding a silent tribute to him and those of our Ancestors who dedicated their lives to the work of liberation.

Nyansapo - The Pan African Drum broadcasts live every Tuesday between 9pm - 12 pm. We discuss pan African news, current affairs and feature reviews of cultural media and events. It is an interactive programme so please feel free to call and join in, we are currently running a limited test service and intend to be broadcasting a full compliment of programmes early 2009.

There are several ways you can interact with the programme you can;

Thank you for your patience as we redevelop our internet communications infrastructure, we are currently working on solutions to address all issues of buffering and audio quality. We expect all our other issues, technical and otherwise to be resolved early in the new year.

As ever, your support and feedback, especially constructive criticism is welcome.

Ligali - in service to our family, with the spirit of our Ancestors.

www.ligali.org

Ligali is a Pan African, human rights organisation founded by Toyin Agbetu in early 2000, it was named in remembrance of his beloved late father Ligali Ayinde Agbetu who taught him to take pride in his African heritage and challenge those opposed to universal human rights. The Ligali and African History Month websites were subsequently co-developed by former Ligali member emma pierre for our community, to be used by our community. It is maintained and funded entirely by the Ligali organisation but we do need your help to keep it running.

Poem

4

4 what do you stand proud BLACK fan?
4rced to 4get your original clan
4cibly branded with his alien name
4ever cursed with that mark of shame?
4feiting our culture
4 4reign tribes?
4saking our spirit
4gotton our pride
4ging and 4ming
4profit
4 gain
4rums
4 in4mally absolving his blame?

4 whom?
4 who?
4 what do you stand?
4who are you the subservient… man?
4giving your massa
4pieces of gold
4 taking, still raping Ancestral homes
4 writing a history
4saking our birth
4 4ming a future without us on earth?

4get that!

4get that fake justice
4get that fake equality
4 knowledge of self with purpose is intact
4 deeds for the 4orthcoming revolution are required
4when did you last stand proud black fan?
400 years back, when you be AFRICAN.

Written by Toyin Agbetu, 2004

Supporting Ligali

You can support us by making a single or regular donation online or volunteering to help at www.ligali.org/aboutus/supporting.htm.

Remember, we can’t continue to be successful without your ongoing support.