Ancestry Reconnection Program Cameroon 2011
(A concept by Avline Ava and Eric Chinje)
In December 2010, a group of 52 African Americans journeyed to Cameroon for what would become the first Ancestry Reconnection Program (ARP) - a return journey to the land of their ancestors by sons and daughters of once enslaved Africans. The program builds on DNA test results that identify both the country and ethnicity of the ancestors, and establishes a connection to the country and ethnic community within it. For those who made the trip to Cameroon in December, this was a first direct exposure to the cultural roots that defined them as global citizens.
The ARP, a program of the ARK Jammers Connection, Inc., was billed as the second half of the slave story - the return by choice, over open skies, to the land from which their ancestors were forced out in chains and over turbulent waters, of DNA-certified members of the African Diaspora. The ARP would mark the completion of that historical loop with this happy ending: a reconnection of the two halves of a once broken people. "You are a half of me; without you, I am incomplete; I am a half of you; without me, you are incomplete," a member of the ARP pioneer group paraphrased Marcus Garvey.
ARP 2010 was a deeply emotional homecoming for many: from the moments spent on the shores of Bimbia, the forgotten slave port that was brought to the attention of the nation and the world during the trip, to the cultural embedding that exposed an awe-struck group, now commonly referred to as Camericans, to the deeper aspects of Africa's mores and traditions. The Camericans have captured their story on a Facebook website: www.Facebook.com/timeiselastic. The written testimonials, pictures and video clips capture the spirit of the journey and begin the changed narrative on the slave story.
Press conference in the U.S. EmbassyARP 2011 will take that narrative one step further in December for a re-take on and expansion of ARP-1. Besides organizing the "pilgrimage" to Bimbia by the next cohort of Camericans, the program will focus on four municipalities: Limbe/Bimbia, Garoua/Maroua (in the north), Kribi and the nation's capital, Yaounde.
Included in an exciting menu of activities are:
- the Bimbia Purification Ceremony (a historically significant and one-time-only event) by traditional rulers
- the trip to the north of Cameroon (a region seen as the repository of one of the richest
- cultural traditions on the African continent), and the northern colorful Fantasia
- the Healing Concert (a musical fiesta which will bring together well-known artists on a
stage of brotherhood, to remind humanity of an evil past and say, through art, dance
and song: "Never Again!") - meetings with senior government officials
- a reception by the US Ambassador
- a street-naming ceremony
- a land-title delivery ceremony for ARP-1 members
Discussions are underway for the "Certification" of Bimbia as a World Heritage site, and for the establishment of an Institute for Slave Trades and Diaspora Studies in one of the institutions of higher learning in Cameroon. For all its ARP-related activities, ARK Jammers Connection is supported by the governments of Cameroon and the United States of America, and it works in close partnership with African Ancestry, the company that provides DNA certification for Diaspora Africans.
Why Kindness?
Because Kindness is a simple, doable, powerful and universal way for us to change our world!
A simple act of kindness, in itself bonds and heals, benefiting all involved - the giver, the receiver and the observer. The opportunity to perform an act of kindness is open to everyone, everywhere and at anytime; it requires neither eloquence nor a political pulpit; neither wealth nor celebrity status; neither intelligence nor education. All one needs is a commitment to love and serve.
The ARK Jammers are ordinary people who volunteer their time, energy and resources to touch lives in a positive way!
For more information, please contact:
Avline Ava
Tel: (336) 26 92 86 30 Email: avline@arkjammers.org
Eric Chinje
Tel: (202) 683 01 52 Email: echinje@gmail.com
