Question 1 : – Please could you introduce yourself ?
Me I am Ivan Poli elected on 1st December 2020 as the V.President of the Parliament of the State of African Diaspora for South America and the only Brazilian author of the African Renaissance recognized by African Traditional , Academic , Political and Royal authorities with 3 books on the theme of African Renaissance till now and 3 books on another South Renaissances also published.
Question 2 : – What is your vision of Panafricanism ?
The Panafricanism as we know started in Americas on the societies of resistance against slavery as the Brazilian Quilombos or the Maroon societies in Antilles and South America when the so called slaved African and African-descent people discovered that in despite of all the different cultures among the diverse peoples and tribes there where among these peoples common civilizing values from which these societies could be ruled, so in the return to Africa of some of these people on the end of the period of slavery on their countries it was possible from these common civilizing values to create a sense of African Unity that lives in parallel with the diversity of the African societies and make possible to tell in a Politic, Economic, Social and Cultural Unity in Africa and Diaspora that are these basis of Panafricanism. So this vision of Unity constructed on African Diaspora on slavery and developed in Africa that we call the after that we call as Panafrican vision of the World is essential for the construction also of the Unity and collaboration among Africa and diaspora.
Question 3 : – Who is your favourite character in Pan-african history, and why?
I have two character in the same level of preference ( one in Brazilian History and another abroad
1 – Aimé Césaire- Abroad Brazilian History – because of his Speech against the Colonialism where he establishes the social, cultural and political advanced nature of the African traditional societies and mainly mentions about the first Anti- Capitalists experiences in the World and denounces on the same speech how the colonialism worked to destruct the African Traditional societies and institutions by trying erase of the African Memory their Traditional main Civilizing values.
2- Zumbi of Palmares – Leader of Brazilian Quilombo of Palmares, because of his resistance against the colonial order in Brazil and for creating the biggest structure of resistance against slavery of the XVIII Century in South America.
Question 4 : – With the onset of technology and investment in Africa, how do you see Africa in the 21st Century ?
As I tell on my classic book of African Renaissance “ Anthropology of the Orishas” the Social dynamics normally in Africa follows a dual and dialectical reason ( and order and logic ) very different of the European Cartesian and Linear vision of World. And on these double and dialectic African order and vision of world and social dynamics the main social statement and reason logic is keep the Traditional and Re-signify the new, so by the African dialectical way of thinking and logic it´s possible keep the space of the traditions and be open for the new sustainable technologies and all the ways of thinking that doesn´t obey it and for example refuses the traditional just keeping into consideration the new will mischaracterize the African Institutions and condemn them to self degradation for not obeying their own social dynamics. So I see that in the 21st Century the Technological and the Traditional Africa will live in Harmony and in complementarities.
Question 5 : – What initiatives and projects have manifested through your position within the State of the African Diaspora ?
On my position of V.President of the State of African Diaspora for South America I am working for the expansion of the Lumi on the continent and searching for agreements with some local governments as the State of Bahia ( on the Panafrican Carnival , Cicle Tour , Games , and Restitution and Reparation so as promotion of the economy ) and Maranhão and some local institutions so as the Brazilian Quilombos .
I also have proposed the project Route of the Orishas that aims to link Latin America with seven sacred cities in Nigeria and Benin and develop religious and historical Tourism among Africa and Latin America .
The Laboratory of the Vodoun is another project which I am promoting and that aims to validate scientifically practices of African Traditional Medicine and create at the same time a Laboratory of Allopathic Medicine based on African Traditional Medicine and two Schools of Herbalists based on Vodoun and Yoruba Orisha Medicine in Ouidah in Benin and Osogbo in Nigeria.
Another project is the Cooperative of Osun that´s a project that aims to create a cooperative of women in Osogbo Nigeria for producing Traditional clothes mainly for Exportation to the Diaspora.
These are just some of my projects that I´ve presented till now. I have a total of 21 projects on my plan of action till the end of the year
Question 6 : – What are you planning to do in the future for the State of the African Diaspora ?
Work for the creation of the branch of the Panafrican Development Bank Eco 6 , The Panafrican Chamber of Commerce , The Agricultural Commodity Exchange Center and the Travel Agency of the Diaspora and the PanAfrican Cultural Representation Oficce in São Paulo during my mandate so as the groups of South America SOAD Youth based on IT revolution and South America Senior Soad in cooperation with the Traditional Leaderships of the Continent so as keep working for the promotion of the Lumi on the continent and also work with the African Descent parliamentary Members on South American Congresses Governments to support their actions on the creation and implementation of laws on South America which benefit African-Descent People on the Continent.
