Zwelinzima Vavi to receive Pan African Lifetime Achievement Award 17-07-08

frican Lifetime Achievement Award

 

Zwelinzima Vavi to receive Pan A

The Congress of South African Trade Unions is proud to announce that its General Secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, is to be presented with the Pan African Lifetime Achievement Award by the TransAfrica Forum, at its Progressive Vision in Action benefit gala at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, Washington DC, in December 2008.

TransAfrica Forum is the oldest and largest African American human rights and social justice advocacy organization promoting diversity and equity in the foreign policy arena and justice for the African World. Its Chairman, Hollywood legend Danny Glover, has written to the General Secretary that:

“It is our deep honour to be able to recognize your commitment to the African Diaspora over the years. The Pan-African Lifetime Achievement Award is presented as a tribute to those whose lifetime of personal, political and professional activities follows the tradition of promoting the vision, ideas and actions of Pan-African solidarity. TransAfrica will also recognize Stevie Wonder and Chuck D for their voluntary actions for the common good.”

The Forum’s work is summarised by the words from a section of the declaration of the 5th Pan-African Congress (1945), which reads in part: “We believe the success of Afro-Americans is bound up with the emancipation of all African peoples and also other dependent peoples and labouring classes everywhere.”

The TransAfrica Forum envisions a world where Africans and people of African descent are self-reliant, socially and economically prosperous, and equal participants in a just international system structured to benefit their self-determined governments and peoples.

This exceptional honour, from such a prestigious institution, reflects the enormous respect in which COSATU and its leaders are held around the world, for the work we have done to promote the cause of democracy and national liberation, not only here in South Africa but internationally. Our campaigns of solidarity action in support of the peoples of Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Palestine, Burma and many other countries have helped to keep alive the tradition of working-class internationalism.

The General Secretary is a worthy recipient of this award for his leadership of these and many other campaigns to transform the lives of workers and all the people of Africa and the poor and exploited people of the world. When he steps up to receive the award in Washington in December, it will be a proud moment for South Africa, COSATU and the international labour movement.

Patrick Craven (National Spokesperson)

Congress of South African Trade Unions

1-5 Leyds Cnr Biccard Streets

Braamfontein, 2017

P.O. Box 1019

Johannesburg, 2000

SOUTH AFRICA

Tel: +27 11 339-4911/24