The IASA is actively involved in connecting international students with current issues in Africa. It was a partner organization for the recent national summit on Africa and helped fundraise for several Africa disaster relief efforts.
"It's basically a nonprofit organization formed as a means for African students in the United States to network and collaborate on projects. We meet together and talk about practical ways to help the development in Africa," said Shormeh Yeboah '03, who helped to coordinate the event along with Joshua Machao '03.
The IASA conference, themed "Marching Forward to a New Africa: A Realistic and Practical Option for Students of the African Diaspora," is an annual event in its seventh year. It is held in order to support charities and promote continued five-college relations.
The conference included various live performances, presentations, workshops, professional networking opportunities for the students and other interactive sessions designed to encourage audience participation.
"I was impressed by the informal discussions. People asked themselves questions such as 'What is my relationship to Africa?' and 'As a student in America how might I make a contribution to issues of concern to the people of Africa' and stood up to talk about it," said Associate Dean of Students Onawumi Jean Moss, who was present on the first day as a storyteller for the opening event.
This year, the keynote speaker at the conference was Kimmie Weeks '05, an internationally acclaimed child rights activist and ambassador for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.
Workshop coordinators included the Zimbabwe Union of Democrats founder and leader Margaret Dongo, United Nations Development Program Deputy Director Eric Kashambuzi, internationally acclaimed writer, producer and director Yemane Demissie and Smith College Assistant Professor of International Relations Tandeka Nkiwane, among others.
Preparations for the event began directly after last year's conference, which was held at Yale University, when Machao contacted international students from Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges and wrote to the Boston-based IASA student committee with a proposal for a conference at the College. At the end of last spring, Machao found out that his proposal had been selected by the committee.
The conference was entirely student planned, although Amherst IASA members received help from various members of the faculty, including Assistant Dean of Students Samuel Haynes.
"Since the conference was a collaboration between four of the five colleges, you can imagine that the logistics of coordinating events and making everything go according to schedule was a challenge," said Yeboah. "There were a few hitches, but overall everything was a success at the end."
In addition to contacting and arranging transportation for the speakers, student planners also had to fundraise by contacting sponsors. The College's Student Finance Committee, political science department and admissions office made contributions in support of the conference.
"What [the students] had to say was poignant … It was an opportunity to see young people talk to one another about the future of their countries, continent and people," said Moss. "And they did not disappoint."
"There was something very wise about how they paid passing respect to their abilities as rising scholars to analyze and went quickly to what [they] can do to ease the difficulties that people face. I think they did a great job," Moss added.
The international African groups of Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke, and Smith also helped to host the approximately 120 students that participated in the event. Activities were held on the campuses of all four colleges.
The conference was also supported by the College's International Students of Africa (ISA), a subset of the International Students Organization, which provides a forum for international student concerns. The ISA annually hosts Njabulo, an evening of African cultural appreciation. The proceeds from last year's Njabulo were sent to Kenya to benefit the AIDS effort.