Closure of the International Year for People of African Descent

The end of 2011 is coming near. Last week the UN had its closing event for the International Year for People of African Descent. You can check the video webcast here.

Last year I posted the news as the UN launched this special year to draw attention to the situation of black people in the world. I can read the following on the un webpage: The actions carried out along the International Year served to promote greater knowledge and awareness of the challenges faced by people of African descent all over the world; highlight the important contribution of people of African descent in the political, economic, social and cultural aspects of society, and in the advancement and development of their countries in general with a view to foster discussions that generate proposals for solutions to tackle these challenges.

Honestly, I didn't notice to much of this initiative. I am curious to know about others in the world.

I'd like to conclude with a little note concerning a symbolic and important figure for all People of African Descent: While the year was officially closed on the 6th of december (Sinterklaas "Black Pete Day" in Belgium), it was on the 7th of december 2011 that Philadelphia District Attorney R. Seth Williams announced that prosecutors would no longer seek the death penalty for Mumia Abu-Jamal. This after that this year extraordinarily important new evidence established clearly that the prosecutor and the Philadelphia Police Department were engaged in presenting knowingly false testimony.

Prosecutor Williams said that Abu-Jamal will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. Nearly exactly 30 years after the murder he has been prosecuted for.