Africa Action

Africa Action is a grassroots human rights organization advocating for political, economic and social justice in Africa; working in solidarity with Africans to change policies of U.S government and multinational institutions.

Why do we exist?

Africa Action is the oldest Africa advocacy organization in the U.S. Africa Action exists to educate people in the U.S. about Africa, and about U.S. relations with Africa, and to mobilize public pressure to improve U.S. policies so that they promote political, economic and social justice in Africa.  Africa Action is a national organization, which provides accessible information and analysis on Africa, and which works with grassroots networks across the U.S. to shape the future of U.S. policies towards Africa to ensure that they support African efforts to address the continent’s challenges.

Africa Action’s current work focuses on three urgent African priorities – stopping the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, ending Africa’s HIV/AIDS crisis, and achieving the cancellation of Africa’s illegitimate debts.  Africa Action works with networks of students, religious leaders and others across the U.S. to raise awareness about these challenges and to advocate for specific changes in U.S. policies to address these issues.

Africa Action works in partnership with activists and civil society organizations throughout the U.S. and in Africa in the pursuit of its mission.  Africa Action’s work is grounded in the history and purpose of its predecessor organizations – the American Committee on Africa (ACOA), The Africa Fund, and the Africa Policy Information Center (APIC), which were founded by black and white civil rights leaders who began to work for freedom and justice in Africa in 1953. 

What have you accomplished?

Africa Action has influenced U.S. policies toward Africa on a range of priority issues, and has helped to build a broad movement of people in the U.S. who care about Africa and who take action to improve U.S. relations with Africa.  For example, Africa Action has clearly shaped the public discourse and the U.S. policy response on the genocide in Darfur.  The organization’s advocacy work sharpened the focus on the need for an international intervention to protect the people of Darfur, and Africa Action has mobilized hundreds of thousands of people in actions across the country on Darfur over the past year alone.  Africa Action worked with coalitions in the U.S. and in Africa to help achieve debt cancellation for 14 African countries in 2005, and the organization has also helped to ensure that the U.S. increases its funding for HIV/AIDS programs in Africa.  Over the past five decades, Africa Action’s advocacy and activism have helped to promote a fair deal for Africa in U.S. foreign policy.

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