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COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED BY DELEGATES
AT THE 1st WEST AFRICA VEGETARIAN CONGRESS,HELD IN LAGOS,
NIGERIA FROM
7th-10th DECEMBER, 2007.
1. IVU Africa should try to
establish contact with religious groups, because they have the people
who are vegetarians, so that they can become members of the IVU Africa
group, it will help to promote vegetarianism in Africa.
2. Establish cooking
school/classes as means of teaching people good methods of preparing
vegetarian and vegans foods.
3. To be recognised by the
IVU Africa, each association in Africa should register with its
government or government agency responsible for registration of
companies.
4. We must try to separate religion from vegetarianism, especially at
congresses to let people know that vegetarianism is a way of life. It
has been observed that in Africa about 90% of vegetarians are
vegetarians because of religion.
5. Link with health professionals like Doctors, Nutritionist, Nurses,
etc. etc., to help explain the benefits of vegetarianism, because they
have direct contact with people with health related problems, people
might accept or believe them easily if they recommend or tell them the
benefit of vegetarian diets.
6. Every organization should at least have a website, organize events
and outreach programmes.
7. There is the need to have an Africa Vegetarian online newsletter with
contribution from each country.
8. Each country must have an active Coordinator, the country
coordinators will work with the Africa Coordinator. The IVU Africa
Coordinator cannot be at every country, he/she will need people to
assist him/her, the Country coordinator will serve as the Representative
of the Africa Coordinator.
9. We regret that the 2010 IVU Congress could not be hosted in Africa,
so Africa societies must do well to organize themselves and work towards
hosting the WVC World Vegetarian Congress in the near future possibly
2012, 2014 or 2016.
10. That IVU should sponsor some active members of the IVU Africa group
to the Centenary Celebration which will be held in Dresden, Germany,
this year 2008.
11. Each country must try to organize an event at least once a year,
which should be open to international vegetarians to attend.
12. We must have a Bi-annual Africa Congress.
13. IVU Africa must have a Secretariat.
14. IVU Africa must have an active Coordinator and a vibrant and active
IVU Africa Executive Council.
15. We must have a constitution.
16. We must have a Fund for Africa which should be managed by IVU
Council, until IVU Africa has been able to establish itself.
17. IVU must assist IVU Africa to form an Executive Council.
It was resolved that Ghana should host the 2nd West Africa Congress this
year 2008, and Cameroon host it 2009, a member/members of the IVU
Executive Council must attend the Ghana Congress.
This was prepared and issued on behalf of Delegates who attended the 1st
West Africa Congress held in Lagos, Nigeria from 7th to 10th December,
2007.
BY{sgd}
KORBLAH KORBLA-WISDOM
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