Ethiopian World Federation
Encyclopedia
Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated (or, in Amharic የኢትዮጵያ፡ዓለም፡ፌዴሬሽን፡፡)
membership organization
, incorporated in the State of New York
, United States of America
. Later it was also registered by the Internal Revenue Services as a 501 (C) 4 (civic- league, social welfare) thus making the organization and her legal subsidiary locals, tax exempt.
This organization originally came into being on August 25, 1937 in New York City
, through the efforts of African (Black) Americans who, in 1936, sent a delegation consisting of three prominent Harlem figures, all leaders of the black organization known as the United Aid for Ethiopia. Reverend William Lloyd Imes, Pastor of the prestigious St. James Presbyterian Church, Philip M. Savory of the Victory Insurance Company and co-owner of the New York Amsterdam News
, and Mr. Cyril M Philp, secretary of the United Aid, sailed to England in the summer of 1936 to speak with H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I
concerning financial matters .
In response, the Emperor empowered his personal physician Dr. Malaku E. Bayen (also spelt Melaku E. Bayen) as his special emissary in order to officially establish the Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated in 1936/37. The main purpose was succinctly set out in the following preamble:
This Constitution and By-Laws
is, as one would expect, a very organized, precise and business-like corporate document, having articles that address constitutional aims and objects, membership, international officers and their duties, conventions, elections, meetings, local units, their establishment and organization, committees, impeachment of officers, units, benefits, amendments, order of business, etc .
As a direct result of the support Ethiopia received from black people
in the West, namely at that time African-Americans
, during the Italian invasion 1935-1941, the Emperor granted five (5) Gashas of land near Shashamane
to the E.W.F. Inc., for Ethiopian people in the Diaspora who desired to return to the motherland first in 1948. Later in 1967, Dr. Gladstone Robinson was officially and legally appointed by the corporate Executive Council as "sole true and lawful attorney", (i.e., Power-of-Attorney) for The Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated with the title of "Administrator" for the Shashamane Land Grant generally..
The major goal of The Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated is inherent in the very name of the organization . The Ethiopian (Black people), World (globally), Federation (semi-autonomous groups working together), Incorporated (original legal & historic parent entity) determined "...to seek peace and pursue it (Psalm 34 Verse 14), for it is the will of God for man." According to the EWF Constitution & By-Law, Article 1, Sec. 1A .
History
The Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated , was originally a not-for-profitNon-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
membership organization
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
, incorporated in the State of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Later it was also registered by the Internal Revenue Services as a 501 (C) 4 (civic- league, social welfare) thus making the organization and her legal subsidiary locals, tax exempt.
This organization originally came into being on August 25, 1937 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, through the efforts of African (Black) Americans who, in 1936, sent a delegation consisting of three prominent Harlem figures, all leaders of the black organization known as the United Aid for Ethiopia. Reverend William Lloyd Imes, Pastor of the prestigious St. James Presbyterian Church, Philip M. Savory of the Victory Insurance Company and co-owner of the New York Amsterdam News
The New York Amsterdam News
The New York Amsterdam News is a American black nationalist weekly newspaper geared to the African-American community of New York City, New York.It has published columns by notables including W. E. B. Du Bois, Roy Wilkins, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr...
, and Mr. Cyril M Philp, secretary of the United Aid, sailed to England in the summer of 1936 to speak with H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I
Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
Haile Selassie I , born Tafari Makonnen, was Ethiopia's regent from 1916 to 1930 and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974...
concerning financial matters .
In response, the Emperor empowered his personal physician Dr. Malaku E. Bayen (also spelt Melaku E. Bayen) as his special emissary in order to officially establish the Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated in 1936/37. The main purpose was succinctly set out in the following preamble:
- We the Black People of the World, in order to effect Unity, Solidarity, Liberty, Freedom and self-determination, to secure Justice and maintain the Integrity of Ethiopia, which is our divine heritage, do hereby establish and ordain this constitution for The Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated.
This Constitution and By-Laws
Bylaw
By-law can refer to a law of local or limited application passed under the authority of a higher law specifying what things may be regulated by the by-law...
is, as one would expect, a very organized, precise and business-like corporate document, having articles that address constitutional aims and objects, membership, international officers and their duties, conventions, elections, meetings, local units, their establishment and organization, committees, impeachment of officers, units, benefits, amendments, order of business, etc .
As a direct result of the support Ethiopia received from black people
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
in the West, namely at that time African-Americans
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, during the Italian invasion 1935-1941, the Emperor granted five (5) Gashas of land near Shashamane
Shashamane
Shashamane is a town in central Ethiopia. It is located in the Misraq Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region. The city lies on the Trans-African Highway 4 Cairo-Cape Town, about from the capital of Addis Ababa...
to the E.W.F. Inc., for Ethiopian people in the Diaspora who desired to return to the motherland first in 1948. Later in 1967, Dr. Gladstone Robinson was officially and legally appointed by the corporate Executive Council as "sole true and lawful attorney", (i.e., Power-of-Attorney) for The Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated with the title of "Administrator" for the Shashamane Land Grant generally..
The major goal of The Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated is inherent in the very name of the organization . The Ethiopian (Black people), World (globally), Federation (semi-autonomous groups working together), Incorporated (original legal & historic parent entity) determined "...to seek peace and pursue it (Psalm 34 Verse 14), for it is the will of God for man." According to the EWF Constitution & By-Law, Article 1, Sec. 1A .