Our Legacy, Mission, and International Juridical Character
The Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated: An International Federation of the Black Peoples of the World
The Ethiopian World Federation, Incorporated (EWF, Inc.) is a unique international federation established under the authority and vision of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I, Elect of God, Emperor of Ethiopia. Chartered on August 25, 1937, following the Emperor's historic declaration of June 15th, 1935, EWF, Inc. was created to unite Black peoples of throughout the world into a common constitutional federation dedicated to self-determination, human dignity, equality, and the advancement of Black peoples everywhere.
A federation, by its accepted political and legal definition, is a union of constituent bodies governed by a central authority while preserving local autonomy. EWF, Inc. embodies this federative principle through its International Constitution, International Executive Council, international officers, local chapters, and constituent memberships organized throughout the African Diaspora. Just as nation-states may be organized into federations, EWF, Inc. was organized as a federation of African-descended peoples united under a common constitutional framework and common purpose.
The Federation possesses a defined membership population consisting of Black peoples throughout the world; a constitutional governing structure; elected executive leadership; official symbols including its flag; and historic territorial connections through the Shashamane Land Grant in Ethiopia. These elements establish EWF, Inc. as more than a cultural organization. They reflect the characteristics of an organized international body established to represent the collective interests of African peoples dispersed throughout the world.
Montevideo Convention and International Personality
EWF, Inc. maintains that its constitutional structure and historical development demonstrate the characteristics recognized within Article 1 of the Montevideo Convention concerning political communities as a person of International Law and entities possessing international personality.
The Federation consists of:
• A permanent population represented through its international membership.
• A constitutional governmental framework administered through its International Executive Council and Local Chapters functioning as constituent jurisdictions.
• Historic territorial relations through the Shashamane Land Grant established under the authority of the Ethiopian Crown.
• The capacity to enter into agreements and maintain international relations through its officers and authorized representatives.
Through these characteristics, EWF, Inc. asserts its standing as an organized international juridical person representing the collective interests of African peoples and the global African Diaspora.
Treaty Relations and Nation-to-Nation Engagement
The international character of EWF, Inc. has been demonstrated through its participation in treaty-making and international agreements.
Under the leadership of Mahel Sefari Local 49 and its President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister Ras Lazarus Nazari, EWF, Inc. entered into the Treaty of the Circle of Life with the Lakota Nation. This treaty established cooperative relations between EWF, Inc. and a federally recognized Indigenous Nation possessing internationally acknowledged treaty rights and political standing.
The Treaty of the Circle of Life represents an exercise of the Federation's capacity to enter into international agreements and demonstrates its commitment to building diplomatic, economic, cultural, and humanitarian relationships among sovereign and self-governing peoples.
The Federation continues to pursue partnerships with Indigenous Nations, African Kingdoms, governments, and Diaspora institutions dedicated to mutual development, peace, cultural preservation, and economic empowerment.
Diaspora Sovereignty, Reparative Development, and Economic Self-Determination
EWF, Inc. recognizes that true liberation requires economic self-determination.
Through the leadership of Local 49, innovative initiatives have been developed including the Tax Residency Certificate Program, pathways toward reparative justice, and the establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund designed to create economic opportunities for peoples of African descent worldwide.
Through strategic partnerships and development initiatives coordinated by EWF members and affiliated enterprises, including BRK Consulting, Local 49 has advanced Diaspora-Africa trade agreements, infrastructure development projects, agricultural initiatives, energy development programs, and sustainable investment opportunities intended to unite Africa and the Diaspora through commerce, industry, and shared prosperity.
The Federation views economic development as an essential component of freedom and self-government, enabling communities to preserve their institutions while creating sustainable opportunities for future generations.
Human Rights, Anti-Colonial Advocacy, and the Struggle Against Neocolonialism
EWF, Inc. stands firmly in defense of the human rights of Black peoples throughout the world.
The Federation maintains that systems originating in colonial domination, racial hierarchy, and doctrines of conquest continue to affect African-descended peoples globally through political, economic, and institutional forms of neocolonialism. EWF, Inc. therefore advocates for the complete liberation of Black peoples and all Indigenous peoples from systems that deny their right to self-determination and collective development.
The Federation rejects any doctrine that would permanently subordinate Ethiopian/Black peoples to external systems of governance, cultural assimilation, or economic dependency. Instead, EWF, Inc. affirms the right of peoples to preserve their customary laws, cultural traditions, institutions, and methods of self-government in accordance with internationally recognized principles of human rights and self-determination.
The Federation's constitutional mission is to secure a rightful place under the sun for Ethiopian/Black peoples by creating institutions, standards, policies, and systems capable of serving their collective interests while preserving their heritage and identity.
The Treaty of Amity and the Law of Continuity
EWF, Inc. further recognizes the significance of the 1953 Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations between Ethiopia and the United States as evidence of the historic legal and diplomatic relationship between the two nations.
The Federation views this treaty relationship, together with principles of continuity of law, as supporting the preservation of lawful institutions, rights, and relationships originating under the authority of the Ethiopian Crown and the constitutional framework from which the Federation emerged.
Accordingly, EWF, Inc. continues to advocate for recognition of its historic mission, its constitutional character, and its role as an international federation dedicated to the advancement, protection, and empowerment of Ethiopian/Black peoples throughout the world.
Our Commitment
EWF, Inc. Mahel Sefari Local 49 is more than an international government organization. It is a living constitutional federation dedicated to the unity of Africa and the Diaspora, the advancement of human rights, the pursuit of economic self-determination, and the preservation of the dignity, sovereignty, and heritage of Black peoples worldwide.
Guided by the vision of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I and strengthened by generations of members, we continue our mission to unite, organize, educate, develop, and uplift We the Black Peoples of the World , everywhere while building institutions capable of serving present and future generations.
