(Cedricmuhammad.com) As many of you know, for nearly 10 years, I've been published in a variety of forums ranging from The Wall Street Journal to The Final Call on the issue of African politics and economics. Through BlackElectorate.com we have organized hundreds of thousands of viewers around news, current events and initiatives pertaining to Africa.

The crown jewel of my experience was the honor, 1 year ago, of being named by the African Union (http://www.africa-union.org/) as a Member of The First Congress of African Economists and subsequently participating in meetings in Nairobi, Kenya in March of 2009 over the question of how to unite Africa around a common market and single currency.

I was honored to have been named as Rapporteur To The Diaspora in The United States for the Congress, charged with the responsibility of informing those in America of this effort.

Since March, I have been working independently to popularize the movement toward a 'United States of Africa' in a variety of ways. In different mediums - through social media, blogs, essays public talks at universities, discussion on the streets of America, and in dialogue with celebrities like Hip-Hop artist Wyclef Jean (http://allhiphop.com/stories/editorial/archive/2009/12/15/22065404.aspx) - my goal has been the same, to raise awareness of the effort to reconnect Africa with her Diaspora, and develop her economy from the bottom up, in a manner that recognizes the human being as the greatest source of capital, to be cultivated and developed from within first, and eventually through an experience in trade and commerce.

I am currently working on a book based upon my proposal presented at The First Congress of African Economists and a vision for economic development based upon five principles: Trust, Trade, Transcendence, Travel, and Tolerance which were the hallmark of pre-colonial African empires. It should be published Allah Willing, in February.

As just another aspect of this overall effort, a new video collage of images, memories, and concepts related to this work, my reflections on it, and why a 'United States of Africa' is both justified and badly needed has been put together.

Its sole purpose is to virally inform, inspire, and stimulate deeper thought around the question of Africa's place in the world; the African Union (formerly the Organization of African Unity - OAU)'s near 50 year movement (and internal debate) to bring Africa together - culturally, politically and economically - why so little of its history is known; the global scramble underway for her resources; and suggest what the responsibility of Blacks and non-Blacks in living on the continent or not may be to end war on the continent.