Carta-circular da UNEA

UNIÃO NACIONAL DOS ESTUDANTES ANGOLANOS U.N.E.A. P.O.BOX 298, Adm. Bldg. Howard University Washington, D.C CARTA CIRCULAR VP1/66 November 13, 1966. Comrade About two months have now passed since, together in New York, we tried to vision more accurate means and ways of direct participation in the struggles against the enemy. If you remember, we committed ourselves more than ever, because by that time we realized that we, as students, are not providing the right cooperation and help to those who are more directly faced with the fire of colonial napalms and machine guns. Then we took various measures in order to substantiate our hopes and desires surmounting to national interests, among which we focused on the imperative need of national unity, beginning from you and me as students who have not yet acquired neither political ambitions nor big commitments with great powers, colonialists, or imperialists. However, it is not enough to pass resolutions or shout slogans and pretty words. It is time to implement those resolutions, it is time for action and work. Nevertheless, remember comrade, we need constructive action and work, unlike the one that many of us are engaged in right now, which is only designed to destroy. As somebody suggested during our past annual conference, a student to a student relationship is somehow desired in order to help solve some of our natural problems, namely national unity, so important to us a this time and ever, because it constitutes one of the major prerequisites for our independence, security, and stability of Angola as a future sovereign nation. Just take a glance at the Nigerian events and you will see what I am talking about. What do you plan to do in order to solve this embarrassing problem? As you know, I am here to hear from you at any time, according to the provisions of the constitution that you approved and that our secretary sent to you a few days ago. Our organization cannot work and attain its aims, unless you give your contribution for that end. I urge you, therefore, to send me any suggestions you may have. The suggestion can be in terms of proposition, correction or any way you deem necessary for the edification of a genuine, strong, and useful UNEA, let me reaffirm that UNEA is nothing less than the totality of its members, and it is not only its executive committee, as many of us imply to understand. You are, therefore, responsible for its work and policies. I am very sure that this year will be different from the past years, and as your Vice President, I will do all I can within the limits of my powers to make our constitution be respected and make the resolutions of our constituency be carried out. I am determined to present to our executive committee both local and national, difficulties or complaints you may write me about, ranging from suggestions for effective functioning of our organization to personal problems that you feel we can deal with. At this moment you may be interested to know that your executive committee is making more efforts towards close contacts with the organizations that sponsor our scholarships, so as to assure more cooperation and mutual understanding between those organizations and ours. However, do not forget that UNEA can only become stronger with your support, contribution and faith, at the same time that you bestow upon it the power of representing you as an individual student. Remember that the Angolan political crisis came into play as a result of sabotage from Angolans themselves, motivated by personal gains and political prestige. The aftermath of the hole anarchy was the unfortunate lack of a single representative Angolan political machinery able to bear national personality and prestige and capable of impressing either Portugal or international opinion. Our task, my dear comrade, consists of recreating what has been lost during the long and bloody path of our battles against the secular enemy. To follow or repeat our past mistakes which evidently brought us to the present stand-still, will only mean that we are enemies of Angolan independence, and therefore, collaborators and agents of Portugal. I once more urge you, therefore, not to hesitate criticize constructively any inner circle workings of your organization or its entire machinery, because we are of the opinion that criticism constructs, but division leads to failure. Those who divide us serve the purposes of Portugal, therefore, should be considered enemies of the Angolan people. The executive committee is carrying out a series of programs this year, to try to raise funds for the innumerable problems that we are faced with. One of these projects will consist of recording Angola folk songs and featuring several cultural shows in various cities. What do you suggest to be done? What are the possibilities of presenting on of these programs at your university? Where else do you think can our progress be successful? I look forward to soon receiving your letter with suggestions regarding these and other matters, so that our duties can more successfully be performed and worked on more effectively for only one Angola and only one UNIÃO NACIONAL DOS ESTUDANTES ANGOLANOS. With revolutionary greetings, Venâncio da Ressurreição Biela (Vice-President)