SLS 22RS-601 ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 42
BY SENATOR BOUDREAUX
COMMENDATIONS. Commends and recognizes APF Global for its successful efforts at
empowering the poor to create wealth in their communities.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend and recognize the Asosyasyon Peyizan Fondwa Global (APF) for its
3 successful efforts at empowering the poor to create wealth through co-ops and
4 grassroots developments in their communities.
5 WHEREAS, APF Global-Louisiana has recently secured an office in Opelousas,
6 Louisiana, the burial home of its founder: a remarkable African-American Spiritan priest
7 named Father Albert McKnight, often referred to as the Black Catholic Cooperativist or the
8 Catholic combination of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X; and
9 WHEREAS, the social vision of his ministry led Father McKnight to lead a peaceful
10 economic revolution among low income families in rural areas by teaching community
11 members the importance of self-help by working together through cooperatives; and
12 WHEREAS, upon recognizing the national significance of his cooperative leadership,
13 President Jimmy Carter appointed Father McKnight to the first board of directors of the
14 National Cooperative Bank; and
15 WHEREAS, in the late 1990s, Father McKnight moved to Haiti where he helped
16 launch Fondwa University in 2004, teaching courses on co-ops and serving as university
17 chaplain; and
18 WHEREAS, Fondwa, a small community village in the western province of Haiti is
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SLS 22RS-601 ORIGINAL
1 where APF translated means the Association of the Peasants of Fondwa, started in 1988 and
2 now which is a national peasant organization; and
3 WHEREAS, their objective is to empower the local grassroots organizations to create
4 wealth in their communities by creating jobs, business opportunities for everyone, and to
5 development improvements in areas such as healthcare, water and energy, agriculture,
6 construction, radio stations, small businesses, education, and economic tourism promotion;
7 and
8 WHEREAS, the success of APF in Haiti led to the creation of APF Global in
9 Washington, DC, and its incorporation on August 1, 2014, received accreditation from the
10 Internal Revenue Service in April 2016; and
11 WHEREAS, on Haitian Flag Day, the APF is planning a memorial day celebration
12 in honor of Father Albert McKnight on April 18, 2022, at Holy Ghost Catholic Church.
13 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
14 does hereby commend and recognize the Asosyasyon Peyizan Fondwa Global (APF) for its
15 successful efforts at empowering the poor to create wealth through co-ops and grassroots
16 developments in their communities, and acknowledges May 18, 2022, as Haitian Flag Day.
17 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
18 LeMar Clifford, Director APF Global-Louisiana.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Ann S. Brown.
DIGEST
SR 42 Original 2022 Regular Session Boudreaux
Commends and recognizes APF Global for its successful efforts at empowering the poor to
create wealth through co-ops and grassroots developments in their communities and
recognizes May 18, 2022, as Haitian Flag Day.
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