Notices and Updates

Purpose of This Notice

This notice clarifies the present relationship between the African Student Community in Israel, AFSCI, its former Executive Liaison Officer, and the Afrobeat Celebration. It is issued to prevent confusion arising from AFSCI communications concerning executive authority, Celebration registration, partnership status, and ownership.

The principal conclusions are that Ms. Nelson, Former Executive Liaison Officer for AFSCI, Co founder of ASROI, Founder of the Afrobeat Celebration and Initiatives, Co founder of Women Building Foundations with Ms. Njuki, and Founder of Student Unity Accord, did not resign from the AFSCI Executive Council; AFSCI subsequently removed her from recognized executive authority; and AFSCI has no ownership of the independently founded Afrobeat Celebration or its intellectual property.

Executive Reaffirmation Response

On August 30, 2026, Ms. Nelson formally responded to the AFSCI Executive Reaffirmation Letter by selecting Option 3, Role and Engagement Discussion. Her written response expressly stated that it was not a selection of Option 1, Reaffirm Commitment, or Option 2, Voluntary Resignation. She requested a dedicated discussion concerning her role, contribution, responsibilities, unresolved grievances, and concerns, and she requested that any decision concerning her executive status be communicated to her directly and in writing.

Accordingly, she must not be classified as a person who failed to respond to the reaffirmation process or as a person who voluntarily resigned. Her response preserved the unresolved grievances and selected the discussion process offered by AFSCI.

Removal From Recognized Executive Authority

AFSCI later announced that the former Executive structure had been dissolved and that only the President, Vice President, General Secretary, and Organizer constituted its currently recognized Executive. This announcement excluded Ms. Nelson from recognized executive authority and therefore operated as her removal from the Executive Council, notwithstanding her timely selection of Option 3 and before the requested discussion had resolved her grievances or status.

Her continued access to the AFSCI group communication channel does not constitute reinstatement, continued executive authority, acceptance of the removal process, or consent to decisions taken after her removal. It also does not authorize AFSCI to determine rights in her independently created initiatives or intellectual property.

Unresolved Grievances and Requested Written Apology

The organizational breach followed statements made during an AFSCI Executive Council meeting concerning the autonomy, identity, family, parentage, ancestry, and leadership of women serving on the Council. Statements directed toward the Executive Liaison Officer were experienced and reported as deeply derogatory and as extending beyond a disagreement about organizational policy into attacks upon her identity, womanhood, family, and right to exercise leadership without male authorization. Concerns were also raised regarding statements directed toward the Executive Finance Officer.

A direct and personal written apology from the AFSCI President was requested on several occasions. The requested apology was not provided. A general organizational communication did not answer the personal grievances or replace the requested direct written response. The Executive Finance Officer subsequently resigned, while the Executive Liaison Officer selected the formal discussion option rather than resignation.

Meeting Scheduled at the Opening of Shabbat

A meeting concerning AFSCI's structure, Ms. Nelson's standing and continued involvement, and the standing of the Afrobeat Celebration was established for Friday, September 18, 2026, at 18:00. The time falls at the opening of Shabbat and was selected despite prior knowledge that she observes Shabbat and would be unable to attend.

She will not attend the meeting. She does not remain available for an AFSCI role or engagement discussion after AFSCI removed her from recognized executive authority. Any decisions taken during that meeting must not be described as having been discussed with, approved by, or agreed upon by her. Her nonattendance must not be characterized as withdrawal of her previously submitted Option 3 response, acquiescence in the removal process, or consent to any AFSCI determination concerning the Afrobeat Celebration.

Independent Ownership of the Afrobeat Celebration

The Afrobeat Celebration was conceived, founded, developed, and owned by its founder before she joined the AFSCI Executive Council. AFSCI participated as a partner. Partnership did not transfer ownership, copyright, founding authority, executive control, or principal leadership of the Celebration to AFSCI.

AFSCI may determine whether and on what terms it wishes to participate as an AFSCI partner. It may not determine the ownership of the Celebration or treat an internal AFSCI reorganization as conferring authority over the Celebration, its registration process, its intellectual property, or the founder's independent relationships within the international and interconnected cultural community.

Status of the AFSCI Partnership

The founder previously clarified that AFSCI's Festival partnership had not automatically been severed. However, AFSCI is not the owner or lead authority of the Celebration, and the former partnership cannot continue under assumptions that conflict with the Celebration's independent ownership or positive purpose. Any future AFSCI participation would require a new written agreement defining its contribution, responsibilities, limits of representation, and standards of professional conduct. Until such an agreement is concluded, no person may make commitments on behalf of the Afrobeat Celebration merely by invoking AFSCI authority.

Registration and External Communications

An AFSCI group communication characterized information concerning registration for the Afrobeat Celebration as fraudulent. That characterization was not authorized by the Celebration's founder and rights holder. Members of the international community, partners, friends, associates, colleagues, participants, and the interconnected cultural community as a whole should rely upon information distributed through the authorized channels of the Afrobeat Celebration, the Afrobeat Partnership Initiative, Teshuvah Studios, and ASROI.

AFSCI communications must not be represented as decisions of the Afrobeat Celebration unless expressly authorized in writing by the Celebration's founder. Partners receiving conflicting claims are invited to verify the information through the contacts listed below.

Standards Required for Any Future Association

Any future association involving AFSCI and the Afrobeat Celebration would require written terms that:

• Recognize the founder's ownership and authority over the Celebration and its intellectual property.
• Protect women in leadership from personal degradation, gender based subordination, and interference with their autonomy.
• Establish accountable procedures for grievances, direct responses, and professional communication.
• Prevent unauthorized representations to members of the international community, partners, friends, associates, colleagues, participants, and the interconnected cultural community as a whole.
• Define AFSCI's specific contribution and limited partnership role.
• Preserve the Celebration's purpose as a positive platform for intercultural interconnectedness and community participation.

Continuity of the Afrobeat Celebration

The Afrobeat Celebration remains active under its founder and authorized partners. AFSCI's internal reorganization and its removal of former executive officers do not dissolve, transfer, suspend, or determine the Celebration's ownership or continued operation. Preparation may continue through the Celebration's authorized structure while the AFSCI partnership remains unresolved.