Thousands of skilled Ethiopians living in various parts of the world are being wooed to contribute skills and remittances towards helping to develop their homeland, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has said.

Africans living outside the continent could be offered dual citizenship and other benefits in return for helping finance the cash-strapped African Union, an AU official said on Tuesday. The idea aims to tap into the enormous wealth and power of millions of people of African origin, and in return, offer them economic and social benefits on the continent.

pulseAFRICAtv, a subsidiary of Global Africa Media Inc., is a one-hour magazine program on the African world that includes news, culture, conversation, profiles and commentary. The show aims to inform, educate and entertain, as it provides a window to Africa and its peoples, thus serving as the pulse of the community. The program premiers in the summer of 2004, and is tape-broadcast from Washington DC.

The US National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) plans a one-week diaspora trade mission to London, Paris and Accra starting Thursday 10 June 2004. The NBCC says it reaches 95,000 Black-owned businesses. Apparently, there are one million Black-owned businesses in the United States. Black businesses account for over $100 billion in annual sales. African Americans have over $800 billion in expendable income each year according to the US Bureau of Census.