Tony Tokunbo Eteka Fernandez is an International Award Winner, Published Author & Poet, Broadcast Journalist, MC and Youth Empowerment Consultant . He is also The CEO of AFRICA4U and The Founder of Africans in The Diaspora
People also see him as a Cultural and Social entrepreneur, which means he is skilled in working with many different communities, bringing people together in successful focused events. Tony has organised many cultural events …involving both BME and mainstream communities. He is skilled in hosting events that reinforce community cohesion and bringing different kinds of people together. He has organised events in The UK, The U.S.A, Holland, Germany, Romania, Malta and Nigeria and has visited over 22 European Countries.
Tony has also organised The Black History Month Celebrations at The UK House of Parliament for over five years in a row
He continues to promote the true life and success stories of Africans in Europe and Africans around the world and has organised several small scale literary and awards initiatives aimed at empowering young people.
He has also spent time as an International broadcaster and was The Producer and Presenter for AFRICA4U International Radio Talk Show at Reading4u Radio Station for nearly three years.
Tony has interviewed high profile Members of Parliament, Distinguished celebrities and some of Africas best musicians including Ivonne Chaka Chaka and Kanda Bongoman.
He has also been a guest on BBC Radio on numerous occasions to discuss the community cohesion events he organises at UK House of Parliament and also to recite some of his published work in memory of Nelson Mandela, 50 Years Anniversary of The race relations act and major community issues. Tony has also a Guest on popular Radio stations in Nigeria and The States
In the last few years he has been very passionate about Youth empowerment, community cohesion and cultural intelligence.
Tony was born in South London and has lived in several parts of England and Nigeria . He started writing at the tender age of nine, a habit he expressed with creative enthusiasm. Tony writes Poetry, short stories and proverbs on personal development. He is currently working on his 4th book which will also be his first novel. He is also into Public Speaking at Special events and Social functions and is a Mentor for young people in the UK Community.
He completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at The University of Lagos, Nigeria in English and World Literature. He later went on to attain a teaching qualification at The Frances King International Training Institute, South Kensington London, it was here he studied Teaching English as a Foreign Language. He also studied Web Design at The City University in London.
He published his first book in June 1999 called “The Beauty in the Dark” (A Collection of Poetry which received critical acclamation in many circles around the world). .Tony’s aim in life is to inspire the young generation and to encourage the youth to make the very best of their dreams and aspirations,. He published a 2nd book in June 2009 called ” The Sound of Running Water” – A Family gift book of proverbs and quotations on Personal Development and Positive Thinking .
In December 2009, he published his 3rd book called “One Moment of Peace”.- A collection of Poetry inspired by personal experiences and spiritual growth.
Besides the fact that the Artist has won International online awards, he is mostly inspired by Life experience, love, music and cultural awareness. He was Resident Poet at the 5th London Poetry Festival in 2009 and has been a guest on BBC Radio on very many occassions including The famous Anne Diamond Show. He has also been a guest on a few SKY TV stations and several International Radio Stations around The World
Singer songwriter at Limpopo Groove and a radio presenter on the Berkshire Culture Connect on B Radio.
Born in the Lowvelds of Zimbabwe in a small town called Chiredzi.
I grew up in a sugar estate, Hippo Valley just outside Chiredzi in Masvingo province.
Growing up I enjoyed playing outside just like most kids in Africa, all we knew was playing group games like football, traditional music gathering and hide and seek etc .
At around 8 years old, I developed a passion in creating music and getting involved in school dramas and anything that had an element of performance.
I found myself involved in formations of youth bands and musical ensembles which then took me on a tour to South Africa in my youth age
Drums became my first love and I soon found myself being asked to record with some of the top bands in Zimbabwe .
I played on some of the monster hits and featured on some most popular videos during my time in Zimbabwe
Fast forward to my time in England still involved in music production and now radio .I am passionate about community building and integration given how broken the communities are , people from different places leaving in their small pockets and not learning from each other’s rich background.
I formed a band that mirrors my passion and I also run a football team called Sanctuary Strikers a platform that is giving Asylum seekers and refugees a platform to play football, make friends, integrate, learn to speak English and build their confidence to navigate Reading/Berkshire.
BRADFORD BORN ANTHONY PELTIER will be one of the recipients of THE AFRICA4U AWARDS FOR AFRICANS AND CARIBBEANS IN WEST YORKSHIRE taking place at THE CITY LIBRARY IN BRADFORD on Friday the 12th of May at 5pm . Information about him can be found below
INFORMATION ABOUT MR ANTHONY PELTIER CAN BE FOUND BELOW
BRADFORD BORN ANTHONY PELTIER WILL BE A KEY SPEAKER AT OUR BLACK HISTORY CELEBRATIONS DUE TO TAKE PLACE THIS MONTH.
INFORMATION ABOUT ANTHONY CAN BE FOUND BELOW
Born and raised in Buttershaw in the 1960’s, Anthony has returned to Bradford to be part of the change needed to prevent the knife crime epidemic, which continues to affect many cities across the United Kingdom. Anthony is an accomplished Headteacher with 42 years experience in education with the last 20 years in school leadership.
Anthony has had four successful primary headships both in London and Birmingham. His Executive Headship of four secondary alternative provisions (PRUs) in Southeast London was the most challenging and rewarding. By building trust with disengaged young people and establishing collaborative working practices with statutory settings, Anthony created learning opportunities for some of Southwark’s permanently excluded young people who were at risk of crime and youth violence.
Anthony is an OFSTED-trained inspector, having achieved his NPQSI (National Professional Qualification for School Inspectors) in 2015. After receiving the Pride of Britain Award in 2002 for saving the life of a youth who had been stabbed in the heart, Anthony re-joined the Metropolitan Police Service in 2004. While policing the streets of London on evenings and weekends, he continued his work in education as a Headteacher because he believes working in these two integral public sector positions is the best place to work towards changing the mind-sets of young people.
Anthony is a Sociapreneur and change agent. As well as working to secure a cultural organisational change in all public sector and private sector organisations and institutions, Anthony uses his time to grow agents of change, young people who will develop the skills and attributes to influence and champion social change in their communities and networks. Anthony also continues to support Headteachers in his role as a School Improvement Advisor.
Anthony understands the plight of our black boys in schools. The achievement gap, the risk of Permanent exclusion, and the growing issues around mental health are all things he feels can be addressed through a collaborative working approach with parents, schools, pupils, and statutory agencies.
He believes people need to be honest about their responsibilities and be open to the fact that we cannot continue to lay all the blame on institutions and organisations for the failure of our black boys.
Anthony is the founder of Innovate for Growrh CIC, a social uplift company working towards creating change in our communities.
In 2020 when Anthony learned of Lynne Baird, founder of the Daniel Baird Foundation, and her work to have Bleed Control Kits in communities across the country, Anthony started his campaign to ensure all 32 London Councils had a Bleed Control strategy in place to support their communities. To date, 14 London councils have a Bleed Control Kit strategy in place. Later that year while working with a secondary PRU, Anthony spoke with a group of young people about why they thought so many young people choose to carry knives. He was astounded by the ridiculous reasons they gave. Sadly Anthony has also spoken with young people who have been victims of knife violence and perpetrators of knife crime. He found that none of the young people understood the implications of stabbing a human being. Their lack of understanding of the human body and the consequences of using a knife was clear. The next youth change education program was born – Bleed Control Education. Anthony continues to seek funders to support this vital program for schools and young people across the country.
BRADFORD BASED DARKA VISUALS – WEB DESIGNER, EVENTS MANAGER AND SONGWRITER will be one of the recipients of THE AFRICA4U AWARDS FOR AFRICANS AND CARIBBEANS IN WEST YORKSHIRE taking place at THE CITY LIBRARY IN BRADFORD on Friday the 12th of May at 5pm . Information about him can be found below
Short Bio:
I am a young black entrepreneur from Bradford West Yorkshire. At heart I am a creative in every sense of the word. I am a graphic designer, web designer, animation creator, song writer, music engineer and an events manager.
I founded, created and branded my own youth events organisation called Teen Scene Parties in 2018 to bridge the gap between local creatives/young entrepreneurs and to give a digitally native generation a voice when nobody else would. These events consist of emerging musicians performing alongside established musicians in a safe and secure environment. I have platformed a plethora of local and national artists, hired local creatives such as videographers and photographers, hired local stewards who use to be Teen Scene attendees but are now past our age limit so they have joined our team, and worked alongside other small businesses who provided necessary services for our events. I found it hard to establish my organisation in the corporate world due to a constant stigma surrounding my target audience and the lack of understanding surrounding our culture. This was nipped in the but around 2020 when I was introduced to Nick Greenan who is the head of cultural partnerships at the Bradford council. She then went on to introduce me to the new Mayor of West Yorkshire and the director of Bradford 2025. From our very first event we had the backing of our local authorities but now we also have the backing of our local council and the Bradford youth service. The organisation and our audience has continued to grown and we have continued to drive engagement into our city. Due to having guests travel from all surrounding towns/cities and as far as Scarborough and Birmingham we have decided to answer their request to take our organisation on tour and the first stop is Halifax.
In 2021 I also revived a family orientated event called Peoples Day at the Mapa Cultural arts centre in Bradford. This was created by my late mentor Mikey Roots and his band called creation roots. They struggled to find a place to practice and perform their music to an audience so they created their own event called Peoples Day and it helped establish musicians and small business owners from the Black community in Bradford from the late 80s to the early 2000’s. I basically went head on with this challenge with a retrofitted approach and brought and analogue event into a digital age introducing new digital branding, new social interaction, new musicians and new small businesses owners as well as incorporating my own youth organisation to celebrate our culture and heritage. Peoples Day 2021 was a huge success so I was asked to manage the 2022 event which was even better and I am considering taking it even further in 2023.
THORNBURY WELLBEING HUB WILL BE RECEIVING AN AWARD AT OUR AFRICA4U AWARDS FOR AFRICANS AND CARIBBEANS LIVING IN WEST YORKSHIRE ON FRIDAY THE 12TH OF MAY AT 5PM (CITY LIBRARY IN BRADFORD)
INFORMATION ABOUT THORNBURY WELLBEING HUB CAN BE FOUND BELOW
The Thornbury Centre
The Thornbury Centre is part of the Inspired Neighbourhoods Group working at the heart of the community we serve. We work closely with our community to understand what is needed from the Centre and provide activities to match and to plug any gaps. We are always looking for suggestions as to new activities or services.
Where To Find Us
The Thornbury Centre, 79 Leeds Old Rd, Bradford BD3 8JX
Contact us on 01274 665598 or via email: info@incic.co.uk
CHECKPOINT IN BRADFORD (THE BRADFORD WEST INDIAN COMMUNITY CENTRE) WILL BE RECEIVING AN AWARD AT OUR AFRICA4U AWARDS FOR AFRICANS AND CARIBBEANS LIVING IN WEST YORKSHIRE ON FRIDAY THE 12TH OF MAY AT 5PM (CITY LIBRARY IN BRADFORD)
INFORMATION ABOUT CHECKPOINT CAN BE FOUND BELOW
A BRIEF HISTORY
Initially, many community activities and social events in Bradford were hosted by the West Indian community centre based at Textile Hall on Westgate. However, a fire at this venue meant that a new community centre was needed and in 1982 Checkpoint run by the Bradford West Indian Community Centre Association (BWICCA) was established at 45 Westgate, BD1 2QU. For nearly 4 decades Checkpoint has hosted family celebrations, classes, concerts, black history events, community groups and acted as a hub for the Caribbean community in Bradford.
SOURCE – BRADFORDLOCALSTUYDIES.COM
TODAY “THE CHECKPOINT” is still one of Bradford’s most unique historical points.
The legacy of this unique meeting point continues to live within the heart of many Bradfordians as the official Bradford West Indian Community Centre.
The Centre is also and educational and informational resource point that reflects Black history in Bradford as well as cultural initiatives, diversity events, live entertainment, team bonding sessions and an outlet to share stories.
WATCH THIS SPACE FOR MORE INITIAITIVES RELATING TO THE CHECKPOINT, BRADFORD
I am a business minded person, with a bachelors in business administration and 15 years experience as an entrepreneur.
I am an active member of my community, helping to take better advantage of the “now”, because i believe “now” is the most important moment we have.
I am the founder of Afrofinns, leading a cultural and business oriented progress within.
Afrofinns – Inspired by social movements of the past, Afrofinns began in 2012, when a few guys decided to organize and make an impact. Today, this singular moment evolved into a full-fledged movement. Our Community Movement strives to bring solutions that will transform us and the society in general.
I´m a digital junkie, I love every thing about the web.
I am a story teller, a documentarist and photograph: My latest documentary “Cultural Crossroads” is visible on YouTube and other platforms.
I am a core entrepreneur with a big dream of exporting the Finnish weather to Africa, and its happening
*Politics of Nation Building – the Peter Obi Model By Livy-Elcon Emereonye*
The primacy of politics is the provision of leadership – and true leadership is but a call to serve not to be served. The servant-leader should be tolerant and long suffering in his quest for reformation with liberation and unity; liberating and uniting the people at all cost for the good of mankind. Anyone desirous of this calling must make sure that his private part is a public document. To be called a true leader, one must be tested and trusted, standing the test of time every time and everywhere with no stain of secrecy else he would be distracted by the whirlwind of blackmail and propaganda. This type of mission is rare and does not come cheap. Thus, there is the need for adequate preparation, especially where the people’s psyche has been battered and bastardized over the years by bad governance.
Nigeria’s march to the 2023 presidential election is a good case study – and Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party is the reference point. He represents the best, and remains the best.
Peter’s venture into the presidential race, and his emergence as the Labour Party’s presidential candidate altered the current political equation and changed the narrative for the better. His style of politics has redefined the act of politicking, making him the symbol of hope and the face of a new Nigeria. Being simple but sophisticated, he is loaded without baggage. Peter Obi does not just walk the talk; he is absolutely prepared, in all ramifications, for the task of being an efficient and effective president running a responsible and responsive government to uplift the people and build the nation.
Nation building is neither a day’s job nor a one man’s task but it needs a functional mindset at the helm of affairs. It is a joint effort that requires tact, wit and wisdom. It needs a pragmatic, agile and healthy person with a sound mind to steer. This is where Mr. Obi stands out from other presidential candidates. His presence enlivens, and his speech inspires. He exudes confidence and instills hope with absolute possibility to turn things around.
A new Nigeria built on equity and fair play with equal right and justice for the sanctity of life is possible; a new Nigeria of hope and love with security of life and property guaranteed is possible; a new Nigeria of tolerance and mutual cooperation where every Nigerian can live at peace in any part of the country regardless of tribe and religion without being profiled and targeted for segregation or elimination is possible – and every Nigerian of good conscience should team up and make this happen with Peter Obi as the president.
*Definition of nation building*
Nation-building is constructing or structuring a national identity using the power of the state. Nation-building aims at the unification of the people within the state so that it remains politically stable and viable in the long run. According to Harris Mylonas, “Legitimate authority in modern national states is connected to popular rule, to majorities. Nation-building is the process through which these majorities are constructed, and according to Columbia University sociologist Andreas Wimmer, three factors tend to determine the success of nation-building over the long-run: “the early development of civil-society organisations, the rise of a state capable of providing public goods evenly across a territory, and the emergence of a shared medium of communication. Of all the presidential candidates, Mr. Peter Obi is the only one that has what it takes to build and reform a complex country like Nigeria at this time in our national history.
*The process of nation building*
Nation-building is the process whereby a society of people with diverse origins, histories, languages, cultures and religions come together within the boundaries of a sovereign state with a unified constitutional and legal dispensation, a national public education system, an integrated national economy, shared symbols and values, as equals, to work towards eradicating the divisions and injustices of the past; to foster unity; and promote a countrywide conscious sense of being (in this case, Nigeria), committed to the country and open to the continent and the world. To do this, the first citizen – the president – should be above board and led by example. Mr. Peter Obi has no skeleton in his cupboard and as such cannot be weighed down by any baggage of the past in carrying out the required work of building a new Nigeria.
*Who builds the nation?*
The first and most important components in nation building are knowledge, literacy and access to education. Education being the spine of every nation is also the key to empowerment. Interestingly the best possible way to empower the nation is to empower the students of the nation. To do this, there must be an enabling environment for healthy competition with clearly defined compensation mechanisms. Again, no candidate can do this better than Mr. Peter Obi whose unblemished credentials speak volume.
Nation-building is usually identified with the achievements or failures of individual leaders. Of all the presidential candidates, Peter Obi looks more prepared and physically fit to champion the cause of building a new Nigeria. With an adequate and functional merit culture, which Mr. Peter Obi will put in place the two other building blocks of a successful nation state—the commitment of its citizens as well as the quality of its institutions will take their right places in Nigeria.
Nation Builders exhibit characteristics, skills and values that are important to the Nation to which they belong. “A Nation Builder demonstrates an eagerness and willingness to help others. Shows a curiosity for learning, especially about his own first nation, first nation’s culture and language; expresses and demonstrates a desire to continue learning with a healthy lifestyle while sharing his love of learning with others.” Mr. Peter Obi stands shoulder high here.
*The cost of building a nation*
The prime objective of any nation-building operation is not to make an authoritarian government democratic or a poor nation rich, but to make a violent society peaceful. If basic needs for safety, food and shelter are not being met, money spent on political or economic development is likely to be wasted on misplaced priorities. This is the genesis of thugs in politics, and should be curtailed or stopped by true nation builders.
Thuggery does not build a nation but rather it produces cult personalities with idiotic followership that often end up taking the society back to Stone Age. This must stop.
*The demand for a new nation*
The members of any nation would prefer to be sovereign rather than to be ruled by non‐nationals because this maximizes the chance that the government will provide them with an optimal mix of public goods. This general preference is affected by the net benefit of continued affiliation with the central authority. To the degree that the centre provides minority nationals with protection, and economic and social welfare, the demand for sovereignty will be attenuated. Hence, nationalist secession is most likely to occur in multinational states whose centres are subject to military and economic setbacks. However, the demand for sovereignty also depends on the nation’s capacity to engage in collective action, which is affected by state institutions. (The Demand for Sovereignty and the Emergence of Nationalism | Containing Nationalism | Oxford Academic)
*Symbols of a New Nation*
There is more to nation building than one can ordinarily think of and talk about without a thorough study of things and events. For some countries their identities and cultures have continuously evolved, while the ideals connected to their patriotic symbols have remained firm. Nigeria being a work in progress, we can join hands to build the country of our collective aspiration if we can get it right now by voting in the right candidates into positions of authority.
With the full implementation of Mr. Peter Obi’s “from consumption to production” mantra, the Nigeria flag, the Coat of Arms, the International passport, the Naira among others will regain their place of pride in the comity of nations. Our patriotism and defined identity will improve and rank best among equals. The symbols that give form and substance to our nation’s founding ideals would become priceless, making Nigeria great again.
Mr. Peter Obi’s prudent life built on transparency and accountability will not only make corruption a thing of the past, but it will go a long way to re-ignite hope and rekindle trust among countries of the world to do business with Nigeria.
*Emergence of a reformer*
The emergence of Mr. Peter Obi now in the history of Nigeria is one of the best things that have happened to Nigeria in the recent past so we must close ranks and utilize the opportunity very well. Being a country of many nationalities, most of us must have realized but painfully that the things that unite us are more than the ones that separate us – and on the grounds of humanity, no tribe or religion, sex or age, is immune from the current hardship in Nigeria. Hunger does not know tribe or region; inflation does not segregate. Anyone, and everyone, can become a victim of insecurity. Therefore, we must team up to salvage Nigeria – and the easiest way to do this now is by voting for Mr. Peter Obi and Alhaji Datti Yusuf Ahmed of the Labour Party as president and vice president of Nigeria. They are not only competent but they have the character and charisma to build a New Nigeria of our dreams. They have the capacity, intellectual acumen, mental prowess and physical abilities required to rebuild Nigeria. Let us support and vote for them.
If you love Nigeria, vote for Mr. Peter Obi. Apart from voting, defend your vote and make sure it counts. Your one vote will make the difference. Use it very well. Make maximum use of this lifetime opportunity. Vote for the Labour Party – *LP*.
One of the many highlights of last year was spending the day in Helsinki, Finland with Mr Elvis Fuamba – The Founder of Afrofinns and a Business Entrepreneur making a difference in Finland .
I had decided to take the ferry from Tallin in Estonia to Finland and it was a great opportunity to meet up with this very creative role model to explore new ways of working together.
I also had the opportunity to engage with great minds in Estonia.
Mr Elvis has now produced the very first part of a documentary called ” Cultural crossroads” .
“Cultural CrossRoads” presents divers views on cultural transmission and construction of identity in the Afro-Finnish community. It sets the scene for further conversations, such as, what culture are we creating as a community? What impacts does it have on us and how that culture is transmitted to the next generation? The story line of the documentary guide the viewer to understand the broad meaning of cultural transmission in the Afro-Finnish community.. read more @Afrofinns.com
Feel free to watch this great documentary on The T0NY TOKUNBO FERNANDEZ SHOW this week and find out more about African migrants living in Finland .
Against All Odds, we are inviting you to join us on *22nd April 2023* we are Celebrating 10 Years of:
Rebuilding Lives
Restoring Hope
Regaining Dignity
Grab your tickets now. Our *£60.00 EARLY-BIRD Tickets* are on sale now ending on 15th Feb 2023 thereafter *£65.00* To *Promote Your Products & Services* grab an Exhibition Stand only few spaces left
Chris Alexander will be facilitating a funding grant application workshop for free on Zoom. #sharingiscaring
Mr Alexander has over 15 years experience in successful bid writing and grant application proposals. He has also worked with numerous charities, organisations, CICs, non profits, social enterprises etc
To confirm your space text /whatsapp “FUNDING” to 07538740319 or email admin@thesalamproject.org.uk with “FUNDING” as the subject
Rebuilding Lives
Grab your tickets now. Our *£60.00 EARLY-BIRD Tickets* are on sale now ending on 15th Feb 2023 thereafter *£65.00* 
TONY TOKUNBO ETEKA FERNANDEZ 