All Liberian National Conference set for March 10-13, 2005 in Baltimore

 

The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
February 3, 2005

Major Liberian organizations in the United States and Europe are organizing a national conference under the banner of a member Steering Committee.The Steering Committee is comprised of 34 organizations and individual members.

The Conference is expected to bring together Liberians and Liberian organizations as well as friends of Liberia to discuss the country's past, present and future especially post war institutional structure (social, economic, political and cultural) reform.

The Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA), the European Federation of Liberian Organizations and national county association in the Americas including Grand Cape Mount, Nimba, Grand Gedeh, Sinoe, Lofa, Bomi, Grand Bassa and Bong Counties as well as national alumni associations, pro democratic organizations and professional bodies are organizing the Conference. Specifically, the Liberian associations in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, France and the Netherlands are also associated with this effort. Efforts are being made to extend invitations to other county/regional organizations to become part of this effort.

The Conference is being spearheaded by a Steering Committee headed by Mrs. Mydea Reeves-Karpeh, former President of UNIBOA and the first female President of ULAA; Mr. John Brownell of the Liberian Association in the United Kingdom (LIBERIAN) is the Vice Chairman; Mr. Abraham G. Massaley, National President of the National Association of Cape Mountainians in the Americas is Secretary and Ms. Mary Broh, community activist as Treasurer.

The goals of the All Liberian National Conference (ALNC) are to discuss national reconciliation, peace and reform. It will convene from March 10-13 , 2005 at The Potter's Place in Baltimore, Maryland. ALNC seeks to set the stage for the formulation of national consensus from varying viewpoints, define the parameters of reform, obtain popular endorsement of the broad outlines of reform and enhance commitment of all Liberians to begin reform. The October 2005 general elections in Liberia will also be an agenda item for the Baltimore Conference.

The Conference will provide an opportunity for stocktaking, reaffirming our sense of shared national identity, agreeing on minimal conditions for holding of free and fair elections in Liberia and establishing reform as defined by the Conference participants. A follow up conference to the United States Conference will be held in Monrovia later this year. Of equal importance is the need to establish a tripartite covenant among Liberians, the elected government and the international community to ensure participatory politics that gradually decentralizes an overly monocentric governance structure to begin reform.

Mrs. Mydea Reeves Karpeh and UN Envoy Jacques Klein met recently in Washington DC and discussed the National Conference
The Steering Committee has begun discussions with key individuals, national and international organizations to enlist their support for the conference in the United States. The Committee intends to reach out to foundations, individuals and organizations to seek funding for hosting the conference and leverage to implement the resolutions of the conference as well as to make the resolutions binding. ALNC welcomes all Liberians and their organizations, friends of Liberia and the international community fullest participation. The Steering Committee commits itself to joining hands with all Liberians at home and abroad in providing the leadership necessary to mobilize international support for feasible policy initiatives to create participatory democracy and genuine peace in Liberia.

In preparation for the conference, the Chairman of the Steering Committee, Mrs. Reeves-Karpeh recently met with the UN Special Representative in Liberia, Ambassador Jacques Klein in Washington D.C. to discuss the United States Conference and the proposed National Conference in Liberia. Ambassador Klein expressed interest and support in holding the two Conferences and the need to galvanize support for the implementation of the resolutions arising from the two gatherings.

The Steering Committee meets weekly on a teleconference to plan the conference. Recently, the group met in Rhode Island and adopted the criteria for accrediting delegates to the Baltimore conference as well as the format for the conference.

The Rhode Island meeting agreed on a memorandum of understanding between ULAA and the Steering Committee. Similar memorandum will also be adopted shortly between the European Federation of Liberian Organizations and the Steering Committee.

Meanwhile, Liberian organizations in the Diaspora and observers are asked to contact the Conference secretarial at ALNCscribe@yahoo.com for accreditation purposes or further information

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