RESOLUTION OF THE NATIONAL KRAO ASSOCIATION IN THE AMERICAS, INC.
16TH. ANNUAL NATIONAL CONVENTION
HELD IN THE CITY OF PROVIDENCE, RODE ISLAND
AUGUST 31 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2007
WHEREAS, after going through the official program, the national chairman, Hon. Jlatoh Nah Gewleh informed the general assembly that the guest speaker's speech be delivered in the evening instead of in the afternoon. In this regard, the guest speaker, Dr. Somah's oration was delivered during the evening session.
WHEREAS, the general assembly/body recognized that the three member board be increased. In addition to the three board members, each existing or future chapter will appoint a representative to the board.
WHEREAS, the assembly recognized the need for chapters to present annual financial report covering September 1st. to August 31st, fiscal period. It was resolved that a template be prepared and circulated through the national chair. Also, it was resolved to meet the December 2007 tax filing deadline; and that the template be completed and returned to the financial committee by October 31, 2007.
WHEREAS, the national membership be restructured. And it was resolved therefore, that the national membership committee chair be appointed and members of the committee will include volunteer regional director. Also, it was resolved that in addition to the national membership committee; individual chapters are encouraged to carry out whatever membership recruitment strategy that pleases them.
WHEREAS, the general assembly recognized the importance of maintaining an office in Liberia and by extension, a learning center. It was resolved that the next executive council explore feasibility of maintaining these services.
WHEREAS, regarding the national chairman’s proposal that the national secretary be elected, it was resolved that the national chairman continues with appointing an individual to serve in that office. Failure for the individual to measure up to the responsibility, it was further resolved that the sitting chair prepares a draft amendment according to the constitutional provision.
WHEREAS, the general assembly recognized the importance of maintaining healthy relations with subset organizations and other community associations, it was resolved that, on the basis of reciprocity, the NKAA should support any meaningful endeavors of other organizations when invited.
WHEREAS, having realized lack of competition in the national queen contest with only Rhode Island Chapter presented a contestant, it was resolved that the Rhode Island Chapter’s contestant be crowned national queen for $200.
WHEREAS, the general assembly, acknowledging the verbal report made by Mr. Morris Koffa regarding his recent visit to Liberia, resolved that a comprehensive report be submitted by Mr. Koffa as soon as possible, in order for the administration to act of recommendations made in said report.
WHEREAS, the Michigan /Ohio chapter told the general assembly that the 2008 Executive Committee meeting will hosted by them in Detroit, Michigan on a date to be announced.
Finally, the general assembly agreed to convene its 17th session in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2008.
Done on the 2nd day of September in the year of our Lord, two thousand seven.
MESSAGE TO THE UNION OF LIBERIAN ASSOCIATIONS IN THE AMERICAS
From
Mr. Jlator Nah Gewleh, M.P.A.,Chairman
National Krao Association in the Americas, Inc.
Mr. President, Officers and Members of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA), Distinguished Guests, Fellow Liberians and Friends.
It is my honor and privilege to join you in celebration of a new era for Liberians. A new era of change in the history of ULAA. My friends, we at the National Krao Association in the Americas believe that this era of change presents excellent opportunity for all Liberians to work together in order to better serve our people. Therefore, the National Krao Association is eager to open its doors to our umbrella organization-ULAA. Today, our community association is fully represented at this occasion with a strong delegation to deliver a message of openness to the new team of leaders. Our delegation includes Mr. Jlator Nah Gewleh, National Chairman, Mr. Monroe Young, National Vice-Chair, Mr. Joe Yankoon, National Treasurer and Mr. Joseph Sarwee, Senior Advisor.
Fellow Liberians our message is simple and useful. It is a call to serve our people honestly. It is a mission ULAA can pursue in the context of diversity with strong innovative leadership and a committed followership. What do I mean by that? I mean a strong innovative leadership that will incorporate the views of county and community associations in the administrative and operational decision making processes of ULAA. Also, I mean a committed followership that is capable of rejecting personality cults, instead focused on the purpose of ULAA. As such, it should be a loyal and a constructively vocal unit that wins the favor and mind of the leaders and be able to tell them the truth about what they think and know but solely in the interest of the union.
The National Krao Association believes that once this concept is adopted, ULAA will be able to overcome the hunger and quench the thirst of Liberians for a meaningful leadership in the diaspora. In its advocacy role, ULAA must strengthen its appeal by seizing this opportunity to mobilize Liberians through the various community and professional Liberian associations across the United States.
Ladies and gentlemen, please take advantage of this opportunity to change the culture of isolation to a culture of inclusion. Please use this chance to change the culture of complacency to a culture of active participation. Above all, fellow Liberians, please change ULAA from an organization of the few to a vibrant organization of all Liberians.
Therefore, Mr. President, officers and friends, the National Krao Association in the Americas, Inc. is ready and willing to work with this administration of ULAA in pursuit of this noble ideal.
This is our message and, thanks very much. May the Almighty bestow his blessings upon us all.
Best wishes.
Message to the Liberia Environmental Watch Conference
by
Mr. Jlator Nah Gewleh, M.P.A.
Chairman, National Krao Association in the Americas, Inc.
November 9, 2007
Mr. Morris T. Koffa, Executive Director, officers and members of the Liberia Environmental Watch, Dr. Syrulwa Somah, Executive Director Liberia History, Education and Development, and Africa Fighting Malaria. Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am honored to be here as chairman of the National Krao Association in the Americas, Inc. along with members of my delegation to deliver a message. Our association believes that this forum presents an opportunity for us to contribute to the meaningful discussions about issues that gravely affect our people in Liberia; especially, in the Borough of New Krutown, where the residents are submerged in the worst environmental conditions we could ever imagined. These unbearable environmental conditions make the entire 150,000 plus residents vulnerable to all kinds of preventable diseases, i.e. cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, diabetes, etc., that constantly make them ill, and sometimes result in fatalities.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Let me emphasize that our people currently live in deplorable environmental conditions. Majority do not have access to indoor sewer facilities in addition to the lack of public sewer system in the Borough. Moreover, they do not have access to safe drinking water supply. Instead, they depend on using shallow wells as water supply sources in the same area they dispose solid and liquid wastes. Imagine the environmental catastrophe! We need solutions to these environmental problems in the Borough of New Krutown, West Point Community and other places in our nation. The health consequences of this environmental disaster are too many. Yes, Ladies and gentlemen, I want to make it clear that I am not here to complain; instead, my delegation is here to help find solutions to the difficult environmental challenges we face today in Liberia. With this in mind, I urge you all to share your professional ideas and resources with the Liberia Environmental Watch (LEW) to help enlighten and deliver the awareness that our people need and deserve to live in dignity.
Of course, we need practical solutions to these difficult problems. Therefore, the National Krao Association is convinced that, with a broader support of all three sectors of society, a very qualified Liberia Environmental Watch shall broaden its capacity to help solve the problems. My friends, this organization is very qualified and capable to identify practical solutions, educate the people and lead successful program implementation campaigns across the country that will yield useful benefits we shall all be proud of.
Recently, the National Krao Association (NKAA) and the Liberia Environmental Watch (LEW) in collaboration have implemented initial steps of environmental education and cleanup campaign in the Borough of New Krutown in Liberia. The program was a success in that ordinary residents and members of the Borough’s leadership sent e-mails to the National Krao Association expressing their gratitude. The e-mails also cautioned members of the association to remain committed to finding solutions to the environmental challenges. The positive feedback received from the Borough’s residents speaks volume of the need to broaden the campaign. Yes. We are committed and, thanks to the officers and members of the Liberia Environmental Watch, the National Krao Association and supporters for the outstanding effort.
Nevertheless, the National Krao Association also believes that collaborations between and among nonprofits organizations alone can not produce the fast needed results our people deserve. This effort requires partnership between the nongovernmental organizations and the public sector, between nongovernmental organizations and the private sector or a combination of all three sectors (nonprofits, public and private) in joint ventures to deal with the serious environmental issues our nation faces. This strategy will yield beneficial results for our people and the entire nation. In deed, in addition to the health benefits, there will be economic improvements resulting in jobs creation and a healthy population.
My friends, our people need your help; please, let’s share our resources with the Liberia Environmental Watch (LEW) for the good health of our people and the entire nation.
Thank you very much.
On the Environment
U.S. OFFICE: 4207 Plummers Promise Dr. Suite 100 – Bowie, MD 20720
National Krao Association in the Americas (NKAA)
Environmental Initiatives in the Borough of Krutown
&
Liberia Environmental Watch, Inc. as Implementing Partner
Report of Environmental Initiatives
By Morris T. Koffa
For
The leadership, NKAA
Members and Eminent Persons
Family of NKAA,
Introduction:
Kindly accept my thanks and appreciation on behalf of the Board of Directors, officials, and members of Liberia Environmental Watch, Inc. for your farsighted vision to embrace and incorporate the environmental education awareness component to “Project for Liberia” program. I must unequivocally note with gratification for the trust and confidence I’ve enjoyed as an implementing partner in such national initiatives. It manifests a dawn of a new era in the NKAA organization because it challenges all Liberian organizations to face the soaring and life threatening environmental conditions that are overrunning the new Liberia.
Amidst these mundane of environmental issues are burying the deceased near underground water source, defecation, and urination are now common practices due to the lack of public facilities. And the market grounds without garbage collection system generate garbage piles with unbearable odors that also serve as homes to other insects, bugs and rodents.
The Borough of Krutown, from an environmental standpoint, remains and faces further greater environmental problems that threaten its public health and soci-economic and cultural development. For example, sea erosion creates strenuous living conditions for our people. Equally so, the emerging problems of flooding due to poor drainage system, lack of proper zoning ordinances destroys over hundreds of homes and displaces residents, particularly in the St. Paul Bridge Community. I may add that the recent Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) oil spill is the newest profound environmental disaster for degrading living conditions and marines’ biomass that are the main source of seafood and income.
I have categorized the various activates (1-8) of my visits with specific recommendations for your action:
1. Visit to the Borough of New Krutown:
I spent 95% of the 19 days stayed in Liberia in the Borough of New Krutown interacting and visiting area acquaint myself with many of the environmental challenges that were so vivid. Along with some LEW staff, we visited with BNK and met with the political leadership, including leaders of the Eight Nominating Districts (END), the elders and Eminent Persons of the Borough are indeed joyful and thankful for such a humanitarian goodwill from the sons and daughters of Krao. To them, you have demonstrated a beacon of hope amidst hopeless. For this, they anoint you with their knee-tapping prayers.
2. Activities:
Our collective effort to conduct environmental awareness, clean up services in the Borough of Krutown, and quickly response to the oil spill incident within the corridor of the Community of Colonel West (adjacent to the Liberia Coast Guard Base, in the Borough of Krutown) was timely.
3. Incident 1
Overlooked oil spills in the community speak to the commonality of the environmental problems that threatens the lives of our people; therefore, it must demands our immediate action to protect them. We had to change our initial plane to accommodate the oil spills during our visit.
4. Immediate Action:
Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency Executive Director, Hon. Ben Donne was immediately called to spills site.
5 Incident II
Further assessment reveals that the oil spill derived from the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) facility. The toxic substance is waste engine oil or used oil residue that ran electricity producing generators. The oil spill with such a profound and devastating impact to the community and residents are virtually ignored by both companies for over two years.
The oil spill by characteristic is toxic and harmful and therefore poses very serious health threats to residents in close proximity. Homes are flooded with this toxic substance during the raining seasons. Some of the resident we talked to say they have to use eight inches blocks to elevate their sleeping mattresses just to keep afloat. Children were found playing in it.
6. Immediate Action:
The blatant violation of environmental and health of our people, a class action or legal redress is recommended.
7. Specific Discussion with EPA Boss
On August 13th 2007 we made contact with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Executive Director, Hon. Ben Donne and other relevant institutions, including five radio stations and six print media -- took them on the site of the oil spill in an effort to raise the necessary alarm for immediate redress of the ailing environmental problems. At the end of the fierce campaign, the EPA boss optimizes his agency effort by contacting the company involved. The EPA Executive Director promises swift action to revoke the operating license of the company until the situation is addressed.
To further allay the fears of the people of the Borough, especially the community leadership, we prevailed on the EPA boss to join us at a meeting with the Borough’s political leaders (Governor Richard Tobii, Representative of District #12, Hon. Edward Foh) Eminent Persons, Representative of Eight Nominating Districts, religious and business communities and other elders to hear from the EPA boss the plan of action with respect to the oil spill. He was kind enough to show up with one of his principle deputies and promised the leadership of the Borough his agency unwavering support to ensuring appropriate actions to the dilemma.
He further assures the participants at the community meeting that the company (the perpetrator) will carry out decontamination, remove the waste, clean the affected area, evacuate residents as needed and reasonable resettlement scheme was going to be considered, if need be.
8. Activates II
On August 22nd 2007 the environmental educational workshop commenced at the Jewel Howard Taylor Elementary of Junior High School from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The workshop brought together over 275 persons. Please see recommendations and solution from the group discussion.
In summary, detailed programmatic solutions are outlines for your consideration:
Problems:
1.Lack of environmental education towards sanitation and hygiene
2.Poor garbage disposal/no specific dumping site
3.No toilet facilities/latrines
4.Lack of safe drinking water
5.Poor health facilities
6.Industrial pollutions from Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), Beer Factory and others
7.Poor or no drainage system
8.Sea erosion problem
Way forward:
1.Environmental educational team in each community
2.Place trash bins along the streets/homes for effective garbage collection
3.Identify landfill/construct drainage/cleaning of existing drainages or arrange with Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) to pick up garbage on schedules
4.Every household should have a toilet
5.Discourage burying the dead in neighborhood
6.Stop the building of structure in public alleys
7.Construction of hand pumps to ensure safe drinking water
8.Private empty lots should be cleaned on a regular basis
9.Prevail on the Government of Liberia through EPA to put in place policy to ensure safe environmental
On August 25th 2007 we carried out physical cleanup campaign. It started from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. We had eight groups representing each block as designated by the governor to carry out the cleanup services. Though it was raining, but it did not matter to the community willing (old and young) to do something for their respective communities. The result was a lasting memory that worth continuity.
Lesson Learned:
It is with no regret that enough food was made available on two separate occasions to feed hundreds of our people – it was a moment of joy to share a meal with some of them who otherwise could not afford it. However, it proves very costly to continue in that path if NKAA must sustain this noble effort especially when the program has to cover the entire Borough with an approximate population of over 300,000. It will be cost effective with even better results if we empower and challenge each block on a contest basis and reward the block that keeps its community cleaner.
Being Proactive and other concerns:
At all of the community meetings, residents complained about the chemical residues from Beer Factory and other companies being illegally discharged in the tributary of the drinking water bodies and partly into the community. There is a need to engage the governor and the representative offices to document these concerns to the relevant governmental institutions for appropriate address.
Sustainability:
Initiation of the environmental educational awareness in the Borough of Krutown is not as challenging as is it to sustaining this noble idea for it will bear no relevance if we do not sustain it. From lesson learned, we proposed to the governor an environmental contest among all the eight blocks that make up the Borough. The contest will reward the block that will keep its community cleaner than the others at the end of a quarter or what ever is workable, measurable, achievable and sustainable. Modalities will be worked out to ensure fair competitions. This idea will serve as a vehicle of enticement and helps teach and empower each block community to take control of their own surrounding while achieving the anticipated results on a participatory level. We must provide the needed logistics by increasing the purchase of equipment and gears by 150% from previous purchased list. In furtherance, LEW therefore recommend the following:
Quick Impact Project Recommendations:
•Provide and increase needed logistic by 150%;
•Utilize the office provided by the governor for the use of NKAA/LEW - equipped to serve as resource center for all environmental issues in the Borough – such office should be able to patrol communities to familiarize with environmental conditions thereby preventing the repeat of the incident of oil spill that went unnoticed for over two years in the Borough Community’s of Colonel West. The office should serve as quick respond unit on environmental issues and liaise with relevant environmental NGOs for the interest of the Borough;
•clean up environmental services should be an ongoing exercises with progress and bench marks verifiable report monthly;
•Do an inventory of environmental assessment of the all companies -- reason being that, according to results from the deliberation, Beer Factory and others companies doing business in the Borough were depositing chemical waste into tributaries thereby polluting the community;
•Follow up on the oil spill situation to ensure proper decontamination, seek legal redress against the company if need be for proper compensation to the affected;
•Encourage NKAA scholarship recipients in Liberia to reciprocate in kind on the ongoing project in the Borough
•An appeal to recondition the Corporate Hall and the offices for a better appearance as a quick impact project.
Long term project but not too distance:
•Build public latrines in each community block to ease public defecation;
•Plant/positioning garbage bin in strategic areas of the community, especially street corners, public buildings - it will help control/curtail the trash;
•Post billboards as a welcoming sign entering the Borough
Special Appeal from the Borough Leadership:
Need a calendar that will carry the names of all governors of Borough since it inception.
Submitted by
Morris T. Koffa
Executive Director
Liberia Environmental Watch, Inc.
4207 Plummbers Promise Dr. Suite 100
Bowie, MD 20720
www.liberiaenvironmentalwatch.org
Email: koffamkoffa@hotmail.com
240-417-2545
“All the is necessary for the triumph of evil is that Goodmen do nothing”
Lack of environmental education towards sanitation and hygiene 