An Eye on Society

Move to Block GOL Revenue Suspected

2012-08-01T09:03:00.002-07:00

At a time when government needs all its resources, information reaching our newsroom indicates that some individuals within the legislature have embarked on an unpatriotic strategy of strangulating a major government funding resource in the form of the International Gateway Measuring (IGM) Project.

The IGM is a process for which Inbound calls – telephone calls from abroad--are measured and by which international carriers are charged some modest regulatory fee to the LTA and Service Providers for the termination of all such calls on the networks of the service providers.

It may be recalled that early this year, the LTA, as the telecommunications regulatory body, and the Service Providers on the one hand, and the LTA and the Legislature on the other, have engaged in a prolonged tussle over the implementation of this project which, industry experts say, is geared towards maximizing GOL revenue from the telecommunications sector.

Following weeks of see-saw arguments, the Legislature (both House and Senate) finally held public and Committee hearings on the issue, after which the Legislature wrote to the LTA and endorsed the project. The LTA then gave the LTA the green light to go ahead with the implementation of the IGM project. The only caveat the Legislature came out with then was that the proceeds generated from the project that were meant to go to the LTA under the Contractual Agreement entered into by the LTA/ Global Voice Group S.A (GVG) would instead be deposited in the GOL Account.
Our sources also say the LTA was dissatisfied with this arrangement because in most telecommunications jurisdictions, such regulatory fees as charged on the IGM go directly to the regulator. Notwithstanding, and in order not to delay the project and considering that the LTA could subsequently request the Ministry of Finance to access some portion of that regulatory fee for sector development and for LTA’s infrastructural needs, the LTA decided to abide by the decision of the Legislature.
Prior to all the controversies that arose over the IGM Project; the LTA had carried out a process by which it acquired the technical/infrastructural services that are needed to effect the implementation of the inbound calls relative to the IGM project.
The IGM project went through all of the required procedures, including PPCC’s approval of restricted local and international bidding, contract approval by Cabinet and relevant ministries of the GOL, including the Ministries of Justice and Finance.
During the vigorous bidding process, Global Voice Group S.A (GVG) emerged as the one with the most competency and performance history to successfully implement the project.

Long before the LTA got into the present agreement with GVG the project 9endorsed by the cabinet and the Legislature) the LTA had in fact appealed and made numerous requests to the GOL through the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning to invest in the project so as to derive the necessary revenue from its implementation.

All efforts by the LTA to obtain such assistance from the GOL proved futile as the GOL said it didn’t have the resources to invest in the revenue generating project. It was after those experiences that the LTA was left with no alternative but to go in on its own because the project held and still holds revenue prospects for both the LTA and GOL in general.

Reports reaching our newsroom indicate that some individuals within the legislature have been maneuvering for largely personal reasons to get a “piece of the pie,” which reportedly LTA has been resisting.
Observers now think that these few minorities who haven’t been able to achieve their individual agenda in the whole project have now moved in at this late day especially after proceeds to be realized have been factored in the GOL budget, to frustrate the implementation of the project.

Sadly, according to these observers, the GVG has since invested heavily in terms of equipment and services to ensure that the program is realized and invoices are ready to be sent to the service providers.

Meanwhile, there is already an agreement between the LTA and the GOL and GVG with respect to the implementation of what many observers consider as a vital national undertaking by the struggling Telecom regulator.

Our observers further observe that any attempt at this point to undo or breach this already signed agreement approved by the GOL and LTA will incur a heavy penalty on the LTA and the GOL as contained in the agreement, including the payment of some U.S$ 1 to 2 Million.

Meanwhile, the government continues to lose money because some of these few individuals interested in their own personal benefits are trying to hold up the implementation of the project which should have started bringing in significant amount of money since the beginning of this year. Investigation continues on this issue.

Also published in Vol. No. 69 of The NEWS Newspaper, Liberia. July 31, 2012

Fallen Liberia’s Cultural Icon to Be Buried Today

2012-07-11T10:03:00.002-07:00

By: Musue Haddad
Also published in The News Newspaper and The Heritage Newspaper

The late Ambassador Jallah KK Kamara, a cultural icon who died yesterday, will be buried today, Thursday, July 12, 2012 in his small home town – Bolonkoidu, in Lofa County.

As the city mourns his death, many are also holding tight to the late Ambassador’s creativity and farsightedness in the history and enlightenment of Liberian Culture and artists at home and abroad.

The late Kamara, a Folklorist whose career, spanned several decades, encompassed an astonishingly wide range of cultural activities, from stage director to Director General of the National Bureau of Culture and Tourism, from cultural performances and to tapestry of storytelling through the arts, all undertaken with creativity, flair and remarkable understanding and love of the arts.

One mourner at the family’s GSA Home said, “Yes, he was truly an icon and in many ways.” Many of his students, including Mr. Victor spoke of the late Kamara’s dedication to Kendeja, the Cultural Ambassadors, and the National Cultural troupe with tears in their eyes. Many family members, and Government officials, including Ambassador Alhaji Kromah, Commissioner Abdullai Kamara, among others were present at the family’s home on GSA to discuss burial arrangement. The late Kamara’s brothers, Kekura Kamara, the widow, Mrs. Kamara, Mr. Amara among others were visibly shaken by the death. .

Reflecting on a few one-on-one discussions with Mr. Kamara, he illustrated a few strategists in developing some of the “hit” performances by translating folktales into ballads, and devising moves that would unify and enrich the emotions, messages, the sounds of musical instruments and rhythms. “Musue, we are not talking about one day or two days, but sometimes weeks to find the right blend, but at the end of the day, we got it perfect,” the late Kamara would describe his strategies, sometimes with a joke, or the wave of one hand in the air.

The late Kamara was evidently knowledgeable in all aspect of cultural performances. He taught dance moves that rhyme with traditional songs; he interlaced traditional folktales into songs, and created performances that blended with the beat of drums and playing of other musical instruments. He also ensured that dance rhyme resonated with expressions of performers.

According to many beneficiaries of the late Kamara’s cultural ingenuity, he encouraged the nurturing of creativity and promoted the social advancement of artists. One local artist said, “Papa was like a father to me. Thought he was strict on practices, he had zero tolerance for poor academic performances.”

The late Jallah KK Kamara life illustrates devotion and growth in the cultural industry. In the early 1970’s he became Stage Director of the National Culture Troupe. In the 1980’s he became Director of the National Culture Bureau of Tourism, and also founder of the Liberian Cultural Ambassadors. During that period, his passion for the arts, and enthusiasm to promote Liberian cultural led him to personally sponsor 40 members of the culture group on a cultural Exchange Program in the United States.

In his life time, Jallah KK Kamara chose to make a career that was largely based on promoting Liberian Culture through cultural dances between and folktales. While he won immense acclaim within Liberia and outside of the country, until his death, the legendary cultural icon was still creating his own, essentially figurative, work that soon started to attract the interest of lovers of arts, including President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. According to family members of the late Ambassador Kamara, publication of the [late kamara’s] manuscript on the History of Liberian Culture was to be sponsored by President Sirleaf.

Jallah KK Kamara was born in Bolonkoidu, a small town in Lofa County on March 26 1941. As a child, according to elders, Jallah KK demonstrated a high interest in creative dance, storytelling and jokes. Until his death yesterday afternoon, family members, and community members said the late Jallah KK Kamara chatted and joked with everyone before leaving home for the vicinity of the Capitol Building, where the cold hands of death snatched him.

One elder of Bolonkoidu said, while Jallah KK may be gone, his stories, jokes, and lessons from his “Wisdom of the Elders” column published in The Democrat Newspaper and online will remain with us forever.

Some beneficiaries of the late Cultural Ambassadors Princess Fatu Gayflor, Nimba Burr, Zaye Tete, Sangai, among many others in Liberia and the Diaspora.

A middle height, handsome man of considerable charm, in old age Jallah KK became a familiar figure on the streets of Monrovia and at cultural events and programs that he had helped established and supported so often when he worked within the cultural bureau.

At the time of his death, the late Kamara was a member of Vision 2030 Committee. Dr. Togba Nah Tipoteh, head of VISION 2030 committee described the late Kamara’s contribution to the future of Liberia as “exceptional.”‘ The late Ambassador was a visionary and his comments during deliberations were stimulating. It made us to think critically about issues, that affected us today, and also tomorrow.”

Jallah KK is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren and an array of family members.

Also published in The News Newspaper and The Heritage Newspaper

Leave Your Own Trails in Life - Dauson Kamara

2012-07-04T09:36:00.004-07:00

Speech by Dauson V. Kamara at GW Gibson Commencement Ceremony

The Minister of Education,
The honorable superintendent of the Monrovia Consolidated School System,
Government officials here present,
Principal,
Members of the National Teachers Association,
Members of the 4th estate,
Distinguished graduates, Ladies and Gentlemen

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the G.W. Gibson family for inviting me to speak today. I am totally thrilled to be here to join you in celebrating this wonderful day which marks a milestone in your lives. Firstly, let me say to this honorable 2012 graduating class, please accept my warmest congratulations.

I must say to you today, “YOU HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT AND YOU HAVE RUN A GOOD RACE”. Your crown is the Diploma you are about to receive.
You must feel proud of yourselves and be proud to be products of this noble institution.This institution has given you adequate academic, moral, and spiritual knowledge to work with when you get into the world.

I know you must be excited to get your hands on your diplomas and run into the world to attend you festivities you have planned for this special day. But as cartoonist Garry Trudeau said and I quote:

“Commencement speeches were invented largely in the belief that outgoing or graduating students should never be released into the world until they have been properly sedated or advised.

That’s where I come in as keynote speaker and it is within this light that I have decided to speak to you on the topic:” Who Am I upon Graduation”.

Graduation is one of those steps in life that defines a coming of age-the ending of one era of life, as a student or the one being shown the ropes, and moving onto a new stage in which you are a leader, a doer and an achiever in the wider world. I’m sure many of you have firm plans and have a good idea of what you may want to do next, dreaming and having lots of hope to get you there and some of you are just amazed that you got to this graduation point. Well, the coming times will be exciting, or they will be difficult, but it will depend on you and your determination to determine who you are and who you want to be after you have left this graduation hall today.

There is a famous Chinese quote that says:” A Million mile journey begins with a single step”.

Your matriculation from high school today indicates that you have the taken first step of your million mile journey, and I say hats-off to you for a task well accomplished.

If you look in the audience today, you see you parents, family members, friends and other important people in your lives who have taken up their busy schedules to come and give you your flowers for a successful completion of what I will refer to as phase one. This is not the end of your academic pursuit; rather, it is the decision you have made to determine who you are to become in the larger society. As I look at your faces today, I see doctors, ministers, scientists, politicians, technocrats, business men and women as well as visionaries. But as you walk out of these walls today, have this question at the back of your minds: who am I upon graduation?
Today is an indication that yours and your parents’ efforts have not gone in vain; but what you do with your lives after this graduation ceremony will define these efforts.

Are you going to be like a person whose first step is the end of his journey? Or are you going to be like a person whose first step is the furtherance of his journey which will lead him to a better life, a life that will be a benefit to his family, his country and the world at large. To achieve this life, you must strongly consider the furtherance of your academic life. The choice of who you want to become in life is up to you. Remember there are two separate roads in life. The easy but bad road which leads to destruction and the good but difficult road rich lead to an honorable life. I say to you today, take the latter. Do not be like a driver who has embarked on a journey but fails to complete it because of a breakdown, a breakdown which could have been avoided if he had inspected his car earlier. Remember always, do not follow where the road may lead you, instead, go where there is no road and leave a trail that others may follow.

As you go from here, I want you to contemplate on positive ways to further your education in order to become better citizens. A developed nation derives from an educated people, so know that your country needs you. Your graduation today doesn’t mean you have acquired all you need academically, it is just the beginning. As our beloved country progresses, there is a need for more educated citizens. This, in turn will improve Liberia. Be serious and steadfast in life. Further your education and be an asset to your country. It is indeed very sad to see that for several long years, foreigners have occupied prominent positions in our country, while indigenous Liberians are striving. This must stop, and to do that we must adequately prepare ourselves. You are the future nation builders. The heights which desirous and honest men have reached today were not obtained overnight. It took them diligence, persistence and determination. These are the virtues that will define who you are upon graduation.

Life doesn’t usually follow the plans you lay out for yourself. You will experience the highs and lows of life, the difficult and the easy and unfortunately, there may sometimes be times of too many difficulties and just not enough smooth sailing. Your true success will be defined by how you handle both of these times.

You have taken a key step towards your successful future and also the betterment of your family and your communities. You have worked hard, spending months learning new things. Our complex and technical world today requires education and skills that were not needed in the past. Ultimately, your well educated generation will benefit all of us in the future.

You are now armed with one of the most important tool needed to forge your path ahead. It’s not the diploma itself that counts; it’s about what you’ve learned along the way and what you do with the education you’ve acquired in your journey to graduation today. Your future and what you are to become upon graduation is in your hands and no one else. Seize the opportunity. The important thing is you have already taken the initial step needed to build a more promising future. Every class u have attended, every test, every quiz, every assignment and every grade mark you have earned, they have all been preparing you to adapt to change and challenges you are going to meet. I know that sometimes it was tough, but bear in mind that it will get tougher when you get into the world out there. Nothing is going to be handed to you, you have to earn it and know that it will mean a lot to you because u earned it.
To the parents, family members, and friends of those graduating and earning certifications, I say to you congratulations, and you should know that your support through this process made an enormous impact on the lives of these young and energetic graduates. I’m sure you are very proud of them as they close this portion of their lives and prepare for the next step into a new world.

What you do with what you have acquired over the years will now determine and define who you want and ought to be in the future that lays ahead of you.

Before I take my seat, let me make this very clear to you; do not sit, look for opportunities that will help you further your academic pursuit. When path becomes very difficult for you, be focused, be determined and don’t be carried away. Be cognizant of the fact that the decisions you make after you leave here will fulfill what you are to become upon this graduation.

Once again to the graduating class, please accept my congratulations. I wish you well in your future endeavors and the best of luck. May Jehovah bless us all.
I thank you.

Sophisticated Human Mind Amidst Turbulent World Economy

2012-07-03T03:46:00.009-07:00

BY: EDITH GONGLOE-WEH

The Principal, faculty and support staff of the Sanniquellie Central High School, the graduating class, officials of government present, parents, well wishers, special guests, Clergy and members of the Methodist Church, students, distinguished ladies and gentlemen.

Let me acknowledge the tireless efforts of the school administrators, teachers and support staff, who have worked hard to help our children achieve this milestone in pursuit of their education. You have succeeded thus far by making huge sacrifices.
Let me also hasten to thank the government of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf for its commitment to reviving our broken educational system. It is certainly an enormous task, but the government is making some strides. The enormity of the problem has not discouraged you parents from educating your children. For this I want to say a big thank you to all parents.

Though, we have made many gains since the coming to power of Madam Sirleaf’s government, yet, we cannot delude ourselves of the challenges ahead of us as a Nation. This Country still faces the daunting task of re-building its broken infrastructures in every sector. The issue of commitment and honesty remains a force to reckon with. Dishonesty and lack of commitment plague every institution of our Nation.

My dear graduates, parents, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, our children are a part of a rapidly growing and complicated world. Today, technology has made the world such a small place. We can talk to people all over the world, using our cell phones as though we are sitting with them where they are. This was not possible thirty years ago.

The human mind has grown in highly sophisticated ways. Yet the world economy continues to show signs of trouble. Life is getting harder and harder everywhere. 44 million children in underdeveloped countries, Liberia included, remain deprived of education not by their choice, but by sheer lack of privilege or minimal privilege. Countries are scrambling for survival and are strengthening their academic institutions, regulating their markets and tightening their borders to protect whatever little jobs are there for their citizens and provide them security.
It is in this world of rapid technological growth, insecurities of all types and competing economic interests that our children must compete. Therefore, I want to talk to you about how we can prepare our children to meet the rising challenges in this global village.

We know that the government is still struggling to rebuild our existing but broken institutions and build new ones where necessary. In my mind the greatest emphasis should be placed on education. The educational sector of the Nation needs to be strengthened far more than anything imaginable.

To strengthen the education system, teacher’s salaries must be made competitive with their contemporaries in the region. The Country’s curriculum must be standardized and comparable to regional and international standards. More schools must be built in every part of the Country to cater to the educational needs of the Liberian children. These graduates and the children of Liberia will not rise to the National and global challenge if they are not adequately prepared.

The preparation of our children cannot start in the middle. The preparation starts from the period of 2-5 years. This is the most critical stage of the human cognitive development process. It is at this age that the child’s language and mathematics skills are developed.

Unfortunately, Pre-primary education and early childhood development remain the most neglected and therefore the weakest link of our educational system as a Nation. Government must prioritize this stage of the learning process, strengthen primary and secondary education, and improve tertiary institutions’ capacities. Government must put more money into early childhood development if our children must rise to the growing global competition. Our teachers must be trained in early childhood development and education, primary and secondary education to improve their capacities as they teach our children.

The Nation’s schools need more educational materials and text books. More schools must be built to accommodate our growing population and educational demands, especially in Nimba with nearly a half of the Nation’s population. Liberia cannot continue to neglect building and equipping laboratories and libraries and expect Liberian children to measure up to their peers from other countries in the physical and natural sciences. This neglect is directly responsible for Liberian children pursuit of disciplines in the social science. Because by the time the high school graduates get to college they are so frightened to venture into the sciences since they are not prepared at the primary and secondary levels.

Further, our children cannot rise up to face the world if their self confidence is poor. The confidence of our children will then improve their self esteem. They cannot rise to the challenge if math and science continue to be one of the weakest links in our education system. They certainly cannot rise to the challenge if there are no positive role models to emulate. Nimba County , Liberia , we must create more positive role models for our children. A society without credible statesmen and women to serve as model for their younger generation will grab unto any available icon whether good or bad and quickly degenerate into mediocrity and become subservient to whatever is thrown at them.

The South Africans would not have been freed from Apatheid if Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, and other Freedom fighters were not inspired by the strengths, pride, confidence, intelligence and nationalism of their Zulu and Xhosa kings. The blacks in America today have hundreds of role models from Martin Luther King to Barrack Obama. There has to be a good number of people, men and women that our children can say today, I want to be like John Brown or Mary when I grow up.
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During the war years, there were plenty of role models, but they were modeling the wrong philosophy of life for our children. As a result, children only wanted to know how to shoot the AK 47 or throw hand grenades, seize properties that were not theirs. Thankfully, that time has changed.

We ourselves must rise to the challenge and know that the children are watching us and they are watching very closely. What kind of citizens and what kinds of leaders are we? What kinds of parents are raising our Country’s future? What kinds of teachers are in our classrooms? Can the good example of a teacher make some kids to aspire to become a professional teacher when they grow up? Are our private and public administrators exercising leadership in ways that inspire many children to dream of being like them? We must be the right role models for our children. The children must find their niche in this society because we as adult population have helped to sway them in positive and competitive directions.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, Nimba County and its resources remain endangered and risks continuous exploitation with inadequate benefits unless we can prepare our children to play major roles in the exploitation of our resources. We are not freed until we educate ourselves and our children. We are not educated until we can become competitive in contemporary focus of the rest of the world.

Distinguished graduates and sterling young men and women, you have fought a good fight even under difficult circumstances. No libraries, no access to laboratories where scientific experiments are done to juggle your scientific imaginations and curiosities to want to pursue college education and career in biology, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, medicine, engineering and so on so forth. I say to you today, with your tested strengths and resilience, there is no doubt in my mind that you will continue the fight until you achieve your educational dreams. Let the sky be your limit. Pick a role model. Find one in your family or in your community.
Liberia needs your skills to ensure its continual existence among Nations. We are encouraged by the focus of this government on strengthening the educational sector. We hope that government will include building more vocational and Technical institutions in the Counties to create easy and affordable access to building the skills of our children. The Nimba Community College is a great beginning, no doubt, but we need government to fully support it so that its impact can be felt throughout the length and breadth of Nimba County.

Our resources will soon run out at the rate it is being exploited. We need to develop our capacities and increase our human development index from its current low global status to a more comparable state. Unless the skills and knowledge of our youthful population is strategically developed, we run the risk of being diminished to a low status as a Nation state. Time is running out. We cannot and should not falter. We can achieve this because other Countries that were once where we are today did it. Our Country can rise again and be a shinning star as it was meant to be. Liberia can again become the beacon of hope it once was. Let us meet these challenges with valor unpretending. We must keep hope alive and work hard today to gain tomorrow. Congratulations. Long live Nimba County , Long live our strong heritage and indomitable will to thrive and long live Liberia . May God bless Liberia and bless us all. I thank you.

A SPEECH DELIVERED AT CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL 2012 COMMENCEMENT SANNIWUELLIE, NIMBA COUNTY, JUNE 29, 2012

Tom Kamara: An Epithet of Good Journalism

2012-06-27T01:10:00.002-07:00

By: Moses D. Sandy
mdogbasandy@aol.com /302-494-4688

New Castle, Delaware- It was 18:30GMT that fateful morning of Friday, June 8, 2012 when I awoke from bed. As part of my early morning routines, I immediately reached for my Black Berry cellular phone to check my e-mails.

As I browsed the web, the first subject line that caught my attention was “Veteran Journalist Tom Kamara Dies.” Mr. Edwin Kruah, a crony of mine, who lives in the State of Delaware, USA, forwarded the communication to me that morning at 18:00GMT from the popular List serve: EveryLiberian@yahoogroups.com . I swiftly opened the e-mail and read it.

The e-mail’s author, simply referred to as Steve, announced, “Early this morning, veteran Liberian Journalist and prolific writer Tom Kamara died a couple of hours ago in Brussels.” According to Steve, Tom was in Brussels, Belgium receiving treatment after suffering multiple sudden and severeailments. He expired at St. Luc Hospital at age 63 while en-route to Amsterdam, Holland for urgent medical care. He reportedly went into coma andsuffered stroke, which paralyzed one side of his body.
On June 3, 2012, hewas airlifted from Liberia for advanced medical care over sea. The news about Mr. Kamara’s abrupt death made me numb. I sat in the middle of my bed with my mouth agape for few seconds. I was shock, hurt, and amazedbecause the deceased was oneof my former professors from the Department of Mass Communications, University of Liberia, where he served as adjunct lecturer in the early 1990s.He taught there briefly horning the reportorial skills of journalism students in the art of magazine and feature writing.

I was one of his covert admirers. I cherished and venerated him for his professional work and creative writing. Because of Tom’s creative style of news writing, I became a voracious reader for the New Democrat Newspaper, a paper he helped established in 1993.He lived a humble and simple life style. He was neither arrogant nor ostentatious despite the outstanding talent and education he had.

Death News
By 1900 GMT or 7:00AM (Eastern Time), the news about Tom’s death had hit the Liberian communities in the Americas like wild fire. My phone was literarily “off the hook” with calls that emanated from several individuals including some members of the Liberian press corps in the Americas. The non-journalist callers were, Liberians, who are friends of the Liberian media and admirers of the late Kamara. They telephoned to alert me about the tragedy that had hit the Liberian media again. As they spoke and re-echoed the news, I was confounded.

I was deeply saddened because his hasty death comes at a time when his expertise and professional guidance are mostly needed for the elevation of Liberian journalism, a career which is gradually eroding due to poverty and the shortage of trained man power in the country. It later dawned on me that indeed, Liberia and Africa have lost an emblematic journalist, human rights campaigner,inexhaustible writer, and an advocate of social justice.Most callers, who spoke to me that morning, conceded that the late Tom or TK as he was affectionately called was a NATIONALIST, GAINT, LEGEND, and a MENTOR in Liberian journalism.

Tom was an erudite “pen pusher” and media executive; he had absolute control of the pen. He was an impeccable writer, who was graphic, vivid, descriptive, robust, and analytical in storytelling. The late Kamara was one of the finest creative essayists and analytical print journaliststhe African continent, specifically Liberia, has produced in recent history.

Legendary Role
The callers’ unanimity about TK’s gallantryin the Liberian media was the same for most Liberians and friends of Liberia the world over. Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in a tribute described the fallen media pundit as a “Great patriot, who dedicated his life to the pursuit of freedom of speech, the right of the media, and the democratic process in Liberia and Africa.” Liberia, Mrs. Johnson Sirleaf regretted, “has lost one of its greatest sons, who did not live long enough to benefit from the fruits of freedom and democracy for which he fought for so many decades.”

The Monrovia based News Newspaper, ex-Editor-in-Chief, Joe Bartuah, who now resides in the State of Massachusetts, in a tribute captioned: TOM KAMARA: AN EPITOME OF A TRUE NATIONALIST, proclaimed “The untimely death of Tom Kamara is indeed, an irreparable loss to the Liberian nation, because he was a consummate patriot and a gallant nationalist in the most unequivocal sense of the word.”

TK as noted by Mr. Bartuah was one of the finest gems of the Inky Fraternity in Liberia. He wrote, “In his passing, I have no doubt that foes and friends alike will concur that Tom was one of the most refulgent icons of Liberian journalism. The aura of eminence, trust and dignity he exuded among his peers was fueled by his intrepid and courageous stance on crucial public policy issues. When many others chose to cheer for pecuniary gains, Tom was critical, once he reasoned that the ultimate good for the country was being sacrificed on the altar of personal greed.”

For Mr. Bai M. Gbala, a former senior official of the late President Samuel K. Doe autocratic administration, TK as he penned in an e-mail posting, was a “Towering figure, a personality not only in Liberia, but also in worldwide journalism. He was independent, fair, fiercely patriotic, brave and roaring with the desire and rage for political and socio-economic justice.”

Tom was an outstanding member of the Publishers Association of Liberia (PAL). PAL in paying homage to one of its own, said TK was a true patriot and nationalist. “The Liberian political history, and the history of its locust years, can never be completed without the mentioning of the central role Tom played in informing the world about the murderous situation in Liberia while in the Diaspora. Where some professionals saw the need for comfort in Europe and the Americas, Tom saw a need to return home to help clear the debris of war and rebuild Liberia,” PAL maintained.

Journalistic Stance
TK was a stout journalist, who never mincedhis words in reporting the truth. In his vocabularies, there existed no euphemisms for calling “a spade a spade.” He spoke less, but his pen was “merciless” in criticizing or critiquing social ills in Liberia. He had no friend or foe in telling the news as it was.

His aspiration for objectivity in news reporting dates back as far as 1969 when he was the Editor of the William V. Tubman High School students’ newspaper, The Monitor.While at Tubman High, Tom was suspended bydeceased Principal A. Nanu Manly “Due to his fearless reporting on issues confronting students. He was suspended for a newspaper story that landed him into trouble with the school administration that had to do with the refusal of students to adhere to the directive to cut their Afro hairdo low,” recalled Mr. Joseph Farkollie, a longtime friend of the expired journalist in a recently published tribute.

Tom stood in defense of press freedom and free speech. He was courageous, independent, and fair in the performance of his reportorial duties. “He resisted temptations, including financial, material and high paying jobs in a country of abject poverty, to remain independent and practice a very high journalistic standard,” Journalist Jacqueline Maris of Public Radio in the Netherlands pontificated when she spoke at a recent memorial service held in honor of the expired journalist in Holland.

Before his demise, Tom was the first Liberian journalist to have tested the Sirleaf government’s commitment to compliance with the newly promulgated Liberia Freedom of Information Act, which gives the media and the public the right to inspect and obtain copies of all kinds of information held by the government and public authorities except those legitimately exempted.

In March 2012, he requested information on the financial records from three government agencies: Monrovia City Corporation(MCC), Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA), and the Maritime Bureau. He charged that some of the agencies had controversial financial dealings.

But Mary Broh, Monrovia‘soverzealous City Mayor, declined to cooperate with the request.In 1993, when he resigned as Director of Communications in the Dr. Amos Sawyer led Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU), the late Kamara and a team of local Liberian journalists established the now locally acclaimed New Democrat Newspaper as an alternative medium for free speech in Liberia.
As Managing Editor, Publisher, and writer, TK gave voice to the voiceless in Liberia. The paper from its inception to now remains a critical and aggressive news outlet for reporting the news as it is.In 1994, “when anarchists were virtually worshiping their guru, Charles Ghankay Taylor, it was Tom Kamara who envisioned that the kleptocratic despot would one day be tried and convicted, and of course, on May 31, 2012, Tom’s “prophesy” was fulfilled,” wrote Journalist Bartuah in a recent tribute to the late TK.
The Charles Ghankay Taylor Trial in the Great Beyond column launchedby the late TK in the New Democrat Newspaper won him local and international approbations.On a routine basis, TK through his creative and analytical write-ups graphically exposed the ills of Mr. Taylor and his ex-NPFL thugs.
Social Justice Advocacy
A holder of a Master’s degree in journalism from Texas University in the US, Tom began his crusade for free expression in Liberia years before the nation’s ended civil wars. A graduate of the prestigious University of Liberia, TK was a courageous, “controversial”, and eloquent writer.

In the 1980s, Tom fell off with the regime of the slain President Doe, when he exposed bad governance and economic malfeasances in Liberia. The government arrested and subsequently canned him at the National Security Agency (NSA), but he clandestinely eloped and fled into exile.

According to Journalist Bartuah, the deceased trouble with the late Doe and the People’s Redemption Council (PRC) started in 1981 when he as Editor-in-Chief of the New Liberian, a government owned newspaper, published the composite photos of the hut in which the late Doe was born and the gigantic mansion he had built in Tuzon just one year after the over throw of the late Williams R. Tolbert administration. The publication enraged the late Doe and he summarily fired the late TK.

In his quest for social justice and an equitable Liberia, the late Kamara did not pick and choose his targets in speaking against dishonesty, greed, and corruption. Journalist Bartuah in a testimony about Tom’shonestyin calling a spade a spade wrote “In 1994, when Interim President Amos Sawyer, at the phasing out of his administration, proposed that outgoing government officials purchase government vehicles assigned to them in the purported equivalents of Liberian dollars in order to own them, Tom Kamara, who had been Sawyer’s Director of Information, bitterly criticized the policy because he felt that it was robbing the struggling, war-ravaged country of needed resources. In short, whether it was his best friends or those who might tag themselves as his worst enemies, the late Thomas Kamara never minced his candid opinion.”

Legacy
Tom was an outstanding pillar in the Liberian media and human rights communities. He lived an exemplary life as a journalist and social justice advocate.Although he fell seven years short in reaching age seventy or “three scores and ten,” the biblical prediction for the life span of every human being, the late TK’s earthily journey was not in vain.He succeeded in leaving indelible and enviable foot prints on the Liberian media and human rights landscapes.

Tom suddenly died at 63, but his dazzling contributions to good journalism in Liberia will forever be remembered. Tom raised the bar for professionalism and ethical practices in the media. In the words of his longtime friend Mr. Farkollie, the late TK “Set a standard for the Liberian press.”

About the Author: Moses D. Sandy is a US based Liberian Journalist with residence in the State of Delaware. He is a middle level social work manager in the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He holds a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) from the Pennsylvania based Temple University. He is former Editor-in-Chief, Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS). He is also the Team Manager of the First State Old Timers Sports Association based in Delaware.

PUL Celebrates World Press Day - Awards Journalist

2012-05-23T01:18:00.019-07:00

By: Jos Garneo Cephas
The Press Union of Liberia marked the 19th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day, a day that honors the achievements and bravery of the men and women who call themselves journalists. The PUL 2011/2012 awards ceremony was held at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports complex in Monrovia with a number of side events, including a live band that brought the audience to the feet. The awards program climaxed series of activities in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day organized by the Union. The program was sponsored by Cellcom, UNESCO, IREX, UNMIL and Coa-Coala.
The panel of judges named the Heritage the best newspaper in the country for its remarkable work during the year under review.

PUL President, Peter Quaqua

The panel of judges included: Madam Musue Hadad, Chairperson. Madam Haddad is a renowned Liberian female journalist, who have won journalism and photo-journalism awards from the Press Union of Liberia, and also received international human rights awards for her work. Ms. Haddad is now Consumer Manager at the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA).

Other members of the panel included: Mr. Nathan Bengue, Director of Communications at the Public Procurement and Concession Commission (PPCC) and also former Vice president of the Press Union of Liberia, Mr. Hassan Kiawu, Director of Communications at the Ministry of Agriculture and also Media Consultant at the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) and Mr. Raymond Zabay, a seasoned Liberian journalist in the employ of the United Nations Mission In Liberia (UNMIL) Radio.
The rest are: Mr. Thomas Doe-Nah; Executive Director of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), Mr. Momolu V.O. Sirleaf, former President of the Sports Writers Association of Liberia (SWAL). Currently, he serves as Policy Analyst at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and Mr. Albert Ansu, Program Director of the Center for Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP).

In her statement, the Chairperson of the vetting Committee, Musue Haddad said the Committee worked assiduously, and took into account news content, originality of materials submitted, grammar, general layout and above all, accuracy, balance and clarity otherwise known as the basic ABC of journalism.

Haddad said, though there were several entries for the “Investigative Reporter,” award, the committee went through all of the materials with “keen eyes,” but none of the materials met the Investigative Journalism award. She told the audience that the committee based their decision on several factors, including, “a report that broke new ground on a particular topic, or dug deeper into a topic than anyone has before, and a report that demonstrated that the reporter interviewed or quoted numerous on the record sources, as well as in some instances, interviews with anonymous sources, or whistleblowers, conducted the investigation for at least several months.” " After going through the entries submitted, the committee realized that none of the entries met the criteria for investigative journalism," Chairperson Haddad said.

To determine whether a piece is an investigative one, Haddad urged reporters to ask themselves the following questions: will this piece affect change in one way or another; what would be the outcome of the story? Would the story be ignored or will the report get people talking? Will the report spark an investigation; will it cause a policy shift or some other political change?

Speaking at the awards ceremony, the President of the PUL, Mr. Peter Quaqua, Congratulated the honorees and challenged them to continue to raise the standard of the journalism profession in the country.

On the other hand, he also challenged individual journalists and institutions that did not win to work harder next time, adding “you can be winners; it is just a matter of time.”

For his part, Mr. Chris Simpson, formally with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), commended the Liberian media for its contributions to the rebuilding of the country following years of political brouhaha.

Mr. Simpson said he was impressed with the huge eloquence of the Liberian media.
Mr. Sampson, who served as keynote speaker during the awards program, pointed out that the Liberian media has developed rapidly over the years.

However, he called on journalists to use the freedom of the press responsibly, urging journalists that they must be kind, perfect, accurate and truthful in the discharge of their noble profession.

The latest award won by the Heritage on May 4, 2012 brings to three the total number of awards the paper has received. It can be recalled that in 2005, the acclaimed European Union (EU) named the Heritage as the best newspaper in the coverage of the 2005 Presidential and Legislative Elections.

It can also be recalled that in 2012, the paper was ranked #1 on the Media Quality Barometer (MQB) Survey, an initiative of the Liberia Media Center (LMC) and its international partners.

Meanwhile, several individual journalists were also awarded for their remarkably work during the 2011/2012 year.

Those awarded are: Mr. Anthony Stevens (Radio Veritas); Sports Reporter of the Year, Mr. Abbas Dolley (New Democrat Newspaper); Photo Journalist of the Year, Mr. Robert Clark (Truth FM); Newscaster of the Year, Mr. Titus Tokpa (LBS); Legislative Reporter of the Year(Electronic category) and Mr. Tom Nyannue (FrontPage Africa Newspaper); Legislative Reporter of the Year(Print Category).

Others are: Madam Weade Williams (FrontPage Africa Newspaper); Executive Mansion Reporter of the Year, Madam Fatumata Fofana (Daily Observer); Columnist of the Year, Madam Fabine Quiah (Radio Veritas); Women's Rights Reporter of the Year, Mr. Peter Fahn (New Liberia Newspaper); Environmental Reporter of the Year and Mr. Jefferson Mansah (Radio Gbarnga); Development Reporter of the Year.

The rest are: Mr. Nathan Charles (LBS) Human Rights Reporter of the Year (Electronic category), Madam Weade Williams (FrontPage Africa Newspaper) Human Rights Reporter of the Year (Print Category), Madam Tetee Gebro (Sky FM), Business Reporter of the Year and Mr. Isaac Freeman (Power TV), Videographer of the Year.

Fabric Radio was named as the Radio Station of the year 2011-2012.

Other World Press Freedom Day activities included hundreds of journalists parading through the streets of Monrovia and a debate between students from two of Liberia’s leading universities on the importance of the Freedom of Information Law.
Scenes from the Ceremony
PUL's Vetting Committee

LTA Cites Lonestar

2012-05-23T01:16:00.001-07:00

Liberia Telecommunications Authority
12th Street Sinkor – Tubman Boulevard
Monrovia, Liberia

Monrovia, Liberia: May 22, 2012 The Board of Commissioners of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority has cited the management of the Lonestar Communications Corporation to an administrative hearing to show cause why the LTA should not suspend Lonestar’s license for violation of the Telecommunications Act of 2007 and LTA’s Interconnection Regulations issued in 2009.

The LTA decision comes in the wake of Lonestar’s failure to heed LTA’s ultimatum mandating it to fully reconnect Comium Liberia to its interconnection trunk by 5:00 p.m. on Monday May 21, 2012.

In a letter to the Chief Executive Officer of Lonestar Communications Corporation Mr. Mazen Mroue the LTA said data available to the LTA management shows that Comium is not fully re-connected as it was prior to Lonestar’s unilateral action of May 18, 2012 in complete defiance to LTA’s instructions issued yesterday Monday May 22, 2012
As a result, the letter stated, the Lonestar should bring along to this show cause hearing which has been scheduled for tomorrow Wednesday May 23, 2012, its legal counsel and that failure to attend will result in the LTA taking appropriate remedial actions.

The LTA yesterday Monday May 21, 2012 issued a Press Statement mandating the Chief Executive Officer of LoneStar to reconnect Comium Liberia.

LTA Statement on Lonestar and Comium Saga

2012-05-22T01:05:00.004-07:00

Monday May 21, 2012: THE LIBERIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY IS IN RECEIPT OF A LETTER OF COMPLAINT FROM COMIUM LIBERIA THAT LONESTAR COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION HAS DISCONNECTED THE INTERCONNECTION TRUNK WITH COMIUM SINCE LAST FRIDAY MAY 18, 2012.

AS THE PUBLIC MAY ALSO BE AWARE, ON SATURDAY MAY 19, LONESTAR COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION, WITHOUT ANY REGARD FOR THE LIBERIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY, SENT TEXT MESSAGES TO ITS SUBSCRIBERS, INFORMING THEM THAT INCOMING CALLS FROM COMIUM TO LONESTAR, AS OF FRIDAY MAY 18, WILL BE LIMITED.

IN THE WAKE OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE SECTOR, THE LTA HAS INSTRUCTED THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF LONESTAR COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION MR. MAZEN MROUE TO RECONNECT COMUIM IMMEDIATELY BEFORE 5:00 P.M. TODAY MONDAY, TO THE STATUS QUO ANTE.

FAILURE BY LONESTAR TO IMPLEMENT THIS MANDATE, THE LTA WILL COMMENCE THE NECESSARY PROCEDURE FOR THE SUSPENSION OF LONESTAR’S OPERATIONAL LICENSE AND TAKE OTHER APPROPRIATE ACTIONS.

THE LTA HAS BEEN PUSHED TO THE EXTREME DUE TO LONESTAR’S CONSISTENT DISREGARD OF LTA’S REGULATIONS, AND THE GOVERNMENT OF LIBERIA’S POLICIES ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS.

SIGNED:___________________________
E. Blamo Robinson
Acting Director of Public and Consumer Affairs

Liberia Communications Authority on Its Development Sector

2012-05-21T00:59:00.000-07:00

Monrovia, Liberia: May 20, 2012 The Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) wishes to clarify that contrary to media reports and insinuations that the recent trip made abroad by the Chairperson of the LTA, madam Angelique Weeks, for the purpose of seeking emergency medical treatment for her mother is being sponsored by the LTA is false, inaccurate and misleading.

The LTA wishes to let it be known that said trip is a private one and therefore the LTA could not have committed a dime to the effort, and that the LTA records are there for anyone to see in this regard.

In another development, the LTA’s attention has been drawn to Lonestar’s unilateral and illegal action of announcing that it intended to limit connectivity to its network for Comium consumers, and subsequently following through with its threat without recourse to the LTA, thereby violating Lonestar’s licensing agreement, as well as relevant portions of the Telecom Act of 2007.
Both the Telecom Act and Lonestar’s licensing agreement forbid Lonestar as a service provider from disrupting interconnection between it and any other licensed service provider in the country without the LTA’s expressed approval.

While LTA is indeed aware of Comium’s indebtedness to the Lonestar regarding interconnection fees, the LTA has since assured the Lonestar that the LTA is fully engaged with Comium to expedite a resolution of the problem and had accordingly requested Lonestar to exercise restraint in the interim.

The LTA therefore views this action against Comium consumers as a complete disregard of and disrespect for LTA’s statutory regulatory powers and a serious and blatant violation of a cardinal licensing term and condition under which Lonestar was granted a license.

Meanwhile, it has been brought to the attention of the LTA that Lonestar, contrary to ongoing efforts to foster a Public-Private Partnership in which Lonestar, Cellcom, Libtelco and the Government of Liberia are collaborating to bring in the submarine cable in the country, Lonestar has undertaken to establish a separate fiber backbone by way of San Pedro in Cote d’Ivoire, even though the LTA had since advised all GSM companies wishing to establish cross border fiber connectivity to hold back their horses (or request authorization from the LTA) in this regard so as not to undermine GoL policy on the submarine cable project.

In view of these negative and alarming sector developments, the LTA is considering appropriate regulatory actions that will protect consumers in the country and ensure the timely and successful implementation of GoL policy on fiber optic connectivity in the country.

Factors That Influence War

2012-05-04T01:01:00.000-07:00

By: Musue N. Haddad

Why do countries go to war? Why do nations that were once allies become bitter enemies? Why do people allow disagreement to degenerate into conflicts? Why do people of the same nation fight, and continue to fight even if their fights lead to loss of precious lives, and destructions of properties? Why were there civil wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia? Why Sierra Leoneans did chop the hands of their fellow citizens, including little kids? Why Liberians did butcher one another?

At the onset of the Liberian civil war, we were told that the war was a "revolution" and for a "cause," a cause that is yet to be identified and defined. Or did we fight for the usual "human rights, prosperity and freedom" that we hear most wars are being fought? Did we go to war to improve our own wealth and power, or at the very least to improve the wealth and power of others? Now that the guns are silent in Sierra Leone and Liberia, the wounds created by the war are still somehow fresh, and the scars are revealing. Did the wars benefit citizenry of Liberia and Sierra Leone? Were the wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone supported in any way? If so, why and for what reasons? Was there a vested interest in our wars? Were those benefits in any way based on interest, revenge, or fear, or all of the above?

There are several conflicts on the African continent. If we take a keen look at the conflicts in Sudan, Congo, Somalia, and the wars in the Middle East, we notice that most of the crises have characteristics that run through all of them: the fight for the usual human rights, prosperity and freedom. But how successful have we been in achieving these goals and objectives? But then again, we know that history has shown that wars and conflicts are fought and instigated for a number of reasons, including interest, revenge and or fear.

In order to take a look at some of the factors that influence wars, whether in Africa, the Middle East, the Gulf, and other parts of the war, this article takes a look at one of the most recent crisis that grasp the attention of both local and international media. The great United States played a pivotal role in the Iraq war, and continues to engage Iraq and its neighbors to promote democracy. This discussion looks at the processes used by the U.S. intelligence in its collection and analysis about Iraq's capabilities to develop and use weapons of mass destruction (WMD) - the key factor that presumably led to the war. This article also look at and discuss the four political models- the Bureaucratic Politics, Organizational model, Rationale Action, and Psychological model to analyze the perspective(s) that best explains the failure of the U.S. Intelligence Community to provide accurate information on Iraqi's capabilities to develop and use weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

The Psychological Model

The U.S. Intelligence Community assessment that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear programs was a substantial intelligence failure that can be largely attributed to the psychological perspective. Key actors of the U.S. Intelligence Community focused on assumptions, perceptions, and past historical behaviors of Iraq to make assessment and analysis. The major actors within the U.S. Intelligence Community included the CIA, NGIC, DIA, DOE, NIR, Air Force Intelligence, NGA, NSA, and FBI, worked within the confines of a preconceived notion that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear weapons program and would again deceive the international community by concealing the program. When intelligence reporting indicated that Iraq was seeking tubes made of 7075 T6 aluminum alloy, that report served as an additional information used by actors within the Intelligence Community to counter their information as a way of retaining their view points and beliefs -that Iraq was reconstituting its weapons program. The CIA and NGIC insisted from the onset that aluminum tubes could be used for centrifuge rotors, as opposed to the DOE and IAE, who stated that the tubes were better, suited for use in Iraq's missile launcher program. Additionally, the claim that Iraq had attempted to buy uranium yellow cake from Niger and the case for the UAV further illustrates how biases, rigid perceptions and fixed beliefs by the U.S. Intelligence lead to faulty intelligence analysis. Despite the scanty evidence available, the CIA failed to confirm the foreign report on the uranium yellowcake but concluded that the information was cogent.

The various agencies responsible for data collection began with the idea that the Iraqi regime was procuring illegal arsenals to reconstitute its nuclear program. The psychological perception that when someone acts like they have something to hide, usually they are hiding something, further rationalized the underlying assumptions of key U.S intelligence actors than by available scientific evidence (pg 69).

Iraq's historical activities and the logic it seemed to imply made it counter-intuitive to U.S. Intelligence that Saddam was building and hiding Weapons of Mass Destruction. With this notion, it was likely that a contrary point of view would have been out rightly dismissed. Another psychological setback was the failure to independently reassess evidences and reconsider particularly foreign sources and their information. The data provided by Curveball and other sources were not evaluated. These factors among other assumptions led to unmotivated bias wherein intelligence organizations failed to analyze the data and verify the authenticity of the claims. This bias intensified the motivated biases wherein assumptions became stronger that "contradictory data was often discounted as likely false' (pg 169). It is obvious that a chain of psychological factors created a just right situation for intelligence failure.

Organizational Model

The organizational processes of the U.S. community was a second major contributing failure of the intelligence gathering and analysis concerning the reconstitution of Iraqi's Weapons program -the Weapons of Mass Destruction, (WMD). The overall collection of information for WMD in Iraq has many organizational flaws. The intelligence community's primary failure resulted from their routines and mission of collecting reliable and useful information. In this case, the intelligence community relied on very few sources -human intelligence without much effort to verifying the sources' background and information provided.

Routines procedure and short-cuts were also part of the organizational problems that led to the U.S. Intelligence Community's erroneous conclusion that Iraq was trying to procure uranium from Niger. Document concerning an Iraq- Niger oil contract were initially forwarded to the DOS but not to the CIA. The documents were later found to be forgeries, but failure to initially send the documents to the CIA caused a delay in officially discrediting he documents.

The lack of coordination and procedural problem among different agencies made information sharing difficult. The absence of coordination to address the different assessment from different agencies also contributed to the U.S Intelligence community faulty WMD report on Iraq. In order for an organization to be effective, it needs to have a defined structure, access to information and coherence. The U.S. Intelligence community lacked coherence between and among the various organizations - CIA, NSA, FBI's intelligence division, Naval Intelligence, Air Force Intelligence, Army Intelligence, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's intelligence division et others. Given the extensive organizational divisions of the intelligence community, there were undoubtedly overlap and duplications of duties by organizations that already had different standard operation procedures, missions and ideology. Another faulty organizational process was the issue of information and intelligence sharing, and the fact that there were several small intelligence agencies beholden to their government departments that may have had useful information but had little concept of the bigger issue at stake.

Divisions within organizations need to be made clear and there should also be minimum overlaps and duplication as much as possible in order for an organization to be efficient and achieve its goals. When there is an overlap and duplications of functions, or lack of coherence within an organization, there is a tendency for muddle up in the operations, ideology or lost sight of what they are seeking. The U.S Intelligence community comprised over a dozen organizations. The size of the individual organizations varied, having a single person at the top of the pyramid still doesn't eliminate problems of duplication. As information moves up any organization it is filtered by actors at various levels who make judgments as to what is important, sometimes using their expertise and/or judgment - to address particular issues without the knowledge of higher ups.

Another setback within the Intelligence community was organizational culture. When organizations merged, whether formally or informally, there is the possibility for an influence in the culture of one or all of the organizations. This cultural influence can have an effect on the ideology of the actors within the organization and their objectives which might be different from the mission and goals of the organization. As a result of the overlapping of functions, the Intelligence collection, analysis and reporting was not separated from that of the military operations. This was a major setback; military analysis and ideology are usually clearly interpreted differently from that of intelligence and, whenever possible intelligence analysis and reporting needs to be separated from military.

This was evident during the U.S Intelligence community collection and analysis of Iraq when the CIA began operating closely with Defense. It is possible that by working closely with Defense, the CIA, or both of the organizations borrowed an aspect of the other's approach and attitude in assessing and or interpretation of data on Iraq

Another organizational problem was the intelligence community tendency to do away with uncertainty and to seek conformity. Such practices resulted in the lack of knowledge or awareness of the availability of information inconsistent with data they had secured regarding the Iraqi situation. In general, the intelligence community's failure resulted from organizational processes attributed to the intelligence community tendency to place emphasis on dubious evidence because it fit presumptions, and they ignored contradictory evidence, which may have resulted in alternative hypothesis. This disregard for independent evidence or information that was inconsistent with data they had accrued impeded any possibility of truth on the Iraqi situation.

Organizational processes also determined the perspective of different organizations within the intelligence community. The CIA focused its mission in interpreting the deception of others; the CIA exposed itself to thinking that any absence of evidence or information was an indication of Iraqi's successful deception of the Intelligence community. The flaws and setbacks in the organizational processes of the U.S. Intelligence community explain the failure in its collection and analysis which resulted in a false impression of certainty for analysts' judgment.

Bureaucratic Politics Model

Although Bureaucratic politics behavior within the failed decision making regarding U.S intelligence community cannot be seen as significantly important as was the Psychological and Organizational models, the primary objective of bureaucratic politics was to protect the interest of the organization.

In most instances, the CIA and other bureaus utilized intelligence that was of poor quality. A bureaucratic problem was the unwillingness of the Intelligence Community and the CIA in particular to admit error and also discouraged the pursuit of information that would have revealed error. This reluctance was probably seen as a way of protecting and maintaining the credibility of the bureaus and organizations.

Other fundamental dynamics to explore that might shed light on the role bureaucratic politics played in the U.S Intelligence assessment of Iraq is whether the excessive layers of bureaucracy within the Intelligence community and the behavior of the major actors from individual organizations were consistent with the overall goal of the Intelligence Community. This leads to the issue of appointments and basis for which the appointments or reorganization made. A characteristic to also consider is the consistency of a position to a particular bureau and whether the position was consistent with the interest of the organization or geared towards accomplishing a specific goal or interest.

Rationale Action Model

The U.S intelligence community in assessing Iraq's WMD focused largely on Saddam's behavior in the past and determined that though his actions were seemingly irrational, from that determination constructed a pattern of behavior which they rationally considered the irrational behavior of Saddam. As a result of the presumptions drawn from Saddam's previous behavior, the Intelligence community used scanty data to support their hypothesis that Iraq did indeed have and was reconstituting its Weapons of Mass Destruction. Instead of testing the hypothesis, they treated the hypothesis as facts, ignoring all alternatives which resulted in failures in their analysis of Iraq's WMD.

The Intelligence community appeared to have been over-whelmed by the presumptions, and hypothesis with little considerations for measuring ranges between available alternatives and goals. It was based on the flawed theory that the Intelligence Community cashed in on a short-term consequences -a report claiming that Iraq had and was reconstituting its weapon of Mass Destruction.

The Burning House Theory - Security and Survival in International Politics

2012-05-04T00:59:00.000-07:00

By: Musue N. Haddad

Have you ever seen a house burning? Have you ever survived a burning house? Now as you begin thinking about a burning house, your mind may become preoccupied with other disasters. Then you may start asking yourself, "What kind of life is considered a good life for human beings? What kind of life is appropriate for a person to live among people and how does a person's relationship with others influence society and their own survival? Well, as you read on, you will notice that this article is not pushing you to think about being in a burning house. Rather, this article is using a burning house scenario to demonstrate three political theories: Realism, Liberalism and Constructivism. These political terminologies, are theories that have been at work for many years, and have influenced political ideas around the world.

The questions asked at the beginning of this article are similar to ones that have been the focus of various political theories for several centuries. Deliberation on these political principles resulted in Arnold Wolfers' work: Discord and Collaboration: Essays on International Politics, published in 1963 which uses the example of the burning house to demonstrate some principles of political theories.

The burning house metaphor provides the concepts and applications of Realism, Liberalism and Constructivism. The circumstance in the Burning House metaphor, scenario #1, the heat from the fire is extremely intense, smoke has filled the room and it is difficult for the occupants to breathe and almost impossible for them to see falls within the Realism theories where occupants will see their survival as zero-sum - one occupant's survival is balanced by the losses of another occupant. With this in mind, self- interest and survival becomes the primary goal of each occupant with no interest in cooperation and building alliance. Acting on the Realism principles, the occupants also considers themselves as a sovereign state who are the principal actors in the international system and therefore do not anticipate help from the fire department.

The next circumstance, scenario # 2, the fire is in a distant part of the house and does not pose an immediate threat to the occupants reflects Realism view. Occupants are self-centered. They do not see the fire as posing any direct threat to their survival and security, therefore do not feel obliged to put to use resources they have amassed to extinguish the fire. The reason is that, states are in competition with one another and views self-interest as a primary goal to maintain and ensure their own security which translates into sovereignty and survival with security as its primary goal. Realism holds that in the pursuit of security, states will attempt to amass resources and that relations between states are determined by their level of power. That level of power is in turn determined by the states military might and economic capabilities. Kenneth N. Waltz in his contribution to the study of Realism said the main goal of a state actor is to secure power and security in the form of military power or political persuasion. The goal of each state's interest in its own security and survival is prevalent today in international politics.

One example of Realism is the United States under the leadership of President George Bush. Bush exhibited some characteristics of being a realist. The U.S war on Iraq was obviously because President Bush feared the security of the United States was threatened. The act of going to war followed one of the theories of realism - states ensure security and survival of its own state even if it has to go to war to protect its security and survival. President Bush was aggressive in his pursuit of security and survival which is a guarantee of power. President Bush's attempts to make sure of the security of the United States and its ability to influence or control other states which in turn ensures the survival of the U.S. The level of power a state possesses determines its survival. Another underlying outcome of the war on Iraq could be the preservation of the United States culture.

An additional example to show how realism is still dominant in the world today is by looking at Indian and Pakistan. At one time, Pakistan and India were one state, but today they are split and have almost similar amount of power between them. However, both states wish to be more powerful than the other one, which is why so much conflict is occurring today. This concept of balance of power is another fundamental assumption of realism.

One more example of Realism approach in the pursuit of wealth and security through amassing resources was demonstrated by ex-warlord and ex-president Charles Taylor of Liberia. While leading a rebel group, Charles Taylor began displaying some of the qualities of Realism by establishing and supporting insurgency groups to destabilize governments in other countries within the region. Even after becoming President of Liberia, Taylor continued to pursue resources from other countries as a way of accumulating more resources in pursuit of security, survival and power. In addition to accumulating resources as President, Charles Taylor in his relation with other states within the region exemplified basic theories of Realism with regards to the pursuit of political power by threatening the political stability of governments which he considered opposing forces. Realism believes that states want to be more dominant than their neighbors and that power is control, so whoever has the power has the control. The character of Taylor was a unique example of the Realism principles of how relations between states are determined by their power and that that level of power is determined by military and economic potentials. Charles Taylor's approach to power is what realism views as natural to human beings; that is to be self-centered and eager for power. To what extend this view extends to all human beings is arguable but there were reports that Taylor regularly consulted Machiavelli work, "The Prince." Machiavelli in the Prince argues human being is set in his ways of being corrupt when it comes to power.

Niccolò Machiavelli discussed the methods of gaining and maintaining political power in his work The Prince, published in 1532. Michiavelli supported other political scholars definition of power as the ability to impose one's will on others, or to pursue one's goals at the expense of others' interests. Power can be exercised through violence or through coercion, through threat of force, or through treaties and diplomacy.

Throughout its history, realism has faced many challenges and criticisms from different approaches; most notably liberalism. Liberalism argues that power politics itself is the product of ideas, and crucially ideas can change. From a liberalism view, cooperation is more persuasive that action forced. Realism holds the assumptions that international system is anarchical and that sovereign states rather than International Governmental Organizations, (IGOs), Non Governmental Organizations, (NGOs), or Multinational National Corporations, (MNCs), are primary actors in international affairs, Liberalism and Constructivism hold other views on international system. Liberalism criticizes the notion of state as unitary actors, each with a single set of coherent interests. Constructivism rejects standard realist and liberal views on international relations and argues that state interests stem from identities and international norms, rather than from the effects of international anarchy.

In the metaphor of the burning house, scenario # 3, the occupants have a well-rehearsed evacuation plan demonstrates the importance of collective action and the significance of cooperation in achieving a common goal. The differences between liberalism and Realism and other political beliefs is that Liberalism believes that an organized society creates the possibility for preplanning and cooperation and coordination. Scenario # 4, the exits are clearly visible and unobstructed, describes some of the advantages of cooperation over competition. While the Realism principles of competition drives people to reach their highest performance, it supports separation which leads to individuality, cooperation promotes unity. People are stronger together than when they are separated.

Scenario # 4 also demonstrates how people adapt (new) behavior. Although the Liberalism and Constructivism theories discuss institutions and people's reactions to these issues, Constructivism delves more into the behavior of people to society and norms. The Constructivism principles explores how people's behavior change even though they initially had different set if ideas, people adapt to behavior to avoid being reprimanded. Although the authoritative influence is lacking in Liberalism and Realism, Constructivism principles approach to behavior is through legitimacy and getting people to do what they would not have done. This approach of authority and legitimacy resulted into keeping the exits clearly visible and unobstructed. Had this circumstances being under the Realism theory of self-interest, the exits would have been obstructed by individuals who for example needed space to store excesses of their personal belongings with total disregard for the security and well-being of others.

As for the situation cited in scenario # 5, the occupants are unsure which exits, if any, are usable, it exhibits variables of both Liberalism and Constructivism theories. Liberalism believes conflict is often a result of miscommunication or that information may have being misrepresented or unfavorable. This miscommunication may have resulted to lack of knowledge of if any, the availability and location of a usable exit. A high level of threat is perceived in this scenario according to the Constructivism theory. However, in the midst of this threat, Constructivism makes available the presence of an intermediary and also allows for help to enable the understanding of problems faced by others. In this scenario, although occupants are unsure of the existence and positions of usable exits, intermediary and activism under Constructivism could intervene through advocacy or providing insight to occupants on the problems they are faced with. Assistance could also be provided to help occupants.

In Arnold Wolfers' metaphor of the burning house, Scenario # 6, one occupant takes the lead and shouts out orders for others to follow, describes the Realism theory where one strong state must takes the lead in anarchy in order to maintain order. The principle is that the only source of stability so far relies on the balance of power; the powerful leads and others follow.

Unlike the Realism principle, states are independent under the Liberalism theory, but they work cooperatively through other organizations where generally there is not one leader. This is what is exhibited in scenario # 7, where no one takes the lead. Although in such a disastrous situation, when there is no sign of rescue, there is paranoid which might result into anarchy and it's survival of the fittest, this is not to say that order and cooperative groups do not arise in anarchy. Order and cooperative groups do arise in times of disaster; it is just that mostly they re not planned.

The focus of Realism in nationalism as opposed to sub-national groupings is why the issue of capability is important to the survival and security of the state. In scenario # 8, the tallest occupant can escape through the window, being tall is considered a capability in this circumstance for Realism, and therefore an advantage for the tall occupant in the burning house.

Constructivism legitimizes support for intervention which comes through cooperation and alliance with international organizations, sub-state and other actors. Legitimacy and intervention could be based on treaties, moral and how practices exist in society and this is what is expected of the volunteer firefighter is scenario # 9, one occupant is a volunteer firefighter and some are small children. Constructivism recognizes the volunteer firefighter as a learner who is building his knowledge through experience. Constructivism is a learning process in which the learner is engaged in constantly building that knowledge and is always analyzing their learning experience. Constructivism promotes the notions of diversity and adaptability and believes that learners who can adapt quickly by learning are more likely to adapt to changing conditions which in turn promotes survival in the event of disaster.

Scenario # 10, the house was ignited by a forest fire that continues to burn uncontrollably, describes a situation of providing help for the helpless when there is anarchy. This scenario portrays Liberalism and is almost similar to that of scenario # 7, where no one takes the lead. The differences between the two circumstances are that unlike #7 where order and cooperation seems to have arisen in the anarchy among occupants of the burning house, for scenario #10, efforts are galvanized by other stronger states to provide help for the vulnerable which results into future opportunity to negotiate.

The importance of institutions in the Liberalism and Constructivism principles though at different levels in illustrated in scenario # 11, the fire department is located just two blocks away and is renowned for its excellent response time. The occupants can seek outside help because the principles of Constructivism and Liberalism do not view sovereign state as the only body in the political realm as argued by Realism. Liberalism principle maintains that there are outside organizations to help facilitate problems. Liberalism views cooperation as more persuasive while Constructivism on the other hand says that state interests stem from identities and international norms, rather than from the effects of international anarchy, a view opposed by Realism.

The scenario # 12, one occupant had intentionally set the fire, describes both Realism and Liberalism theories. The deliberate setting of the fire is a characteristic of greed and self-interest common to Realism zero-sum theory of power. Realism holds the view that states are naturally aggresive, and that expanding one's territory is hindered by opposing power. The greed to acquire more territory which can be term resources and expanding control resulted in the deliberate setting of the fire to get rid of opposing forces reflects the Realism principle of pursuing power. Realism discusses the pursuit of one's goal at the expense of others' interests. In pursuing his goal which can be defined in this scenario as the desire for power and security, the occupant used violence and the threat of force to achieve his goal. However, the affected occupants acted in cooperative ways because of the uncertainty they faced as a way of ensuring their safety. This cooperative approach falls within the Liberalism principle. Occupants realized that they are stronger together than being separated.

The last scenario, you are in the house and a laptop containing a draft of your PSC 240 thought paper is in a bedroom upstairs, shows some principles of Liberalism and Constructivism. Although constructivism started on the principle of learning, it has expanded its authority, becoming a basis of teaching, education, and the basis for the origin of ideas, and also personal knowledge. That means it is worth risking one's life because society is served if the paper survives. Many constructivists believe that "all knowledge is a human construction." Sherman, L. W. (1995), said constructivism hold the view that knowledge is not 'about' the world, but rather 'constitutive' the world.

Constructivism regards all learning as vital to the learner and important to society, whether original or not. Liberalism provides individuals the freedom to pursue their own goals, in their own ways, provided they do not infringe on the rights of others. As a result of the freedom provided by the Liberalism theory and the lack of competition, people become interested in the well-being of others. Realizing the importance of the PSC paper to society, occupants will cooperate and assist in retrieving the PSC paper from the bedroom upstairs.

About the author: Musue N. Haddad is a Liberian Journalist/Photo-Journalist. She holds a graduate degree from George Washington University, U.S.A. and has worked both at home and outside of Liberia. She received several national and international awards for her journalistic practices and human rights work, including the Nelson Mandela Award for "Best Student in Photo-Journalism," Human Rights Award from the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UNA-NCA), for "outstanding dedication and service towards the recognition, promotion and protection of the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family." and Human Rights Watch Hellmann-Hammett Award, granted to writers around the world who have been the targets of political persecution.

The Dilemmas of Multilateral Interventions in Conflicts

2012-05-04T00:57:00.000-07:00

By: Musue Haddad

Have you listened to local and international news recently? Have you read local and international news? Have you watched national and international television news? If so, then you will begin to feel that people are fighting and fighting, and all around the world, nations are fighting. You will also notice that in the midst of these conflicts, there are mediators, trying to intercede, or act as referees, or intervene in the conflicts. Do you need some solid examples of countries engulfed in crises? Take a look at the Libyan factional fighting, the ongoing crises in Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. Also, let's expand our view to the conflicts in Sudan, the Yemeni and Syrian uprising, the Kosovo-Serbia border clashes, the Bahraini uprising, and the ongoing insurgency in northern Mali.

As we mull over the various conflicts that have occurred in our societies, including the ongoing conflicts, we will note that the presence of various national and international mediators, and or multilateral interventions, whose presence we are told is to "cease hostilities" and resolve the conflicts. The next question then becomes, how successful has the process of mediations been? How do we measure the accomplishment of multilateral groups in conflicts? In order to discuss these concerns, let's take a look at the Liberian conflict, particularly the negotiation process that resulted in the 1997 Special Elections. I did not participate in the negotiation process but the result of that process has left me wondering how regional and international politics and the self interests of states can have a devastating effect on multilateral interventions.

As we see around us, it is the practice that when conflicts arise in a country, states negotiate multilaterally. Ambassadors, ministers and leaders of various groups are called to serve as mediators to help the parties involved in the conflict overcome their impasses. This was the situation of the negotiation process that resulted in the 1997 elections in Liberia, and the subsequent "elections" of ex-rebel leader, Charles Taylor as president. While it is true that multilateral interventions in state conflicts are essential, there are some key elements that are generally overlooked. During multilateral negotiation process, little is known about how the role of each of these mediators will be played. Two issues that remain obscured, but critical are the options and interests of mediators and the standards that will be used in the negotiation process. Standards have to do what can be done to cease hostility. In the case of Liberia, the standards deduced from the process included 1. Stop the fighting in Liberia in order for the establishment of political parties and elections to be held. 2. Disarmament needed to carry out to encourage and ensure free and fair elections. 3. A transitional government where each party was appointed as vice presidents while a neutral person serves as chair person of the transitional government.

As we consider the interests of mediators, let's begin to think about the individual and or collective interests of mediators, what consequences those interests have on the outcome of the negotiations? These questions are generally given little considerations during multilateral negotiation process in states conflicts. Therefore, in an attempt to expound on the two obscured, but critical issues, we will attempt to analyze efforts by the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS), other world leaders and regional and international organizations intervention on the Liberia crisis. The analysis looks at the mode of the negotiation process using the Nine-Element framework, Circle Chart design of the meeting to analyze the mediators "resolution" of the Liberian conflict and Charles Taylor's election to the presidency.

I will also explore whether the commitments reached were operational and durable and if the outcome of that negotiation was the best alternative to the negotiated agreement.

THE PROBLEM AND SYMPTOMS

Understanding the Liberian conflict is important for the negotiation process. In order for mediators to recognize whether there will be impediments to the negotiation process and how options can be generated and what specifics steps they need to take, they need to have adequate information of the prevailing problems. Without understanding some of the concealed problems, mediators will fail in achieving two of the most influencing elements of the negotiation process: Communications and Relationship. The two influencing elements - Communication and Relationship, help a mediator to keep the negotiation process on course without reaching a deadlock and determine whether relationship between the parties is possible or already exist. If the parties lack relationship, the mediator can find out whether it is possible to influence or initiate one.

The civil war in Liberia started in December 1989. At that time, I was a student at the University of Liberia and partly active in Student politics. Student politics at the University then was not isolated to campus issues, but included and focused mostly on national issues. Samuel K. Doe was president of Liberia then. Throughout the over 150 years of the existence of Liberia, after Liberia was established, Doe was the first native to become president of that country. Aside Doe, Liberian presidents were all former American slaves or descendants of Slaves. I believe understanding the trend of Liberian presidency is important for understanding the root causes of the Liberian war, the opened or hidden relationship that exist between and among parties and how to negotiate on the alternatives and interests of parties involved.

President Doe came to power through a military coup. He was a Master Sergeant who led a group of young soldiers that toppled the government of William R. Tolbert. At the time of the coup in 1980, I was still in elementary school but I felt and witnessed the brunt of the coup as the military searched for members of Tolbert's government officials, friends and sympathizers of that administration. [Let me clarify that by outlining my own experience, I am attempting to provide (my own first) first hand information that had a great bearing on the war and conflicts in Liberia.] The military soldiers committed crimes against civilians not only in the capital, Monrovia but in the remote parts of rural Liberia. As a little girl in Salayea, (then a town now a District) the soldiers came to my parents' home in combat form, carrying long ranged weapons. They asked all of us to line up as they searched and ransacked our home, under the pretext of searching for members of Tolbert's family and government officials. Later, after the 'soldiers" chaos in Salayea subsided; I learnt that the soldiers raped, looted, and killed innocent civilians. These violations were carried out with impunity. These crimes committed by the soldiers and those who were anti Tolbert agents were apparently never forgotten. This background information is important for the analysis of the mediatory roles carried out and also to have an in depth understanding of the aftermath of the peace process and the results of the elections. These events were brought forth and it became obvious that each party to the conflict held on to some aspects of the historical background as a hidden motive.

During the administration of Charles Taylor, it was evident that there were acts of reprisal carried for members of the former slaves that suffered abuses during the administration of Doe. This information is obviously something that parties did bring forth during peace talks and might have resulted in ineffective communications with parties resisting compromise and continuously Contesting of Wills, positions, and being hard bargainers.

CIRCLE CHART: Problem & Symptoms

In December 1989 a group of dissidents began an uprising against the government of President Doe. The National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), the rebel group led by Charles Taylor invaded Liberia and within weeks controlled much of the countryside. Charles Taylor is a descendant of former American slaves. He did not hold back his intentions. Taylor once announced that he was revenging the killings members of Tolbert's government that was carried out by Doe. At the University of Liberia, students were rejoicing that a group had taken a bold stance against the leadership of Doe; an indication that Doe has lost favor with the Liberian population. The NPFL splinter group, Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia only increased the violence as fighting continued into 1990. As the fighting increased, Doe became more forceful and members of the military began arresting citizens accusing them of being supporters and fans of the rebels. Student of the University were also victims and we hid our University of Liberia students' identification cards. Some student were deliberately targeted, arrested and killed. As the fighting intensified, barbaric human rights violations became frequent and wide spread by all groups.

ACTION STEPS

An Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) monitoring group (ECOMOG) was sent to Liberia as a peacekeeping force, but failed to halt the fighting. Doe was captured and executed by the splinter group of the NPFL in September 1990. Members of the military and Doe's ethnic tribe and other independent groups accused ECOMOG. They said ECOMOG had set up the capture and killing of Doe. Doe was at ECOMOG's headquarter when he was capture by the INPFL. During the capture of Doe, I had already fled the country. I was among the 3.3 million Liberia who was driven from their homes. Having fled first to Sierra Leone, I had then moved to Guinea as a refugee when Doe was captured, and subsequently killed.

The killing of Doe did not end the war. The war spread through out Liberia, as the NPFL battled ECOMOG, the Liberian army, their splinter group the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), and the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO), composed of former allies of Doe. All the factional groups were engaging in fighting with one group or another. By early 1991, ECOMOG held Monrovia and the NPFL controlled the rest of the country. In October 1991 ECOWAS and the NPFL agreed to disarm and establish an Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU). I had returned home in the midst of the crisis hoping that the presence of ECOMOG was a signal of security. However, I fled again this time to Ghana. I was present and attended the Ghana peace conference in July 1993. At that conference, the leaders of IGNU, NPFL, and ULIMO-K drew up a plan for a Liberian National Transitional Government, led by a five-member Council of State consisting of one NPFL leader, one ULIMO-K member, one IGNU representative, and two other civilians.

INTERESTS & NEGOTIATION CONCEPTS

It was public knowledge that the warlords and factional groups saw the economics opportunities provided by the civil war as an important independent variable for continuing the conflict. This economic interest of the parties influenced three Core Elements of the negotiation process: Interests, Options and Standards, which was overlooked by the mediators. The economic interests of the parties also had an effect and also manipulated the two influencing elements of The Nine-Element framework of negotiation-Communications and Relationships. Most of the parties who occupied areas that would enable them to amass wealth and power became hard bargainers and Contesting Positions and Wills. The parties bargaining positions, interest, options and options continually changed based on how much grounds they controlled. Given the dynamics of the situations, I had expected that the mediators would amend the discussion process as the positions of parties changed.

During the negotiations, it was also realized that factional groups interest in controlling certain areas in Liberia were based mostly on economic interests and then for military capability. For examples, the NPFL was keen on maintaining control of the border between Liberia and Sierra Leone. The purpose was to use Sierra Leone as a fall back position whenever that group experienced a stronger attack. Another interest in holding on to the route of Sierra Leone was to maintain contact with the rebel Revolutionary United Front, (RUF) of Sierra Leone. It is alleged that Charles Taylor assisted in the establishment of the RUF, and supported the training of that rebel group. Another area that the NPFL was determined to maintain control of was the route to Ivory Coast. Ivory Coast was important to Charles Taylor because that route was used to convey resources out of his territory to be sold to interested buyers. Ivory Coast was also important for the importation of arms and ammunition for his fighting group. Another area that was strategic to the NPFL was Grand Bassa County, which has a small port. The NPFL allegedly used the port to export iron ore, log and rubber out of Liberia.

Parties in the Liberia conflict were seen using various approaches based on interest during the negotiation process. As a result of the interest based of parties, they individually extended and expanded their relationships to their neighbors; countries in the region. In both Sierra Leone and Liberia, diverse factions sabotaged efforts towards a transition from war to peace as they perceived such endeavors as representing a shift of their own political and military calculations and a readjustment of economic tactics and interests that were not temporarily in their favor. Mediators in the Liberian conflicts did little to assure that the full range of issues and interests of parties were addressed. It is obvious that the mediators were aware and concerned about the factional groups' immense interest in the economic opportunities provided by the civil wars. The parties' interests in economic gains of the war did have implications on the negotiation process and on the relationships of countries in the sub region.

Though at that time of the 1993 peace conference, I had not acquired the basic negotiation skills needed to analysis a situation, it was public knowledge that each party to the Liberian conflict were contesting positions. Neither one of the parties was willing to compromise their stance. I also realized that the roles and interests of most of the mediators were not clear. It is now evident that the two context setting elements of negotiation are very crucial: WHO'S AT THE Table, is very important in a negotiation process. During the Liberian war, several peace agreements were signed and promptly broken by warring factions as their interests and options changed. After months of negotiation, late 1996, parties in the Liberian conflict agreed to a ceasefire in order for disarmament and elections to be held.

EXIT ELEMENTS & THE SIGNIFICANCE OF PROCESS

When the mediators and international groups declared the Liberian disarmament program a success in January 1997, civilian and independent groups' concern about the role of the mediators and outside actors in Liberian were no longer unknown. Majority of the mediators and outside actors either did not have an in-depth understanding of the Liberian situation, or had their own interests. In 1997, I personally witnessed and reported on the elections. Almost all factional groups formed political parties. Examples: the National Patriotic Front of Liberia formed the National Patriotic Party and United Liberation Movement of Liberia splinter group of Alhaji Kromah formed the All Liberia Coalition Party and presidential candidates respectively.

Most areas that were once controlled by factional groups during the fighting were not fully accessible to other political groups except the political wing of that factional group that once controlled those areas. Even though ECOMOG, the mediators and international monitors had announced that disarmament was completely carried out, fighters/ex-fighters of all factional groups were apparently in possession of weapons. It was alleged that former fighters still carried arms which they used to intimidate, harassed and attack civilians, members of other political parties and other politicians who dare enter their "territory." As a result of the intimidation and attacks on civilians, voters were afraid. Under the watchful eyes of combatants who guided voters to the voting booths, most of the citizens residing and caught up in the over 90 percent of the country controlled by Charles Taylor were apprehensive.

In addition to the intimidation faced by voters and citizens, the role of some ECOWAS countries became questionable. For example, an official of one ECOWAS contributing country was seen escorting Charles Taylor to cast his vote on the day of elections. Aside Charles Taylor, none of the other 12 presidential candidates was escorted by any diplomats or officials from other countries represented in ECOMOG or ECOWAS to cast their vote. The act by an official of one of the contributing countries to ECOWAS, one of the mediators was seen as a public endorsement of Charles Taylor as their choice of presidential candidate. I saw, photographed and published the photos and reports of Charles Taylor being escorted on that day to cast his vote. I also traveled to some part of the rural areas along with a team of journalists from my office. We reported the level of intimation and flaws in the elections. Through interviews and witnessing the polls, we wrote extensively on the malpractices carried out at polling sites in the presence of local and international election observers.

The role of ECOMOG and ECOWAS States in the Liberian conflict brought forth how crucial mapping relationship and design of meeting is to a negotiation process. To analyze the crucial-ity of relationship and interest, let's ask ourselves a few questions: What did the facilitators want to accomplish at the end of the process? What outcomes would have ensured security and that sustainable peace is restore? Well, these are key question that should have been considered during the Liberian peace process. In spite outcries by citizens, political parties and independent monitors, International observers and ECOWAS declared the elections free and fair. Charles Taylor was declared winner of the 1997 elections and installed president in August 1997.

COMMITMENTS

During Taylor's administration, Liberia and West Africa experienced consistent insecurity and crises. Sierra Leone experienced a devastating war organized and supported by Charles Taylor. Guinea suffered constant invasion and Ivory Coast is still faced with crises. Human Rights violations in Liberia became systematic and frequent during the administration of Charles Taylor. Liberia's infrastructure remained in a deplorable state throughout the administration of Charles Taylor. Hospitals and basic social services were never rehabilitated. The level of illiteracy rose to 85% and unemployment reached a peak of 80%.

THE [NINE] ELEMENTS

Although the parties to the negotiation were listed above, to ensure that the analysis is less complicated, we will be dealing with few major parties. This analysis will indicate how communications and relationship between the parties were phony when seen as good on the surface and at other times non existent. This was based on the issue of ego and portrayal of power; not wanting to be seen as ready to compromise with the other party. Though attempts were made by the mediators to discuss concerns behind the scene, there were some senses of reluctance based on ensuring that the warlords do not angrily leave the discussion table and return back to the fighting field. Obviously this fear was belated. There were instances where factional leaders were at the table discussing peace and would give orders and their forces would begin renewed fighting. This practice was a strategy used to intimidate other parties at the negotiation table.

COMMUNICATIONS

Throughout the period of the war, the negotiation process and the exit period of the negotiation, communications and relationship among the parties was ineffective because of lack of trust and fear. Each party felt superior to the other. These parties had threatened the lives of one another and even tried to carry out those attempts throughout the period of fighting, and so found it difficult to trust one another. Building trust was almost impossible.

BATNAs (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement)

Parties in negotiation can easily walk away from the negotiation if they determined that their Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement or BATNA is better than the likely outcome of that negotiation. In the case of the Liberian negotiation process, it is easy to deduce that most of the parties involved in this negotiation process aside ECOMOG could easily have walked away from the negotiation table if they felt their desire to emerge winners were not a part of the outcome of the negotiation process.

It is also impossible to establish the BATNAs of the mediators. I am aware that the mediators were concerned about regional stability and peace. The spill over effects of the Liberia crisis into Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Senegal and Ivory Coast was causing undue hardship on all countries within the region. The influx of refugees was heightening the already difficult economic situations countries in the region were faced with. It is important to note that BATNAs in the Liberia negotiation process could be described as having two stages. The major parties came in with a BATNA: they would fight and continue fighting unless they had a better deal. The parties came in aware of what they could control or influence before the negotiation begins. However, once the negotiation process had begun, they began to have more power base. BATNA as a dynamic element, begun to change during the Liberian negotiation as parties got more information about the interests of the other parties and their constituencies and as they compared the resources each party had available to bring about and fulfill an agreement.

CONCLUSION

The analyses is an exercise that provides an in-depth understanding on the process of negotiation, BATNAs and particularly the role of negotiators as outlined in the book, "Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving." As I look back over the entire peace process, the questions that continue to linger in my mind is the role of the mediators and what was the driving force for the negotiation process and concepts use in the course of the Liberian peace process?

As I have learned, during multiparty negotiation process, mediators must always think about the Substance and about the Negotiation Process. It is now understandable why the two: substance and process are critical for constant review during multiparty negotiations. The reason is that, when one or more of the nine-element framework changes, the process or substance may need to be modified to ensure that the outcome of the negotiation is successful. That is because, once the process of a negotiation is efficient, there is a likelihood of efficient communication. This was the problem in the Liberian negotiation. The substance was always changing yet the process somehow did not match the changes that were taking places. The mediators probably did not have the tools to move briskly in modifying the process, or probably were trapped by the challenges they faced during negotiations.

While drafting this analysis, I began to fully acknowledge the assumptions that most interventionists hold as was the case with ECOMOG and ECOWAS. The West African mediator was acting in defense of "democracy" and they believed that "democratic elections" after war was the best solution to the Liberian crises. This assumption is clearly misleading as we saw in Liberia. Democracy is not merely elections. Moreover, multilateral mediators should begin to see the danger of rebel movements transforming themselves into political parties after post conflict. This practice should be taken more seriously especially when it entails protection and impunity for warlords who have committed crimes against humanity. From the onset of the outcome of the Liberian negotiation, I doubted that elections were the solution to political stability. It is impossible to have a free and fair election in the midst of intimidations as was seen in Liberia. Moreover, the fear factor still prevailed and people were still war weary and impoverished. What were the motives of the mediators in calling for the holding of elections that time? As I look back, it was obvious that the election was an immediate pacification of the warlords with jobs and elective offices. Regional instability, regional insecurity, underdevelopment as well as national instability did not cease but continued and intensified after "elections" was conducted in Liberia.

Somehow, it appears as a mockery that in spite the irregularities at the polls, the United Nations and other international organizations described the Liberian elections as a success story for conflict management. It was apparent that the interventionist only managed to establish a government in Liberia for the purpose of Order and not justice. I believe that all the warlords in the Liberian crisis should not have been allowed to contest the elections. The human rights abuses perpetrated by the various factions in the Liberian conflict were carried out with impunity. It is a known fact that there can be no lasting Order in a society without Justice. Lasting order and Justice are linked, in order to have a lasting order, there must be justice.

Although I do not believe that the outcome of the Liberian negotiation was a success, I was tempted to place myself in the reverse position taking the role of the mediators while scrutinizing each of the steps and elements in the negotiation process. In that role, I asked myself, "What were the alternatives and options available to the mediators during the Liberian negotiation process?" Perhaps some day when I am faced with such situation, I can help ensure that the outcome of the negotiation is one that is operational and durable.

About the author:

Musue N. Haddad is a Liberian Journalist/Photo-Journalist. She holds a graduate degree from George Washington University, and has worked both at home and outside of Liberia. She received several national and international awards for her journalistic practices and human rights work, including the Nelson Mandela Award for "Best Student in Photo-Journalism," Human Rights Award from the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UNA-NCA), for "outstanding dedication and service towards the recognition, promotion and protection of the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family." and Human Rights Watch Hellmann-Hammett Award, granted to writers around the world who have been the targets of political persecution. In 1998/1999, she received the Press Union of Liberia "Journalist of the Year" and '"Photo-Journalist of the Year" awards.

Africa and America - How Does Culture Impact Teaching

2012-02-29T08:12:00.003-08:00

BY: MUSUE N. HADDAD, MIPP

Are you a teacher? Have you taught before? Did you teach in Liberia, Africa or in the United States? If you were from Africa, and then became a teacher in the great United States, you probably have been asked, not once not twice, not thrice, but many times about your philosophy of teaching. Coming from Africa, initially, when I heard people asking others about their teaching philosophy, I would hold my chin in wonderment at the idea of having a sort of well-designed, and highly favorably perfect teaching philosophy. Many days, I asked whether an effective teacher in the great United States was defined by an appealing philosophy of teaching. But then again, being an African who was in exile in the great United States, who was I to ask about "what makes a effective teacher in an American school system," that is celebrated by many in Liberia, Africa, and some in the great United States.

However, later when I joined the teaching profession, I had to answer this question; not once, not twice, not thrice, but many times. In fact, I became so accustomed to being asked this question, that I probably had an "elevator ride" response waiting to dish out. An "elevator ride" chat or response is a 'one minute' concise response used to grasp the attention of someone or sell an idea. Born in Africa, raised on the dark soil, taught by teachers who also "helped raised me up" because of our culture and practices that it takes a village to raise child, it tickled me to put down on paper my teaching philosophy. Well, it took me awhile to pretend to detach my innermost desire to empower kids, and bring in my African or sacred belief that "each child is a gift from God, and it is our duty to positively impact their lives, and treat them as God's little one, "while drafting my philosophy. The wonderful teaching philosophy is one that must be built on academic theories. However puzzling, I knew that it was the order of the day. As the saying goes, 'when you live in Rome, you must learn to act like a Roman," so there I was carefully crafting a winning teaching philosophy, and then learning to summarize it into an elevator pitch, or catch phrase used to sell an idea or marketing product.

The "elevator" pitch or chat is definitely not something I developed. No, no! It is a strategy I learned from the Founder and then Director of [New York] Columbia's University Human Rights and Advocacy Training Program, Dr. Paul Martin. Dr. Paul Martin, a human rights advocate, a teacher and lecturer would look directly in my eyes and say with his typical American intonation, "Musue, imagine that you walked to an elevator and meet someone who's also ready to get on the elevator. The person will be stopping on the 2ndfloor, which will take approximately a minute. That means you have just one minute to chat with this person; and that one minute to get the person interested in your idea or your project?"

When Dr. Martin gave me that exercise, I had to really sit and do my homework. The homework didn't take a day, or two. Frankly, it took me weeks. I couldn't stop asking myself, "How do I condense Human Rights situations in Liberia and West Africa to a one minute pitch, but yet keep it captivating to grasp the attention of human rights groups, and international stake holders?'Truly, that was an enormously whopping assignment. Many days I would stand before a mirror and practice for hours - trying to get the idea, the flow, and the jargons. I must admit that I failed many times, and found myself running back to my desk to edit, rewrite and then vice versa. If this exercise went on for weeks at home, you can imagine how many times I stood before the mirror, and the number of times I found myself running back and forth in my room like a lone soccer player.

However, after completing what I had thought was the 'finest" 'elevator ride' selling pitch, I passed my colleagues, many from Africa, and some from Europe, and I walked briskly into Dr. Martin's office without any prior appointment. I then demonstrated what I had prepared. A practical teacher, Dr. Martin didn't take a pen or pencil, neither did he take a chalk; but he stood there and said again, "That is good, but you can make it better Musue." I asked him, "How?" Dr, Martin asked me to look at the various human rights challenges in Liberia and West Africa. We started verbally listing some of what were then the most crucial that reflected on many aspects of human rights issues. The issues I looked at included the infamous September 18, 1998 incident that led to the killing of opposition politician, Madison Wion near the great United States Embassy in Monrovia in 1998, the 1997 killings of Samuel Dokie, his wife, sister and cousin by members of Charles Taylor's security forces. Also in 1998, there is the incident of Market woman Nowai Flomo who was considered, " "Disappeared," in spite reports that she was killed by members of Taylor's security forces, the incarnation of political persons, including Charles Breeze, Gbai Ballah, among others. The discussion also included the implications of these issues on the West African sub-region. Let me add that this discussion was taking place in 2000, and therefore did not include the beating of Cllr. Taiwan Gongle's or the arrest and torture of journalist Hassan Bility's and other incidents that occurred after early 2000, but the skills learned from Dr. Martin and other staff at Columbia University were instrumental in helping me contribute to drawing international attention to subsequent violations including Gongloe's, Hassan Bility's and the imprisonment of The News Newspaper editorial staff, among others.

On the day on the brainstorming exercise, Dr. Paul Martin asked me questions rather than give me answers. Those questions helped me to dig deeper into myself, and look beyond the surface of each incident and issues that were occurring in my homeland Liberia. Whatever responses I provided, he didn't critically assess my responses. Rather, he asked additional questions. He also told me, "Let me hear your thoughts, "adding, "Think aloud." My responses and thoughts led to more and more questions. When I prepared to leave Dr. Paul Martin's office, he was still seated on his computer desk calmly, and with a thin smile on his face. I turned around looked at Dr. Martin and for a moment, I thought, "here's a man who's caring nature reminds me of my people and my culture. But here he sits, and so much involved in my life, and the lives of my colleagues, including those from Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and other areas. Yes, he wants freedom in my homeland Liberia, and on all countries on the African Continent and other countries around the world." My momentary pause might have caught the attention of Dr. Martin, but as he is always, he didn't abruptly interrupt my concentration. My concentration was broken by a sound of the keyboard. I then tilted my head in the direction of Dr, Martin, and asked in my innocent tone, "Dr. Martin, why are you so tolerant, and patient with me. I have taken up a lot of your time." Dr. Martin moved his hands from the key board, and said, "That is why I am here. I know you can do it Musue. The next time you are in class, or you come into my office, you will have the elevator ride selling pitch." I felt truly motivated by his response supported by his expression.

A day later, I sat in Dr. Paul Martin's class. Surprisingly, I was quiet, and for my classmates, and colleagues, and even my teachers, that was "far from typical." I watched my colleague from Rwanda and the Democratic of Congo as they tried to take their wars and conflicts from the continent to the classrooms on Columbia University. Dr. Paul Martin, Holly Bartling and other staff at Columbia University didn't chastise them for openly or privately fighting one another, or blaming one another for the conflicts in their individual countries. I guess, I was too much concerned, or overwhelmed by my own burdens- the conflicts in Liberia. I also was seriously thinking that I could just complete my programs, open my big mouth about Liberia, and then pack up and return home, and be warmly received and applauded by Charles Taylor and his people for studying, making fine speeches, and my great presentations at panels and conferences, and my excellent networking skills with human rights organizations and policy organizations. In my busy-ness, I didn't take the time to lecture with both of my colleagues about their disagreement that had become awkwardly personal. On that day in class, both my colleague from Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo were at it again- though indirectly, but they somehow send responses to one another while responding to questions. At the end of the class, as usual, students gathered around Dr. Martin and other staff. As we walked out, I asked Dr. Martin, "Why did you decide to get into human rights teaching?" Dr. Martin's response was illustrative, catchy, but concise. When I asked that question, little did I know that one day, I would also be asked similar question.

While I may not be standing before a classroom, I consider myself a public educator. When I taught, that's when I stood before a classroom, and even today, when asked about my teaching philosophy, I think about the path that leads me to teaching. That's simply because, my philosophy of teaching is closely tied to my educational experience, occurrences in the real world, and my world, and who I am. Throughout the years I met effective teachers who pushed me to go beyond what I believed I was capable of doing and achieving. Also, I met teachers and other persons who made assumptions of what I was not capable of doing based on who they believed I was. However, I learned from both situations. The teachers who believed in me and others who doubted my capability - they helped shaped my teaching philosophy.

Educational Theories
As I reflect on teaching and learning and teachers, I think about a few educational theories, including Abraham Maslow theory of Human Motivation. "The fact is that people are good, if only their fundamental wishes are satisfied, their wish for affection and security. Give people affection and security, and they will give affection and be secure in their feelings and their behavior." [Maslow, Abraham]. When I read this quote by Abraham Maslow, it reinforced my belief that each and every child has the potential to bring something unique and special to the world. This concept is and remains the foundation of my education philosophy - both for the classroom, and in my public education undertakings.
Learning multiplication through songs and visuals

As a teacher and an educator, I reflect on Maslow's quote and his notion of a hierarchy of needs: deficiency needs that people must meet in order to move on to growth needs that are never met, but rather expanded with experiences. I believe that a teacher should consider the needs of students, realizing that though deficiency needs is at the bottom of the pyramid, it provides the foundation for the growth needs of students. As I look at Maslow theory, I asked myself whether our illiterate parents and grandparents were actually subconsciously schooled about these theories, and therefore ensure that children from the community were fed, and taken care of before leaving home for school? I therefore have implicit belief that learning and motivation are interdependent, and the first step in guiding students and people in discovering who they are, and helping them develop their potentials.
Some of the questions that come to mind when I think about Maslow's theory about needs: How can someone who hasn't experienced hunger, poverty, or separation from family because of war successfully relate, or motive such child to learn? How can someone who lived under the wings of their parents, sleep in comfortable bed, eat sumptuous meals three times a day, have extra cash in their bank accounts, and carry credit cards that hold thousands of dollars, teach kids who are profoundly impoverished? I wonder how someone far from my culture and background, or someone who hadn't had the experienced I had as a child, would have taught me or view me in a school in the great United States? If that teacher found it hard to 'reach me,' would they have outright-ly written me off, or considered me un-teachable? These are questions that are yet to be considered in determining who's a good teacher in the great United States, or analyzing finely written Teaching Philosophies that are the first steps in recruiting teachers.
In Africa and other developing countries, play and interaction among children are not limited. Children play in neighborhoods without being under the watchful eyes of parents and caregivers. As seen in this photo, children share and eat together.

Unlike the great United States, in most African societies, the living and life styles of teachers are known in the community. The teachers are active member of the community, and therefore a part of everyday living in the community. Parents and students see and interact with their teachers on almost a daily basis. The teachers are not only available, but they are accessible to parents, and family members, as well as students. This "community' living, which is also reinforced by societal culture enables the teacher to understand the needs of his/her students, as well as help the student feel "comfortable' in the presence of his/her teacher. While there may be some disadvantage(s) to this concept, in many ways, it provides a human side to the teaching and learning process.

While there are divergent views on Maslow's theory, I believe that students do learn better and participate more when their basic needs are met, or understood. To breakdown this concept, ask yourself, "Is it possible to teach a child or someone who's hungry, cold, ill, disappointed or homeless?" If even as a teacher or educator, you cannot provide the student, or person, or people food on a daily basis, if you show genuine empathy to the student, or person, that compassion or understanding might motivate the child or person to come to school, participate, and learn. The student will say to others or to themselves: My teacher understands, or my teacher is with me. Teaching is not a job; it is a responsibility that requires some forms of relationship. For me, a teacher is one who is respectful, understanding, approachable, and supportive. The way I interact with students and people demonstrate my respect for them. For example, I never say anything derogatory to my students or people I interact with. I do not attempt to use my students or others (or any of their work) to demonstrate poor example. I illustrate understanding by listening to their needs, even if I am unable to comply or supply those needs. The reason for my outlook is obvious, when a child or person feels safe and comfortable, and motivated, I can then begin to assist or motivate that student to discover their strengths, and help them build on their weaknesses. When a student feels that he is understood, he or she can feel comfortable and motivated to express their own opinions and nurture their own ideas, they can become relax and lighten up to their environment.

Aside Maslow's theory, there is also another universal theory - The use of Multiple Intelligences theory, which also draws on the motivation of students' talents, thus helping teachers construct self-motivating educational experiences. Through creating educational experiences based on natural talents and gifts, I realize that I can increase the opportunities whereby students can become actively engaged in learning experiences that are interesting and responsive and motivational. The practicality of this theory is that "all human beings have strengths in certain areas, and that or those strength(s) can be used to motivate learning and in teaching certain skills. The practicality of this theory is that the teacher must appreciate the students' intelligences, whether the intelligences is at odd with their own practices. Imagine that you had the opportunity to teach the late American Musician Michael Jackson or the late Liberian musical star Tecumsey Roberts a mathematical skill. Which intelligence would you opt to use in teaching the musical star: would you use the Logical-mathematical intelligence or Musical intelligence? Of course, Roberts' talents as a musician would make it easier to teach him math using his musical intelligence. On the other hand, it may take you forever to teach singers MaYatta Zoe, Fatu Gayflor or Zaye Tete reading skills by using their Naturalistic intelligence. It doesn't take a scientist to know that though the singers possessed some Naturalistic intelligence, which has to do with classifying natural forms such as animal and plant species and rocks and mountain types; and the applied knowledge of nature in farming, mining, etc. but their strength lies in their musical (intelligences) skills. Therefore, to motivate learning, using their Musical intelligence (using reading notes to teach them songs, or asking them to use reading materials to write songs, and dance rhythms) would not only suffice, but proved successful. Using the naturalist intelligence would be motivational for those who have demonstrated interest in farming, gardeners, agriculture and related areas.
It is therefore important to note that the use of Multiple Intelligences also draws on the motivation of students' talents, thus helping teachers construct self-motivating educational experiences. Through creating educational experiences based on natural talents and gifts, I realized that I can increase the opportunities whereby students can become actively engaged in learning experiences that are interesting and responsive and motivational. Over the years, I also learned that every (school and public) classroom presents a unique community of learners that varies not only in abilities, but also in learning styles. That is why, I find Howard Gardner's theory that each individual manifests varying levels of different intelligences, and thus each person has a unique "cognitive profile." The use of the "cognitive profile" proved successful when I worked as a classroom teacher, and it has become relevant in my public education activities.
In order to be effective, each teacher must recognize that their role must include giving students the tools with which to cultivate their own area of knowledge. To accomplish this goal, I teach to the needs and intelligences of each child so that all learners can feel capable and successful. I present instructions that will include the interests of the students, and make learning relevant to life. I incorporate themes, projects, group work, individual work, and hands-on learning in order to make students active learners. In showing my students how to become responsible for their own learning, I am giving them the tools to become successful in life, to believe in themselves, and to love themselves, and to encourage creativity.

Real World Connection
Making real life and real world connection is also another important component of teaching and learning. Linking learning to activities and events in the world community has proven to help students become caring and active members of society, which can be achieved if one is tolerant of the views, the racial and other background of others. My vision in teaching and learning is to create an environment- whether in the classroom or a public arena - where we can learn to embrace our differences as the core of what makes life so interesting, make each person feel important and make a positive difference in the life of others. It has been established that education and information are ways for people to be empowered with the ability to accomplish things, and to contribute meaningfully to society. Personally, lifelong learning, and teaching have provided me the opportunity for continual learning and growth.

After many years, I sit back and reflect on Dr. Paul Martin's response to my question that cold day in the year 2000, when I asked him, "Why did you decide to get into [human rights] teaching?" As I look back, I can proudly say, "Dr. Paul Martin made a positive difference in my life." Not only did he use the Multiple Intelligences theory, he also used Maslow's and a series of other theories in teaching and empowering his students, including me to find our strengths; he and his energetic staff at SIPA building guided us on various ways to use our skills and knowledge to promote our work, and our societies. Most importantly, Dr. Martin built a relationship with each of his students, and made each feel exceptionally special to their home countries, to Columbia University campus, and to the world around them. His encouragement remains alive in me, and it is that positive touch that I endeavor to share with others, including my own son in my teaching and learning; it is an intrinsic part of my teaching philosophy-whether teaching in the classroom or the public arena.

About the author: Musue N. Haddad is a Liberian Journalist/Photo-Journalist. She holds a graduate degree from George Washington University, and has worked both at home and outside of Liberia. She received several national and international awards for her journalistic practices and human rights work, including the Nelson Mandela Award for "Best Student in Photo-Journalism," Human Rights Award from the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UNA-NCA), for "outstanding dedication and service towards the recognition, promotion and protection of the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family." and Human Rights Watch Hellmann-Hammett Award, granted to writers around the world who have been the targets of political persecution. In 1998/1999, she received the Press Union of Liberia "Journalist of the Year" and '"Photo-Journalist of the Year" awards.

Factors That Influence War

2012-02-29T08:08:00.000-08:00

By: Musue Haddad,MIPP

Why do countries go to war? Why do nations that were once allies become bitter enemies? Why do people allow disagreement to degenerate into conflicts? Why do people of the same nation fight, and continue to fight even if their fights lead to loss of precious lives, and destructions of properties? Why were there civil wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia? Why Sierra Leoneans did chop the hands of their fellow citizens, including little kids? Why Liberians did butcher one another?

At the onset of the Liberian civil war, we were told that the war was a "revolution" and for a "cause," a cause that is yet to be identified and defined. Or did we fight for the usual "human rights, prosperity and freedom" that we hear most wars are being fought? Did we go to war to improve our own wealth and power, or at the very least to improve the wealth and power of others? Now that the guns are silent in Sierra Leone and Liberia, the wounds created by the war are still somehow fresh, and the scars are revealing. Did the wars benefit citizenry of Liberia and Sierra Leone? Were the wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone supported in any way? If so, why and for what reasons? Was there a vested interest in our wars? Were those benefits in any way based on interest, revenge, or fear, or all of the above?

There are several conflicts on the African continent. If we take a keen look at the conflicts in Sudan, Congo, Somalia, and the wars in the Middle East, we notice that most of the crises have characteristics that run through all of them: the fight for the usual human rights, prosperity and freedom. But how successful have we been in achieving these goals and objectives? But then again, we know that history has shown that wars and conflicts are fought and instigated for a number of reasons, including interest, revenge and or fear.

In order to take a look at some of the factors that influence wars, whether in Africa, the Middle East, the Gulf, and other parts of the war, this article takes a look at one of the most recent crisis that grasp the attention of both local and international media. The great United States played a pivotal role in the Iraq war, and continues to engage Iraq and its neighbors to promote democracy. This discussion looks at the processes used by the U.S. intelligence in its collection and analysis about Iraq's capabilities to develop and use weapons of mass destruction (WMD) - the key factor that presumably led to the war. This article also look at and discuss the four political models- the Bureaucratic Politics, Organizational model, Rationale Action, and Psychological model to analyze the perspective(s) that best explains the failure of the U.S. Intelligence Community to provide accurate information on Iraqi's capabilities to develop and use weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

The Psychological Model

The U.S. Intelligence Community assessment that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear programs was a substantial intelligence failure that can be largely attributed to the psychological perspective. Key actors of the U.S. Intelligence Community focused on assumptions, perceptions, and past historical behaviors of Iraq to make assessment and analysis. The major actors within the U.S. Intelligence Community included the CIA, NGIC, DIA, DOE, NIR, Air Force Intelligence, NGA, NSA, and FBI, worked within the confines of a preconceived notion that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear weapons program and would again deceive the international community by concealing the program. When intelligence reporting indicated that Iraq was seeking tubes made of 7075 T6 aluminum alloy, that report served as an additional information used by actors within the Intelligence Community to counter their information as a way of retaining their view points and beliefs -that Iraq was reconstituting its weapons program. The CIA and NGIC insisted from the onset that aluminum tubes could be used for centrifuge rotors, as opposed to the DOE and IAE, who stated that the tubes were better, suited for use in Iraq's missile launcher program. Additionally, the claim that Iraq had attempted to buy uranium yellow cake from Niger and the case for the UAV further illustrates how biases, rigid perceptions and fixed beliefs by the U.S. Intelligence lead to faulty intelligence analysis. Despite the scanty evidence available, the CIA failed to confirm the foreign report on the uranium yellowcake but concluded that the information was cogent.

The various agencies responsible for data collection began with the idea that the Iraqi regime was procuring illegal arsenals to reconstitute its nuclear program. The psychological perception that when someone acts like they have something to hide, usually they are hiding something, further rationalized the underlying assumptions of key U.S intelligence actors than by available scientific evidence (pg 69).

Iraq's historical activities and the logic it seemed to imply made it counter-intuitive to U.S. Intelligence that Saddam was building and hiding Weapons of Mass Destruction. With this notion, it was likely that a contrary point of view would have been out rightly dismissed. Another psychological setback was the failure to independently reassess evidences and reconsider particularly foreign sources and their information. The data provided by Curveball and other sources were not evaluated. These factors among other assumptions led to unmotivated bias wherein intelligence organizations failed to analyze the data and verify the authenticity of the claims. This bias intensified the motivated biases wherein assumptions became stronger that "contradictory data was often discounted as likely false' (pg 169). It is obvious that a chain of psychological factors created a just right situation for intelligence failure.

Organizational Model

The organizational processes of the U.S. community was a second major contributing failure of the intelligence gathering and analysis concerning the reconstitution of Iraqi's Weapons program -the Weapons of Mass Destruction, (WMD). The overall collection of information for WMD in Iraq has many organizational flaws. The intelligence community's primary failure resulted from their routines and mission of collecting reliable and useful information. In this case, the intelligence community relied on very few sources -human intelligence without much effort to verifying the sources' background and information provided.

Routines procedure and short-cuts were also part of the organizational problems that led to the U.S. Intelligence Community's erroneous conclusion that Iraq was trying to procure uranium from Niger. Document concerning an Iraq- Niger oil contract were initially forwarded to the DOS but not to the CIA. The documents were later found to be forgeries, but failure to initially send the documents to the CIA caused a delay in officially discrediting he documents.

The lack of coordination and procedural problem among different agencies made information sharing difficult. The absence of coordination to address the different assessment from different agencies also contributed to the U.S Intelligence community faulty WMD report on Iraq. In order for an organization to be effective, it needs to have a defined structure, access to information and coherence. The U.S. Intelligence community lacked coherence between and among the various organizations - CIA, NSA, FBI's intelligence division, Naval Intelligence, Air Force Intelligence, Army Intelligence, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's intelligence division et others. Given the extensive organizational divisions of the intelligence community, there were undoubtedly overlap and duplications of duties by organizations that already had different standard operation procedures, missions and ideology. Another faulty organizational process was the issue of information and intelligence sharing, and the fact that there were several small intelligence agencies beholden to their government departments that may have had useful information but had little concept of the bigger issue at stake.

Divisions within organizations need to be made clear and there should also be minimum overlaps and duplication as much as possible in order for an organization to be efficient and achieve its goals. When there is an overlap and duplications of functions, or lack of coherence within an organization, there is a tendency for muddle up in the operations, ideology or lost sight of what they are seeking. The U.S Intelligence community comprised over a dozen organizations. The size of the individual organizations varied, having a single person at the top of the pyramid still doesn't eliminate problems of duplication. As information moves up any organization it is filtered by actors at various levels who make judgments as to what is important, sometimes using their expertise and/or judgment - to address particular issues without the knowledge of higher ups.

Another setback within the Intelligence community was organizational culture. When organizations merged, whether formally or informally, there is the possibility for an influence in the culture of one or all of the organizations. This cultural influence can have an effect on the ideology of the actors within the organization and their objectives which might be different from the mission and goals of the organization. As a result of the overlapping of functions, the Intelligence collection, analysis and reporting was not separated from that of the military operations. This was a major setback; military analysis and ideology are usually clearly interpreted differently from that of intelligence and, whenever possible intelligence analysis and reporting needs to be separated from military.

This was evident during the U.S Intelligence community collection and analysis of Iraq when the CIA began operating closely with Defense. It is possible that by working closely with Defense, the CIA, or both of the organizations borrowed an aspect of the other's approach and attitude in assessing and or interpretation of data on Iraq

Another organizational problem was the intelligence community tendency to do away with uncertainty and to seek conformity. Such practices resulted in the lack of knowledge or awareness of the availability of information inconsistent with data they had secured regarding the Iraqi situation. In general, the intelligence community's failure resulted from organizational processes attributed to the intelligence community tendency to place emphasis on dubious evidence because it fit presumptions, and they ignored contradictory evidence, which may have resulted in alternative hypothesis. This disregard for independent evidence or information that was inconsistent with data they had accrued impeded any possibility of truth on the Iraqi situation.

Organizational processes also determined the perspective of different organizations within the intelligence community. The CIA focused its mission in interpreting the deception of others; the CIA exposed itself to thinking that any absence of evidence or information was an indication of Iraqi's successful deception of the Intelligence community. The flaws and setbacks in the organizational processes of the U.S. Intelligence community explain the failure in its collection and analysis which resulted in a false impression of certainty for analysts' judgment.

Bureaucratic Politics Model

Although Bureaucratic politics behavior within the failed decision making regarding U.S intelligence community cannot be seen as significantly important as was the Psychological and Organizational models, the primary objective of bureaucratic politics was to protect the interest of the organization.

In most instances, the CIA and other bureaus utilized intelligence that was of poor quality. A bureaucratic problem was the unwillingness of the Intelligence Community and the CIA in particular to admit error and also discouraged the pursuit of information that would have revealed error. This reluctance was probably seen as a way of protecting and maintaining the credibility of the bureaus and organizations.

Other fundamental dynamics to explore that might shed light on the role bureaucratic politics played in the U.S Intelligence assessment of Iraq is whether the excessive layers of bureaucracy within the Intelligence community and the behavior of the major actors from individual organizations were consistent with the overall goal of the Intelligence Community. This leads to the issue of appointments and basis for which the appointments or reorganization made. A characteristic to also consider is the consistency of a position to a particular bureau and whether the position was consistent with the interest of the organization or geared towards accomplishing a specific goal or interest.

Rationale Action Model

The U.S intelligence community in assessing Iraq's WMD focused largely on Saddam's behavior in the past and determined that though his actions were seemingly irrational, from that determination constructed a pattern of behavior which they rationally considered the irrational behavior of Saddam. As a result of the presumptions drawn from Saddam's previous behavior, the Intelligence community used scanty data to support their hypothesis that Iraq did indeed have and was reconstituting its Weapons of Mass Destruction. Instead of testing the hypothesis, they treated the hypothesis as facts, ignoring all alternatives which resulted in failures in their analysis of Iraq's WMD.

The Intelligence community appeared to have been over-whelmed by the presumptions, and hypothesis with little considerations for measuring ranges between available alternatives and goals. It was based on the flawed theory that the Intelligence Community cashed in on a short-term consequences -a report claiming that Iraq had and was reconstituting its weapon of Mass Destruction.

About the author: Musue N. Haddad is a Liberian Journalist/Photo-Journalist. She holds a graduate degree from George Washington University, and has worked both at home and outside of Liberia. She received several national and international awards for her journalistic practices and human rights work, including the Nelson Mandela Award for "Best Student in Photo-Journalism," Human Rights Award from the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UNA-NCA), for "outstanding dedication and service towards the recognition, promotion and protection of the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family." and Human Rights Watch Hellmann-Hammett Award, granted to writers around the world who have been the targets of political persecution. In 1998/1999, she received the Press Union of Liberia "Journalist of the Year" and '"Photo-Journalist of the Year" awards.

Consequences of Untreated Mental Illness

2012-02-17T00:51:00.000-08:00

By: Dr. Lawrence A. Zumo, U.S.A

Have you interacted with someone who has mental illness? There is a high possibility that you have, and that’s because the prevalence rate of mental disorders is increasing throughout the world. In 2010, WHO reports that around 450 million people experience mental or behavioral disorders (WHO 2010) Given the increasing rate of mental illness or mental disorders, you may have interacted with someone with mental illness. If so, during your interaction with that person, you may have noticed that that person is unable to recognize and understand other’s feelings from facial expressions, or carry on a conversation and stay on topic. That’s because mental illness has to do with the mind. Since mental illness has to do with the mind, don’t be surprised if you notice that a person diagnosed with mental illness may not recognize the fact that something is wrong with them.

Mental illness is as serious as any medical condition. Unfortunately the lay public (and some unenlightened educated) not seeing physical injury down plays mental illness, with serious consequences. Mental illness is not as a result of personal or individual weakness or poor upbringing. It can affect any person any time irrespective of age, race, religion or income. Of course, there are cultural specific mental illnesses, eg. anorexia nervosa in Western countries, koro in African and Oriental societies but there are common threads that run through all mental illnesses.. To meaningfully assess and treat mental illness, the afflicted person’s primary language and culture are important mileposts. It is also important to note that there are some mental illnesses, which are irrespective of culture, ie. schizophrenia which has a worldwide prevalence of about 1%. Thus resources must be made available to treat mental illnesses, the same as would be done for medical illnesses.

In many third world countries, supernatural beliefs and “over religiousity” contrary to scientific understanding mask mental illness even more . These along with social stigma makes this a tough disease to control or cure in many African societies. Public mental health education is seriously needed. (For example, epilepsy suffered a similar fate in developed countries several decades ago but with concerted professional and public health education, that is no longer the case here. A key breakthrough came when the public was made to understand that epilepsy was not contagious!).

The treatment of serious mental illness today are highly effective, if taken serious, treated with a combination of pharmacological and psychosocial therapies as well as supports, not stigmatization or joking about. Nowadays approximately 70 to 90% of afflicted individuals have significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life, if treated early and consistently.

Serious mental illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder with or without rapid cycling, post traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder like kleptomania, borderline personality disorder, sexual paraphilas, bestiality, “theft addicts”, etc and other conditions that are grouped under criminal insanity.

The causes of mental illnesses are numerous. Among them: family history or genetics, neurochemical imbalances, external factors such as trauma (as in postwar countries), disease or injury, exogenous drugs, life experiences and poor coping mechanisms, societal and cultural maladaptive processes, and abnormal neuropsychological factors.

The WHO (World Health Organization) reports that four of the 10 leading causes of disability in the US and other developed nations are mental illnesses and projects that by 2020 (ie 8 yrs from now), the leading cause of disability in the entire world and children will be major depressive illness. Just imagine Liberia, post war, with either lip service or no service to treating mental illnesses. It must be made clear that attending church or “laying of the hands and prayers by reverends” will not cut it. These just delay the inevitable. Afflicted individuals need clinical help not religious help, contrary to the current trend in Liberia.

Recovery from mental illness is accelerated and further harm related to the course of mental illness is minimized if early identification and clinical treatment are promptly instituted. However without treatment the consequences of mental illness for the individual and society at large are staggering and can be devastating: unnecessary disability, unemployment, hard core substance abuse and the crimes that comes with it, homelessness, suicide, wasted lives, potentially dangerous dissociative disorders (that is currently so rampant in Liberia, via personal interviews and communications, 2/4/2012) and more worrisome, increase in violent crimes and tendency to general open hostilities tilting us back to civil war.

The problem is further compounded if you have a ministry of health (headed by a surgeon- a big no, no in any forward thinking society after such a horrific and horrendous national calamity) that is unable to appropriately stratify and prioritize these medical and mental health needs of the society. Thus you will get what you get-ie more tragedy, more danger for all and a lurking time bomb.

“The focus of the DDRR program (Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration) was just to get the arms away from the excombatants and now we are experiencing the repercussions of a failed demobilization program relating to the psychosocial needs and mental well being of the excombatants. The repercussion is glaring in the streets of Monrovia, the capital city and the rest of the 15 political subdivisions where young girls and boys, women and men roam and ramble crazy in the streets while ghettos continue to be crammed by the day with hopeless wild youths, who regard marijuana, cocaine and other illegal drugs and harmful substances as forms of appeasement for their mental torment.”- Dr. Benjamin Harris, 2008, IRIN News.

To add to that toxic mix is someone with ill intent to program these kids like the zombie “Manchurian candidate”, and the next thing we hear is pooffff and there we all go again, that is all of us this time around!!!

Forewarned is forearmed. We can’t wish mental illness and its consequences away. Prayers will not cut it either. For if that were so, all those decades of prayers and with the plethora of churches all over Liberia currently , we should have been able to cure mental illnesses thru these routes every since. No lip service, no criminal diversion of funds, roll up our sleeves and we all pitch in. Not the usual Liberian way of impugning the patriotism of others and riding them on a guilt shake down trip. That just won’t work. Many are shining their eyes more than ever before. Those who are paid the bucks to do these things must start the genuine efforts and then the rest of the population will follow. Not the other way around, as usual.

Need I say more?

Lawrence A. Zumo, MD
Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology
Member, American & European Academy of Neurology
International Advisory Board Member, Journal of Parkinsonism & Restless Legs Syndrome, www.jprls.org

LTA’S Introduction of the International Gateway Measuring System

2012-02-07T07:40:00.000-08:00

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the IGM about?

When it is introduced the data generated by International Gateways Measuring Solution will allow the LTA to measure the quality of service, volume of international incoming traffic flow, audit revenues generated by International Incoming calls and detect fraudulent use of sim boxes, among other purposes.

Is it true that raising termination rates will cause the international incoming traffic to decrease, resulting in a loss of revenue both for the local operators and the State?

Several African countries have adopted the same policy on the termination rates of international incoming calls as Liberia. Among them: Guinea, the Central African Republic, Congo and Ghana. In these countries, the international incoming traffic have remained stable and even experienced substantial increases. In Ghana, the highest total monthly volume of traffic was recorded in August 2011; more than a year after the price-setting policy was adopted.

Indeed, if this policy had a negative impact on the international incoming traffic, an increasing downward trend would have been observed in the four countries mentioned above. Yet, the figures show the opposite.

Thus, the policy on the termination rates has no negative impact on the volumes of traffic. In other words, it does not affect how often people living abroad call Liberia, nor does it affect the number of minutes they dedicate to each communication.

In the African countries where this termination rate policy is in place, some operators may acknowledge that the international traffic has not decreased, but they say that the actual volume of traffic does not catch up with the increase in their customer-base and their network extensions. They complain they are not getting the much higher traffic they could expect because of the adverse impact of the high termination rate.”

This statement disregards three important facts that do not have anything to do with the price-setting policy on the termination of international calls.

Firstly, if the price-setting policy on the termination of international calls really affected the growth of international traffic on the networks of operators in the countries in question, one would notice a significant difference between the international traffic volumes of countries that still have not adopted the policy and the international traffic volumes of the countries that have. Yet, no statistically significant difference has been recorded in that respect.

Secondly, there is always a traffic distribution factor. In a community where the number of subscribers to mobile services is limited, the number of calls received on each line will inevitably be higher than in a community where the number of subscribers is higher. A person who used a relative or friend’s telephone to make and receive calls now uses his or her own, thus causing the number of calls made and received on the other telephone to decrease accordingly. Operators must therefore take this distribution factor into account when making traffic projections based on an increase in their customer-base.

In the whole of Africa, including in Liberia, a downward trend in the Average Revenue per User (ARPU) has been observed for a few years. This trend is due to several factors, specifically the fierce competition on prices, which has led to a substantial decrease in tariffs. The traffic distribution factor also played a role in this situation.

Thirdly, the impact of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol): traditional operators across the world have seen their share of the telephone traffic decrease to the advantage of VoIP providers. The impact of VoIP is admittedly less important in Africa due to lower Internet penetration, but is more and more present as a result of the rapid development of mobile Internet, which makes it possible to access VoIP via Smartphones.

From 2005 to 2010, Skype-to-Skype communications grew much more than traditional telephone traffic, which also grew, but at a lower growth rate.

With the fiber optic development and the broader access to the Internet in Liberia in the near future, VoIP is expected to have an increasing impact on the growth in international traffic for the local traditional operators. So the IGM should not be misleadingly used as the reason for reduction in inbound traffic.

The operators and the GSMA say they have studies showing that the surcharge on international incoming calls has very negative impact on the revenues of the sector and impedes its development. (This assertion seems to be the conclusion of the Deloitte & Touche study commissioned in 2011.)

The studies on the potential impact of the surcharge of termination rates on the telecom sector in Africa are scarce and mostly based, not on an independent analysis of the operators’ traffic data, but rather on interviews with the same operators. For example, the Deloitte & Touche 2011 study commissioned by the GSM Association was actually based on comments and views expressed by African operators, as explained in the preamble of the study. Deloitte & Touche also stated in the same study that they do not guarantee the reliability of the statistics on which they based the study.

Actually, there is a lack of reliable statistics on international traffic data. The collection of these reliable statistics is precisely one of the many benefits of a system such as the International Gateway Measuring system being implemented by the LTA.

Some service providers are claiming that “Liberians living abroad will pay much more to call their families in Liberia.”

Supporting such a claim shows that one underestimates the importance of the law of supply and demand and the impact of competition on the international long-distance calls market. These two factors will have a crucial influence on whether or not a foreign operator will decide to pass on the termination rate increase to the retail rates of its prepaid cards or subscriptions. A foreign company has no interest in passing on this increase, as its customers would very likely be poached (or taken over) by one of its many competitors that might accept a slight decrease in the profit margin they make on the destination.

It is important that the following two things be understood: firstly, despite the increase of the termination rate in Liberia, companies based in Europe and in the Unites States will keep on making large profit margins on the Liberian destination. Secondly, fierce competition and the law of supply and demand mean that consumers living abroad will always benefit from competitive rates to call Liberia, particularly in very competitive markets such as North America and Europe. They will always have the option to not pay more than they currently do, or even to pay less.

In any case, we live in an interconnected world. This means that there are a multitude of possible routes to reach a destination and that the cheaper routes are always preferred by inbound callers.

Soon, when the IGM comes on stream in Liberia, people from the Diaspora who use heavily discounted pre-paid calling cards may see some positive difference after the implementation of the anti-fraud system, as a result of the International Gateways Monitoring System.

In general, analyses show that the implementation of the termination rates policy does not in itself significantly increase the costs of expatriate calls placed through legal channels. In other words, the rates for calls legally placed overseas remain stable. At the same time, because the system provides effective means to prevent international calling fraud, an increasing number of calls that were routed through grey market channels will henceforth be routed legally but will cost a bit more than overseas calls that are masked as local traffic by fraudulent operators.

Diaspora callers who are looking for the best possible rates may be unaware of this illicit practice and are often fooled into buying heavily discounted prepaid calling cards that provide extremely poor call quality and are ultimately not worth their reduced cost.

To be sure, the IGM system being put in place by the LTA will fight fraud, increase revenue not only for the State but also for the very Liberian service operators (some of whom are wrongly frowning on its use), and significantly improve the quality of service for the generality of Liberians who receive calls from their relatives living abroad.

It is further claimed that “Raising termination rates contravenes international telecom regulations and agreements that stipulate that interconnection rates must be cost-oriented.”

This is simply not true. Firstly, the surcharge on the termination rate is not something that is set by the operators themselves, as part of their settlement with their foreign counterparts. It is a government policy.

Secondly, ITU’s (International Telecommunications Union’s) Recommendation D.156 on network externalities clearly states that termination rates can include an increment imposed by governments and regulatory authorities to be used as a funding mechanism for universal service and development—which will enable affordable access to telecommunications services to the general population.

What about the view by some that “Foreign countries will respond to the new termination rates by applying reciprocity.”

It is the right of any sovereign country to adopt its own pricing policies with respect to international incoming calls. In Africa, termination rates are much higher than in North America, for example. Liberia is following a regional trend. Pricing policies in Africa reflect different national contexts and market conditions, such as the huge differences in teledensity (measurement of how many telephones are available), per capita income, international telecommunications trade balance, etc.

For all these reasons, although the ITU recommends that termination rates be cost-oriented, it does acknowledge that these interconnection rates are a big issue for developing countries, particularly in Africa. The ITU states that the universal access, in developing countries, requires an asymmetric approach. To quote a document published by the ITU’s Secretariat in October 1998: “the subsidies made from high teledensity economies to low teledensity ones should be unilateral, and should not carry the expectation of reciprocal treatment”.

How and why did the LTA choose Global Voices Group (GVG) for the IGM solution in Liberia?”

The LTA issued a world-wide request for proposal that was answered by 14 companies, including GVG. Of these 14 companies, 5 made a formal presentation. The LTA was looking for a provider with proven experience in the implementation of International Gateways Measuring Systems and with the technical and financial capacity to provide its solution according to a Build-Operate-Transfer Model.

GVG met all of these criteria, and is currently providing the very same solution to several other countries in Africa.

Alarms about confidentiality and privacy; for example, some claim that “The IGMS is a spy machine. It will be used to do tapping”.

The IGMS cannot be used to do tapping. Monitoring or tapping conversations is not the purpose of the solution; in fact, it does not even have the technical capacity to spy on anyone’s communications. The content of any phone calls remains totally inaccessible through the IGMS. The system only captures the signaling data, i.e.: data such as quality of service (QoS) indicators, volumes of calls, percentage of successful connections, etc. In addition to all these, the LTA Act of 2007 prohibits any such act by anyone without applying due process.

Published by the Public and Consumer Affairs Department of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority, Monrovia, Liberia

Top Liberian Female Journalist Upbeat About Development Here

2012-01-26T05:06:00.000-08:00

Top Liberian Female Journalist Upbeat About Development Here

Wednesday, 25 January 2012 10:54 Our Reporter

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A prominent Liberian female journalist, Madam Musu Haddad, has said the transition has finally taken place in Liberia following many years of political unrest. With this hopeful achievement, Journalist Haddad, who recently returned home from the United States of America (USA), said it is now time that all Liberians join hands in making sure that the country succeeds in its development initiatives. In a weekend interview with this paper in Monrovia, the Liberian female said she will use her acquired professional skills in contributing to the rebuilding process of her country.

Hear Journalist Haddad: “My stay in the United States has taught me the role to play in the rebuilding process of Liberia. I will use my acquired skills professionally in helping to make Liberia a better place to be.”

“As a journalist, who advocates for human rights, I want to see equal participation of people that will ensure the transition that can positively affect their lives.” She continued.

According to her, the time has come for Liberians to be informed about things that positively affect their lives, adding that this will help make Liberia a better place where everyone can live and enjoy.

Counting on her contributions towards development and peace building, she said she helped to draw international attention to the human right abuses “carried out by former President Charles Taylor”.

This, Journalist Hadadd pointed out, also contributed to the peace the nation is enjoying today.

Meanwhile, the Liberian female journalist has won several local and international awards in journalism.

She won the Hellman/Hammett Human Rights Watch Award in New York, USA in 2002, United Nations Association of the National Capital Area Human Rights Award in Washington DC, USA, in 2001, Press Union of Liberia (PUL) Journalist of the Year Award in Monrovia in 1999 and Press Union of Liberia (PUL) Photo Journalist of the Year in Monrovia in 1999 among others.

Published in The Heritage Newspaper. Republished with permission from The Heritage:

http://heritageliberia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1060:-top-liberian-female-journalist-upbeat-about-development-here-&catid=52:general-news

Liberia's Arts and Crafts Celebration

2012-01-09T03:28:00.000-08:00

Annual Event at the U.S. Embassy

Recently, the Embassy of the United States of America held its Second Annual Arts & Crafts Exhibition, featuring Liberian arts and crafts. The Embassy’s annual Arts & Craft Exhibition celebrates Liberian artists and showcases the best of Liberian Arts and Crafts.

The event also provided an opportunity for members of the Diplomatic Corps and of the NGO community, the public at large, Embassy employees, and friends of the Embassy to purchase arts and crafts, including paintings, quilts, and other art works directly from the artists who produce them. The occasion further provided an outstanding opportunity for participants to come out and enjoy a festive day highlighted by cultural activities, and ethnic food.

The event was a reflection of the United States Embassy’s support for the work of Liberia’s artists, as can be seen hanging on Embassy building, including homes artworks by Liberian artists..

The U.S. Embassy’s Annual Arts & Craft Celebration takes place at the compound of the Embassy’s Public Diplomacy Section at Mamba Point in Monrovia. The Celebration brings together artists, and supporters of artists from all walks of life.

Annual Event at the U.S. Embassy
U.S. Ambassador, Ms. Linda Greenfield (right) was also at the Annual event
Arts and crafts at the celebration came from a wide range of artists. Samples of Paintings displayed at the Event

Hand bags made from calabash and other local products Liberian Artists showcase their talents and entertain

Barracuda – A New World in Liberia

2012-01-02T05:49:00.001-08:00

By: Musue Haddad

For a long time Westernized Liberians returning home have had to worry about where they would take their kids to enjoy outdoor activity that are apparently a part of their kids leisure lives in America and Europe.

But it appears that Liberians returning home can begin to feel at ease when it comes to places of leisure and entertainment for the whole family. In the same way, visitors can also feel at home in Liberia. Barracuda Marine Leisure club on the Roberts Field Highway has a lot to offer kids, including Water parks, Boat rides, swings, slides, plus more. That was evident during the Christmas and New Year’s celebration.

Even though Barracuda doesn’t have the water splash in Atlanta, Georgia’s rocky mountain, or Pennsylvania Doney Park fast speed ride, or Florida’s rocket, but Barracuda brings to parents and kids a whole new sense of satisfaction that is growing weekly. A visit to Barracuda over the last few weeks shows a gradually change –a new addition weekly that is attraction more customers, and an indication that soon, Liberia will have a part of America and Europe.

In addition to the play activities, Barracuda also has a lot more to offer including the fast food that is a part of the menu most families including burgers, French fries, hot dog, cookies, etc. However, the meal at Barracuda is not only appealing, but much tastier. Unlike other fast food places outside Liberia where the meals are processed, pre-prepared in large amount and stored, at Barracuda, the products are not only grown locally, but each meal is freshly prepared.
Water Park enjoyed by all Kids Slides and rides for kids Morgan Celebrates her birthday at Barracuda At Barracuda, kids do have fun Yummy Great time for the family While kids play, parents have time to interact and take it "cool"

LTA Regrets Cellcom's Action

2011-12-22T02:13:00.001-08:00

Liberia Telecommunications Authority
Monrovia, Liberia

PRESS RELEASE

Monrovia, Liberia -- Thursday December 20, 2011: The Board of Commissioners of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) is expressing regrets that the GSM service provider Cellcom, has refused to submit to Interconnect (ICC) data requested by the LTA for the investigations of the interconnectivity dispute which has been ongoing between Cellcom and the Lonestar communications company.

The LTA notes that despite the LTA’s order on November 30, 2011 requesting Cellcom to provide key Call Data Record (CDR) and supporting information requested by the ICC, Cellcom has deliberately refused to pay heed and adhere to the deadline of Thursday December 1, 2011 for compliance with the order.

Since September this year the LTA’s attention has been drawn to, and has appropriately been dealing with an ongoing interconnectivity fees dispute between Lonestar and Cellcom in which Lonestar is alleging that Cellcom owes it certain amounts in interconnection payments; a claim Cellcom is disputing.

Given the gravity of the situation, especially its ongoing adverse impact on telephone subscribers of both GSM companies, the LTA has since brought in an external auditor – Interconnect – (ICC) for the purpose of verifying the interconnectivity fees claims being made by both Cellcom and Lonestar.

While the LTA has been endeavoring to achieve a speedy resolution of the dispute, the LTA regrets to note that Cellcom has bluntly refused to provide upon request of the ICC, data necessary for the ongoing investigation into the interconnectivity fees claims.

The LTA Board wishes to have sector stakeholders informed that despite this uncooperative stance by Cellcom, the LTA is determined to bring to a timely closure the interconnectivity dispute between Lonestar and Cellcom, thereby providing relief to affected subscribers.

Indeed, the LTA remains mindful of its statutory responsibility to ensure that no service provider operating in Liberia is allowed to violate the terms and conditions stated in its license and, by extension, the Telecom Act. Among other things, the Act mandates the LTA to ensure that the right of consumers to freely interconnect and communicate at any time throughout the country is not compromised.

Chapter VIII, Section 34 (2) of the LTA Act of 2007 also states that the following actions or practices shall be deemed to be in violation of the Telecom Law:

(a) obstructing or delaying negotiations, or failing to make reasonable efforts to resolve outstanding disputes;

(b) refusing to provide information about a service provider’s own telecommunications services or telecommunications network or other facilities that are necessary for the interconnection arrangements.

Section 11, 1) t and u, also states that the LTA has the capacity and responsibility to:

• require information to be provided that the LTA needs in order to exercise its powers or perform its functions under this Act, including network or service development plans, financial, technical and statistical information, accounting records and any other information that the LTA reasonably requires;
• on the initiative of the LTA or upon request by another person, investigate complaints against licensees or other service providers, and conduct such other investigations as the LTA deems necessary to ensure compliance with this Act, a regulation, rule or order, and issue an order in respect of anything prohibited, required or permitted to be done under this Act, a regulation, rule or order

Meanwhile, the LTA is actively considering other cases relating to potential breaches of licensing terms and conditions by service providers concerned and will make the outcome known to the public at the appropriate time.

--30 ---

LTA’s Ongoing Issue with Cellcom

2011-12-22T00:37:00.000-08:00

In 2009, the LTA issued the Interconnection Regulation setting forth the basic guidelines for cell phone companies to interconnect with a view to increasing access to communications across networks for the benefit of subscribers. Interconnection in the realm of telecommunication is the physical linking of the network of one telecommunications carrier to another carrier’s network for the sole purpose of transmitting voice and data. Usually, the terms and conditions of such arrangements are concluded in an agreement between the interested parties to prevent dominance and monopolistic tendencies by bigger carriers.

Ms. Angelique Weeks, Chairperson, LTA Board of Commissioners

Unfortunately though, the month of August witnessed a lot of communication exchanges between the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) and the LoneStar Communication Corporation on one hand and the Cellcom GSM service provider and the LTA on the other hand. The exchanges actually centered around an interconnection dispute between the two GSM service providers – Lonestar and Cellcom.

The dispute dates back to early August this year when a complaint from Cellcom was filed with the Liberia Telecommunications Authority alleging that the Lonestar GSM Company had blocked all the interconnection devices and equipment which enabled Cellcom subscribers to get connected with Lonestar subscribers and vice versa.

LTA as regulator of the telecommunications sector quickly intervened in the dispute when the situation between the two GSM entities was brought to its attention with the view of ensuring that subscribers using the network of the two disputing GSM operators remain connected and not victimized, and secondly to bring the escalating situation between the two entities to an amicable resolution.

“Unacceptable Practice”
As a result the Liberia Telecommunications Authority warned both Lonestar and Cellcom to desist from making it difficult for subscribers to easily connect and remain connected with other subscribers and that it will not tolerate what it considered as an “unacceptable practice” designed to frustrate hundreds of thousands of consumers using the facilities of the GSM networks in the country.

Speaking on the issue in early September, the Commissioner in charge of Consumer and Public Affairs, Lamini A. Waritay, disclosed that the LTA had been receiving numerous complaints from GSM subscribers throughout the country about difficulties they are encountering in seamlessly communicating with each other while using their mobile phones.

He noted that most of the interconnection complaints were coming from Cellcom and Lonestar subscribers, with Cellcom subscribers complaining that they often find it extremely difficult to connect with Lonestar network, and vice versa.
Commissioner Waritay disclosed that the LTA was aware of an ongoing interconnectivity fees dispute between Lonestar and Cellcom in which Lonestar is alleging that Cellcom owes it certain amounts in interconnection payments, a claim Cellcom is disputing with Cellcom claiming that it is the Lonestar that owes it.

Commissioner Waritay further disclosed that the dispute has been so serious that the LTA, in consultation with the two GSM companies, resolved to bring in external auditors for the purpose of verifying the interconnectivity fees claims being made by both Cellcom and Lonestar.

While the LTA was taking steps to resolve the impasse between the two GSM service providers it reminded all network operators, especially Lonestar and Cellcom, of the LTA’s statutory responsibility of ensuring that all subscribers have unimpeded access to all licensed telecommunications networks and that subscribers get value for their money by enabling them not only to connect easily and stay connected on the various GSM networks, but also to enjoy a reasonable level of quality of service.

The telecommunications regulatory body stressed that it will take swift and appropriate measures against any GSM company that violates the terms and conditions stated in its license and, by extension, the Telecom Act that mandates the LTA to ensure that the rights of consumers to freely interconnect and communicate at any time throughout the country are not compromised.

Pursuant to the Authority granted to the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) by the Liberia Telecommunications Act of 2007, the Board of Commissioners of the LTA issued and published, on the 19th of August 2011, an LTA order -0004-08-19-11 stating among other things that in consultation with the Lonestar Communications Company and Cellcom Communications, it has appointed an independent Consultant for the purpose of auditing the interconnection records of both Lonestar and Cellcom.

The LTA further noted with serious concern in the Order the practice adopted by the Lonestar and Cellcom companies to flood it (LTA) with a mirage of complaints and counter-complaints rather than cooperating with the Independent Consultant on a constructive level to bring the interconnection matter to closure within a reasonable timeframe. The LTA Order consequently issued a stop order to both Lonestar and Cellcom to immediately cease and desist from sending any further complaints and counter-complaints and any other communication touching on the interconnection dispute between the parties directly to the LTA. In the Order, LTA also directed that any such communication related to and connected with the ongoing interconnection dispute between the Parties be forwarded to the Independent Consultant for appropriate redress.

Concluding, LTA Order -0004-08-19-11, pursuant to its statutory obligations and powers, ordered both Lonestar and Cellcom to sign an interconnection agreement between them and submit a signed copy to the LTA within a period of one calendar week effective as of the date of publication of this Order in the National Gazette. An amount of US$50,000.00 (Fifty thousand United States Dollars) payable to the LTA was stated in the Order as penalty for non-compliance.

Cellcom’s Refusal
On August 22, 2011 a letter from the LTA General Counsel G. Wiefueh A. Sayeh informed the Chief Executive Officer of Cellcom, Mr. Avishai Marziano, of the challenge raised by Lonestar to the bond filed by the Insurance Company of Africa (ICA) in favor of Cellcom. In this regard, the LTA mandated Cellcom to file a replacement bond to which Cellcom complied. The Lonestar again objected to the new bond tendered on behalf of Cellcom by the ICA within the three days allowed by the LTA, stating the following reasons for the objection:

1. That the period of the dispute stated in the Cellcom bond was misquoted—that said period should reflect June 2009 to March 2011;
2. That said bond also stipulates that in the event of the failure of Cellcom to make payment of the amount(s) as determined by the independent auditor, it is the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) that is to serve notice of Cellcom’s refusal to make payment. Lonestar’s position is that it is Lonestar that will serve ICA with notice of Cellcom’s failure to make payment in order for ICA to make immediate payment without delay;
3. That ICA provides a copy of its most recent audited financial statements together with its bank statement for the period July 1, 2011 to August 15, 2011.

The LTA concurs with Lonestar on Count One regarding the start date of the dispute and requested that Cellcom informs ICA to make the necessary corrections.

The LTA however disagrees with Count Two, stating that since LTA is serving as the administrative agency to whom the issue was brought before for resolution, it will be the LTA that will inform ICA of Cellcom’s failure to comply with LTA’s order to make payment to Lonestar based on the findings of the independent auditor, and order ICA to make payment to Lonestar in keeping with the bond posted by ICA for and behalf of Cellcom.

Regarding Count Three, the LTA agrees with Lonestar that ICA provides its most recent audited financial statements as part of due diligence to be conducted by Lonestar—given that ICA, as guarantor for Cellcom in the event it is determined that Cellcom is liable to Lonestar and Cellcom fails to make full payment to Lonestar. To ensure that ICA has the financial capacity to fully redeem the bond, LTA says it is consistent with law and practice that ICA makes available most recent audited financial documents requested by the Lonestar Counsel.

The LTA General Counsel letter concluded by stating that LTA expects Cellcom to ensure that the issues raised by Lonestar’s Counsel will be resolved and that the documents along with the corrected bond requested by the said Counsel, will be made available no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday August 26, 2011.

Subsequently on November 30, 2011 the LTA sent a letter to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cellcom Telecommunications Inc. stating its regrets over Cellcom’s non-cooperation with the audit being carried out by Interconnect (ICC) relative to the Cellcom and Lonestar interconnection fees dispute. The Chairperson of LTA Madam Angelique Weeks expressed on behalf of the Board of Commissioners of the LTA its profound regrets that the anticipated cooperation and support from Cellcom has been less forthcoming than from Lonestar.

In her letter she pointed out that “Although Cellcom has relevant staff to enable ICC to gain an in-depth understanding of Cellcom’s systems and processes for preparing the interconnection billing data and bills, Cellcom has refused to issue both the Call Data Record (CDR) and supporting information that ICC has requested including the following:

• CDRs for 26/05/11 and 31/10/11
• To-Be process/systems data
• 2 years interconnect records
• Monthly call totals incoming and outgoing – may be just for 2009 since 2008 lost
• Emails showing interconnect bill generation process flow
• Screenshots of To-Be- raw/processed CDRs & interconnect billing module & report
• Analysis Mason Network Report (COO advises this is actually a marketing study)
• Tariff history & current details
• Timeline of Core Network changes
• Timeline of Billing System changes
• 2009/2010 audited accounts
• Organization Chart

Based on information provided by ICC, the LTA’s understanding is that Cellcom has refused to provide the outstanding data and information requested by ICC until LTA addresses certain issues regarding the scope of work. Consequently, the unavailability to ICC of such critical CDR information is preventing ICC from progressing or completing the key tasks associated with the audit scope of work that had been sent to Cellcom for review and to which Cellcom had agreed.

Punitive Measures
The LTA chairperson’s letter further stated that while the auditors may have been able to progress with other tasks based on the information that has been gathered from interviews and records provided over the last several weeks, ICC cannot finalize its assessment and findings until Cellcom provides the supporting information that has been requested.

In apparent reference to Cellcom’s refusal to provide the outstanding data and information requested by ICC until LTA addresses certain issues regarding the scope of work, LTA Board of Commissioners Chairperson Weeks reminded Cellcom in her letter of the LTA’s position on the issue as previously stated by Commissioner Henry W. Benson during the ICC/Cellcom introductory meeting on Thursday, October 27, 2011.

According to madam Weeks, that position was, and remains that the issues raised by Cellcom will be addressed at the conclusion of the ICC final report. The Chairperson’s letter further assured Cellcom that if its concern is not addressed, the LTA would obtain the requisite expertise to implement said task. To further allay Cellcom’s concerns, the LTA informed Cellcom that the LTA believes that the billing issue relating to the LTA’s 2008 Order (relative to the range of interconnection rates authorized to be charged), can be easily resolved once Interconnect completes its audit and report regarding the accuracy of billing records of Cellcom and Lonestar.

The chair stated that thereafter, LTA can conduct a regulatory review, make findings and reach conclusions relative thereto. The letter concluded by stating that in view of the foregoing, Cellcom is expected to provide the information requested by ICC in order to complete its assignment. It went to state further that since Cellcom have heretofore had ample time to submit the required information, the deadline for submission of requested documents was being set at 12 noon on Thursday, December 1, 2011. The letter then urged Cellcom to take the matter seriously and comply without further delay, and that failure to do so will leave the LTA with no alternative but to take appropriate punitive measures against Cellcom for non-compliance with LTA’s order...

To date, Cellcom has failed to heed LTA’s order and advice.

Random Thoughts: Why People Cheat in Relationship

2011-12-21T07:56:00.001-08:00

Dearest Mama,

It’s almost Christmas time, and believe me, Christmas items are flying everywhere: Christmas trees, ornaments, candles, posters, among others. Chickens and goats are also competing for space in vehicles, as they are being transported from one place to the next. Sit on the road for few minutes, and you will see a sheep, or goat or some four legged animal mounted erect on the top of a vehicle here. Sometimes these animals look like a military commander standing upright, ready to receive salutes.

While waiting for vehicle to go home yesterday’s evening, I was fortunate to be in the company of two persons. These two persons discussed a range of issues from development, to street peddlers, the global economic challenge, and then the discussion turned to relationships. As I listened to the two persons illustrate “how unfaithful” a spouse was in a relationship, I wanted to interrupt, but decided to hold my peace. Holding my peace was a way to allow the discussion flow without interruption so that I could understand the arguments raised by the two, and also to practice my listening skills. I did just that!

While it is true it took a lot of guts to remain silent, it also helped me to recognize that though infidelity and cheating is disgusting in my view, maybe, just maybe, some infidelity and cheating could be a result of problems in a relationship. Now before the "Zoedaes" (Lorma for female traditional Zoes) start throwing their hands in the air, let me state that I agree that some people are naturally promiscuous, and will engage in infidelity even if things are going smoothly in a relationship.

Aside being the natural disposition of a partner, it is well evident that cheating or infidelity could be an indication that there's a breakdown in communication, a partner feels lonely, there's lack of passion, there are lingering issues of trust. Other factors that could influence cheating or infidelity could include one partner finding someone who treats them better or who appreciates them more than their current spouse.

In relationships, few people intentionally plan on committing infidelity, especially not the first time it happens. In most relationships, when people make promises to be faithful, most people are serious and have every intention of keeping their word. Unfortunately, when situation arises in relationship, the situations have the tendency to influence our behavior, which then degenerates and lead us down paths we had no intention of traveling.

Psychologists tell us that there are three separate emotional systems involved in cheating and infidelity. The three emotional systems are sexual desire, romantic love, and attachment. And often these distinct emotional systems pull people in different directions. In short, most infidelity occurs, not because it is planned, but because people find themselves in situations where their emotions overwhelm them.

The article, “How Do People Make the Decision To Cheat,” outlines several situations that influence human emotions and bring out the worst behavior. Some of the emotions, according to How Do People Make the Decision To Cheat,” are: being close or interdependent on someone other than one’s spouse for emotional support, being around someone who is sexually interested, spending a lot of time one-on-one with someone else, not feeling close or connected to one’s spouse (e.g., feeling lonely, being upset or angry with a spouse, etc.), situations that create the sense of opportunity - the feeling that one will not get caught (e.g., meeting someone in private, out of town trips, etc.), situations involving alcohol or drugs, among others.

“When placed in these types of situations, one's emotions often prompt people to act in ways which are contrary to what is right. On occasion, poor decisions get made. Unfortunately, for many people, it is very difficult to always be in control of one's emotions when placed in these types of situations,” the article stressed.

Overall, infidelity, like many other human behaviors, is sometimes difficult to control if there are problems in a relationship. Being faithful to a spouse is more complicated than simply making promises to do so. Being faithful to a spouse often requires avoiding situations which bring out the worst in our behavior, and also ensuring that spouses work together in building their relationship.

Consequently, if there are unresolved issues in relationship, it is important to patiently discussed the issues, find ways to resolve the problems, maintain a strong communication, among other factors that will keep the relationship strong.

Merry Christmas, and I look forward to seeing Oldman Beggar this Christmas.

always,
musue

Meet Acarius Moses Gray

2011-11-25T08:01:00.000-08:00

© Musue N. Haddad

The Congress for Democratic Change, (CDC) is one of the political parties that participated in the national elections in Liberia. Winston Tubman is Standard bearer of the CDC, and George Oppong Weah is the Vice Standard bearer of the party. Another vocal person, who’s also executive of the party, is Acarius Gray.

Acarius Gray, a household name among Liberians is heard whenever there are major events undertaken by the party, including making statements, energizing partisans for Protest Marches.

Acarius Gray won his electoral seat as Representative for Districts # 8 Montserrado County, during the recent electoral process.

Meet Acarius Moses Gray, a member of the House of Representative for the next six years!In his position as Hon. Acarius Moses Gray, Acarius will be among others who will be debating policies, and making critical national decisions about our country and its people.

Acarius Moses Gray

Acarius Moses Gray in the middle, flanked by Varfley Dorley on the left, and another staunch supporter of the CDC on right.

CDC partisans on the streets of Monrivia during it's recent Protest March.

ACE Submarine Cable Arrives in Liberia

2011-11-04T08:17:00.001-07:00

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The landing of the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable in Liberia yesterday marks Liberia's entrance into the Digital age. ACE the new submarine cable serves more than twenty-five countries in Africa and Western Europe by linking France to South Africa. The ACE cable will offer the West African coastal region true broadband connectivity to telecommunications networks in Europe, America and Asia.
The ACE submarine cable system is stretched from France to South Africa connecting most countries along the West coast of Africa. The ACE Submarine Cable is Liberia's first Optical Fiber cable system.

The submarine carrying the cable landed behind Liberia’s main Military Barracks in Monrovia.

The Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable was initiated by France Télécom-Orange and administered by a consortium of 17 operators in various countries.
The cable is will be operational in 2012. The ACE cable will provide access to the global broadband network for the first time for Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, and Sierra Leone, making possible the launch of new services.

The cable was welcomed by the Cable Consortium of Liberia, including wireless providers, and members of Liberia’s Telecommunication Agency, and onlookers who gathered at the beach hours before the landing ceremony.
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Pulling the cable onshore

The landing

Ms. Angelique Weeks, Chairperson, Liberia Telecommunications Authority at the landing of the cable

The ship carrying the submarine cable

Staff of Liberia Telecommunication Authority, led by Chairperson Weeks

Onlookers gather to witness the landing of the cable

LTA's Director of Public Affairs, Anthony Selmah keeping up with updates, is flanked by Chris Harrris-Williams.

Angelique Weeks, Chairperson, Liberia Telecommunications Authority and CCL Board Member Ciata Victor preparing to make statements

The cable is connected

Before the cable was connected.

LTA Chairperson Angelique Weeks, CCL Board Member Ciator Victor, Lonestar Member, Nathaniel Kevin, Cellcom Member, William Saamoi Jr. and other memebers of CCL and Libtelco.

E.Blamo Robinson was present.

Walter Dean and Lonestar's Nathaniel Kevin -

Trotting Around: People, Places, Cultures in Pictures

2011-10-24T04:50:00.000-07:00

Click on pictures to see larger image: Photos by Musue Haddad
Trust and Love

In the thick of the clouds

This cup of regular coffee sold for $1.19 in the United States is sold in an European city for an equivalent of $6.00. A bottle of small mineral water sold for $1.00 in the United States, is sold in that European state for an equivalent of U.S$7.00 after converting the U.S dollar to the Euro

Memories

Aerial view of Allen, Pennsylvania

Mr. Dominguez, Ms. Blackwell, and Mr. White

Dancing to the African Beat. Now that is what we call acculturation - Western dance to African Beat

Just waiting, and waiting

In the same place, but in their own worlds. That's North America

Is that 'David and Goliath'-

Is the monkey staring

Give him way please. He's racing to the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C

Garrison gets attention at the Liberian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Sis. Darling Poses

Patiently awaiting her next flight

Mr. Patrick, the businessman

Children must be children.

On Business or Fun

Fasue looks on as Garrison steals the show

The order of the day: shopping

Nature and Culture

'Slaves for sale" reads the sign. If we look around us keenly, we will notice that slaves are still on the platform for sale.

No doubt - in the midst of 'family and friends.'

Hooray

Warmth and familiarity reigns

Alike

Gio Devil in America

Whose legs?

(Left to Right) Mr. Zubah, former Diplomat and James Fasuekoi, Photo-Journalist

A thriving community in North America

Let the camera roll, and the tourists flow

That's not an ECOMOG vehicle. It's an old Military Vehicle on display in a Pennsylvania Town.

Girls just having fun

Is that an European Manufacturing site that produces weapons? Just asking.

Even guys can shake their 'tumba'

Seriously inspecting planes

Lights gone "larry"

Shortcut to manufacturing: Tell me what color shoes you want.

using the traditional means to fish

UNMIL on patrol

Thomas S Allentown