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The President of the Liberian Community of Minnesota (LCM), based in St. Paul, Minnesota, Mr. Edward William Carter, has frowned on the attitude of some Diaspora Liberian Community Leaders who he said continue to demonstrate intolerance for the views of other, thereby stifling the opportunity for achieving community cohesiveness, growth and unity.
Speaking recently in St. Paul at program marking the 161st Independence anniversary of Liberia sponsored by LCM, Mr. Carter underscored the need for a new paradigm shift in the political psyche of some of the leaders, saying they are "trapped in the politics of ethnicity, cronyism, tribalism and self-abasement."
LCM held a series of events to recognize Liberia’s 161st Independence Day anniversary. The events covered a thanksgiving and intercessory service, a picnic and an evening dance, attracting more than hundred enthusiatic members and well-wishers of the organization.
“This was the first time the Liberian Independence anniversary was celebrated in Saint Paul,” recalled Carter.
LCM Chief Executive Director observed: “Due to the culture of intolerance and politics of exclusion, most Liberian communities in the Diaspora are saddled with intractable problems, all of which continue to impede their growth and progress”.
He told the crowded audience, most of whom had gathered to share in LCM’s first major event, that Liberia’s Independence Day celebration should serve as a "rallying point" for national unity and cohesiveness, admonishing them to "cultivate a new sense of nationalism which borders on respect for each other, our diversity and the achievement of national unity and reconciliation."
Speaking further, the LCM boss paid homage to the founding fathers of Liberia (both indigenous and repatriated U.S Slaves) for their resolve in establishing the “first independent nation-state in Africa, emphasizing, “It helped dispel the Eurocentric notion that the black man was incapable of self-governance”.
The popular LCM boss opined that this single act of historic proportion on the part of those founding stalwarts, especially in the midst of heightened political subjugation and alien domination, should inform our sense of national consciousness, and propel us to new horizons and accomplishments.
He then called for the inclusion of civic education in the curricula of schools in Liberia. "Through education, the youths of Liberia will learn of their common background and tradition, empowering them to identify with the historical continuity of their nation," Mr. Carter averred. CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS. Note: some photos are wrongly dated.
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