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11/10/2003 8:49:25 PM AMARA BILITY beyla_007@hotmail.com The Liberian Mandingoes Reconciliation Conference Charter Prepared by: The Liberian Mandingoes Reconciliation Conference Charter Prepared by: The Conference Committee Revised Date: 10/14/2003 Executive Summary The Liberian Mandingoes Reconciliation Conference Committee’s vision is to promote unity, peace, foresight, selflessness, and discipline among Liberian Mandingoes and between Mandingoes and other Liberians; make the Mandingoes a better people and better citizens; and make Mandingoes so good as a people that no one will want to challenge them from a value standpoint. The committee’s work involves a process that focuses on: · Our history as a people · The values that make us unique and dynamic · Our pre and post Civil War experiences – politics · Collect voices of stakeholders · The way forward – Strategic Plans for Mandingoes in the new Liberia · Developing measurable and achievable goals for our future Problems/Opportunities Having fled Liberia due to persecution and for other reasons, the Liberian Mandingoes now realize the following: · They need to revisit their history before the civil war · The need to evaluate their civil war experiences · Evaluate the root cause of their differences · Acknowledge the past, reconcile their differences, and work with other ethnic groups for true reconciliation in Liberia. · Invest in education and their youth, and encourage service from them Objectives The committee’s primary goal is to form a united front of Mandingoes with various social and political orientations by: · Uniting Liberian them to cure the wounds that they now feel as a result of their experiences in Liberia. · Improve relationships among Mandingoes by reducing or eliminating defects/animosities caused by opposing political ideologies. · Build/Improve relationships with other Liberians based on mutual tolerance and acceptance · Ultimately unite Liberian Mandingoes for a common cause and develop achievable goals for a shared future inside Liberia. · Organize a council of arbitrators to mediate controversial issue affecting Mandingoes The Reconciliation Conference’s Approach Utilize cross-functional individuals to research specific areas affecting Mandingoes and present them to conference body at a two-day event that: · Uses an open minded methodology to fix broken windows and improve relationships using the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) methodology · Develops a process to analyze new opportunities for Mandingoes in Liberia · Utilizes historical and current data to isolate cause of some of our success and failures as a group in modern Liberia · Encourages coaching support from experienced resources among us · Develops a strategic plan for our future in the new Liberia Structure of the Conference Historical Presentations · Revisit our history and bring us to the present · Achievements and failures of our forbearers · Forecast the future The Civil War and its Impact on Mandingoes · Discussions centered on the impact of the civil war (pros and cons) on us as a people and how to deal with future threats. Reconciliation Forum will consist of: · Delegates from various Mandingo organizations and sub-groupings · A nine (9) member council to mediate all grievances · Presentations by designated intellectuals, religious leaders, historians, and other groups Reconciliation Dinner and Fund-raiser · Socialize Dependencies The achievement of true reconciliation is dependent on the following: · Knowledge of existing problems affecting us as a people. · Clear definition of the new realities in Liberia and how to deal with them as a group · Active participation and a strong support from all Mandingoes, especially elders, opinion leaders, and those in leadership positions · Open mindedness to change · Excellent leadership Stakeholders List · All Mandingoes from Liberia residing in North America and Europe · Mandingoes from Liberia residing in Liberia and other nations in West Africa. Benefits True reconciliation will: · Position Liberian Mandingoes to deal with the new realities in Liberia · Improve relationships amongst our members and build mutual respect regardless of ideological differences · Reduce/eliminate ignorance about us as a people · Encourage youth education and promote leadership and volunteerism Controls Strategy · A Mandingo federation is very important to safeguarding the Mandingo values and driving the progressive forecasting and attainment of measurable goals for our people and nation. A yearly event is important to celebrate our successes in the new Liberia. Constraints · Lack of massive support from the Mandingo community in the United States. · No scientific data is available that support the theory of a division among Mandingoes at this time · There is no technological constraints at this time · Paying for the cost of the conference · Conference Committee members are dispersed all over the United States Assumptions · The Mandingoes will become better equipped to deal with the new Liberia if genuine reconciliation is achieved · A Mandingo federation to serve as an umbrella organization for Mandingoes will foster unity · Data on the contributions of Mandingoes will become readily available · Technology will take us to every country in which a Liberian Mandingo resides. · A budget is required for a successful conference · Resources (committee members) will devote 3-4 hours per week during next 30 days in order to make this conference a reality. Risks · Lack of stakeholders buy-in to the goals of the reconciliation conference · Jump to short sighted solutions to appease major stakeholders and adversaries · Fail to identify clear causes · Dollars needed to implement conference not available and can’t be raised · Committee members fail to execute a successful conference

July 27, 2003 The Mandingo Association of Atlanta chooses Mr. Bangaly Donzo as defacto President.

August 7, 2003 The official site of the MAA was up and running. A Message from the webmaster Mr. Baba Kourouma of Alliance Computer Consultants.<.

June 9, 2003 The was effectively incorporated in the state of Georgia as Mandingo Association of Atlanta, Inc with the statute of A Domestic Nonprofit Corporation.

The MAA since its creation on April 1999 has been involved in many humanitarian work here, in Guinea and now in Liberia. Our funding is through the donations of our members, grants from states and federal agencies, international organizations and people like you. We currently need your help in helping people in the war-torn country of Liberia. Please click the button below to make a donation.

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