Source: Liberian Government
The Monrovia City Corporation and the Philanthropy Secretariat conducted a joint press conference at the Monrovia City Hall to announce the launch of a project called Improved Primary Solid Waste Collection in Poor Communities of Monrovia known as the MCC IMPAC Project. This initiative is funded through a commitment of 5 million USD from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) under its Global Program for Inclusive Governance (GPIMG). According to the project document, the MCC will work with community groups and local officials to create a sustainable municipal solid waste management and recycling system. The vision of success for the project states that "Within four and half years, a large proportion of urban poor households in the City of Monrovia would have regular and reliable access to door-to-door waste collection service on a sustainable basis and waste from the city would hauled away in a systematic manner, leaving the city clean".
In September 2010, the Gates Foundation announced an effort to tackle Urban Poverty in Five African Cities: Cairo, Egypt; Luanda, Angola; Lilongwe, Malawi; Monrovia, Liberia; and Harare, Zimbabwe. The goal of the projects is to foster a productive relationship between city government and the urban poor that can serve as a model for other developing world cities to follow as they seek to address the challenges of urban poverty.
This four and half years "MCC IMPAC" project will increase adequate access to primary waste collection services for the majority of urban poor households and communities, educate households, and increase awareness on proper waste containment practices at the household levels and will also engage in streets naming and numbering as well as house numbering.
The Philanthropy Secretariat's role in the process has been in engaging the BMGF in a series of discussions via phone as well as in supporting the MCC during the development of the "MCC IMPAC" project.
Speaking on behalf of the Monrovia City Corporation Acting Mayor Broh expressed her gratitude to the BMGF for this huge initiative and reassured her support in the implementation of the project. Hon. Davis emphasized the Philanthropy Secretariat's continued commitment to facilitating support from foundations in support of initiatives aligned to the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS).
Since 2006, philanthropists and foundations have played a vital role in supporting Liberia's reconstruction and development process. The Philanthropy Secretariat was conceived as a mechanism to respond to several key challenges faced by foundations working in the country and to strengthen philanthropist-supported contributions in Liberia. Through generous support from funders including the NoVo Foundation, Humanity United, the Daphne Foundation and the McCall MacBain Foundation, the Government of Liberia launched the Secretariat in April 2009. Liberia is the first country in the world to create an office dedicated to facilitating the work of foundations and philanthropists.
Since its inception, the Secretariat has strengthened foundation support for Liberia through improved information sharing. The Secretariat has also encouraged new foundations to begin funding in the country. Since the office's launch in 2009, nine foundations have made first-time grants in Liberia.
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Everyone is a genius
Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. – A Einstein
Drawing the line in Liberia
Crimes sponsored, committed, or masterminded by handful of individuals cannot be blamed upon an entire nationality. In this case, Liberians! The need for post-war justice is a step toward lasting peace, stability and prosperity for Liberia. Liberia needs a war crimes tribunal or some credible legal forum that is capable of dealing with atrocities perpetrated against defenseless men, women and children during the country's brutal war. Without justice, peace shall remain elusive and investment in Liberia will not produce the intended results. - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Men with unhealthy characters should not champion any noble cause
They pretend to advocate the cause of the people when their deeds in the dark mirror nothing else but EVIL!!
When evil and corrupt men try to champion a cause that is so noble … such cause, how noble it may be, becomes meaningless in the eyes of the people - Bernard Gbayee Goah.
When evil and corrupt men try to champion a cause that is so noble … such cause, how noble it may be, becomes meaningless in the eyes of the people - Bernard Gbayee Goah.
If Liberia must move forward ...
If Liberia must move forward in order to claim its place as a civilized nation amongst world community of nations, come 2017 elections, Liberians must critically review the events of the past with honesty and objectivity. They must make a new commitment to seek lasting solutions. The track records of those who are presenting themselves as candidates for the position of "President of the Republic of Liberia" must be well examined. Liberians must be fair to themselves because results from the 2011 elections will determine the future of Liberia’s unborn generations to come - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Liberia's greatest problem!
While it is true that an individual may be held responsible for corruption and mismanagement of funds in government, the lack of proper system to work with may as well impede the process of ethical, managerial, and financial accountability - Bernard Gbayee Goah
What do I think should be done?
The situation in Liberia is Compound Complex and cannot be fixed unless the entire system of government is reinvented.
Liberia needs a workable but uncompromising system that will make the country an asylum free from abuse, and other forms of corruption.
Liberia needs a workable but uncompromising system that will make the country an asylum free from abuse, and other forms of corruption.
Any attempt to institute the system mentioned above in the absence of rule of law is meaningless, and more detrimental to Liberia as a whole - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Liberia's Natural Resources
Besides land water and few other resources, most of Liberia’s dependable natural resources are not infinite, they are finite and therefore can be depleted.
Liberia’s gold, diamond, and other natural resources will not always be an available source of revenue generation for its people and its government. The need to invent a system in government that focuses on an alternative income generation method cannot be over emphasized at this point - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Besides land water and few other resources, most of Liberia’s dependable natural resources are not infinite, they are finite and therefore can be depleted.
Liberia’s gold, diamond, and other natural resources will not always be an available source of revenue generation for its people and its government. The need to invent a system in government that focuses on an alternative income generation method cannot be over emphasized at this point - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Liberia needs a proper system
If Liberians refuse to erect a proper system in place that promotes the minimization of corruption and mismanagement of public funds by government institutions, and individuals, there will come a time when the value of the entire country will be seen as a large valueless land suited on the west coast of Africa with some polluted bodies of waters and nothing else. To have no system in place in any country is to have no respect for rule of law. To have no respect for rule of law is to believe in lawlessness. And where there is lawlessness, there is always corruption - Bernard Gbayee Goah
If Liberians refuse to erect a proper system in place that promotes the minimization of corruption and mismanagement of public funds by government institutions, and individuals, there will come a time when the value of the entire country will be seen as a large valueless land suited on the west coast of Africa with some polluted bodies of waters and nothing else. To have no system in place in any country is to have no respect for rule of law. To have no respect for rule of law is to believe in lawlessness. And where there is lawlessness, there is always corruption - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Solving problems in the absence of war talks
As political instability continues to increase in Africa, it has become abundantly clear that military intervention as a primary remedy to peace is not a durable solution. Such intervention only increases insecurity and massive economic hardship. An existing example which could be a valuable lesson for Liberia is Great Britain, and the US war on terror for the purpose of global security. The use of arms whether in peace keeping, occupation, or invasion as a primary means of solving problem has yield only little results. Military intervention by any country as the only solution to problem solving will result into massive military spending, economic hardship, more fear, and animosity as well as increase insecurity. The alternative is learning how to solve problems in the absence of war talks. The objective of such alternative must be to provide real sustainable human security which cannot be achieved through military arm intervention, or aggression. In order to achieve results that will make the peaceful coexistence of all mankind possible, there must be a common ground for the stories of all sides to be heard. I believe there are always three sides to every story: Their side of the story, Our side of the story, and The truth – Bernard Gbayee Goah