A National Consultative Dialogue geared towards formulating a comprehensive National Diaspora Engagement Policy has taken place in Monrovia with stakeholders calling for total cohesion among Liberians at home and abroad.

The consultative forum would allow diaspora-Liberians to participate in the development process of their motherland, in an effort to rebuild it.

A  Foreign Ministry release says the one-day consultative event, which took place on Friday, January 15, at the Monrovia City Hall, brought together representatives from Liberian diaspora organizations in Europe, Africa and the United States of America.

Representing the diaspora communities were Mr. Emmanuel Wettee, President of the All Liberian Conference on Dual Citizenship; Mr. Allison Weah-Doe, General Secretary, United Liberian Associations in Ghana; Mr. Arthur Auges, General Secretary, United Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA) and Mr. Prince Wleh, President, European Federation of Liberian Associations (EFLA).

Other participants came from the Ministries of Education, Commerce and Industry and Agriculture. Others included the National Investment and Governance Commissions  as well as  the National Legislature, the Liberian Business Associations, Liberian Chambers of Commerce and professionals from private health care services.

Delivering the keynote Address at the opening session, Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, urged Liberians from all sectors to join government in the development efforts of their common patrimony.

“You will agree that evident abounds that this Government has, from the onset, adopted and treated on the principle of inclusion. This has been our guiding principle since we have stared down the barrels of consternation and scaled the walls of suspicion from partisans and some of our ardent supporters to reach out and bring every sector of the Liberian population on board in the governance and development of our common patrimony,” VP Boakai stated.

The Liberian Vice President observed that the turmoil and violence that exploded throughout the country in the last quarter of the century emanated from years of exclusionary policies, ethnic division and historical antagonisms, adding that successive governments have had to grapple with these problems throughout the country’s history.

VP Boakai stressed that the current generation in Liberians has an obligation to right the historical wrongs and put to rest long simmering resentments so as to put the country on a trajectory to sustained growth and development as the country enjoys peace and stability.

The Liberian Vice President also stressed” the sustained engagement with the diaspora-Liberian community requires addressing the question of citizenship and participation of in the governance process of their country.

He noted that the experiment with TOK-TEM and SES Programs which brought about recruiting trained manpower from abroad has revealed a deep pool of Liberian professionals  holding expertise that are so dearly needed in the country.  VP Boakai further recalled that when economic activities collapsed during the country civil crisis, Diaspora Liberians became an important source for hard currency though their valuable remittances.

According to him, Liberians living abroad have continued to manifest their invaluable deep interests and concerns for their native country in countless ways throughout their stay away from homeland.

The VP added that those Liberians' sustained advocacies for their country causes in the capitals of powerful nations have continued to give impetus for their dear country.

According to him, Diaspora Liberians are among some of the best skilled professionals with resources the country can tap into for capacity building, promotion and for expansion of entrepreneurship. Vice President recalled that when economic activities collapsed during the country civil crisis, diaspora Liberians became an important source for hard currency through their valuable remittances.

“We also know no matter how long one stays outside one’s country and no matter how successful one becomes in one’s abducted land, one never completely swerves links to one’s ancestral land; we must therefore embrace our brothers and sisters in the diaspora who seek to contribute to the development and wellbeing of their nation,” he stated.

Earlier, Honorable Sylvester M. Grigsby, Minister of State Without Portfolio told the deliberation that the Liberia Diaspora Engagement Program, a component of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s outreach program, is being initially funded by the World Bank to formulate a comprehensive National Diaspora Engagement Policy that would promote unity and cohesion among, Liberians at home and abroad.

The event, he said, provides an opportunity for Liberians to bring together representatives of Diaspora organizations and communities with Liberian at home in a face-to-face consultation on issues of great concern to both sides in order to generate support for a comprehensive Diaspora Engagement Policy to be formulated.

He added that as part of the dialogue, a team from Liberia will engage into consultation tours for a comprehensive review of policies and practices of other countries. The Minister of State Without Portfolio also added that an intensive consultations was held outside Liberia with diaspora Liberians and stakeholders back home but observed there were still relative suspicions and distrusts seem among Liberians home and abroad.

According to him, there are mixed reactions among citizens about the Diaspora Engagement Program with some raising issues concerning the question of dual citizenship. Minister Grigsby, however, wants the discussions on the Diaspora Engagement Program transcends beyond dual citizenship and tackle other major issues.

“The Diaspora has some of the best professionals, skilled Liberians anywhere and they can come and help us meet up with some of our challenges back home,” Min. Grigsby emphasized.

The Minister further stated: “We want to invite you all to an opened and reasonable deliberation during this event; the event should be opened for various imports because we don’t want rhetoric; whatever we come up with in conclusion will be captured in the comprehensive policy to transcend one administration because what we are trying to do is to build a vibrant and prosperous Liberia..”

For his part, Mr. Maxwell Saah Kemayan, President of the Liberia Business Association (LIBA) told the gathering that small and medium-sized business (SMB) has played a significant role in reducing the high unemployment rate in Liberia, adding more than 18 to 20 thousands of Liberian Businesses are registered with the Liberian Business Registrar.

He urged the government and other stakeholders to help support Liberian-owned businesses so as to progress towards achieving the economic goals. He added that there are so many businesses opportunities in Liberia but stressed that LIBA believes in partnership and called on Diaspora Liberians to return home and invest.

According to Mr. Kamayan, there are windows of opportunities in Liberia especially in sectors such as agriculture, fishery, health services and the manufacturing industry in Liberia. He stressed that the need for Liberians in the Diaspora to take advantage of these industries cannot be overly emphasized.

He believes also that in order to see Liberian businesses develop, government needs to make conscious effects by providing the necessary support for LIBA, as an association established by an act of legislation.

Also speaking at the deliberation, Hon. Commany B. Wesseh, of the Liberian Senate, praised the Minister of State Without Portfolio, Hon. Sylvester M. Grigsby, for the proactive manner in which he has moved the Diaspora Engagement Program leading to the consultative dialogue among stakeholders.

The River Gee County Lawmaker used the occasion to admonish Liberians to do away with the misconception that the Diaspora Engagement Program was only about “dual citizenship”.

“We need not be afraid of people we call diaspora Liberians. Most are Liberians who fled the country for either economic or political reasons,” he noted.

The Diaspora outreach program is set up with the objective to build partnership and collaboration with the Diaspora to support economic and social development at home through the transfer of knowledge, investment and, trade education and health care delivery among others.

It can be recalled that a team from the Diaspora Engagement Programs in October 2015, conducted study tours of Ethiopia, Ghana and Africa Union Commission, two consultative dialogues were held in Northern California and Washington DC respectively of the United States.

At the close of the one-day consultative event, participants separately expressed their excitements over the dialogue. They called for more national awareness and total inclusion of all Liberians whether they are residing home and abroad in the development processes of their country. They also want to see more consultative engagements with stakeholders from home and the diaspora community.