The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, JUNE 25, 2018

News of the government of the Republic of Rwanda’sdecision to support the invention of Dr. Dougbeh Christopher Nyan, a renowned scientist and medical doctor from Liberia and the Forestry Development Authority launch of a community forestry project valued at over US$80,000 are among stories dominating today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies.

Rwanda To Support Invention Of Liberian Scientist, Dr. Dougbeh-Chris Nyan

The Daily Observerreads that the government of the Republic of Rwanda through the Rwanda Military Hospital (RMH) has offered support for the ground-breaking invention of Dr. Dougbeh Christopher Nyan, a renowned scientist and medical doctor from Liberia. The disclosure was made recently by hospital authorities at the end of Dr. Nyan’s presentation of his Multiplex infections Diagnostic Test and lecture held at the RMH. According to the Daily Observer, the lecture which was organized by the Rwanda Military Hospital brought in attendance military as well as civilian doctors, nurses, laboratory personnel, and other healthcare workers. During the just ended 2018 African Innovation Summit held in Kigali, Dr. Nyan’s infections diagnostic test (The Nyan-Test) was exhibited as one of Top 50 Innovations in Africa. The Nyan-Test was selected from over 600 submissions.

US$80K Community Forestry Project Launched

The Forestry Development Authority (FDA) through the National Union of Community Forestry Development Committees (NUCFDC) recently launched a community forestry project valued at over US$80,000, to strengthen communities’ capacity in monitoring benefits from commercial logging. The Daily Observer says the new initiative, funded by the European Union (EU), Swedish Cooperation (SIDA), United Kingdom through the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), EU- Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Program, seeks to equip affected communities with skills and tools to be able to monitor the benefits they received through logging, to communicate and share information on progress which will robustly defend their rights, under the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) Legality Assurance System (LAS). According to the daily, the capacity of the Community Forestry Development Committees (CFDC) within eight counties, including River Cess, River Gee, Grand Gedeh, Nimba, Grand Kru, Maryland, Grand Bassa and Grand Cape Mount, will be strengthened under the new initiative.

Swedish Professor Urges Adoption Of Diverse Democracy

The Director of Varieties Democracies Institute at Guttenberg University in Sweden has stressed the need for Liberia to promote other forms of democracies instead of electoral democracy alone. Speaking Tuesday when he served as guest lecturer at the University of Liberia Graduate School of Education and Research, Professor Staffan I. Lindberg, said the practice of diverse forms of democracies would serve as the surest way of measuring good governance. He sees electoral democracy as essential to the protection of democracy but noted that it is not the only indicator to measure genuine democracy. Lindburg named Liberal, Consensual, Deliberative, Majoritarian, Egalitarian, and Participatory Democracies as alternative and best forms of democracy that global politics need to adapt. Prof. Lindberg urged countries practicing democracy to be cognizant of the reality that democracy is not practice the same in all countries, stating that government in those countries must commit their resources and strategies to the basic tenets of democracy for its people, reads the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Canine Rabies Officially Confirmed In Liberia

According to FrontPage Africa newspaper, Canine Rabies has been officially confirmed in Liberia by authorities of the One Health Coordination Platform. The confirmation comes following public health action taken by health authorities and investigation in affected communities. One Health Coordination Platform is a combination of the Ministry of Agriculture, Health, Commerce, Forestry Development Authority, Environmental Protection Agency, National Disaster Management Agency, National Public Health Institute of Liberia and development partners. Rabies is a deadly but preventable disease, transmitted from an infected animal to humans (zoonotic disease), usually via a bite wound inflicted by an infected or rabid animal. The statement furthered that the confirmed cases were from Monsterrado and Margibi counties.

Liberians Join Indians To Observe 3rd Int’l Day Of Yoga

Few Liberians joined their Indian friends in Liberia to celebrate the International Day of Yoga on Saturday, June 23. The FrontPage Africa newspaper reports that the yoga enthusiasts gathered at the Shri Gurudwara Sahib, the Indian worship center at Coconut Plantation, to commemorate the third ever International Day of Yoga. Before the exercises began, the Honorary Consul General of India, Mr. Upjit Singh Sachdeva, who also participated in the ceremony, underscored the importance of the day. Mr. Jeety as he is known, indicated that the day was celebrated under the auspices of Indian Ambassador residing in La Cote d’Ivoire and the Consulate in Liberia, which he (Jeety) heads. The Honorary Consul General disclosed that the declaration of International Day of Yoga was prompted by an address to the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 27, 2014 by the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Mr. Narendra Modi, in which he urged the World Community to adopt an International Day of Yoga.