Kirkpatrick's final draft of Quitee-Bestman Platform
Kirkpatrick Weah
River Gee County Association in the Americas-RIGCAA Convention-
2010, New York
Quitee-Bestman Team’s Platform
Short Term (September 2010 – August 2011): Unity and Development of RIGCAA
(Self-preservation is the first law of nature: The Case of RIGCAA)
Unity: Phase I September –December 2010
1. We shall emphasis the need for level playing field through constitutional provisions and
Administrative policy;
2. We shall set up a committee to identify the genesis of crisis and confusion in the organization with mandate to report back to the Executive with suggestions from interviewees;
3. We shall Identify elders from the six districts and brief them on the Mission of RIGCAA, its success, pitfall and the conflict within.
4. We shall set up an Elders Council, representative of the six districts.
5. We shall Declare 2011 as Geepos Unity Convention Year.
6. Influential people shall be selected to have one –on-one conversation with people and organs of RIGCAA to thwart (arrest) foreseeable crisis that will derail the progress of RIGCAA;
Development and Promotion of RIGCAA: Phase I September – August 2011
1. We shall set up membership drive of Geepos in all the States;
2. Task will be given to people from each district to identify citizens from their districts;
4. We will encourage the establishment, revamping of district organizations that will
serve as pillars of RIGCAA and support already existence ones;
5. We shall strive to establish up to five new chapters of RIGCAA by August 2012;
5. We shall network and collaborate with Liberian and non Liberian based agencies for
Projects implementation, grants, etc;
5. RIGCAA lacks self-promotion over the last ten years. To achieve this, we will encourage the national and local chapters to attend other organizations events as a way of promoting the organization.
________________________________________
Self-preservation is the first law of nature
Welfare of River Gee Citizens in the U.S. - Phase 2 September 2010 - August 2011
1. Establish liaison with employment and legal aid agencies through RIGCAA local
Chapters to do the following but not limited to:
a. Employment, scholarships and training
b. Job interviews and resume preparation
c. Social Security Benefits for elders and others (including Section 8 Housing for
Seniors)
Immigration and all other legal assistance and representation
1. Help Geepos to prepare for citizenship test, family re-union and resettlement by
Networking with agencies that are providing related services to all immigrants in
RIGCAA local chapters.
2. Educate and encourage Geepos in the US to undergo periodical medical check up and do relevant testing for but not limited to: HIV/AIDS, Diabetes, cancer, etc.
Long Term Programs and Projects: Phase 1 September 2010 –August 2012
Projects in River Gee County and for Geepos out of River Gee Co.
Education: September 2010- August 2011
1. Identify the needs of schools and students in and from the county through
Supervisors of schools in each district, county supervisor of schools, nursing and
University students;
2. Help equip River Gee County only senior high school (Gbeapo Central High School and Webbo High;
3. Set up Education Committee (not scholarship committee) that will implement
Recommendations from school authorities in the county and university students,
etc.
3. Provide emergency assistance for school materials, financial aid and merit based scholarships to deserving students with level playing field of districts.
4. Create a scholarship committee to be comprised of RIGCAA, County officials and River Gee County Legislative Caucus;
5. Honor Geepos graduates at home and abroad.
Health: September 2010- August 2012
6. Identify the health needs of districts through health coordinators and the Senior
Health officer of the county;
6. Set up Health Committee that will implement recommendations from health
Authorities in the county and nursing students, etc.
7. Provide emergency assistance for medical equipments, medicine on a level playing field.
Network with the following but not limited to:
1. Liaise with River Gee Development Association and Districts Development officers
to evaluate developmental projects and provide technical knowledge and
Assistance for implementation;
2. Establish relationship with River Gee Legislative Caucus;
3. Establish relationship with River Gee students in higher and vocational
Training institutes.
4. Establish relationship with Geepo youth and women organizations
5. Provide emergency assistance as may be deemed necessary by the leadership.
Methodology of fundraising to pay for projects
10% will come from grants, i.e. collaboration with other agencies for State and Federal grants;
15% will come from in-kind-contributions;
30% will come from companies operating in River Gee County;
45% will come from RIGCAA membership annual dues, rallies, etc.
Strategy: To achieve this, a budget, research, grants and survey committee shall be set up. It shall draft operational budget for September 2010 – August 2012 for perusal of the National Executive Committee and approval by the Board not later than 60 days after the New York Convention, 2010.
________________________________________________________________________________
The Quitee-Bestman Team, will not make Geepos to be like the children of Israel, who asked Moses to take them back to Egypt. The dream of equity and level playing field by RIGCAA founding fathers shall serve as the pivot of our administrative policy and leadership. We shall never return to our days in Grand Gedeh - Our days of down troddeness in Grand Gedeh must not be renewed through our individuals and collective actions. God Bless RIGCAA.