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Keynote Speaker Mrs. Linnie
Kesselly addressing the
audience. Mrs. Kesselly is the
Widow of the Late Liberian
Statesman Dr. Edward B. Kesselly.
She is the mother of incumbent
Commissioner of the Bureau of
Maritime Affairs, Mr. Binyah
Kesselly, who is the first of
her four sons. The others are
Jallah, Varney, and Varfilay
Kesselly.
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Keynote Address of
Mrs.
Linnie Kesselly
Inaugural Dinner Ball
of the Quardu-Gboni Mandingo Association in the Americas
(QGMAA)
First District Plaza
3801 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
March 27, 2010
Good evening, ladies & gentlemen, officials & members of
the Quardu-Gboni Association in the Americas. You have
honoured me and my family by selecting me to serve as
your Keynote Speaker for this auspicious inaugural
program featuring the installation of your newly elected
leadership.
This month is noteworthy in our family also because it
is the month of the birth and death of my late husband,
Dr. Edward B. Kesselly. He was born on March 29, 1937 &
died on March 30, 1993. This marks the observance of
his 73rd birth anniversary and his 17th
death anniversary. May his soul rest in peace.
Due note has been taken of some of the Association’s
efforts to bring prominence as well as political
recognition to the District as an integral part of
Liberia. You have been advocates for peace, justice,
social equality and respect for all, without regard to
religion and tribal backgrounds. To further this, you
liaised with various government agencies in support of a
national ID card introduction to curb security
checkpoint harassment of some citizen groups. Moreover,
you have served as a catalyst for the promotion of
education among the citizenry of the district by
provision of scholarships, book distribution and
securing volunteer teachers to serve in various towns
for periods up to two years.
Therefore, you have reason to take particular pride in
the fact that Quardu-Gboni Chiefdom has now been
elevated to district status through the sustained
unified efforts of your association which unity you
serve to strengthen and sustain.
In your invitation letter to me, you indicated that the
late Dr. Kesselly was instrumental in the up-liftment of
the Chiefdom throughout his lifetime. He supported
numerous projects such as farm-to-market roads to link
towns and villages. These were to ensure more productive
interactions and greater unity among the people. He also
encouraged restructuring efforts to make the Chieftaincy
more responsive to the needs and aspirations of its
people. And, I am informed, that these acts have had an
extensive positive impact on the people of this
district.
Your selected topic is indeed important not only for the
district but also for the nation: education and unity:
essential factors for reconstruction & sustainable
development in Quardu-Gboni district, Lofa County,
Liberia. I wish to enlarge the scope to indicate the
importance of these factors for the national development
of Liberia for, without unity, utilization of acquired
education and sustainable development become extremely
difficult to achieve as i shall endeavour to explain.
The subject at hand is extremely complex for it
addresses highly complex issues of attitude and
knowledge. Unity is an attitude issue and education is
an acquisition of knowledge issue which also shapes
attitude. My assertion here is that our key word is
unity. For me it is an absolutely essential ingredient
for achieving all other objectives but make no mistake –
it is not an easily achieved attribute. Nothing succeeds
like the spirit of unity among a people, whether it is a
family, community, country or organization. Education is
certainly important, indeed essential and we need all
kinds of education because professional skills of all
kinds are needed for sustainable development:
professors, doctors, nurses, engineers, computer
technicians also professional tradesmen and women such
as carpenters, plumbers, mechanics, machine operators
and yes entrepreneurs to establish businesses to spur
employment and grow the economy.
However, there is urgent need to ensure the unity of the
Liberian people for it is the glue that will bind us
together in difficult times and circumstances. Unity
must be the basic theme of every endeavour and the basis
of education at every level. A unified people cannot
fail for in “union strong, success is sure.”
Why am I emphasizing this issue so strongly?? It is
because i am being informed that in today’s Liberia,
there are those who are sowing seeds of disunity by
their negative attitudes to Liberians who are returning
home with the intent to contribute their knowledge and
skills to the development of the country. Let it be
known and understood that every Liberian has the right
to return home. Whether it is to participate in the
nation building process or simply to come home, every
country proudly welcomes its peoples’ return as well as
strangers who wish to befriend the country. There are
some places that even provide special incentives for
highly skilled returnees in recognition of the fact that
it will speed up the development process based on the
knowledge and skills brought home from abroad. All
should be welcomed to join hands in working together for
Liberia’s development. Unity is not an issue to be
politicized. No one has the right to disturb the
peaceful return of people to their homeland. Many return
with necessary resources for national reconstruction and
development.
The late Dr. Kesselly was a strong advocate for
education as he pursued studies in Liberia, the USA and
several European countries. He focused on gaining
knowledge to return home and contribute to Liberia’s
development, as did many Liberians who lived, worked and
studied abroad at that time.
They were all warmly welcomed home on their return and
encouraged to join their fellow Liberians in making
their contribution to Liberia’s development. It was
understood that Liberia needed all its human resources
in order to achieve sustainable development.
And because he understood the importance of unity among
people, Dr Kesselly named his political party, Unity
Party, in recognition that unity is a prerequisite for
the sustainable development of a nation.
Disunity foments chaos, leading to civil unrest, war and
destruction; whereas unity is essential for discipline,
peace and development.
How is this essential element, unity, to be achieved,
one might ask. It is my opinion that the basic
educational curriculum of all Liberians should embody
the concept of unity among and between all of its
people. It should be understood that all citizens have
the same rights regardless of religion, tribe or ethnic
group, gender or social class. It is imperative that
this concept of unity becomes a national message on
billboards around the country, in TV and radio programs,
churches, mosques and places of worship throughout the
country. Liberia must become a nation whose mission is
the unity of its people. It is imperative that this
nation creates a culture of unity for then there would
eventually develop a climate of trust among all and
respect for each other and Liberian institutions. I
believe that respect for self and others would render a
reduction in corruption and crime because Liberians
would take pride in this reputation of honesty. And in
turn, this reputation would prompt a greater array of
investors who are attracted to an environment of unity,
peace and progress.
Already the president, Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, has
made great strides in pulling the country back from the
brink of economic disaster but it is not a job that she
can do alone. All Liberians have a role to play in
establishing and maintaining unity and peace. War and
disunity have not served the nation well for it yielded
nearly a quarter of a century of destruction and
decline.
Now Liberia has an opportunity to unite, educate and
focus on national development. This generation owes that
not only to itself but also to the next generation by
laying a solid foundation of unity. Liberians must learn
the skills necessary to re-establish and maintain unity
among all of its people. Such process will enhance and
further strengthen basic unity as the nation forges
ahead into a future full of hope and promise.
Education is the essential tool/element for gathering
the skills needed to build and rebuild but unity is the
essential foundation that must be cultivated as one does
a garden to ensure successful growth of one’s plants.
Disunity will surely rob Liberia of its opportunity for
national development, wealth and greatness.
A recent national us publication revealed that 94% of
Americans believe in the importance of being involved in
a community cause. People united to undertake these
causes in spite of the economic downturn. Further the
survey revealed that 87% of Americans gave financial
support to a worthy cause in spite of the bad economy.
Basketball Hall of Famer, Michael Jordan said, ”anything
can happen if you are willing to put in the work and
remain open to the possibility. Dreams are realised by
effort, determination, passion and staying connected to
that sense of who you are.”
As an association, by your unity, compassion and
professionalism, you are making a difference not only
here in America but also in Liberia because you are
willing to work hard to make a difference. Your work
will inspire many on both sides of the ocean and in both
countries because you are demonstrating what unity and
education can achieve through your acts of inclusion
rather than exclusion.
Your association is to be commended and encouraged for
inspiring its members and others to make a difference
through visionary leadership and tremendous generosity
that has provided for identified needs in Liberia.
May god bless your endeavours as you move forward.
Thank you once again for having invited me this evening.
ABREVIATED PROFILE OF MRS. LINNIE KESSELLY
EDUCATION: University of Manchester, UK (Extra
-Mural Law Course):
Child Care
Legislation
UK Department of
Health and Social Security
Central Training
Council Certificate: Child Care Officer
University of Chicago
Master of Arts (Social Work)
School of Social Service Administration
Virginia Union University (Richmond, VA.)
BA (Honors) Sociology
Administered the Liberian Civil Service as Deputy and
finally as Director General, (1973-1985),
Former Volunteer Guest Lecturer in Public Administration
at the University of Liberia and former Chairperson of
the Scholarship Committee for the Liberian Institute of
Public Administration, former National President of the
Liberian National Red Cross
Lecturer for the Yale University International
Development Policy Series sponsored by the
International Affairs Council and the Yale Center for
International and Area Studies (February 2005). Lecture
Title: “Herstory: Gender and Forced Displacement in
Uganda,
Policy Issues and Implications for International
Action".
Assigned for nearly four years as the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees Senior Community Services
Officer in Kampala, Uganda(April 2001- September 2004).
Head of Development Studies at the Henry Dunant
Institute (formerly the International Red Cross
Movement’s training, research and publications center)
in Geneva, Switzerland (1989-1994)
Executive Director of CHAL (Christian Health Association
of Liberia), a national health NGO with twenty-five
professional staff (1986-1989)
