Liberian Mandingo Association of New York (LIMANY) will not Participate in the “Mandingo Conference” in Philadelphia
Jun 27, 2007 LIMANY’s Press Statement
Dear Organizers of “The Mandingo Conference”,
This release is in response to your invitation letter received June 21, 2007. After careful consideration of your invitation to attend your upcoming conference, we regret to inform you that The Liberian Mandingo Association of New York (LIMANY) will not be a participant.
LIMANY was founded to build mutual support, networks in the community and promote unity among all Liberians as well as communicate and work with other Liberian organizations for peace, democracy, reconciliation, and reconstruction. Our dedicated members have being working assiduously and tirelessly to make this mission a reality for more than 15 years.
When Charles Taylor and his band of thugs were persecuting our people, LIMANY was one of the early voices to expose this flamboyant con man. When Mandingoes and other Liberians were being arbitrarily arrested, tortured and killed, we spoke up, and were the eyes of the outside world to witness Charles Taylor's campaign of ethnic cleansing. We demonstrated at the U. N., and at Liberian Consulates and Embassy to ensure that the human rights of our countrymen are protected under Liberian and international laws. We did not relent in our struggle in making sure that no group of Liberian is persecuted or killed on the basis of religion or ethnicity. LIMANY's record speaks for itself.
According to your invitation (Received on June 21, 2007), the goal of your convention is to strengthen relationships, build understanding and discuss how Mandingoes can form an integral part of the rebuilding process of Liberia. The organizers of your conference failed in this regard. The decision to exclude LIMANY, the oldest Liberian Mandingo Association in the USA, during the planning stages does not promote unity, rather builds a feeling of distrust. The attempts to call various members within our organization to offer them recognition for their participation defeats the spirit of reconciliation one expects from an upstart group.
We have a well-seasoned leadership that frowns on impulsivity and hypocrisy. Your organizers crossed that imaginary line that borders respect and disrespect. They never acknowledged their missteps, or errors during this process nor asked for guidance (a cardinal sin in any form of reconciliation).
Because of the above reasons and others, we at LIMANY will not be attending. No one has been authorized to represent us in any capacity. We wish you good luck and hope that you respect our decision. "If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude", Colin Powell.
With kind sentiments and esteem, I remain.
Truly yours,
Abraham Turay
President, LIMANY
editors@limany.org
917-685-1212Dated June 26, 2007