By Samuel G. Dweh, Contributing Writer
Liberia’s “Asian Friend” (the People’s Republic of China) has realized WRITING as the only stopper of nation-building ideas heading to the graves.
It is often said: “If you want to see great ideas go to the gravesites.” It is this REALIZATION that has transformed China from an “under-developed nation”—less than two centuries ago—to an “advanced Nation” in all sectors (next to the United States of America).
Africa’s oldest independent Republic cannot be left behind on this REALIZATION!
Chinese writers’ groups have a role in their Country’s relationship with any other nation. They write—in fiction or non-fiction—about ALL the sectors of their country for other countries to ‘see’, ‘admire’, and ‘emulate’.
How do I know this?
I have a whole ‘Library’ of Chinese books in my home and at my office (in the compound of the Liberia Media Center, LMC, Jallah Town, 1st Street, Sinor, Monrovia)
The ‘Chinese books’ in my home were given to me—by the Chinese Embassy in Liberia—at different public functions by the Embassy.
The first time I was given Chinese books was in 2016 at the ‘Chinese Martial Arts’ program organized by the Chinese Language-learning school (called “Confucius Institute”) at the University of Liberia (UL), held at the UL’s Park. The Chinese Embassy—sponsor of the program—put the books on display on several tables—FREE for anybody to take 1 book, 5, 20……books. I claimed five books. One talks about the Chinese Welfare System—for elderly people, persons with physical disabilities, victims of natural disasters, etc.—and the PRC-led Government’s ‘prioritization’ of this ‘care program’.
The second time I was given books by Chinese writers was at the Chinese Embassy’s ‘Thank You’ Dinner for its “Liberian partners” (individual persons and organizations), held on November 29, 2016 at the Chinese Embassy. I jerked six books for myself. One is about Mainland China’s “perception” of Taiwan.
The third time I received books written by Chinese ‘pen pushers’ was at the Induction Program for a new corps of officers of the Liberia Association of Writers (LAW), held on February 10, 2018 at the University of Liberia’s Park.
The Chinese Embassy gave the books—with a computer—to LAW as the Embassy’s “capacity building gifts”. (The Chinese Embassy was there on invitation from LAW to many Diplomatic Missions. Only China’s and Ghana’s Embassies honored LAW’s invitation)
The number of Chinese books to LAW was above one hundred. Some of the titles are: “China’s Foreign Affairs”; “The Series of 100 Gems of Chinese Architecture”; “Traditional Chinese Medicine”, Chinese Crafts”; “Learn Chinese With Me”; “Fun Reading About China—Chinese Culture and Arts”; “China’s Foreign Aid”; “China-Africa 500, and “Remaking: The Historic Necessity of the New Silk Road”
Since the time I attended a ‘Chinese program (2016), I’ve taken note of this: Giving of books FREE to “visitors” at public Chinese functions is part of China’s culture.
Liberian Writers’ “Space”?
Well, does Liberian Writers Association have a “Space”? To answer this question, one should first know WHY the Liberia Association of Writers (LAW) was founded, and WHAT LAW has done in relation to “China being with Liberia”
Why Law was founded
The Liberia Association of Writers—a body of “pen pushers” in all knowledge fields— was founded on July 17, 1982, at the University of Liberia (Monrovia) to promote writing and publishing of (Liberian books) for development of Liberia, and to showcase Liberian books abroad. Some of the founders of LAW are: K. Moses Nagbe Keith Nueville Best, Althea Romeo-Mark (female), Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, and C. William Allen.
What LAW has done in furthering China-Liberia relations
LAW, the Liberian Association of Writers’ first “link” with the Liberia-China relationship was through an article—by LAW’s current president—titled “China With Liberia: The Martial Arts Cohesion”. (The article was published by FrontPage Africa newspaper)
This article is about China’s (annual) “Mental & Physical Wellbeing” program for “Liberians”, but begins with China’s “infrastructural footprints” in Liberia—public roads (one example: Montserrado County-Bong County route), public health facilities (two one examples: Ministry of Health in Montserrado County and Jackson F. Doe Hospital in Nimba County), Liberian Government Building (two examples: Ministerial Complex in Monrovia and Annex of the National Legislature on Capitol Hill, Monrovia) et cetera, etc.
Then there’s the “China’s humanitarian touch” on non-governmental Liberian organizations—Press Union of Liberia (given computers, air conditioners, recorders—for the Union’s Headquarters), the Liberia Translation and Literacy Organization (LIBTRALO, given computers), Liberia Association of Writers (given computers and books—for capacity building), et cetera.
And—the last, but not the least—there’s the “China’s rescue hand for individual Liberians”—media-related training for Liberian journalists to China (an annual program) There are of the dozens of beneficiaries. Some are: Charles B. Coffey, Jr., current president of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL); Fredrick Gaye, editor at In Profile Daily; James Sirleaf, publisher of Daily Talk (a street-side news bulletin on 24th Street, Sinkor, Monrovia); Joachin Sendolo, reporter at Daily Observer newspaper; Alpha Daffae, editor at FrontPage Africa newspaper; Emmanuel Weedee, reporter at Heritage newspaper; and Dweh Nimely, reporter at the News newspaper.
A “Place” for Liberian Writers Association in this relationship
What China expects from Liberians is to “show” what it has done for Liberia in the Monrovia-Beijing friendship. And the PRC (People’s Republic of China) prefers the “showing” to be in “writing” more than for it to be in “speaking”. Though both are channels of information, but the Writing ‘lives longer’ and ‘travels around the globe’ than the Speaking does. Consider this argument (Samuel G. Dweh’s): Say ten things to somebody travelling on legs on a road covering at least two hours, to deliver the messages to another person. This by-mouth ‘messenger’ would forget at least two of the things before he or she reaches his or her destination. One of the messages will fall out of the person’s head when his or her memory wanders to a “pricking” problem. (Example: high rate of unemployment in the Country) Now, write these same messages on a piece of paper and give them to the same person to perform the same task. Will any of the messages fall off the sheet?
LAW’s “space”—you can call it “intervention”—in the Liberia-China relationship is “writing about China’s assistance and Liberia’s (appropriate) use of the assistance”. This “writing” goes beyond “informing”. It’s “describing” (showing) The latter calls for “professional writers”—people who specialize in writing of “News Features” or “Advertorial” Most (Liberian news media institutions) do not have such “experts”. LAW contains “experts”—in various fields—in abundance!
What China expects—but won’t demand as “condition” of financial or technical support—from any Liberian (reporting) on China’s works in Liberia, for Liberia, is to also capture small Chinese businesses with thousands of Liberians as skilled and unskilled employees. Chinese Stores—trading in wears, electronics, etc.—are everywhere around Liberia, especially in the two major trading points of Liberia’s most commercially thriving areas: Waterside Market (central Monrovia) and Redlight Market (Paynesville) But most of the ‘recorders’ (not members of LAW) do not go beyond ‘Government program’, or only speak about ‘China’s works’ from what they read in “old documents”.
Members of LAW are not “static” or are not “photocopiers” on informing the Liberian public—and the rest of the World—about China’s “development footprints” in Liberia.
No serious organizer of a “description-based” Writing Award” would give a prize to any of the “writers” hired by the Government of Liberia to “promote” China’s “architectural masterpiece” (Annex of Capitol Building—seat of Liberia’s Representatives and Senators—in Monrovia). All the hired writers fall below “showing” of this Building to Liberians and foreigners who can’t come to enter into the building due to the distance between them and the Building.
Members of LAW— “show” (describe). But the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs & Tourism that organized the “Turning Over Ceremony” (in August, 2018) left LAW out. Or the George Manneh Weah-led Government didn’t know a Liberian writers’ group exists. The same way Liberia’s Ministry of Education “left out” Liberia’s writers’ group for the Nation Education Summit held 21-23 May, 2018 at the Booker Washington Institute in Kakata, Margibi County. However, the writers’ group was ‘represented’ the event. Four days later, the Association’s president came out with an article—titled “Does the National Writers’ Body Have A Part in This Project?”, over the Summit awareness banner with photo of President George Weah. The article was about the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ of the Summit. Some Liberian newspapers published on the article on their Websites)
There is a (national) writers’ group of Liberia!
Back to the issue of the National Legislature Annex.
I visited the Building on Tuesday, September 11, 2018—my first time inside the Building since the Chinese people (who built it) turned it over to the Liberian government. If the Liberian Government’s ‘official invitation’ had reached LAW, the group would have felt ‘compelled’ to ‘show’ (describe) it people outside the shores of Liberia—a professional job none of the Government’s ‘favorite’ private ‘communication’ group could do.
On patriotism, however, the writers’ group, through its current president, is pleased to
“describe” only the inside (interior) of the National Legislature’s Annex in this article, leaving out the exterior part already dealt with by (some) of the Government’s ‘hired’ communicators.
The color wall bears grey—the same as the exterior, while the tiles on the staircase are beige.
The corridors are spacious for four persons to walk together without touching each other, or for six persons to stand and converse and space still left for two passers-by walking side-by-side. (This is unlike each of the old Building’s corridors: narrower, as if the designers had thought about “only three persons” for the space) There are ventilation points on the walls in the corridors (air points absent in the old Building)
I couldn’t see any stain on any part of the wall (unlike the interior of old Building that bears ‘smears’ from dirty hands from persons in the corridor who mistake a wall for a handkerchief serviette, or tissue) But don’t bet on the customarily ‘dirty people’ working in that place or on visit, who can rub their dirty hands on “anything’.
I couldn’t see spot on the roof, but I begin imagining the roof tearing out or apart soon (as it was with the old Building, as reported several times by journalists assigned here) due to poor maintenance culture of (most) of the people working in the place.
I couldn’t enter any of the Rest Rooms, but the air from inside one of them (opened by an employee or visitor who was coming out) was ‘perfumed’. Unlike Rest Rooms in the Old Building, which cause nausea (vomiting sensation) due to ‘stuffs’ left in ‘smeared’ commodes .
Each office (occupied by a Representative or a Senator and his or her Office Staff) has a huge Fire Extinguisher. I saw “hydrant” written on one I saw in the office of Hon. Jonathan Fonati Koffa (Rep. of Grand Kru County) when I was delivering his ‘letter of support’ for a writing Workshop for the County’s Senior High Schools students, to be facilitated by Liberia’s writers’ group in November, 2018.
I wish I were at the 2018’s edition of the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCA), held in Beijing, China, to “show” (describe)—in this article—the facial expressions and handshakes of Liberia’s and China’s Presidents George Manneh Weah and Xi Jingping first at the Airport and at the Chinese Presidential Lounge.
The “role” of the Liberia Association of Writers is “vital” to the “expansion” of Liberia-China relationship. The Government of the People’s Republic of China, through the Chinese Embassy in Liberia, believes this, so has drawn LAW “nearer” to the PRC by giving “capacity-building gifts” (computers and books) The Chinese Embassy went beyond by supporting the program marking LAW’s 36th birthday, held on July 21, 2018 at the University. The only “Thank You” LAW had was place “CHIAN AID”, with “Embassy of the People’s Republic of China” on the anniversary’s publicity banner (pictured with the author of this article below)
Does the Government of Liberia—being Captained by H.E. George Manneh—“consider” LAW as the Government of Xi Jingping see this Liberia’s (national) writers’ group?
Thank you to China, for your ‘capacity building’ support to LAW
George Manneh Weah’s Government can emulate its Asian colleague on ‘recognizing’ a leading driver of development—writing. This will be a legacy none of his post-war predecessors was able to set. But when?
LAW exists to stop nation-building ideas (in Liberians from different disciplines) in Liberia heading toward the graveyards. We will capture them, collate them, and publish them for the transformation of Mama Liberia from an “under-developed” stage to an “advanced” state in all sectors—just like her “Asian Friend” (China) is.
Samuel G. Dweh, a fiction writer and author, is president of the Liberia Association of Writers (LAW). An indigene of the Wedabo tribe of Grand Kru County of Liberia, he is a journalist and member of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) He can be reached via: (+231) 886-618-906/776-583-266; samuelosophy@yahoo.com or info.liberianwritersasso@gmail.com