Editorial: National Vision 2030 Confab: Our Hope for National Renewal & Prosperity – Part II

The debate on Liberia’s future agenda at the ongoing Vision 2030 National Conference in the Central Liberian Town Gbarnga in Bong County is intensifying on an achievable note. Liberians from the fifteen political subdivisions of the country, the Diaspora, as well as political parties, civic organizations who have been in Gbarnga since the start of the Conference on Monday, December 10, 2012 are expected to conclude their thematic group discussions on the country’s future growth and development on today, Wednesday, December 12,  2012 at the Gbarnga Administration Building.

At the launch and official opening n of the Conference on Monday, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf emphasized the urgent need for Liberians to love their country and put aside all political differences to push the nation’s agenda forward for general peace and reconciliation, noting that now was the time that Liberians show to the rest of the world that they love their country.

President Sirleaf admonished delegates and Liberians at large to sincerely consider the conference as a celebration of citizenship to prove to the world that Liberia was once more on a different footing. The Liberian Leader emphatically made it clear that the ongoing national exercise was the vision of the Liberian people who came about during town hall meetings in the 156 administrative districts of Liberia and the Diaspora. She again reminded Liberians that the vision 2030 is built from lesson of the past, adding that it is about time to review the country’s national symbols.

As a mark of high patriotism, and deep down in the ‘hearts’ of well-meaning Liberians-wherever they made be at the moment, the ongoing national initiative, with no doubt, is truly our hope for national renewal and prosperity. As we believe and just as the President told the delegates on Monday, December 10, 2012 when she officially declared the conference opened, the Gbarnga Conference, must be sincerely seen as restoring our country and claiming the future through the “vision 2030,”and do so in a manner that reflects the genius, resilience and true character of Liberians in their collectively.

There should no difficulties in concurring with Madam President that the vision is about a harmonious nation, united in diversity, culturally vibrant, self-reliant prosperous and grounded in an ecologically sustainable environment. What we do at  the National Vision 2030 Conference, which ends in Gbarnga today, Wednesday, December 12, 2012, and how we do it, will go a long way in determining the kind of Liberia-the land of our nativity we envisage in the future for ourselves, our children and our children’s children. As the crafters/architects thought and continue to believe, this national-driven agenda must in deed continue to be Liberian-owned.

This is why President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, her political advisors and the Organizing Committee of the ongoing Conference must be applauded for the participation of Liberian political parties as “governments-in-waiting” of Liberia. Political Parties must also be hailed for consent and presence at the December 10-12, 2012 Gbarnga Conference on the future of Liberia so that what they and the people of Liberia contributed will be manifested in their deeds as future governments of this country. We also congratulate the people of Liberia for their respective inputs at all levels culminating into the realization in Gbarnga, Bong County.

May we hold together in all sincerity in putting into effect all of the evolving national realities obtaining at the National Vision 2030 Conference in Gbarnga, Bong County, and may God continue to bless Liberia.