LIBERIANS IN INDIANA INDUCTS A NEW PRESIDENT

LIBERIANS IN INDIANA INDUCTS A NEW PRESIDENT

Staff Reporter

Indianapolis, Indiana Sept. 28, 2009 – Karsor M. Dennis Sr. was elected the 4th president of the Liberian Association of Indiana. The Liberian community in Indiana went to the polls on Sept. 26, 2009 to elect a new leadership. Karsor M. Dennis Sr. was elected by a simple majority. The presidential race in Indiana was contested by three hard working Liberians who served their community well.

Mr. Dennis defeated Mr. Rufus Tartee and the incumbent president Mrs. Siah Fallah-Brown. The election was held in Indianapolis. Liberians from other cities including South Bend, Noblesville, Fort Wayne, Greenwood and Franklin participated in the elections. The election was said to be markedly peaceful and transparent.

The leadership team of Mr. Dennis includes Mrs. Wonyiah Dekarkeh – Vice President, Mr. Jeremiah Saylae - Secretary, Mrs. Josephine Nah - Treasurer, and Ms. Julia Chelly – Chaplain.

Mr. Karsor Dennis Sr. ran on a platform of Unity, Mutual Respect and Development. The hallmark of his campaign was service. As a Licensed Medical Social Worker, Mr. Dennis serves the State of Indiana by providing resources and services to vulnerable populations.

He provides education, counseling and crisis intervention for patients and their families. He connects families and groups to appropriate social services for assistance. Mr. Dennis intends to continue his humanitarian services to the Liberian Community in Indiana because he believes that a leader should be a servant of the people and not the master.

Inaugural Speech

Our Honorable Guest Speaker, Ambassador Nathaniel Barnes,

Our Installing Officer, Mr. Francis K. Zazay,

Representatives of Local Organizations and Communities,

Special Guests from other Liberian Associations,

Our Supportive elders,

Mr. Kolubah Karbah, First President of the Liberian Association of Indiana,

Former President, Siah Fallah-Brown,

Rev. Jeff Bower and the St. John’s Family,

Fellow Liberians and friends of Liberia,

Distinguished Ladies and gentlemen.

It is my distinguished honor to be mounted at this stage today. The honor is even yours by your support for our ascendency. The greatness is therefore yours!

About two months ago the Liberian Community bestowed upon us the blessing and honor to steer the state of affairs of the Liberian Association of Indiana. This honor was demonstrated in a highly competitive election that raised a massive community awareness as never seen before in our community. Although an election of a magnitude never seen in our community, the goal was however unanimous! That was to insure the participation of Liberians! I am therefore pleased to be a part of our community history to usher the dawn of a new community history. This represents a change of our history. This is why it is fair to restate that we are immensely grateful to all of you for this remarkable expression of confidence.

Before going any further, kindly allow me to express my profound thanks and appreciation to my beloved wife and children for allowing me to take away our much needed family time and resources for the service of the Liberian Community.

Fellow Liberians,

Today marks a new beginning! Although the level of predatory politics is well known, I know that there is a new destiny for our community. That includes a renewal of commitment within our community and a new spirit among us all. You have given us the opportunity that makes us happy! It is a great responsibility—because it makes us to stay close to you; to be worthy of your trust; and to demonstrate the essence of a good leadership. Therefore, we ask your prayers that in the years ahead we may have God's help in making the right decisions for our community. Let me remind you that we have come a long way! We have come a long way especially where there has been a vacuum. While the statement of the "during" might be less necessary at this time, it is important to advice that the Liberian Community of Indiana moves on. The focus of my purpose, in addition to your support, is therefore to suggest that we move on. As we move on during these years of our community movement to improvement, our move requires a commitment.

Our community has come a long way especially during the last two years under the leadership of Siah Fallah-Brown. During the past two years our community saw improvement in our record system, information dissemination, relationship with other local organizations among others. As such, on behalf of the Liberian community of Indiana, we want to extend our sincere gratitude to you Madam President, and your committed core of officers who worked assiduously for hundreds of hours without monetary compensation. In this light, I’d like to assure you that the incoming leadership will maintain and improve on the system you left our community. However, we kindly ask that you continue to share with us your advice and expertise whenever necessary.

In spite of our progress and development over the years, our community, like all other communities, have serious challenges and will continue to face challenges every now and then. How we perceive our challenges defines us! We can either choose to view our challenges as stepping-stones or as obstacles?

If we choose to view them as obstacles, then the challenges we face will be viewed as problems - problems of disunity, hatred, and jealousy. In order to overcome the negative connotations associated with problems. A great deal of energy will be wasted on dealing with our negative mindset. By the time we realize that we can use our problems to excel, we are already out of energy to pursue it.

However, if we choose to view our challenges as opportunities and stepping-stones to excel to higher heights, then we can use them to navigate our trouble terrains so as to achieve more, develop further, and ultimately actualize our goals!

The Liberian Community is diverse. We are a group that is different in so many ways. We come from 16 different counties of Liberia; we have different tribal affiliations, different socio-economic statuses, different political, and religious, affiliations and different educational backgrounds. We should not choose to see these differences as obstacles. Let’s see them as stepping-stones and opportunities to overcome ignorance and prejudice. Knowledge is the Key to tolerance. Celebrating our differences, as well as our common interests, will go a long way in helping us learn and understand one another. Understanding people and their backgrounds is crucial to personal and community growth. It does not only make us more aware of our own biases, it also gives us a sense of pride to be diverse and united.

During the campaign of the just ended election we emphasized unity, mutual respect, family value and development. To fulfill these core values, we have to ensure that the foundation of our administration is built on love and humility. We must all get involved and build a network of relationship and collaboration with all established organizations and other subgroups. In doing so we must recognize our diversity and be respectful of one another’s opinions. Constructive engagements and interactions with one another will minimize our thoughts of resentment for one another.

The time has come for us to embrace one another and work together. We must stimulate ourselves in the direction of getting things done for our community. Let us create together a new community spirit of unity and trust. Let us learn to lean on one another. Your strength can compensate for my weakness, and your wisdom can minimize my mistakes.

We cannot achieve goals by expending our energy and time on irrelevant arguments that have the potential to divide us. Our leadership has abiding faith and confidence in our community that if we pull our resources and redirect our approach, we can definitely make a vibrant community for us and our children. It is our responsibility to create a community that our children can be proud of.

If we must commit ourselves to the dream of making our children proud, then we must pledge together to make the next two years the best two years in our community history. We must go forward from here confident in hope, strong in our faith in one another, and sustained by our faith in the Almighty God.

In order to achieve this dream we must build a community in which the weak are as safe as the strong—the elders are as respected as the youth and a community in which those who would influence others will do so by the strength of their ideas, and not by the force of their gossips and slanders.

I know some of you are saying it is easier said than done. Believe me I know it is not easy. It requires great sacrifice. But it can be done, and done fairly, not choosing sacrifice for its own sake, but for our own sake. We must provide for our community the way a family provides for its children.

Finally, it is my most ardent prayer to the Almighty who has kept us in His hands from the genesis of our community to the present day, that He will so overrule all our intentions and actions and inspire the hearts of all of us that we may be preserved from dangers of all kinds and continue forever a united and happy community.

I thank you.