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It is truly remarkable that ten years have rolled by since we met at Howard University in 1998 to establish what was then a unique and well received idea: to come together in large numbers from across the United States and Canada to speak with one voice on matters of the gravest concern to our country and our people. The issues of the day were truly significant: advocating an immediate return to democracy in Sierra Leone, deepening our interconnectedness based on the strengths of the disparate groups represented; marshalling our rich human capital to help facilitate and promote development back home in the areas of health, education, poverty alleviation, civic education and to help build the vital habits and institutions of democracy.
These were lofty yet reasonable ideals. We knew the road ahead would be difficult but we were committed to the fundamental objectives of bringing Sierra Leoneans together in North America, to create a common platform, to celebrate our accomplishments, and to remove all barriers that could derail our ability to achieve a fully functioning wholesome Sierra Leone.
The passage of time now measured in terms of a decade produces a cogent realization that there can be no turning back. We must continue to work assiduously to reach the next level of success. The first decade may be characterized as emergent reflecting progress and setbacks that come naturally with trying new ideas and methodologies. Like most things in life, NOSLINA has had its share of good and bad times, of memorable accomplishments and things we wish to forget, of our finest moments and our worst experiences, of pleasant encounters and cold interactions, of promise that matched performance, and performance that negated our promises, of dreams fulfilled and hopes dashed, of times of enthusiasm and times of benign neglect. But we are also a special organization that has resisted the intrepid forces that could have derailed us and instead we built on our inherent strength and leveraged our resources in time and talent and so we were able to persist, to grow, and to build a solid foundation and emerge as one of Sierra Leone’s pre-eminent organizations in North America. How did we do it? I believe the answer lies in our diversity. NOSLINA brings together people of different backgrounds to create a mosaic of cultures, ethnicities, religious beliefs, educational accomplishments, and political perspectives each with enviable levels of creativity and resourcefulness to serve the greater good.
It was against this background and in this context that I assumed the mantle of leadership as Chairman of the Board of Directors nearly three years ago. Given the state of NOSLINA at the time I urged the board that we should suspend advocacy and project based ideas and use our diversity to work towards our interconnectedness over the next two years. We agreed that one vehicle was to have a single spectacular event each year that would be the signature event for NOSLINA in North America and that would showcase our interconnectedness. In other words, we felt our continued success would rest heavily on a public relations endeavor to rekindle the passion in our members, to bring attention to our efforts in the community, and to elevate the organization to higher heights. Most importantly we would do this as a team. Mindful that our members are spread throughout the United States and cognizant of the ulcerous pace of life for each one in our separate vocations, we knew it would be challenging but ultimately we would breathe new life into NOSLINA and bring it to a point of great pride and endearing loyalty.
One significant activity was to return to the celebration of the achievements of Sierra Leoneans in various walks of life in the United States and to honor their contributions in one continent that positively impacted people in another continent.
After our first public event under my chairmanship in 2006 I wrote a memo to the board and members of NOSLINA in which I said: “Thank you for the spirit of generosity and commitment to hard work that resulted in overwhelming success. The event helped to re-integrate |
