The Maryland Development Conference: Success & Failure – My Personal Opinion

In order to do hazard analysis on a particular job in Occupational Safety & Health, one needs to answer the following questions:

1. Who knows best the hazards and problems of a particular job other than the person who performs that job each and every day as a regular routine?

2. Who can better recommend possible solutions to a particular problem and/or hazards centered on a certain kind of job other than the one who works the job regularly from day-to-day?

The answer to these questions will help answer the questions emanating from the recently held Maryland Development Conference in Harper City.

Here are the questions:

Who best knows the problems of Maryland County? Is it those who live on the ground in Maryland, who feel the brunt of the problem living on the ground or those living in the Diaspora who have not been on the ground over fifty years or foreign visitors instructing and administering the affairs of The William V. S. Tubman University who come from different countries around the world and have not lived long enough in Maryland to know the origin and magnitude of the pressing problems?

Recently, a conference was convened in Harper City, the capital of Maryland under the Theme: “Maryland County Development Conference…” Most of the Conference attendees came from outside Maryland. And the actual planning of the Conference was done mostly by outsiders. As a result, the end of the conference continues to trouble the minds of many Marylanders including myself. Up to now, one can clearly say whether or not the conference was a success.

From what I have learned later on, The William V. S. Tubman University facilitated and/or sponsored the conference (whatever that means).

I also learned that the conference was geared towards finding possible solutions to the current problems of Maryland including but not limited to infrastructural, human resource development and reconciliation. But from what I know now, those who designed the Conference have limited or no knowledge of the problems on the ground that they intend to solve by virtue of the Conference.

From all things considered, it is true the Conference is seemingly one whose time has come. As such, identifying burning issues and problems in the County and adapting a solution-finding approach, is a fine idea which justifies the conference as one whose time has come. Except for one reason: it started on the wrong footing!

Several questions abound therefore:

Who defined, organized and executed such a conference and its agenda?

Is it the University staff which is composed of foreigners who have not lived in the County more than three years and have not developed any direct link and contact with the indigenes of the County and/or common people so as to know how the citizens and residents think and feel?

Or stakeholders referred to as Marylanders on the ground, especially those ones who have been involved and roasted in the crises over-and-over, again-and-again without any way out?

Or is it Diasporic Marylanders, some of whom have not been in Maryland on the ground over fifty years and have no clue what exactly Maryland County looks like in terms of the prevailing situation and/or conditions?

The answer to these salient questions set the basis to the conclusion whether or not the recently held conference was a success.

Let’s take this example:

One of the vice presidents of the University is from Singapore. And she has not lived in Maryland long enough to know the name of the major streets in Harper City. But she was given the responsibility to plan the conference as to the agenda, decide who to invite and what to talk about during the Conference.

THAT’S PROBLEM NUMBER 1

PROBLEM NUMBER 2: The chair of the planning committee was born and shortly lived in Maryland. Meaning that he knows a little bit about Maryland. But whatever he knows about Maryland is as old as Methuselah or as old as the Book of Chronicles. Meaning that, he lived in Maryland long ago. Since then, Maryland has dramatically changed. He holds a doctorate degree and is a former diplomat. Evidently, he’s been away too long. Therefore, he cannot but be totally detached from the current problems on the ground in Maryland from a practical standpoint. Academically, there’s no doubt in my mind, he can diagnose the problems in Maryland. But his approach will be impractical in terms of solutions in real life.

These concerns and analysis are just what they are. No one should read them negatively!

The issues raised about the Vice president from Singapore and the Chair of the Planning Committee is in no way to belittle their contributions and/or disrespect them in reference to the Conference. The truth is they cannot plan the future of Marylanders without Marylanders, especially the ones who will remain in the crises when the bull hit the fence and everyone else flees to his or country.

Just imagine this:

Someone from Pleebo (the commercial capital of Maryland, Liberia) goes to the US; he gets to town; here he is, he doesn’t even know the immigration office; but he begins to plan and host a conference on how to solve the American people’s problems. He calls the conference. And mind you, he doesn’t consult with the Americans who have the problems. But he sends them invitation to attend. The invitation tells them they are “guests.” Evidently, the “guests” will not partake in the solution-finding approach at the conference.

Can the American people not cry out loud against such an intended good that has the propensity to turned bad? I think they will cry out! But they will not cry out with bad minds for the visitors whose intent is to help! But for heaven’s sake, the Americans are the ones with problem; and so, it is the Americans that need to solve their problems. For only a people can liberate themselves. Nobody else can do so for them!

That’s the situation of the Maryland Development Conference.

Those who planned, executed and defined the Conference are more alien to the issues of Maryland than anyone can imagine. The issues that haunt Maryland have no significant impact on the planners. And this is because if the bull hit the fence, all of these foreigners will flee to their various lands leaving the common Marylanders on the ground to swallow the bitter pill. So who needs to find solution to the problems of Maryland? Is it not Marylanders?

I don’t know what you think; but if you ask me what I think; I think it is whacked and dumb for others who have no proverbial fish to fry in a certain situation to start shedding crocodile tears! Only Marylanders can liberate themselves! Nobody else can dod so!

This is my opinion! What’s yours?

I am Thomas G. Bedell speaking and writing on the ground in Liberia