In Occupational Safety &
Health practice, to do hazard analysis on a particular job, one needs to answer
the following specific 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?
1.
Is it those who live on the ground in Maryland
feeling the brunt of the problem on the ground or
2.
Is it those living in the Diaspora who have not
been on the ground over fifty years or
3.
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 influential Conference
attendees came from outside Maryland. They came from Monrovia and outside the
Country. And the actual planning of the Conference was done mostly by these
persons referred to as outsiders. As a result, the end and result of the
conference continue to trouble the minds of many Marylanders including myself. Up
to now, no one can clearly say whether or not the conference was a success.
From what I have learned
later, 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 those who designed the Conference definitively
have limited or no knowledge of the problems on the ground in Maryland.
All things considered, the
conference seemingly is one whose time had come - identifying burning issues
and problems in the County and adapting a solution-finding approach is rather a
fine idea. And this Idea justified the essence of the conference. Except for
one reason: it started on the wrong footing!
Several questions abound
therefore:
Who defined, organized and
executed a conference and its agenda?
Is it the University staff which
is composed of foreign nationals 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 visible
solution?
Or
Diasporic Marylanders, some of
whom have not been in Maryland on the ground over fifty years and have no clue
what exactly Maryland looks like in terms of the prevailing situation and/or
conditions?
The answer to these salient and
unanswered 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 the Philippines. And she has not lived in Maryland long
enough to know the name of the major streets. But she was given the
responsibility to plan the conference and its agenda and then decide whom to
invite and what to discuss. 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 his long departure and recent arrival, Maryland has
dramatically evolved. 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 from a practical standpoint. Academically,
there’s no doubt in my mind, this brother can diagnose the problems in Maryland.
But his approach will be unequivocally impractical in terms of solutions.
These concerns and analysis
are just what they are.
The issues raised about the
Vice president from Philippines and the Chair of the Planning Committee is in
no way to belittle their contributions and/or disrespect them in reference to
the Conference. This concern should not be read negatively. It is positive! The
truth is, both individuals cannot plan the future of Marylanders without
Marylanders participating and/or taking the lead, especially those Marylanders who
will remain in the crises when the proverbial bull hits the fence and everyone flees
to his or country far-far away.
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 a
conference. And mind you, he doesn’t consult with the Americans who have the
problems that he’s attempting to solve. But he sends them invitation to attend.
The invitation tells them they are “guests.” Evidently, the “guests” will not actively
partake in the solution-finding approach during 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 I’m sure they will NOT
cry out in bad faith and bad minds for the visitor! But for heaven’s sake, they
are the ones with the problem; and so, they are the ones who 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 and the possible problems of Maryland are more alien
to the issues of Maryland than anyone can imagine. The issues that haunt
Maryland have no significant impact on these individuals who planned the
Conference. And this is because, as I said earlier, when the proverbial bull
hits the fence, all of these individuals from far-away lands will flee to their
various lands leaving the common Marylanders on the ground to swallow the
bitter pill of the situation.
So who needs to find solutions
to the problems of Maryland? Is it not Marylanders?
I don’t know what you think
and what your answers will be; 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! It is as wrong as it can be!
This is my opinion! What’s
yours?
I am Thomas G. Bedell speaking
and writing on the ground in Liberia
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