The Neo-Progressive Movement of Liberia, also known as the Neo-Pros, last weekend held its first leadership retreat in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The event officially began on Friday June 27 and ended on Sunday June 29, 2008.

The engaging session, which brought together Liberian intellectuals and professionals of diverse stripes, began with a welcome event, provoking a week-end long moments of critical national rethinking, designed to produce a refreshing and empowering leadership paradigm in Liberia.

The goals, the organizers insist, are inspired by the need to usher in fundamental changes in Liberia and to present a new breed of selfless public servants.

“After two successful meetings of the movement in Philadelphia and Baltimore, respectively, we thought it was prudent to build on those gains by holding a strategic leadership session to refine our concept paper, produce a more acceptable and appealing creed, and usher in an interim corps of leaders to manage our operations and activities”, said Patrick Oliver Sawyer, the man who was unanimously authorized to wield a significant power as the one and only “Drum Major” of the group.

As if the movement’s vision has struck a chord with major stakeholders across the Liberian Diaspora, David Flomo, ULAA representative, James Hunder, President of the Liberian community in North Carolina, and Messrs Arnold Hill, William Pennoh, Isaac Gibson and Seth O. Lartey of Golar A. M. E Church, four highly-respected religious leaders, all graced the occasion, in a conspicuous attempt to affix their blessing to a process that has drawn so much attention amongst Liberians, both at home and abroad.

Speakers after speakers paid tribute the works of the Neo-Pros for attempting to positively impact developments in their homeland. ULAA David Flomo said it takes the courage and persistence of such a movement to change the direction of things in Liberia.

After intense deliberations, the group evolved a team of officers to man its secretariat for a period of twelve months.  Those elected include: Jacob M. Fayad, Chairman, Celia Cuffy-Brown, First Co-Chairperson, Sunny Nyemah, Second Chairperson, Samuel D. Tweah, member, and Emmanuel Munyeneh, Member.

At the conclusion of the process, the Neo-Pros crafted what they termed “Our Creeds”. A document obtained by The Liberian Journal reads:

“As member of Liberia’s Neo-progressive movement, it is incumbent upon me to hold this creed core to my values:

• I am a Liberian first before my political membership; I am a Liberian first before my sectional loyalty; I am a Liberian first before my tribal identity; and to Liberia I hold my allegiance;
• I will not encourage, condone, support, or influence corrupt practices, no matter what the circumstances may be;
• I will resist and oppose oppression, nepotism, discrimination, human right violations, dictatorship, and tyranny in Liberia;
• I am a crusader for peace, justice, and equality in Liberia and, as a global citizen I will advocate for the voiceless, the powerless, the disabled, and the vulnerable in Liberia and the world at large;
• I will work assiduously to usher in a new generation of public servants in Liberia, ones who will embrace public service not as a way of enriching themselves but as a services to country and people;
• I will vigorously strive to achieve religious and press freedoms, sectional and tribal reconciliation, native-racial and Americo-Liberian harmony, and gender equality in Liberia;
• I will seek to create an informed Liberian citizenry;
• I will never support, engage in, or finance violence in Liberia;
• I will always revere the constitution and uphold the nation’s laws; and
• I will seek to build sustainable institutions, not individuals.”