United States (US) Community Leader, Rev. James Bestman, whose strategy led to the good work for peace in Liberia, has registered his interest in providing his expertise to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to improve the living condition of Liberians.
“Liberians, I am coming to uplift all of our people and fix the nation like no other nation in Africa. I announced similar statement during the civil war and the Ebola crisis. I worked with the White House and Congress and the United Nations along with local government officials in the US, UNICEF, WFP, government and inter-governmental agencies, PVOs and NGOs to get the job done,” Rev. Bestman said in a dispatch sent to the Hot Pepper.
The US community leader said, “We ended the Liberian civil war and contained the Ebola crisis in Liberia. I have the documents toward my work efforts on Liberia—to prove to the world. I am the man with the vision and passion to uplift our people and fix the nation for today and the next generation, and from there Liberia will continue to excel. “Make no mistake,” Rev. James Bestman added, “I am on a mission to uplift the entire population of Liberia. I am hearing our people are crying for economic and global development but no effective effort has been shown by either past and/or present governments. I am coming to do the job for the people.”
Rev. James Bestman, whose birthplace is Rivercess County, is a humanitarian, community leader, an engineer, former military personnel, missionary and nation builder.
Explaining his strategy and effort that led to the groundwork for peace in Liberia in 2003, Rev. Bestman disclosed, “My efforts to end the Liberian civil war took decades of negotiations and lots of funds invested but the parties involved could not reach a peace agreement, till I envisioned a strategy that led the groundwork for peace and ended the civil war in Liberia.
“In January 2003 in New York City, I wrote the former and late United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, to meet with him so as to discuss strategy to end the Liberian civil war. Mr. Kofi Annan replied to my letter with no delays. The Secretary-General forwarded my letter to Mr. Kenzo Oshima, Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, who replied to my letter.
“In his letter to me, Mr. Kenzo Oshima told me that the UN was concerned about the situation in Liberia and the West Africa sub-region. Mr. Kofi Anna said, and I quote, ‘Regarding the situation in Liberia and the Sub-West African region, I have appointed Ms. Carolyn McAskie as my Special Envoy to lobby for peace and humanitarian needs for those affected by political conflict in Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Togo.’
“He further informed me that Carol McAskie was visiting the above-mentioned West African nations and when she returns to New York, the UN will call me for a meeting to discuss the situation in the Sub-West African region.
Three weeks later, I was notified to call to schedule a meeting to meet with Ms. Carolyn McAskie at the United Nations in New York City. On this note, I called the UN and we were able to meet with Ms. Carol McAskie, on March 20, 2003.
“During my meeting with Carolyn McAskie, I proposed for the UN to call on President George Bush to tell President Charles Taylor to leave Liberia. I added this proposal would end the civil war. Ms. McAskie agreed to my proposal and added that the UN is concerned with the current that political and civil conflicts in the sub-West African region. She said that the on-going situation in the region was so deplorable; that the UN would do everything in its power to tell President Charles Taylor to leave Liberia.
“During this time, I also wrote New State Senator, Seymour P. Lachman, to meet with him so as to find a way to end the civil war in Liberia.
“Senator Lachman agreed to meet with me and my dedication: Sam Daniel, and Reverend Mark Daniel is a Board Member of the Liberia Cultural Association. Also present at the meeting were members of the Staten Island Peace Action Movement: David Jones, Sally Jones, and Council Member Debi Rose, who was then a Board member of the Staten Island African-American Political Party. During our meeting, Senator Lachman asked me how can his office assist with the situation in Liberia.
“My Response: I asked, Senator Lachman, do you know anyone who will talk to President George Bush and the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan for both men to call on President Charles Taylor to leave Liberia? On that note, Senator Lachman placed a call to two individuals who knew both men.
“For the record, I do not know the names of the two individuals that Senator Lachman called to talk to President George Bush and the UN Secretary-General Kofi Anna.
“Thereafter, Senator Lachman asked me if I would like for the United Nations to come to Staten Island to meet with me and the Liberian community? In regard to his question, I said yes. In view of this foregoing, the United Nations sent a delegation that met with me and the Staten Island Liberian Community at the Rosa Production Community Center, located in Staten Island, New York City.
“In that meeting, I briefed the entire body on our meeting with Senator Lachman and I presented the Liberian Cultural Association’s Peace Resolution to the United Nations that would lay the groundwork for peace in Liberia. In the Resolution, I called on President George Bush and Kofi Anna to tell President Charles Taylor to leave Liberia. I also called for the United States to send a contingent of military troops to Liberia that would lead the peace effort. In addition, I called on the United Nations to increase funding for peacekeeping and emergency efforts.
“A few days later, President George Bush came on air via television broadcast and called on President Charles to leave Liberia effective, immediately. This action brought the removal of Charles Taylor from power and led the groundwork for peace that ended the civil in Liberia.
“My Letter to President Barack Obama on the Ebola Crisis in West Africa:
“On December 9, 2014, I wrote President Obama for the U.S. to help contain the EBOLA pandemic in West Africa. President Obama authorized U.S. aid and medical and technical assistance that helped contain the Ebola virus. My Letter to President Bill Clinton on the Liberian Civil War:
“In February 1999, I wrote President Bill Clinton for the United States to appropriate funds for peacekeeping, humanitarian, emergency and relief efforts in Liberia. My request was taken into consideration and President Clinton also connected me to USAID in Liberia, where we made tremendous progress in the areas of health, rehabilitation, education, and other global development initiatives.
“On behalf Liberian Cultural Association (LCA); the people of Liberia, I have the honor respectfully to extending my thanks and appreciation to President George Bush, President Bill Clinton; the late Kofi Anna, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms. Carolyn McAskie, Former New York State Senator Seymour P. Lachman, New York City Councilwoman Debi Rose, David Jones and Sally Jones of the Staten Island Peace Action Movement, Former U.S. Congressman Michael E. McMahon, the late New York State Assemblyman John W. Lavelle, governments, and non-governmental agencies for their peace efforts and humanitarian contributions towards the Liberian civil conflict.”