A House with Two Rooms - The Advocates for Human Rights

472 See http://www.liberiansineurope.org/about/about.
htm, which states that “The European Federation
of Liberian Associations (EFLA) is an umbrella
European Liberian organizations and associations
that was established in July 2003 in an effort to
provide support to Liberians in Europe and Liberia.
EFLA is a legally-registered Belgian based federation
comprising a network of Liberian Associations and
Organizations located in The Netherlands, France,
Luxemburg, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Poland,
Norway, The United Kingdom and The Kingdom of
Belgium.”
473 See John Nimly Brownell, Liberians in Britain,
http://jnbrownell2.tripod.com/id44.html.
474 See Liberians in Belgium, http://liberiansinbelgium.
org/.
475 One ULAA founder noted that the organization’s
structure reflects the founders’ political mindset at
the time – the need for inclusiveness and democratic
transparency in the Liberian society. “The actual
power emanates from the people at the local
levels.” Telephone interview with Siahyonkron
Nyanseor, ULAA founding member and eleventh
president (Aug. 1, 2008). The framers of ULAA
wanted to reflect their desire for decentralization
of the Liberian political and governmental system
in the Union’s structure. Id. Finally, in addition to
the local chapters, ULAA has a membership arm,
which is a stand-alone arm. The membership body
encompasses all formal local chapters, other Liberian
organizations that may not hold official status with
the union, as well as friends of Liberia as honorary
members. Id.
476 See, e.g., The Federation of Liberian Mandingo in the
United States of America (FELMAUSA) at www.
felmausa.org, Liberian Mandingo Association of
Pennsylvania (LIMAP) at www.limap.org, The
United Bong County Association in the Americas
at www.unitedbong.org, the United Nimba Citizen’s
Council (UNICCO) at www.unicco.org, the United
Bassa Organization in America (UNIBOA) at www.
uniboa.org, the National Bomi County Association
in the Americas at www.nbcaa.org, etc.
477 One interviewee opined that, in addition to the need
to socialize, some members of the ULAA withdrew
from the organization in the 1980s and formed
county, ethnic, or high school alumni associations to
protest certain policies in favor of or against the new
391
Chapter Thirteen
PRC regime in Liberia. Telephone interview with
Siahyonkron Nyanseor, ULAA founding member
and eleventh president (Aug. 1, 2008).
478 E.g., FELMAUSA, supra note 476; The National
Association of Cape Mountainians in the
Americas at http://siteground214.com/~sanfranc/
NACA/?q=frontpage.
479 For example, the University of Liberia has a major
alumni association in the United States with branches
in every state with a high Liberian population. High
school alumni associations include, for example,
C.H. Dewey High School Alumni Association in
America, The William V.S. Tubman High School
Alumni Association, Samford Dennis Alumni
Association, Ricks Institute Alumni Association,
Cathedral Catholic High School Alumni Association,
College of West Africa Alumni Association, and
Konola Academy Alumni Association.
480 Interview with Wayne Douglas Doe, 1998-
2002 president of the Konola Academy Alumni
Association, Minneapolis, Minn. (Aug. 5, 2008).
481 Id.
482 Telephone interview with Father James N. Wilson
II, past-president, Liberian Ministers Association of
Minnesota (Aug. 22, 2008).
483 Id.
484 Liberian Ministers Association official membership
listing 2007 (on file with the author); dAnA k.
nelson, mission And migrAtion: fifty two
AfriCAn And AsiAn CongregAtions in minnesotA
42-46, 138-42 (2007).
485 Numerous Liberian community disputes have been
referred to religious leaders whether Christian or
Muslim. For example, community elections and
leadership disputes in Minnesota, Rhode Island,
and Staten Island have been settled by pastors in the
recent past.
486 Telephone interview with Father James N. Wilson
II, past-president, Liberian Ministers Association of
Minnesota (Aug. 22, 2008).
487 Johnny Dwyer, Trying Times in Little Liberia: On Staten
Island, Reflections of a War-Torn Country, tHe villAge
voiCe, Aug. 19 2003, http://www.villagevoice.
com/2003-08-19/news/trying-times-in-littleliberia/.
488 Historic ‘Little Liberia’ Homes Face Forclosure, bAy stAte