Minutes of UNICCO Meetings:

Pre-Inauguration Tour

August 19, 2004

Nimba citizens,

We have successfully completed our Pre-Inauguration UNICCO Chapters Outreach Tour. Over the week we attended consultations and meetings with UNICCO Rhode Island and Pennsylvanian chapters. In Rhode Island we had a fruitful meeting with the entire leadership and members of the chapter. The accommodation, the discussions and the level of commitment expressed was overwhelmingly encouraging. The Chairman, Mr. Shedrick Gayetay, nominated three members of his chapter to serve on our Program Committee. The chapter also agreed to host one our fund raising programs. Date and time will be worked out later.

In Pennsylvania, we met with the chapter leadership and other key individuals separately due to their busy schedules. Chapter chairlady, Mrs. Annie Saye and her Vice Chairlady expressed their support to UNICCO and our administration. We proposed to have a program in the Philadelphia area. Answer to our request will come later. UNICCO PA Chapter will be fully represented in Chicago.

We met with the youth leader, Mr. Dahn K. Dennis, who expressed his concerns and his willingness to expand the youth program to other UNICCO chapters. He was expressive, impressive and quite interesting. We also met and had fruitful discussions with other key PA Chapter members,including former UNICCCO national leader, Mr. Innis T. Yormie. He and others promised to do whatever they can, to make the PA chapter number one. I was not able to connect with the chapter former leader, Mr. Andrew Wongeh, one of the targets of the trip. However, there is a general impression that Mr. Wongeh will attend the events in Chicago.

Since the May general elections and conference, we have reached out to UNICCO Illinois,North Carolina, Georgia, Minnesota, Rhode Island and Pennsylvanian chapters. We have also reached out to the Nimba Elders, the Tappita District Development Association and the Inland Church Mission. Discussions with these groups have been encouragingly focused on improvement of UNICCO and development of Nimba County.Our outreach tour continues after the inauguration. I am therefore pleased to conclude here that the state of the Council is very strong and the spirit of Nimba people is high.

See you in Chicago and God bless you all.

Miamen Z.Z. Wopea
Chairman-Elect
UNICCO

UNICCO OUTREACH WAS A TOTAL SUCCESS - July 20, 2004

Nimba Citizens,

I have just arrived from an outreach mission to North Carolina and Georgia. I wish to thank the Nimba elders Association and the leaderships of UNICCO North Carolina and Georgia chapters for their hospitality and accommodation during my brief stay in those chapters. Many thanks to Dr. Arthur Siaway, elder George Weanquoi, Dr. Michael Slawon, Chairman John Wuor, Spokesman Charles Weanquoi for their friendship and contribution. I also thank elders, Joe Yeah, Sam Gonsahn, Moses Karter, Peter Mah, Rev Dr. Peter Nehsahn, Chairlady Chris Dagadu, Sunnay Dezon, Cyril Lurlay, Vaye Say and the entire Georgia Chapter members for their guidance and contributions to the discussion involving the Nimba Education and Medical Fund.

As you are aware, at the conclusion of the May election, we were immediately installed and given a working-stick authority. The rationale behind the exercise was to give us the opportunity to begin UNICCO work immediately. In order to begin our unity and reconciliation initiatives, and to take advantage of the mandate, we embarked on an outreach exercise, which has so far led us to Chicago, and at this time, to North Carolina and Georgia chapters.

In North Carolina we full participated in the elders conference and requested the Nimba Elders to operate under the banner of UNICCO national leadership. The request was warmly embraced by the leadership. The elders pledged their support and expressed strong desire to get involved in uplifting UNICCO and Nimba County. North Carolina chapter also agreed to donate the amount of $100.00 to help finance the coming of Hon. Josephus Dokie. Details of the arrangement will be released at the appropriate time.

In Atlanta, we requested UNICCO Georgia Chapter to host our first fund raing and reconciliation program. The request was overwhelmingly accepted. Date and details of the program will be arranged by the chapter and the national leadership. Georgia Chapter also agreed to donate the amount of $100.00 to help finance the trip of our Guest Speaker, Hon. Josephus Dokie.

In Atlanta, Georgia, we were also able to peacefully resolve the most contentious Nimba Education and Medical Fund conflict. Mr. Cyril Lurlay will prepare and submit a comprehensive report about the fund to the national leadership-elect before the inauguration in Chicago. Details of the arrangements will be released after a careful study by my administration.

My fellow Nimba citizens, the NEMF issue has been a painful nightmare and total impediment to our unity and progress. Many UNICCO members have endured insults and disrespect, our trust has been affected, but I believe the ordeal was a test to our will and resolve for peace, love and unity. Thank God UNICCO Georgia Chapter has survived the power of division. Thank God we have prevailed. Now in the name of peace, love and unity, I am appealing to all UNICCO members and all Nimba citizens to allow this ugly past to vanish in favor of progress. We must learn to disagree but remain united and respectful of each other. I further appeal to our elders to assist all parties to ably deal with the healing period.

Once again, I thank officers and members of Georgia Chapter for their support, their cooperation and willingness to once again work together in peace and unity. This is a good binning and encourage all of you to press for peace and unity in UNICCO and Nimba County.

Thanks,

Miamen Z.Z. Wopea
Chairman-Elect
UNICCO

UNICCO Digest Needs Chat Room; Please Help Make it a Reality.

Fellow Nimbaians and Friends of Nimba,

The UNICCO Web team would like to add new pieces to the page, www.unicco.org. This planned update will cost about $1,000 dollars.

The new pieces in question will include a Chat Room, National Email Directory for UNICCO Members, Health Education Page, Resume Bank for all Nimbaians seeking national and international jobs and a separate page with calendar of UNICCO’s past and present leaders. A page will also be created for our Liberian chapter. Our plan includes having correspondents in all major cities in Nimba County within the next two years.

Nimbaians need their own Chat Room to openly discuss important issues among themselves. The Chat Room will replace the popular email online discussion arena called “Listserv”.

Besides the Chat Room, we need an email directory. Email addresses of all willing UNICCO members will be recorded in this directory. The directory will secure.

An AD spot will be added to the front page. This location will be used for promoting local businesses. Another link will be created solely to discuss preventative health issues. We intend to ask Nimbaians in the medical field for help. They will feed us information monthly on important issues such as heart blood pressure, heart diseases, etc. Mr. James Gbalah, Toungor Vonleh and Ms. Hannah Grace and other Nimbaians in the Medical Area will be good candidates for this team.

Another link for UNICCO’s past and present leaders starting with UNICCO’s J.J. Roberts, Mr. George Duo, will be made. We will use information from the old calendar for this page.

A Nimba History Project will be launched. Young Nimbaians will be encouraged to write a short history of Nimba for our page. The winner will be given a prize.

Since its creation, thousands of people have accessed our site and many more continue to do so. We continue to receive emails from around the world. You will be surprised to note that Nimbaians live in places like Thailand and Indonesia. We have received emails from Nimbaians in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. It’s amazing how the internet has made the world so small and interesting. Please help us do wonders with our page by adding more interesting pieces to attract more visitors.

Our donors deserve better. If it meets their approval, their pictures will be placed on their page so the whole world can recognize them for their contributions.

If you are interested in contributing towards this cause, please mail your contributions to:

Mr. Henry G. Gaypia
UNICCO National Treasurer
2737 Brookdale CT.
Brooklyn Park, MN 55444

Thanks,

Yini Guva
For the Web Team