The
recent Harvard graduate and former chief of
staff to President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf,
Amara Konneh, has expressed support for
Felmausa. Amara Konneh's expression of
support was contained in a letter that was
read to the audience during Felmausa's
consultative conference on Saturday, July 5,
2008. In the letter, he expressed regret for
not being able to attend the program.
Amara Konneh was one of the panelists
scheduled to participate in the panel
discussion but could not make it due to
national engagement. The letter was read on
his behalf by Felmausa's president, Richmond
Mohammed Konneh. Below is the full text of
the letter:
July 2, 2008
Mr. Richmond Mohamed Konneh
President, FELMAUSA
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dear Mr. Konneh:
I am honored and deeply touched to have been
considered as a panelist to the upcoming
FELMAUSA Conference, scheduled to take place
from July 4 – 6, 2008 in the City of
Brotherly Love. Please accept my thanks,
and extend same to the leadership and
organizers of the FELMAUSA Conference for
your preferment.
Unfortunately, I am unable to participate in
the panel discussion due to work engagement
- I am traveling to Cape Town, South Africa
on official Government of Liberia business
on Saturday July 5th, returning
on Friday July 11, 2008. Please accept my
sincere apologies and extend same to the
attendees in particular and our
community-at-large.
My absence nevertheless, I would like to
declare my full support for the Conference
to which I am making a personal donation of
$50 to help with logistics.
The theme of this year’s conference is very
close to my heart. Having devoted
twenty-two out of the first twenty-eight
years of my life to getting an education, I
have a natural bias toward the theme of the
conference and the importance of education
for young Mandingoes, thus Liberians.
Therefore, let me conclude my letter with
the following poem from La Fontaine:
Be sure not to sell the inheritance
Our forebears left to us:
A treasure lies concealed therein.
But the old man was wise
To show them before he died
That learning is the treasure.
Very truly yours,
Amara M. Konneh
