Organizational Profile of CADS Sierra Leone

The First National Conference on Personal Values, Integrity, Honesty and Patriotism.

- A National Campaign Helping Sierra Leoneans Achieve Greater Personal Integrity for Greater National Stability Through Determining Personal Values and Clear Guidelines for Ethical Behavior.

Conference Justification: Sierra Leone truly needs a sustained process of education to enlighten Sierra Leoneans to the true principles of survival and national prosperity through the upholding of the virtues of personal values, integrity, honesty and patriotism.

When we look at corruption in government, the rebel war, crime, drugs, sexual promiscuity and dishonesty, etc. we are looking at our culture on the way out. This is a direct result of individuals failing to maintain their own integrity and sense of personal ethics and definitive patriotism. Sierra Leoneans are not going to achieve their full potential and our society is not going to survive unless individuals begin to conduct themselves in an honest, ethical and patriotic way. Acts of dishonesty and corruption in government break the bonds of respect among human beings and have no justification. To the contrary, they deserve the most absolute recoil on the part of all humanity.

And in providing civil channels of participation and communication, this needs articulation and advocacy for individual citizens to fully understand the importance of upholding the principles of personal values, integrity, honesty and patriotism, and we must strive for a participatory process of the eventual establishment of a sane society in Sierra Leone driven by the knowledge of the citizenry.

With the growing complexity of the challenges confronting Sierra Leoneans, the expanding role of civil society in governance and development must be recognized in our national campaign for the upholding of personal values, integrity, honesty and patriotism, and a strong need for research based knowledge on the crucial challenges facing our civil society, and how we are going to strategize to get the message of upholding personal values heard and practiced by all Sierra Leoneans.

Therefore bringing together civil society activists and practitioners as well as civil servants, policy makers and politicians to be reminded about the core issues facing our civil society to generate new knowledge and innovation in practice consistent with the principles of upholding personal values, integrity, honesty and patriotism is all what we have so far to strongly project our message.

Our First National Conference on Personal Values, Integrity, Honesty and Patriotism recognizes the crucial role knowledge and information can play to strengthen civil society and promote people driven promotion for the upholding of personal values. This strong belief in the empowering nature of knowledge is mirrored in the old Sanskrit proverb "One that liberates is knowledge" that Ela Bhatt, founder of the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) in India has reminded us about. She further explained that people need knowledge which liberates them from the bondage of today and tomorrow.

Our appeal to be able to host this First National Conference on Personal Values, Integrity, Honesty and Patriotism therefore constitutes a strong call to do even more to construct a world full of peace, harmony and respectfulness for all humanity, including the suffering people of Sierra Leone.

The Conference is a face-to-face, hands-on-approach to problem-solving, with its implicit belief that people could rise above their particular interests to pursue a common good. And it is a necessary conference as it will provide pertinent information to policy makers, civil servants, the police, the military, business entities, etc. they could use to achieve greater personal integrity for greater national prosperity and stability. The conference hopes to provide fundamental truths with which to help Sierra Leoneans lead more fulfilling lives.

Conference Objectives:

I. To articulate and advocate to individual citizens to fully understand the importance of upholding the principles of personal values, integrity, honesty and patriotism for greater national stability and prosperity.

II. To establish a forum for the promotion of personal values, integrity, honesty and patriotism.

III. To campaign against corruption in government.

IV. To reflect on the traditional values of Sierra Leone, and to promote their re-application by civil society for the greater moral good of society.

Reaffirmation Statement:

Nothing could possibly excuse the acts of atrocities perpetrated by rebels during the ten years war of attrition against the people of Sierra Leone.

But if we hope to end rebel wars in the long run, we can - we must - try to understand what has drawn so many Sierra Leoneans to the cause of Foday Sankoh, the rebel warlord.

Similarly, part of the answer is the painful, grinding poverty aggravated by dishonest practices as a way of life in Sierra Leone that for too many of the Sierra Leone's poor produces a desperation so deep it suffocates hope and generates a natural breeding ground for hate.

That is why as part of our efforts to promote greater national stability, we must start sowing the seeds of true personal values, integrity and honesty and patriotism in Sierra Leone.

Decades of corruption have so badly affected our national character. The conference will therefore lay serious emphasis on the subject of ethics which is one which with the Sierra Leonean society in its current state, has become almost lost.

Ethics actually consists of rationality toward the highest level of survival for the individual , the future race, the group and mankind. Ethics are reason. Man's greatest weapon is the reason. The highest ethic level would be long term survival concepts with minimal destruction. One of the reasons that the Sierra Leonean society is dying and so forth is that it's become too unethical. Reasonable conduct and optimum solutions have ceased to be used to such extent that the society has ever since being on the way out.

And there is only one optimum solution to save our country -- Sierra Leoneans facing up to their own responsibilities in the society.

This conference is not meant to be just a philanthropic presentation, some presentation you just listen to then just think about or discuss. The information is all meant to be used. There are results to be obtained with these materials, and these results are obtained through application.

The First National Seminar on Personal Values, Integrity, Honesty and Patriotism is a human resource development project which is a priority activity of CADS. The people of Sierra Leone need not only knowledge but capacity to overcome development impediments.

We Invite:

-- Civil Servants
-- All Politicians
-- Youth Activists
-- People Involved in Conflict Prevention and Resolution
-- Members of NGOs and Communities they Support
-- Human Rights Defenders
-- Peace and Human Rights Researchers
-- Friends and the National Public
-- The center welcomes participants from other African countries to attend. This First National Seminar is a necessary strategy to helping people in Africa gain a greater ability to improve conditions in their lives, their countries than ever before possible. Lessons learned from Sierra Leone's First national Conference on Personal Values, Integrity, Honesty and Patriotism will build connections and trust in other countries in Africa - civic assets that are key to sustainable development.

Preliminary Programme
with Guiding Notes on the Main Topics:

December 11, 2002

9:00 Opening Plenary. -- Prayers: -- Blessing of the National Flag: Capturing a Nation's Spirit. The national Flag must be the most cherished symbol of our unity, strength and pride. Whenever the Sierra Leonean flag flies, so should the determined spirit of Sierra Leoneans to end their troubles and to live in peace with deep and passionate concern for the land that we love. The national flag should be a stirring vision of dignity and unity. The truth is that Sierra Leoneans have a lot in common than that which divides us -- The Archbishop of the Catholic Church of Sierra Leone and the Chief Imam of the Central Mosque.

-- Collection of Signatures and thoughts about Sierra Leone on the National Flag.

Welcome Message: Kenday Samuel Kamara - President and Chief Development Strategist, CADS Sierra Leone: Learning the Importance of Honesty - How Sierra Leoneans Can Get out of the Trap of Dishonesty in Their Actions and Dealings with Others.
-- The dynamics of existence -- The true definitions of ethics and morals and how Sierra Leoneans can use their knowledge to increase their own sense of ethics as well as bring about more ethical conduct for themselves and others for greater national stability and prosperity.
-- Explaining why conflicts between people are so often difficult to remedy. Discovering how to help others resolve their differences and restore peaceable relations.
-- Helping Sierra Leoneans understanding and practicing the Code of Honor for Greater National Development.

Reflections on Traditional Values: PC Bai Sunthuba III.

Keynote Presentation: Transparency International. -- Transparency International (TI) is one of the world's leading anti-corruption NGO, and has just published its first annual Global Corruption Report (GCR), a report which offers a systematic analysis of corruption across the world (for further information, please see www.globalcorruptionreport.org. The report includes assessments of every region in the world and key topics of global importance. It also brings together empirical findings from leading researchers on different aspects of corruption.
-- For more information please CONTACT: Julia Schweizer
E-MAIL: jschweizer@transparency.org

Keynote Address: His Excellency, The President of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
-- Relates his experience in Office as Head of State
-- How Sierra Leoneans can Help to Make their President Effective

Keynote Presentation: UNDP Resident Representative - Redefining Effective Development Strategies. --. Analyzing on-going development programs and selecting from array of strategies which can change society to the advantage of Sierra Leoneans
-- What can be done to handle society's ills and how development can be sustained?

Keynote Presentation: Mr. Chad Simmons, International Volunteer from the United States (Re-visiting Sierra Leone) - Patriotism and the Survival of a Nation - The American Experience in the Wake of the September 11 Terror Attacks.
-- Awakening Sierra Leone to the kind of patriotism the world has seen among Americans when their way of life is challenged, and how this kind of patriotism can be adopted by Sierra Leoneans to save their way of life and the survival of their nation.
-- It has been heartwarming to see all of the national support the Americans enjoyed from out of something as horrific as the events of September 11th. It's something truly amazing - a growing sense of patriotism in America not felt for decades. Americans must be proud to be Americans. Americans of ALL nationalities and religious or cultural foundations. A country of acceptance and freedom, spanning the masses no matter one's individual appearance. And they must be really proud of who they are and what they have accomplished to help make peace and freedom a GLOBAL mission. The outpouring of sentiment among themselves, and the blood and financial donations they shared among themselves have just reaffirmed this fact, showing that they all stand united to make the United States the GREATEST nation in planet Earth today.

Keynote Presentation: The Speaker of the House of Parliament -- Reconstruction of Civil Society in Sierra Leone, and Promotion of Peace and Non-Violence.
-- Which approaches have worked and why?
-- How can their effectiveness be improved.
-- What competence is required for strengthening the peace process?

Keynote Presentation: Mr. Kanja Sesay, Commissioner, NACSA - The Role of NGOs In Sustaining National Stability.
-- How can political support and financial; resources for local initiatives be enhanced.
-- How can international lobbying, cooperation and alliances between INGOs, churches, development agencies and local actors contribute to improve effectiveness.
-- Which operational structures, policies and procedures, codes of conduct, honest use of privileges, etc. have been applied in the furtherance of non-governmental development work in Sierra Leone?
-- How can we ensure coherence of means and ends to best serve the people in need or under threat?

Keynote Presentation: The Leader of the Opposition, Sierra Leone - The Role of Political Parties in Influencing and Sustaining the Development of Sierra Leone.
-- Responsibilities of political parties toward overcoming impasses by structuring creative options for the sustainable development of Sierra Leone.
-- Building effective coalitions
--Turning differences into mutual gains

Keynote Presentation: Inspector General of Police - Keith Biddle - Police Integrity: Key to National Development.

Launching of the First National Forum for the Preservation of Personal Values, Integrity, Honesty and Patriotism - Dr. A. B. Kargbo, Lecturer, Fourah Bay College - University of Sierra Leone (Founding Member of CADS Sierra Leone).
-- Explaining the Rationale of the Forum -- Presenting the Board of Auditors of the Forum: A team of personalities with the responsibility of reminding Sierra Leoneans
-- government and political leaders, civil servants, the military and police departments, local NGO operators, etc. about the benefits of upholding true personal values, integrity, honesty and patriotism.
-- Explaining the follow up action strategy of the Forum
-- Justifying pledges to support the establishment of the Forum

Chairman - Hon. Alpha O. Timbo: Minister of Labor and Industrial Relations/Supreme Advisor, CADS Sierra Leone

For Registration and Pledges, write to:
The Conference Coordinator
CADS Sierra Leone Program
61 Sackville Street PMB 1290 Freetown, Sierra Leone
West Africa
Tel: (232 22) 224839
Email: CadsIntlPrograms@aol.com

Your Generous Pledge

Our appeal to be able to host this First National Conference on Personal Values, Integrity, Honesty and Patriotism constitutes a strong call to do even more to construct a world full of peace, harmony and respectfulness for all humanity, including the suffering people of Sierra Leone.

This First National Conference is a face-to-face, hands-on-approach to problem-solving, with its implicit belief that people could rise above their particular interests to pursue a common good. Can we count on you to help finance the conference? We have come up with a reasonable budget and we are trying to raise $48,000 by November 2002 to be able to pay for the following:

-- Rental of Conference Hall
-- Rental of Public Address System
-- Making of Extra Large National Flag
-- Making of 25,000 small Flags (for resale nationally, before, during and after the conference, to raise funds that will go to support the rural projects of CADS)
-- Printing of Leaflets
-- Printing of Conference Materials - brochures, booklets, questionnaires and newsletters.
-- Hospitality Costs for up to 3000 expected Conference Participants including the Head of State, government and political leaders, civil servants, small and medium business operators, local NGO activists, INGO experts, teachers and lecturers, journalists, among others.

I hope very much you are impressed with what we are doing in Sierra Leone. But even more, I hope you will act on that belief by making a pledge of: $1,000 $3,000 $5,000 or even $10,000 in support of our First National Conference on Personal Values.

[ ] Check Enclosed. Payable in US dollars to CADS Sierra Leone

[ ] Wire transfer to CADS Sierra Leone Account.
Account Details: In Account With: Union Trust Bank Ltd. - PMB 1237, Lightfoot Boston Street, Freetown -- Sierra Leone, West Africa.
Tel: 232 - 22 - 226954 / 222792 / 223319 Fax: 232 - 22 - 226214.
Account Type: Current
Account Number: 210 - 007704 - 01

Union Trust Bank -- Sierra Leone Ltd. Corresponding Bank in the United States Details:
Sent Code: 40-05-15N
Address: Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corp., Limited (HSBC) -- New York, USA
140 Broadway -- B Level, NEW YORK, NY 10005 - 1180, USA. Tel: 1 - 212 - 525 - 5000