Ladies and gentlemen, to support the PLC Chairman’s Restoration Year Message with an explanation on some points from our draft guideline “THE CHARTER OF EVOLUTION FOR THE LIBERATION OF WESTERN TOGOLAND” in order to project before you a picture of where Western Togoland has reached so far on our Restoration Roadmap. So that we can all know what to do next.
We are really late but, because HELL IS NOT A SHORT CUT TO HEAVEN, we must rather intensify our efforts. Run fast if you know you are getting late, short cuts are dangerous, especially on terrains you have never travelled before. The Restoration Roadmap is not for one particular group. It is for us all as a state so let us use it as a state and not as a group in a state.
DEVELOPMENT GROUPS AND THE COUNCIL OF ELDERS.
Some people are too anxious to form the Consultative Assembly even without preparing the ground for it. This mistake must not be repeated.
We are targeting not less than 200 paramouncies in Western Togoland to participate in this exercise.
THE FIRST STEP
All groups and individuals are kindly requested to play some part in the formation of development groups in all communities.
Whether you call them chapters or whatever you like, the idea is that they must be groups for mobilizing the community members to undertake development projects and holding Community Forums on Community related issues. (This is to fulfill Development and education as required of the U.K. under the UN Trusteeship Agreement).
These groups must provide for gender balance in the formation of their Executive Committees with due respect for the UN Security Council Resolution on Women, Peace and Security. (Resolution 1325).
The groups must work in collaboration with the Council of Elders in all matters regarding the communities.
Please, kindly form the Council of Elders in every Community where a chapter (Community Development Group) is formed. This shall be the advisory board for the group.
The Council of Elders shall be made up of Traditional Rulers, Legal Experts, Security Experts, Experienced Senior Citizens, conflict resolution Experts etc. The number of persons to form the Council of Elders can be decided by the Traditional Rulers.
The mandate of the Council of Elders shall be:
To provide elderly support and guidance to the groups.
To develop and implement strategies for conflict prevention and conflict resolution within the groups, between groups, among communities.
To avail themselves to provide similar assistance at national and international levels.
All organizations on the ground must set aside their political interests and push forward for development and education as a prerequisite. You must all adopt the strategy of introducing the concept to the next community. Liberation and development will come with all the communities engaging themselves in self help projects. A healthy competition for development must arise among all communities. Collaboration among communities for joint projects must not be lacking.
FINANCING AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Each Community must raise its own finance, keep its own Financial Record and do its transactions through the bank. Regular Financial reporting at the community forums shall help to maintain the trust in the various development groups.
Any contribution by any community towards any national program must be documented and broadly acknowledged.
PLC may arrange audit services upon request.
Let all groups use the first half of this year for intensive fulfilment of what we have left undone for the past two years. then the way will be open for the next thing on the Restoration Roadmap – THE CONSULTATIVE ASSEMBLY
Information about the next and other steps shall be discussed at the Community Forums.
Please, we need reports from all angles each month to enable us know what to do to any group at any time.
THANK YOU.
S.G.
