Establishment of the First African Republic

Transcription

1 Background Guide Establishment of the First African Republic

2 2 Greetings Delegates, It is my great pleasure and honor to welcome all of you to the latest installment of GatorMUN, and more specifically, to the Establishment of the First African Republic. My name is Andrew Gutke, and I have the pleasure of serving as your director for this committee. I am a fourth-year student here at the University of Florida majoring in political science with concentrations in Asian studies, international development and humanitarian assistance, and teaching English as a second language. I have been an active member of Model United Nations at UF for four years now, and have previously staffed three editions of GatorMUN. My time in Model UN has taken me across the country to a number of different conferences, debating a myriad of topics. I have enjoyed all of my previous Model UN conferences for one reason or another, and I truly hope this committee makes your GatorMUN weekend a memorable one. The dream of an independent African republic was formed many years before it was to be actualized, and began in the United States with the Back-to-Africa Movement. Prior to the establishment of Liberia, there were a few failed attempts by formerly enslaved African Americans at starting a nation-state in Africa. Liberia was to be the first established nation to reach any measurable level of success, and with the passing of the Liberian Constitution of 1847, Liberia became the first African Republic. Shortly thereafter, on the 26th of July, the newly formed country elected its first president, Joseph Jenkins Roberts. What followed would be a formative time, not only for the future of Liberia, but for democracy on the continent as a whole. This cabinet is to serve as the building blocks of the Liberian Republic, with little more than a constitution and president. You as delegates will face opposition from both local tribes and foreign powers, and are expected to address a breadth of issues from establishing foreign trade, creating public services, and creating a Liberian identity. It is crucial that this body works in together to ensure that the Liberian people not only survive on the world s harshest continent, but in fact, learn to thrive. This background guide will seek to outline the necessary information that you will need to know about the history of Liberia up until this point, so that you will best be able to shape a prosperous and democratic future for Liberia. In addition to studying the background guide, I would highly recommend for each of you to do your own additional research. This research should include, but not be limited to, a more in-depth review of Liberian history, the beginning of the Back-to-Africa Movement, local tribal culture in the area, and contemporary examples of democracy. This additional research will not only aid you in the writing of your position papers, which will be required for this committee, but also in accurately and realistically growing a newly independent nation of 3,000 people into the golden standard for what an African democracy can be. Position papers will be required for this committee. If you have any questions about your position, Liberia, or the committee as a whole, please don t hesitate to send them to gatormun@gmail.com, and we will get an answer to you as soon as possible. Best Wishes, Andrew Gutke

3 Rules of Procedure Quorum A majority of voting members answering to the roll at each session shall constitute a quorum for that session. This means that half plus one of all voting members are physically present. Quorum will be assumed consistent unless questioned through a Point of Order. Delegates may request to be noted as Present or Present and Voting. 3 ompany any motion for a Moderated Caucus. In a Motion to Set Speaking Time, a delegate may also specify a number of questions or comments to automatically affix to the Speaking Time. These designated questions or comments may also have Speaking Time or Response Time (in the case of a question) limits, but these are not required. The Director may rule any Motion to Set Speaking Time dilatory. This motion requires a simple majority. Any delegate may make this motion between formal speakers in an effort to change the Speaking Time. Motion to Suspend the Rules for the Purpose of a Moderated Caucus This motion must include three specifications a. Length of the Caucus b. Speaking Time. and c. Reason for the Caucus During a moderated caucus, delegates will be called on to speak by the Committee Director. Delegates will raise their placards to be recognized. Delegates must maintain the same degree of decorum throughout a Moderated Caucus as in formal debate. This motion requires a simple majority to pass. Motion to Suspend the Rules for the Purpose of an Unmoderated Caucus This motion must include the length of the Caucus. During an unmoderated caucus, delegates may get up from their seats and talk amongst themselves. This motion requires a simple majority to pass. The length of an unmoderated caucus in a Crisis committee should not exceed fifteen minutes. Motion to Suspend the Meeting This motion is in order if there is a scheduled break in debate to be observed (i.e. Lunch). This motion requires a simple majority vote. The Committee Director may refuse this motion at their discretion. Motion to Adjourn the Meeting This motion is in order at the end of the last committee session. It signifies the closing of the committee until next year s conference. Points of Order Points of Order will only be recognized for the following items: a) To recognize errors in voting, tabulation, or procedure, b) To question relevance of debate to the current Topic or c) To question a quorum. A Point of Order may interrupt a speaker if necessary and it is to be used sparingly.

4 4 Points of Inquiry When there is no discussion on the floor, a delegate may direct a question to the Committee Director. Any question directed to another delegate may only be asked immediately after the delegate has finished speaking on a substantive matter. A delegate that declines to respond to a question after a formal speech forfeits any further questioning time. The question must conform to the following format: Delegate from Country A raises placard to be recognized by the Committee Director. Committee Director: To what point do you rise? Country A: Point of Inquiry. Committee Director: State your Point. Country A: Will the delegate from Country B (who must have just concluded a substantive speech) yield to a question? Committee Director: Will the Delegate Yield? Country B: I will or I will not (if not, return to the next business item) Country A asks their question (it must not be a rhetorical question.) Country B may choose to respond or to decline. If the Delegate from Country B does not yield to or chooses not to answer a question from Country A, then he/she yields all remaining questioning time to the Committee Director. Points of Personal Privilege Points of personal privilege are used to request information or clarification and conduct all other business of the body except Motions or Points specifically mentioned in the Rules of Procedure. Please note: The Director may refuse to recognize Points of Order, Points of Inquiry or Points of Personal Privilege if the Committee Director believes the decorum and restraint inherent in the exercise has been violated, or if the point is deemed dilatory in nature. Rights of Reply At the Committee Director s discretion, any member nation or observer may be granted a Right of Reply to answer serious insults directed at the dignity of the delegate present. The Director has the ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY to accept or reject Rights of Reply, and the decision IS NOT SUBJECT TO APPEAL. Delegates who feel they are being treated unfairly may take their complaint to any member of the Secretariat. Directives Directives act as a replacement for Draft Resolutions when in Crisis committees, and are the actions that the body decides to take as a whole. Directives are not required to contain operative or preambulatory clauses. A directive should contain: a. The name(s) of the author(s), b. A title, and c. A number of signatories/sponsors signatures necessary to introduce, determined by the Director A simple majority vote is required to introduce a directive, and multiple directives may be introduced at once. Press releases produced on behalf of the body must also be voted on as Directives. Friendly Amendments Friendly Amendments are any changes to a formally introduced Directive that all Sponsors agree to in writing. The Committee Director must approve the Friendly Amendment and confirm each Sponsor s agreement both verbally and in writing.

5 Unfriendly Amendments Unfriendly Amendments are any substantive changes to a formally introduced Directive that are not agreed to by all of the Sponsors of the Directive. In order to introduce an Unfriendly Amendment, the Unfriendly Amendment must the number equivalent to 1/3 of Quorum confirmed signatories. The Committee Director has the authority to discern between substantive and nonsubstantive Unfriendly amendment proposals. 5 Plagiarism GatorMUN maintains a zero-tolerance policy in regards to plagiarism. Delegates found to have used the ideas of others without properly citing those individuals, organizations, or documents will have their credentials revoked for the duration of the GatorMUN conference. This is a very serious offense. Crisis Notes A crisis note is an action taken by an individual in a Crisis committee. Crisis notes do not need to be introduced or voted on, and should be given to the Crisis Staff by sending the notes to a designated pickup point in each room. A crisis note should both be addressed to crisis and have the delegate s position on both the inside and outside of the note. Motion to Enter Voting Procedure Once this motion passes, and the committee enters Voting Procedure, no occupants of the committee room may exit the Committee Room, and no individual may enter the Committee Room from the outside. A member of the Dias will secure all doors. No talking, passing notes, or communicating of any kind will be tolerated during voting procedures. Each Directive will be read to the body and voted upon in the order which they were introduced. Any Proposed Unfriendly Amendments to each Directive will be read to the body and voted upon before the main body of the Directive as a whole is put to a vote. Delegates who requested to be noted as Present and Voting are unable to abstain during voting procedure. Abstentions will not be counted in the tallying of a majority. For example, 5 yes votes, 4 no votes, and 7 abstentions means that the Directive passes. The Committee will adopt Directives and Unfriendly Amendments to Directives if these documents pass with a simple majority. Specialized committees should refer to their background guides or Committee Directors for information concerning specific voting procedures. Roll Call Voting A counted placard vote will be considered sufficient unless any delegate to the committee motions for a Roll Call Vote. If a Roll Call Vote is requested, the committee must comply. All delegates must vote: For, Against, Abstain, or Pass. During a Roll Call vote, any delegate who answers, Pass, reserves his/her vote until the Committee Director has exhausted the Roll. However, once the Committee Director returns to Passing Delegates, they must vote: For or Against. Accepting by Acclamation This motion may be stated when the Committee Director asks for points or motions. If a Roll Call Vote is requested, the motion to Accept by Acclamation is voided. If a delegate believes a Directive will pass without opposition, he or she may move to accept the Directive by acclamation. The motion passes unless a single delegate shows opposition. An abstention is not considered opposition. Should the motion fail, the committee will move directly into a Roll Call Vote.

6 6 History of Liberia Before 1820 The history of Liberia, relative to other histories in Africa and the rest of the world, is relatively short in terms of organized settlements. Historians believe that the first permanent settlements were established in Liberia by peoples who moved into the region in the 1100s. Prior to that, popular Liberian traditions and stories indicate that the first people to inhabit the area now known as Liberia were Pygmies known colloquially as the Jinna. There is no physical evidence of West African Pygmies, but their presence is generally accepted because of the plethora of accounts of them throughout West Africa. The first recorded people in Liberia were the Golas from Central Africa, and very little is known about them, other than their observations of the Pygmies. In 6000 B.C., the Kumbas people from Sudan migrated into Liberia and defeated the Golas and established a tribal empire composed of a number of distinct tribal groups. This was the extent of migration into Liberia until the early 1500s. Centuries of no migration was finally broken by the Kru people when they arrived in the early 16th century. They arrived, more or less, in conjunction with other groups like the Bassa, Mamba, and Grebo tribes. These migrants came from modern Cote d Ivoire, largely fleeing from war brought onto them by attackers from Sudan. The last group of tribes to come to Liberia were the Mandingo, which consisted of the Mandingo and the Vai tribes. These groups arrived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, as they were fleeing from war just as the Kru before them had. The Vai were the first to arrive and the first truly impactful tribe in the area because of two things they introduced into the region. The Vai are a Muslim people and were the first to introduce organized religion to an area where there had only been animists. The second thing the Vai created was a written script, which was the first in the region and one of the first in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Mandingos, on the other hand, migrated in from Mali starting in the 17th century. The Mandingo and the Vai were the last two tribal migrations to occur in Liberian history. Despite tribes still settling into Liberia well into the 17th century, there were small isolated pockets of European influence since the 1400 s. In 1462, Portuguese explorers made landfall in Liberia, the first non- Africans to ever see the region. The Portuguese named the region the Costa da Pimentia, which translates to Pepper Coast in Portuguese, due to the abundance of the melegueta pepper that is very similar to ginger. A century and a half passed before any permanent European settlements were created, and even then they were short-lived. The Dutch, who established the first European trading post in Africa in 1602, only managed to last a year before leaving. A half century passed before another attempt was made, this time by the British. In 1663, the British built a series of trading posts along the Pepper Coast, and these trading posts were established primarily for European access to sandalwood, ivory, pepper, and gold. Their trade in spices, gold, and ivory was overtaken by the slave trade. By the end of the sixteenth century, most European powers captured and sold slaves in Liberia. The damage it caused Liberia was long lasting, as most of the able-bodied were taken, and thus workers were lost. Slavery also sowed seeds of tribal hostility, violence, and famine; these traditions that would persist in the region for hundreds of years. These slaving posts were the last non- African settlements in modern Liberia, until the arrival of freed slaves from the Americas in 1820.

7 History of Liberia Since The modern history of Liberia began in 1820 with the arrival of the first American settlers in the region. Their arrival was the beginning of a revolutionary social experiment that would come to be known as black colonialism. Black colonialism was the practice of foreign inhabitation and governance of a lesser developed region by former slaves from Europe or the Americas. Black colonialism as a practice began in 1787 in the British colony of Freetown, which was created as a home for Black Loyalists and poor blacks from England. The pivotal moment in the creation of the Liberian black colonialism experiment was the foundation of the American Colonization Society in The American Colonization Society was founded with the explicit purpose of assisting free black people in emigrating back to Africa. This foundation was the idea of one Reverend Robert Finley. Finley was quickly able to recruit a number of influential figures to his cause, including Elias Caldwell (Supreme Court Clerk), Francis Scott Key (author of the Star Spangled Banner), and Henry Clay (U.S. House of Representative from Kentucky). The notion of sending freed slaves back to Africa may seem noble, and to some, it was a genuine cause. Caldwell and Key, for instance, had solid reputations as being generous supporters of free black communities in Washington D.C. Not every member of the American Colonization Society had such pure intentions, including its founder, Reverend Finley. Reverend Finley was regularly quoted saying that he thought the presence of African Americans in America was a threat to the national well-being and a threat to the quality of life for white people. His motive, given these beliefs, was to save America from the institution of interracial marriage and from having to financially support poor blacks. To him, his work was truly charitable as it would benefit the white American, the African American, and the black African because of his secondary desire to spread Christianity to Africa. From its foundation in 1816, it took American colonization four years before the first freed slave landed in what is now called Liberia. The first ship of freed slaves left New York City in January of 1820 with a goal of acquiring land to create a permanent settlement. Two years later, in December of 1821, the American Colonization Society accomplished their goal of getting land. This 36-mile long coastal strip of land was called Cape Mesurado and was the first piece of modern Liberia. From 1821 to 1835, six more colonies were established around the area of Cape Mesurado. Five of these colonies were created by state colonization societies, such as the colony of Maryland which was founded by the Maryland Colonization Society, and one was created by the U.S. federal government. During this time, Cape Mesurado expanded down the coast and inland into the hinterlands, often by taking the land from the native tribes. Cape Mesurado and the six aforementioned colonies merged to create the Commonwealth of Liberia. Four more state colonies were added to the commonwealth by 1842, and the people began to call themselves Americo-Liberians.

8 8 These earliest years of Liberia were by no means easy for the settlers. Internally, there was a real lack of identity among the Americo-Liberians. They were from the United States with varying levels of education and culture, and they most certainly did not identify with the indigenous animist tribes that called Liberia home. The animist tribes were none too thrilled with foreign invaders, and the early Americo-Liberians faced attacks from coastal tribes such as the Malinke. Unfortunately, internal divisions and external attacks were not the biggest danger the settlers would face; in fact, the biggest threat was the one they couldn t see. As in most cases of colonialism, disease was a major cause of suffering to the settlers in the early years, which, when combined with a hostile climate and occasional food scarcity, led to appalling mortality rates. It is estimated that between 1820 and 1843, 4,571 settlers migrated to the Commonwealth of Liberia and by 1843, there were only 1,819 remaining. In 23 years, 2,752 settlers lost their lives, an attrition rate of just over 60%. Upon founding the colony of Liberia, the American Colonization Society was initially very hands on. Over the years this grip loosened as the society began to grant the colony more self-governing power. In 1841, the American Colonization Society went as far as appointing Joseph Jenkins Roberts as the first black governor of Liberia. By the mid-1840 s, the American Colonization Society ran into a large and ultimately fatal problem; the Liberian project was so costly that it bankrupted the entire organization. Seeing no other option, the board of the society directed President Roberts to claim Liberian independence, and thus on July 26th, 1847, an independent Liberia was born. The Liberian Constitution and Declaration of Independence The official independence of Liberia on July 26, 1847, coincided with the signing of the Liberian Constitution and Liberian Declaration of Independence, two documents that will help to establish the base framework for Liberia as a republic. These documents were based heavily on the American Declaration of Independence and Constitution. The following section will introduce you to some of the core tenets and principles of the Republic of Liberia, and Liberian democracy that should guide you as you build Africa s first republic. The Declaration of Independence laid forth the founding principles on which all rule of law in the country was to be based with the single most important idea being directly taken from the American Declaration of Independence. This idea states that it is the unalienable rights of man to have life, liberty, and property. The Declaration then spells out all the wrongdoings of the American government and people to African Americans and declares itself an independent state, and as an asylum from the most grinding oppression. For the most part, the Declaration of Independence is fairly consistent with the rhetoric and format of that found in the United States;

9 however, there is one glaring distinction. The Declaration of Independence makes it blatantly clear that Christianity and the Christian faith are to be a core pillar upon which the values of the nation are derived, and goes so far as to specifically mention the desire to convert local indigenous populations from animists to Christians. 9 The Declaration of Liberian Independence, while important, only established the circumstances under which the Republic of Liberia was born, and entrenched a few core ideas into the value system of Liberia. The Constitution, on the other hand, more concretely guaranteed civil and personal rights as well as established procedures and practices for the rule of law and governance. The Constitution of Liberia has five principle sections: the Declaration of Rights; Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Powers; and Additional Provisions. The Declaration of Rights is very much the Liberian equivalent of the Bill of Rights, in which rights such as government by the people for the people, freedom from slavery, right to peaceful assembly, freedom from unlawful search, right to bear arms, etc. The remaining four sections of establish the structure and procedure of the three branches of government. The Legislature of Liberia was to have two bodies, a house with proportional representation and a Senate with equal representation per county. The section continues by establishing term limits, election procedures, and the process by which bills can be introduced and passed. The Executive Branch was established and included the provisions for the office of the president, vice president, secretary of state, as well as term limits for every bureaucratic office from president to notaries and every position in between. The original judiciary of Liberia was remarkably simple, and originally only directly established a Supreme Court, with justices that could be removed by impeachment from a twothirds majority vote of both legislative bodies. It is important to note that while the Supreme Court was the only court directly established in the Liberian constitution, the constitution asserted that the legislature could establish lower courts at their behest. Lastly, the additional provisions in the constitution touched upon a number of diverse subjects, everything from the establishment of the first presidential election to setting procedure under which local elections could occur. While many of these additional sections could be found in the U.S. Constitution, there are a number of unique provisions, including the right of a woman to hold land independent of her husband and extending citizenship in the Liberian Republic only to those of color. Geography and Climate of Liberia Liberia is located in the region of Africa known to scholars as West Africa. Despite being a relatively small country, there is a surprising amount of diversity of geography and terrain. The southern part of the country along the Atlantic Ocean is composed primarily of flat coastal plains that are dotted with swamplands and beaches. Inland of the Atlantic coast, there are abundant forest-covered hills. The northern area of Liberia consists of plateaus and smaller mountains, especially in the eastern part of the north. These plateaus and mountains are surrounded by and sometimes covered by tropical rainforests.

10 10 Liberia is situated between the Tropic of Cancer and the equator and has a very tropical climate. Liberian summers are hot and humid all day with a rainy season lasting from approximately late May to early October. Winter in Liberia is likewise hot and humid during the day but have colder nights. There is still relatively frequent precipitation in the winter months, with the exception of the so-called dry months that run from December to February. There are a few geographical features to note in Liberia. There are a total of six rivers that run through Liberia, each with its own set of tributaries and various offshoots. Of these six rivers, there are three that are particularly large and important: the St. Paul, St. John, and Cestos Rivers. The St. Paul River is notable because it allows products from areas east and northeast of the counties to be shipped to the coast, and, as a result, has seen some small-scale migration and settlement along the path of the river into the interior of the continent. The St. John River is the longest of the three rivers and is a home or watering hole too much of the country s ecological biodiversity. The Cestos River is the least explored of the three since much of it is hidden within densely packed tropical rainforest; it is known that it is the only Liberian river to make contact with many of West Africa s more easterly tribes. The two primary chains of mountains in the country are Mount Nimba and Mount Wuteve, these mountains while notable geographically, are only otherwise noteworthy due to some local tribes revering them in their animist traditions. Agriculture in Liberia Before the arrival of Europeans in Liberia, the agricultural systems and practices were very much based on individual subsistence and were primitive in nature. Liberian agriculture is quite diverse and supports a variety of crops and livestock. When the first Americans arrived in Liberia, they encountered farming tribes who had been growing the same crops in the same manner for tens of generations. Americans soon took up the farming of many new crops that were found in Liberia, such as cassava, and began growing them as their own food sources. Up until this point, the settlers have done little to improve the efficiency of farming methods or the yields of specific crops, and are at a similar level of agricultural sophistication as the natives they encountered upon arrival. The farming carried out by these Americo-Liberians was a hybrid of New and Old World methods in that they combine traditional local practices with the more advanced tools from the West. Prior to the colonization of this land, there was no concept of private land; land and its crops were shared in a basic commune. The people worked the land together, and reaped the fruits of their work together or mourned a failed crop as one. The concept of sharing land was foreign to those who arrived from the United States and it was one that they did not integrate into their agricultural practices; the Americo-Liberians introduced tribal peoples to the idea of private land ownership. As a result, fencing and claiming of land, an idea

11 antithetical to many animist beliefs, was made common. Another technique that was brought from the U.S. was the usage of livestock as a method of making agricultural production more efficient. Some believed that the tropical climate of Liberia was good for animals, like horses, mules, and oxen, to be used for work in the fields. As such transport shipments of these aforementioned animals began reaching the shores of Liberia. As their numbers increased, farm owners realized that mules and oxen were by far the most suited to the climate and type of work required, but they also came to the secondary and more important realization, that these animals added little profitability given their short life spans due to the back-breaking work and inclimate weather. 11 Despite the obstacles facing Liberian agriculture, many experts and scholars have already commented publicly on the great untapped potential Liberia has as a crop and livestock producing country, a trait that could turn Liberia into a leading agricultural exporter with proper modernization and trade regulation. Droughts and market fluctuations were more at fault for the instability of the agriculture market as opposed to any actions involved within the industry. Liberia has tricky soil to grow on and is only able to produce a few cash crops en masse. Fortunately, those crops that are highly sought after can compensate for the relative lack of diversity in crops. The most common crops within the country are cassava, rice, coconut palm and oil, rubber, and bananas. Given the abundance of these crops, Liberian cuisine is largely rooted in these foodstuffs. There are some untapped resources available to the Liberians given some initiative and hard work. The coast of Liberia has extremely high marine biodiversity and, in large concentrations, makes commercial or small-scale fishing a potentially lucrative business. It also remains to be seen which traditional cash crops from the United States could be introduced for growing in Liberia, which would be an enterprise that could have massively profitable outcomes with a certain amount of risk. Culture and Identity in Liberia Culture in Liberia is a very fragmented issue given the fusion of the native Liberians and freed American slaves. This is further complicated with the extreme differences within the groups. Some of these differences include sixteen well-recognized Liberian native tribes with different traditions, religions, language, etc.; and slaves from across the Southern United States with a unique heritage of their own, as well as various levels of education. This makes addressing the issue of a single Liberian culture impossible and creates very different identities of what a Liberian is. Religion, as mentioned above, is very much a central issue in any examination of culture in Liberia. This is largely due to the diversity of religion within the country, with three primary groups: individuals who practice their animist, Christian, and Islamic faiths. In total, there are ten religious subgroupings with relatively large followings and even more that are too small to mention. Animism is the oldest of the Liberian religions, and the one that least is known about given its lack of a unified doctrine or written records. Liberian animism can functionally be grouped into Poro, Sande, and Krahn. Animism in Liberia was organized into three most common belief systems or secret societies; secrecy

12 12 is a key tenet and principle of the Liberian tradition of animism. Poro is the most important of the animist traditions, and its key beliefs can be summed up as conviction that there are deep and hidden things about an individual that only diviners, priests, and other qualified persons can unravel. This presupposes that whatever exists or happens in the physical realm has foundations in the spirit world. In essence, the Poro is a fraternal society, in which there is great custom and Poro rule of law, which could conflict at times with the laws of the newly formed republic. The Poro are commonly known for placing a taboo on things they disapprove of, which is an action so strong it has led to famine when placed on perfectly fine crops. The Sande secret society is the female equivalent of the all-male Poro society. Sande, while a religion, is also a method for raising and educating young girls and is passed down from female generation to female generation. Girls are educated after their right of passage in the ways of domestic skills, farming, dancing, and medicine. All of these skills are learned in preparation to be good wives for their eventual husbands. Both the Poro and the Sande are practiced across West Africa with regional variations abound, but the central ideas hold true. Islam in Liberia is the smallest of the three religions in terms of the size of followers. It was largely confined to practice by members of the Mandingo and Vai tribes, but there was a minority Muslim presence within the Gbandi and Kpelle ethnic groups. The majority of the tribal Muslim population were Malikite Sunni Muslims, one of the four traditional schools of the Sunni sect, with Shia and Ahmadiyya minorities present within the country as well. The last of the religions to arrive in Liberia was Christianity, as it was brought over by the original colonizers of the country. The denominational affiliation of those arriving in Liberia spanned the area and included the likes of Lutherans, Southern Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians among others. Within Christianity, there are two important distinctions that crosses all denomination, kwi or non-kwi. Kwi is a Liberian word used to denote Westernization, a follower of Christianity, Western education, etc., and is used by tribal peoples to identify the new settlers from the West. Interestingly, Christian settlers and converts alike began using the word to differentiate styles of worship. In this case, a Kwi Christian would practice similar to how one would expect to see religious services conducted in an American or European church, steeped in regalia and traditions. The Non-kwi is more open to interpretation and regularly includes dancing, self-proclaimed prophets, and colorful costumes as a part of their religious reverence. The Christians have made it a state goal of theirs to try and convert locals to the ways of Christianity from Islam or their tribal religions. Surprisingly, given the diversity in religion, there has been no real religious tension or conflict up to this point, but an overeager conversion effort by Christian missionaries has the potential to unbalance this. As in much of Africa at this time, the single most telling and important facet of one s culture is their ethnic or tribal affiliation, and there is a large degree of fragmentation and diversity within the ethnic groups of one country. There are 16 tribes in Liberia at this time: Kpelle, Bassa, Mende, Dan (Gio), Ma (Mano), Klao (Kru), Grebo, Mandingo, Krahn, Gola, Gbandi, Loma, Kissi, Vai, Bella (Kuwaa), and Dei (Dey). These 16 tribal groups could be broken down further into 28 ethnic groups, but this number is reached through accounting for small subgroups of the 16 main tribal groups. The word tribal often has the implication of indicating a small group of people who live together and live in remote conditions, none of which is necessarily true. A tribe is any of a variety of social units that is culturally homogeneous and consists of multiple families. There are significant distinctions between each of the 16 tribal groups, but to say there are no commonalities would be flawed. There are two groups of immigrant tribal groups, the Mande-Fu, which consists of the Kpelle, Gio, Mano, and Loma; and the Mande-Tan, which includes Vai, Mende, and Mandingo. These tribes did not originate in Liberia but emigrated into Liberia before the Americans arrival (as mentioned in History of Liberia before 1820). The native tribes are differentiated based on three linguistic groupings: the Gola peoples have their own unique language, the Mel language family with Kissi as its largest tribe, and the Kru language family with Bassa as its largest tribe.

13 Given that there are 16 distinct ethnic groups in Liberia, it is unnecessary to be familiar with all of them. However below is a brief reference indicating the most notable identifier of some of the tribal groups. The Dei were very involved in the slave trade, as they are primarily coastal dwellers. With the abolition of the slave trade, they took up a role as salt traders. The Gola were the middlemen in the slave trade, as they acted as intermediaries from inland and sold them to the Dei. The Kissi people are known for their rice farming, and produce most of the countries rice. The Loma are a proud people and are considered to be the best and most advanced farmers of any of the African tribes. The Kru are the seafaring tribe and have mastered the arts of sailing and fishing. The Mandingo were the first Muslims to come to Liberia, and are a tribe widely respected for their military prowess. They are also responsible for introducing the first written text to the region, the Koran. 13 Lastly, the Kpelle people are part of a larger Niger-Congo tribal family that live in parts of West Africa, including what is now called Liberia. They are largely concentrated within central Liberia and are perhaps the nation s single most important ethnic group. This is largely due to two factors: their population relative to Liberia s population as a whole and their knack for rice cultivation. The Kpelle have a reputation for being a hard-working, honest, and humble people. This reputation is so strong that Kpelle is used colloquially by some Americo-Liberians to refer to a hard-working and humble person. The Kpelle are one of the most religious tribes and are the most avid practitioners of the aforementioned Poro and Sande sects of animism, a belief that interacts closely with other tribes, including the Mende, Loma, and Mano. Kpelle settlements are organized into tribes with a chieftain who oversees the day-to-day operations of the settlement. Within these settlements, houses are privately owned by the individual but all other land, including land for agriculture, is communally owned.

14 14 A Letter from President Roberts Dearest Advisors, With our newly ratified Constitution and Declaration of Independence in hand, we are about to embark together on a righteous journey. A journey against the odds, a journey with purpose, a journey fraught with peril. I have assembled this cohort to guide us through this journey, so that we might reach the promised land; an autonomous land ruled for the people by his peers, a refuge for all those wronged by racist institutions, and proof that we are not inferior and that we have the might and will to carve out a home for ourselves even in this most hostile of environments. We sit precariously perched upon the coast of Western Africa, with the ocean to our West, tribes to our east, and a growing British presence to our North. Do not fool yourself; this will not be easy. But through adversity, we must find strength! It is my vision, and it should be that of yours, that this meager plot of land we now call Liberia might one day be a democratic nation and an example for all those oppressed people around the world that they too might have self-determination if they just have some tenacity and grit. There is much work to be done, but we must first secure international recognition and relations to allow us to feed our people with the fruits of trade. We must determine the Liberian identity and the role of the tribal man in our Liberia. We must establish hope and prosperity for our people so that our children never know the feeling of going hungry or of having no path upward in life. We must look and see what this great continent has to offer to us, take what we need, and return a light to Africa for all those who call it home, a light that shines free from the chains of their imperial masters. Along the way, there will be those who try to stop us, who try to take our life, our liberty, and our land. And I now must ask you to stand beside me, fight if you must for this dream we share. For together, no man, nor his countrymen, shall prevent us from fulfilling our destiny; to be the first African Republic and a shining light for African autonomy and exceptionalism for decades, nay centuries to come. Godspeed, Joseph Jenkins Roberts Joseph Jenkins Roberts

15 Important Points 15 This council must make sure it has a clear and cohesive vision for the future of Liberia, and cooperation amongst delegates will be key to making this a reality. Although resistance to the new settlers has been sporadic and unorganized, it would be wise to keep one eye open for the possibility of a coordinated assault. Don t get too caught up in knowing the difference between every single tribe, but you should recognize the unique threats and opportunities that some of them may pose. Playing a realistic role that advances the march of Liberian progress is just as, if not more, noticeable as someone who decides to work against committee or prepares truly outlandish ideas. There is such a wide array of topics to be discussed and you should know a little bit about every topic, but put your focus on the areas that you find particularly interesting would also be a wise strategy. NO derogatory or racially-charged language will be allowed in this committee, specifically in regards to discussing indigenous tribal peoples; any usage of these terms will result in secretariat immediately being contacted, and disqualification from receiving any awards. While this committee is a serious and realistic historical state building committee, that does not mean you shouldn t have fun with this. Take the ideas and topics being discussed and put your own personal flair on them. This is a great way to make yourself stand out as a delegate. Position Paper Requirements Position papers are required from all delegates. Length is not indicative of a well-written position paper, but you will find it difficult to properly address all parts of the position paper in less than one page. There is no maximum number of pages. Positions papers should be written in a formal academic style. Delegates should address the following in their position papers: An overall vision for the growth of Liberia as a newly independent nation-state. A summary of the individual position s role in achieving a strong democratic Liberian state. Delegates should also expressly discuss realistic ideas for developing at least four of the following: Education Healthcare Security Citizenship and Identity Indigenous Relations Agriculture Growing the Population International Recognition and Trade

16 16 Positions Superintendent of Grand Bassa County: Joel Johnston Superintendent Joel Johnston serves as the governor of Grand Bassa County. As the superintendent, he oversees the day-to-day operations of the region. Johnston has been tasked with developing the county, as it is currently the least developed of the three. He has his large tracts of pristine coastline, plentiful rubber, and palm oil resources at his disposal. Prior to moving to Liberia, Johnston was a very influential antislavery advocate. Having escaped from slavery in Mississippi, he has extensive weight and pull in the free black communities of America. Superintendent of Grand Cape Mount County: Benjamin Hammond As the Superintendent of Grand Cape Mount County, Benjamin Hammond s role is akin to that of a governor. Although his official responsibilities are over the governance of his county, Superintendent Hammond has made quite the name for himself in agriculture. Since Grand Cape Mount County is the agricultural hub of the country, Superintendent Hammond has taken it upon himself to develop Liberia s agriculture. His end goal is to push Liberians away from traditional subsistence farming in favor of commercial farming, a practice he was educated in as a labor manager after being freed from slavery. Mayor of Monrovia: James Reed James Reed was elected the mayor of Monrovia shortly before the signing of the Liberian Declaration of Independence and was allowed to keep his post in the newly unified Liberia. Monrovia was subsequently selected as the capital of Liberia, and Reed in his post as mayor runs the day-to-day operations of the entire city, including leading the bureaucrats that live and work in Monrovia. Superintendent of Sinoe County: Mary Wheatley Superintendent Wheatley, like the other superintendents, is the lead executive official in her county, and is responsible for maintaining the status quo. Wheatley is perhaps more highly regarded for her passion and success as a women s advocate. Working alongside Maria Stewart, a famous American abolitionist and women s rights advocate, she was a key figure in the abolitionist movement, specifically fighting for the rights of women and black women. She is revered in many circles for her activism, and has made it her agenda to ensure that women in Liberia achieve some measure of equality. High Sheriff of Liberia: Absalom Harrien The High Sheriff of Liberia serves essentially as the Attorney General for the nation, and, as such, he is the head judicial enforcer in the country. In his responsibilities as high sheriff, Harrien oversees all criminal proceedings on the behalf of the state against private citizens and corporations alike. The high sheriff is also the country s foremost anti-corruption official, and it is his job to review and investigate all claims of fraud and corruption within the Liberian government. Minister of Foreign Affairs: Arthur Dunbar Arthur Dunbar is the most senior diplomat from Liberia to the rest of the world. President Roberts has tasked Dunbar with a number of responsibilities, chief among them is receiving widespread recognition from nations around the world. As the head diplomat, Dunbar has license to broker deals between the Liberian government and other foreign government.

17 Minister of Trade: Langston Owens Langston Owens as the Liberian Minister of Trade has two primary responsibilities. He is responsible for leading the procurement of all foodstuffs needing to be imported into Liberia, and he also negotiates trade deals with foreign sources. Owens is the primary negotiator in all trade deals between Liberia and other factions, with the exception of those involving timber and minerals. 17 Representative from the United States to Liberia: Henry Finley President Roberts graciously accepted the offer of Henry Finley to serve as an official representative from the United States to Liberia. He oversees and leads all Liberian-American interaction and treatise signings. Finley, having come from a prominent Virginian family, has extensive contacts in Virginia, specifically at his alma mater University of Virginia, that allowed him to land this initial appointment. Professor of African Anthropology at Harvard University: Dr. Horace Walker Dr. Horace Walker is the world s foremost expert on West African Tribal Anthropology. He has recently taken an indefinite leave of absence to be the head advisor to the Liberian government on all matters involving the tribal peoples of Liberia. Having spent many of his younger years studying in Liberia, Dr. Walker has healthy working relations with many tribal factions in Liberia, with his most successful and extensive work having been conducted with the Bass and Loma peoples. Pastor John Fredericks: Missionary from the Protestant Church of America Pastor Fredericks has been sent to Liberia by the Protestant Churches of America to serve as the head missionary and pastor in the country. Pastor Fredericks works tirelessly to convert Liberians and tribal inhabitants alike to Protestantism. He has the philosophical and financial support of several wealthy loyal American Protestants, who have given him an open mandate to spread the good word of the lord. Minister of Mining and Logging: Jefferson Hartley Liberia has a seemingly endless supply of very valuable timber and mineral resources within its borders. It is Hartley s job to oversee the extraction, refinement, and utilization of these resources. Hartley has extensive experience working within the industrial production sector, and has insider knowledge into some of the world s biggest international manufacturers, including the Missouri Iron Company, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company, and the Ohio Railroad Company Minister of War: Charlie Butler Butler has the unenviable task of creating and organizing a Liberian army from nothing other than the scattered, poorly trained local militias. President Roberts has given him extensive resources, including his unwavering support, considerable funding, and has even voiced support for conscription if Mr. Butler desires, to accomplish this goal, but expects nothing but success. In the event of international war between Liberia and other sovereign states, the Minister of War serves as the primary general of the Liberian infantry, assuming one has been properly created. Minister for Liberian Expansion: John Manneh President Roberts commissioned the creation of the Department for Liberian Expansion, and John Manneh was appointed as the head of the department. This agency is tasked with growing the population of the country, and identifying potential lands for territorial expansion. Manneh has a number of distinct roles, which include acting as the head official on immigration and citizenship, and serving as a military advisor on all territorial expansion expeditions.