ABOUT LIHEDE
A Brief History About
Who We Are
What We Stand For
Affiliation
Leading-Edge Research
Global Research
Strategic Prescience
International Recognition
Output
Locations Of Our Headquarter
In April 2003, Mr. Nat Galarea Gbessagee, Mr. Siahyonkron Nyanseor, and Dr. Syrulwa Somah, along with a few friends and family members, organized our first symposium on this campus on the topic, “African Governance, Philosophical Thought & Rule Of Law,” to coincide with the official launching of Dr. Somah's book, “Nyanyan Gomnan: History, Migration, and Government of the Bassa.” The symposium and the book dealt with themes of leadership and governance structures and practices in Africa, especially among the Bassa ethnic group, whose origin can be traced to ancient Egypt , the Sudan , and now Liberia .
At the end of that symposium, Mr. Gbessagee, Mr. Nyanseor and Dr. Somah met at a local hotel here in Greensboro and discussed the formation of the Liberian History, Education & Development, Inc. (LIHEDE), based on their common desires to inform and educate both the American public and our Liberian brothers and sisters about the rich cultural heritage and history of Liberia, so that together Liberians can help promote peace and stability in our native homeland of Liberia through education and socio-economic development.
For the most part, LIHEDE surfaced as a historical, social, cultural, and education movement, a few groups of Liberians and non-Liberians but effective and efficient organized groups of people committed to collective goals and ideals to preserve history or change the existing political economic structure and human relationships in Liberian society as well as African-Americans.
In this sense LIHEDE is as much an organization for change as it is one of intellectual enlightenment movements. It arise at a crossroad of Liberian periods of civil war, social change and the time period of its formation, in 2004, was a crucially dynamic period in Liberia. The aftermath of the Civil Wars coupled with the need for Liberia to find out who they are combined to create soul searching that provoked discontent Liberians. During and post-conflict Liberia, many Liberians the world over became to wonder why a group of people who have lived together for so long suddenly plunged into a civil war that destroy their own nation.
The quest to the answers to these questions made the organization an attractive alternative for Liberia liberation. So it was under these conditions that LIHEDE began in the Southern States of North Carolina during an era of national destruction, civil war, death, destruction, hunger, discontent, anguish, and disillusionment. Although we now live in another Liberia , a Liberia that can no longer hold onto the glories of the "Sweet Land of Liberty", but all Liberians are not corrupt to the point that falling flat on our faces is the only. In spite of television images and news reports portraying Liberia as a country ravaged by starvation and the residual effects of a 14-year civil war, Liberia can rise again.
LIHEDE has also established working relations with the ENCOMPASS Group of Rhode Island , a health services organization devoted to treating and providing a home for mentally challenged Liberian children, orphans, and the elderly from the 14-year Liberian Civil War, to help promote its activities in Liberia . LIHEDE traveled to Liberia with the ENCOMPASS Group in early 2005 on a needs assessment mission. While LIHEDE also conducted a workshop in Liberia early this year on “Restructuring the Liberian Military,” a project aimed at highlighting creating public awareness of the need for the constitution of a professional army in Liberia prior to the post-civil war national elections scheduled for October 2005. That workshop opened new opportunities for ongoing outside assistance to Liberia in restructuring the Liberian military. LIHEDE also cooperated with Liberian organizations in the U.S. and Europe in organizing and hosting the March 24-27, 2005 “All-Liberia National Conference on Peace, Reform and Reconciliation (ALNC)” in Columbia, Maryland, with the goal of uniting Liberians in the USA and Europe to contribute to peace and redevelopment efforts in Liberia.
LIHEDE is a specific type of organization because it is not designed for replacing or de-enrolling and Liberians and non-Liberians from their current organization but to annually bring together the best and brightest brains of Liberia to research authentic Liberian history, promote Liberian and African-American cultures. Of paramount pillar to these ideas is focusing on mapping out appropriate strategies for the redevelopment of Liberia .
Syrulwa Somah, Ph.D., Mr. Nat Galarea Gbessegee and Mr. Siahyonkron Nyanseor are officially credited with founding LIHEDE. The three gentlemen met in I-40 Holiday Inn in Greensboro after the "2004 Symposium On African Governance, Philosophical Thought & Rule Of Law" and framed the doctrine and beliefs of became known as LIHEDE today.
Nat Galarea Gbessegee, LIHEDE's Communications Director and career journalist has been the author of several conscious breaking articles.
Siahyonkron Nyanseor Chairman Liberian Democratic Future (Publisher of The Perspective) where he has written excessively on Liberian history. To him, Liberian history was never written to teach the true history of Liberia . In fact, he has use if web-based magazine to often keep Liberian history on the front burner exploitation, corruption, and dehumanization of indigenous Liberian to serve as servitude citizens of Liberia for over 157 years.
LIHEDE provides national development-oriented research on matters of history, education, agriculture, health, investment, environment, safety health, agriculture, strategy, politics, security and peace in Liberia. Its publications and policy recommendations are directed at a number of audiences, including Liberian government decision-makers, in military and civilian life, investors, the diplomatic corps, the press, the academic community, the broader public and leaders of Liberian communities in the Diaspora. LIHEDE also sponsors conferences, workshops, lectures, symposia and forums for international and local audiences, bringing together leading experts in the US, Liberia and other parts of the world. LIHEDE has developed cooperative relations with leading strategic research organizations, researchers, and Liberian organizations at home and abroad
Our Vision is clear and our motives are certain: LIHEDE seeks to contribute to the advancement of cultural heritage, history, education, development, peace, and security by conducting policy-relevant research on strategic subjects, particularly as they relate to history, education and development of Liberia.
Our vision consists of people joining our effort as researchers and activist-minded citizens, dedicated sons and daughters of Liberia and friends of Liberia, and informed groups who do understand what is at stake for all Liberians and friends of Liberia who are willing to take the new Liberia to the next higher level of national development.
LIHEDE is a non-partisan and non-profit organization, with an allegiance to the Republic of Liberia. It signed a MOU with Liberian Environmental Watch, Inc
Liberian studies, military for the new Liberia, culture-driven malaria program, and tourism in the new Liberia, using garbage for energy, ethanol development, fake drug, agriculture and independency: -- on all these issues and more LIHEDE’s voice has been heard and been prescient.
LIHEDE associates have spoken at conferences and symposia in several states in the US, Europe and Africa. Its experts have been interviewed many of times in all of Liberian newspapers and radio stations, from Radio Veritas and Star Radio, to LBS to Radio Buchanan, from Radio Gbarnga to King FM/Television. LIHEDE’s associate is regular columnists for The Forum, The Perspective, FrontPage, LIMANY, Liberian Times, News Vision. LIHEDE has conducted specialized research on malaria impact of democracy in Liberia.
In many important policy areas, LIHEDE researchers have been far ahead of the pack in identifying issues of emerging concern.
Dr. Emmet, a dean College of Sciences, Rutgers University and a LIHEDE research associate, wrote detailed studies/presentation on Chemoprophylaxis or the use of anti-malarial drugs to prevent the development of malaria.
LIHEDE, with limited resources, has developed over four years a model team of experts who believes in self-sufficiency first as the basis for moving Liberia forward.
LIHEDE has developed cooperative relationships with national and international agencies/organizations throughout the world, from Washington to Monrovia.
Since its founding in 2003, LIHEDE’s malaria eradication campaign, “WE WANT NO MORE MALARIA IN LIBERIA,” led to the successful hosting of a series of malaria awareness symposiums, workshops, and seminars within African communities across the US and Liberia.
Address in the U.S.A.:
LIHEDE, Inc.
2285 Rothwood Acres Drive
Greensboro, NC 27406
Mailing Address in Liberia:
LIHEDE, Inc.
P. O. Box 5966
Monrovia, Liberia
West Africa