By Ndze Ntuv Evaristus Tunka

Liberians in Minnesota turned out en masse on Sunday, November 25th for the second and final debates ahead of the December 2nd OLM (Organization of Liberians in Minnesota) leadership elections. Taking the podium first were the four Vice Presidential candidates- Keisha Walker of the George/Walker team; Andrew Tehmeh of the Dwanyen/Tehmeh team; Esther Doe of the Russell/Doe team; and George Morris of the Sinoe/Morris team.

(Twin Cities November 28, 2007) – The I35W Bridge Long Term Recovery Committee (LTRC) is coordinating the efforts of nonprofits and disaster response agencies that are working with survivors and families of the I35W.

Bridge collapse. The LTRC agencies are distributing funds from the Minnesota Helps – Bridge Disaster Fund™ to aid survivors. The fund, which has collected more than $1.1 million, is managed by The Minneapolis Foundation. To date, $270,000 has been granted to agencies from the fund ($216,000 for group services, $53,100 to aid individuals). One hundred percent of the money contributed to the fund will be distributed through organizations to aid survivors and families.

Concerned citizens looking for answers in curbing the rate of underage drinking will join together in recognition of the 10th anniversary of the Shutting Off the Tap to Teens conference on Monday, Dec. 3 in Bloomington. Addressed will be everything from creating an awareness of those who provide and market alcohol to teens to the role schools and communities play in reducing the continuing problem of youth access to alcohol. 

The conference, held from 8:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. at the Bloomington Civic Plaza at 1800 W. Shakopee Road, also will include a special review of the last 10 years of alcohol policy in Minnesota and all that remains to be accomplished.

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 27, 2007 – Negotiations between the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) union and Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) – in an effort to reach accord on a new teachers’ contract – will soon be mediated by a representative of the Minnesota Bureau of Labor Mediation Service, at the request of MFT President Rob Panning-Miller.

- From Congo to South Africa then to West Africa and  now to Horn of Africa, Cilongo Foundation reaching out to the needy. -  

By Bashe Said 

A fundraising cocktail was held recently in support of Cilingo Foundation at the Johnsville Library in Blaine. Foundation members exhibited how the organization progressed over the years extending its hand to the needy.

It is a story that began supporting one school in Congo, then another call of help from South Africa and then another, and another, unitil today the foundation reaches out schools in two continents (Africa & Asia/India).

By Mark Holder

As my retina captures the glittering lights and architectural grandeur of Miami Beach, I can’t resist giving thanks to the Almighty for his many blessings He has granted us, and the hopefulness of Liberia as we follow his command to ‘do all things decently and in order’ and display love for one another.   This was my last attempt to treat myself for Liberian withdrawal by driving the beautiful coast of South Florida.  During this 12am drive, enriched thoughts of praise embraced the hopes of my ancestors to promote a republic granting fundamental liberties to men and women once bound in chains; physically and psychologically. 

By Mary Thoemke , TC Daily Planet

Tierra started preschool at Families Together when she was two years and seven months old. Her older brother was already in the program. During the ensuing years, Tierra maintained a 94% attendance, while coming to school from two different foster homes, from the homeless shelter for many weeks, as well as from many different apartments. When all else in Tierra’s life changed over and over, school did not.

Some sensitive products will be excluded from the trade deals. The five countries of the East African Community may speed up the opening of their markets to the European Union, Rwanda's industry minister says.
Vincent Karega says that Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda may try to remove almost two thirds of their import tariffs in the next two years.

The EU is currently negotiating Economic Partnership Agreements with African, Caribbean and Pacific nations.

Nigeria's upper legislative house, the Senate, Thursda y rejected the handing over of the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula and other parts of Nigeria to Cameroon and declared the hand over unconstitutional.

Nigeria ceded the Peninsula to Cameroon 14 August 2006, in consonance with a jud gment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague delivered 10 Octo b er 2002.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo signed an agreement with Cameroon's Paul Biya at the Green Tree, New York, 12 June 2006, to implement the court's decision.

Africa's seeding for the 2010 World Cup have been released by world football's governing body, Fifa, ahead of tomorrow's draw in Durban. 

The draw will create 12 groups of four countries, each team will come from a separate pot.

African Assistance Program (AAP) launched the Wells Fargo Computer Lab in their Brooklyn Park office in Minnesota.  The well attended event brought together several people including Wells Fargo representatives from both the foundation and the bank that included MayKao Fredericks from the foundation.

McGough Construction has been selected as the general contractor for construction of new critical care units and an outpatient observation unit at Hennepin County Medical Center as part of the first phase of a significant expansion and renovation of the downtown campus and clinics in the community.

By Ntuv Tunka

Members of Minneapolis based Eritrean Forum have emphasized that, it supports any action that gets the attention of the current administration in which they accuse it of destroying the hopes & aspiration of the Eritrean people and their homeland.

"I agree that the possible sanction by The U.S on the Eritrean belligerent government is appropriate and timely. Given the Eritrean government 's human rights record and the overall dictatorial system, it needs to be stopped; either by sanctioning the regime or other forms of pressures." said Haile Petros (photo), Executive Director of the Eritrean Forum.
 

Global HIV prevalence has levelled off; AIDS is among the leading causes of death globally and remains the primary cause of death in Africa. Improvements in surveillance increase understanding of the epidemic, resulting in substantial revisions to estimates 

Geneva– New data show global HIV prevalence—the percentage of people living with HIV—has levelled off and that the number of new infections has fallen, in part as a result of the impact of HIV programmes. However, in 2007 33.2 million [30.6 – 36.1 million] people were estimated to be living with HIV, 2.5 million [1.8 – 4.1 million] people became newly infected and 2.1 million [1.9 – 2.4 million] people died of AIDS.   

(GIN) - A man who once said: "I don't believe in Black Majority rule ever - not in a thousand years", died this week, 27 years after Black majority rule came to power in Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe.’
 
Ian Smith, the last white prime minister of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) whose attempts to resist black rule dragged the country into isolation and civil war, died at age 88.
 
Smith died at a clinic near Cape Town, South Africa - home to a sizable community of white Zimbabweans.