A prominent Liberian journalist and community activist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Mr. Samuel Togba Slewion has been appointed as Secretary to the Philadelphia Mayor's Commission on African and Caribbean Affairs.
The appointment was contained in a letter to Mr. Slewion, dated April 14, 2010 under the signature of  Mr. Stanley Straughter, Chairman of the Commission.
In his capacity, Mr. Slewion will function in the recording of the official activities of the Commission as well as the recording of the minutes of the official meetings and all sub-committee meetings.
In the letter of appointment, Chairman Straughter expressed the hope that Mr. Slewion would work towards "exploring the development of programs and initiatives to enhance the quality of life for African and Caribbean immigrants in the City of Philadelphia."
 
In June, 2005, former Philadelphia Mayor John Street formally announced the formation of the African and Immigrant Affairs.
 
Philadelphia is home to over 200,000 African and Caribbean immigrants, many who were resettled here by local humanitarian organizations under the Refugee Act of 1980. The first wave of African immigrants under this Act came seeking refuge from the famine and civil war in Ethiopia and other parts of East Africa under the sponsorship of the Nationalities Service Center, Lutheran Children and Family Services, Church World Services Affiliate, Catholic Social Services and the Hebrew Immigration Aid Society. The impact of political unrest, civil war, and genocide in the 1990’s fostered many new refugees and political asylees from the nations of Liberia , Haiti , Sierra Leone , Congo , Angola , Rwanda , Nigeria , Somalia and the Sudan . Others have come to take advantaged of our excellent colleges and universities or to reunite with family members.
 
The Commission is composed of nine members, Chaired by the Honorable Stanley Straughter (the Honorary Consulate of Guinea)
 
The Commission’s main functions include the encouragement of the development and implementation of policies and practices intended to improve conditions affecting the cultural, social, economic, political, educational, health and general well-being of the African and Caribbean immigrants, refugees, and asylees residing in Philadelphia .
 
The appointee popularly known as "S. Togba" holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree from Temple University in Philadelphia and a Certificate of Journalism from the International School of Journalism in Prague, Czechoslovakia.
Mr. Slewion's community activism include serving as a member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Survivors of Torture in Philadelphia, PA, Member of the Advisory Board and Media Coordinator of the Diaspora Project of Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, (TRC) and Chairman of the External Affairs Committee of the National Immigration Task Force of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas(ULAA).
 
The new Secretary to the Philadelphia Mayor's Commission on African and Caribbean Affairs is the Coordinator of the Liberia Media Support Initiative, former Secretary General of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) and former Secretary General of the Association of Liberian Journalists in the United States(ALJA).
Mr. Slewion also serves as a liaison and resource person to several Liberian and American community and non-governmental organizations across the United States and Liberia.
 
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source:

Writes, Emmanuel Abalo
Running Africa/WRAR-96 News