The statement was contained in his keynote address to the Inaugural program of a new slate of offers of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA) on Saturday, March 14, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by the renowned and popular former Liberian television and radio journalist Attorney Kwame Clement.

According to him, it was time for a new paradigm and approach to development in Liberia: bold and creative thinking, transformative ideas, tinkering and persistent experiment, original and creative approaches. The former ELBC journalist said the next task for ULAA is to harness the vast human and financial capital of Liberians in the USA to help the country with its development, adding, "turn adversities into opportunities.'

Liberians, he said, have got to think :"outside the box". The Liberian lawyer, now practicing with a major law firm in Washington D.C. wondered aloud about the possibility of employing modern technology including satellite and the internet to 'leapfrog" the development process, adding, "these are the present issues of the time".

Attorney Clement challenged ULAA to be the "incubator, the laboratory for new ideas to advance our country".

He spoke on the theme, :Making ULAA Relevant to a New Liberia." and apparent reference to the bitter infighting and national malaise which is hampering the vibrancy and viability of the oldest Liberia umbrella organization in the United States.

The former University of Liberia student leader told the new ULAA leadership that if it is to exploit its great potential, it must put its house in order and listen to the voices and forces of compromise and moderation.

The keynote speaker Mr. Clement told ULAA to put an end to the nonsense of organizational destruction, not impose the tyranny of the majority on the political minority after elections and urged the new leader to "seize" the moral high ground.

His speech was occasionally interrupted by political battle cries from audience members, something which was reminiscent of the student politics at various school campuses in Liberia in the 1980's and 1990's.

Meanwhile, the new leadership of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas(ULAA) is pledging to engage disaffected member organizations in its goal to make the organization more relevant to the needs of Liberians..

The Union has been faced with bitter infighting, accusations and challenges in recent times which have threatened its survival.

The new President of the ULAA Mr. Anthony Kesselly told a gathering of Liberian organizations and individuals at the 24th inauguration of elected officials on the Union in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania over the weekend that his administration is willing to sit and discuss these outstanding issues in a open and flexible manner with the aim of a resolution.

Using the analogy of his administration's smooth take off, flight and landing, the new President promised those in attendance that at the next ULAA General Assembly in two years, the change of leadership would be "less rancorous."

In a veiled warning, he told those who want to consider ULAA as an organization of persons and individuals and therefore rise beyond their own member organizations and become independent, that ULAA will make no accommodation for such.

"ULAA", Mr. Kesselly said "has a bright future" and assured the former leaders of the organization, known as eminent persons that their labor and toil at the union will not be in vain.The new President asserted that ULAA withstood turbulence in its history and will continue to persevere even now.

Mr Kesselly pledged to do his best in service to ULAA adding that the massive attendance at the program was a clear demonstration of the support ULAA continues to enjoy among Liberians.

In his inaugural address, also interrupted by political battle cries from audience members, the former Liberian student political activist and current ULAA head announced the establishment of two national ad hoc task forces - a National Social Services council headed by Mr. Sheriff Massaquoi and the National Immigration Committee, headed by Mr. Kerper Dwayen to help with finding a solution to the issue of thousands of Liberians facing deportation as a result of the pending expiration of the Deferred Enforced Departure status (DED) come March 31, 2009. Former US President on the request of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Administration and country conditions granted an 18 month deferral of enforced departure of Liberians who had been residing in the US after fleeing the bloodletting in their country in the 1990's.

Some American anti-immigration groups have called for the temporary Liberian residents to return home now that there is some stability and peace in the country.

Additionally, the ULAA boss said a Constitutional Review Committee will be announced shortly

The ULAA president Mr. Kesselly said that the organization has been working for the past months with local and national Liberian and US immigration groups, the Liberian embassy in Washington DC and Attorney Mike Slosnik to lobby the Obama Administration for the granting of permanent relief to the many Liberian refugees residing in the U.S.

Some Liberian organizations represented included COLUSUS represented by Mr.Willie Kamara, SILCA represented by Mr. Telee Brown, OLM, represented by Mr. Kerper Dwayen, UNIBOA, represented by Mr. Alfred Dosuah, ACANA, represented by Mr Vofee Jabateh, Liberia Community Associations in Pennsylvania, represented by Mr. Shiwoh Kamara and LAMA represented by Mr. Walter Skinner.

Other organizations include the Grand Gedeh Association in the USA and the Federation of Lofa Associations in the Americas and LUNA.

Leaders of Liberian organizations in attendance at the inauguration of the Anthony Kesselly administration of ULAA said it was their resolve to work with the new leadership to address the immigration dilemma of Liberia facing deportation at the expiration of the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) status at the end of March, 2001.