I stand unequivocally with the downtrodden, marginalized and disadvantaged among us, driven by the question: How can we foster a nation that sustains everyone, builds our people, and creates a middle class? Partly inspired by Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal, my policies are designed to not only eradicate hunger in Liberia, but also to build our people irrespective of gender, age, or ethnic background. Every citizen deserves a meal on their table; no Liberian should go to bed hungry.
My housing initiative goes beyond mere shelter; it aims at empowering every Liberian to become a property owner. This policy provides a home for each family, makes each Liberian family a landlord, stimulates job creation, provides a path for Liberians in the diaspora who want to come home to be able to resettle, and nurtures a robust middle class. Moreover, it gives Liberians a comparative advantage in the housing industry which should translate into dominance in this industry.
I am convicted about providing an environment in which children can be children again. An environment of love, innocence when they ought to be innocent, integrity, responsibility, and discipline. We know that broken children become broken adults and broken adults create a broken society. We also know that if we train a child in the way he should go when he is older he won’t depart from it. Decisions that we make today should stand as sensible and substantive decisions one hundred, two hundred or more years from today. Let the day come when the unborn generations reflect on our decisions knowing that some leaders were thinking about them and planning for them, all things being equal, as much as humanly possible.
In the realm of workforce development, I propose a groundbreaking program to cultivate young business leaders. We will select fifty youths from each county—amounting to 750 in total—and provide them with specialized training in business development and finance. These empowered individuals will then be placed in various sectors of our economy to transform our economy.
Additionally, my public training program will take one hundred youths from each county—amounting to 1,500 in total—and immerse them in a rotational experience across counties, government ministries, agencies, and bureaus. After 30 months, these young professionals will be strategically integrated into all three branches of our government, enhancing its efficiency and effectiveness.
Judicial reform is also high on my agenda. I plan to appoint judges known for their competence, integrity, and empathy, thereby revitalizing a system plagued by systemic corruption.
Purposefully, as President, I will not interfere with the judiciary. I will leave them to do their job because justice, fairness, and compassion are the foundation of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous nation. Be assured as president I will do everything that is constitutionally possible to strengthen the judiciary and make it truly independent.
Security is inextricably tied to the rule of law. I will compensate our security personnel whether it’s the police, army, or any other security apparatus. I will increase their salaries, but I won’t stop there, I will compensate retired security personnel. It’s important to take care of retired police, military and other security personnel because they have sacrificed for Liberia. Future recruits, clothed with the knowledge that their interest will be protected if they join the security forces, will likely join in droves, and serve with distinction. High morale in the ranks of our security workforce is proportionate to enhanced security, and a strong sense of patriotism and nationalism.
Turning to agriculture, my vision is global in scale. Given that we currently utilize a mere five percent of our arable land, the potential for revenue is staggering. My strategy is straightforward: maximize yield per acre and implement a quarterly harvest to ensure a consistent income stream year-round. Global demand and experts in agriculture will dictate what we grow, where we grow it, and how we grow it.
In the age of digital transformation, Liberia cannot afford to be left behind. It's not just about adopting technology; it's about becoming a technological giant, recognized and respected globally.
While we embrace global influences, we must also cherish and amplify the unique aspects of our own culture, making them an integral part of our education curriculum and national identity.
I offer a new paradigm in our political discourse—one of neutrality and civility. My objective is not to disparage previous or current administrations but to present a viable, transformative platform centered on the principles of democracy and the potential of our greatest asset: the Liberian people. We will build our people, and our people will build Liberia.
We have been through endless cycles of foreign aid and loans and the result is underwhelming, I encourage private sector investment and funding because it creates a sustainable economy. As a capitalist I will create an environment that will attract international and domestic investment and plenty of it.
My policies are creative, daring and unconventional because we are lagging too far behind other nations to play catch up. In the catch up scenario, we will always lag behind. We have experienced too many decades of unnecessary abject poverty. Lets get ahead. My policies are patterned to make sure that the vast majority of Liberians are participants in our economy and become middle income.
My leadership style encapsulates love, compassion, forgiveness, inclusion, innovation, and creativity. I recognize that if God does not build the house the builders labor in vain. The United States of America, the greatest nation on the planet, has written on their hundred dollar bill, “In God We Trust.” A man can be deeply spiritual, intensely practical, and live a perfectly natural life, leading a nation to a future of unprecedented peace and prosperity. With these guiding principles, I believe we can usher in a Liberian Renaissance, built and sustained by the people, on behalf of the people, beholden to the people, and for the people.
Allen R. Brown Jr. Presidential Candidate for Liberia
