Wednesday, November 26, 2003

FOBP: The Future of Biafra Project by BISS: The Biafran Institute for Strategic Studies Contact BISS

FOBP: The Future of Biafra Project by BISS: The Biafran Institute for Strategic Studies Contact BISS

The BISS hereby invites Biafrans across the globe to volunteer their services for the convocation of the project. Please review the project descriptions below, and contact BISS to volunteer for a particular project. To volunteer, please send an e-mail to fobp@biafranet. com with the following details: Full Name, Contact Details and 1 or 2 Work Groups you will be interested in working for. A BISS representative will contact you shortly afterwards. For security reasons, BISS reserves the right to conduct verification checks to ascertain the identity of project participants, as well as the right to reject an applicant.

(PRWEB) July 10, 2004

The Biafran Institute for Strategic Studies (BISS), in partnership with the Biafra Central Intelligence Agency (BCIA), and the Biafra Liberation Movement (BLM) are delighted to announce the commencement of The Future of Biafra Project (FOBP).

The FOBP is a long term project that is expected to provide both initial and continued intellectual leadership to the political and technocratic leadership of the Biafran people. Thus, the output of the project will form a critical input into efforts to design and sustain a well functioning Biafran State that will be capable of meeting the challenge of delivering on its social contract with her citizens anywhere in the world.

Project Volunteers: The BISS hereby invites Biafrans across the globe to volunteer their services for the convocation of the project. Please review the project descriptions below, and contact BISS to volunteer for a particular project. To volunteer, please send an e-mail to fobp@biafranet. com with the following details: Full Name, Contact Details and 1 or 2 Work Groups you will be interested in working for. A BISS representative will contact you shortly afterwards. For security reasons, BISS reserves the right to conduct verification checks to ascertain the identity of project participants, as well as the right to reject an applicant.

Participation: A secure electronic platform will be provided at a site to be communicated to each selected participant. The data gathering and analysis will be conducted via electronic mail and collated at the site.

Support: The Future of Biafra Project Director, will be available to act as a resource person to each Work Group. The Director will provide direction as required, clarification, relevant data, suggest analytical agendas and work plans as well as act as an intermediary when necessary to other groups.

Security: Membership of Work Groups will remain classified except if the participant in question authorizes the BISS to publish their membership. BISS reserves the right not to publish such information even if a member explicitly requests such action.

Timetable: The initial assessments and recommendations should be completed by August 27, 2004, with a smaller, semi-permanent team providing continued counsel over the long term.

INITIAL WORKING GROUPS

I. Biafran Economic Competitiveness Program

Synopsis: The Biafran economy suffers from a severe under-utilization of its resources and potential. The scope of problems is vast (high unemployment, high inflation, poor banking system, limited security, etc.).

Mandate: Develop a strategy for the transformation of the Biafran economy into a competitive, free enterprise economy based around innovation, trade and intermediation. The target should be a doubling of income within 5-7 years, building up private companies, and developing infrastructure to support growth for the next 25 years. BiafraÂ’s future lies in building links to the global economy, becoming a global financial, communication and transportation intermediary, and become a leader in innovation, as measured by the number of patents attributed to her citizens. The team should offer recommendations about what choices Biafra needs to make in terms of building up a highly skilled labor force, developing mission critical infrastructure, crafting the software of prosperity (responsive regulatory systems), and supporting processing systems (capital markets, transport networks, etc.). When feasible, the budgetary requirements and suggested timetable for executing the strategy should be outlined.

Sub Work Groups:

(i)Agriculture: Develop strategy (what choices will we make) for developing high productivity agricultural sector that would meet both Biafran domestic needs, as well export needs; coordinate with Land Use sub-group to ensure that a thoughtful land use strategy is adopted

(ii)Trade Policy: Develop strategy for building a trading economy, using Singapore as an operating model. Advise on trade strategy – membership in WTO versus specific bilateral trade agreements with selected partner nations.

(iii)Innovation: Map strategy for nurturing public and private innovation via investment in basic science research, process design and advanced materials. Suggest potential framework – institutions and rules – for advancing intellectual property rights as measured by successful global patent applications.

(iv)Land Use Policy, Erosion Control, Recovery, and Environment Policy: Develop a strategy for rebuilding erosion devastated land, and increasing quality and intensity of land use; explore how innovative technology can be utilized to create world class living spaces for 50 million Biafrans at any given point in time.

(v)Currency: Advise on feasibility of an interim currency such as the US Dollar while transitioning to a permanent Biafran currency such as the Biafran Dollar versus maintaining the US Dollar as BiafraÂ’s permanent currency.

(vi)Census: Develop a strategy for conducting a short term census of the global Biafran population, as well as lay the foundation for a long term census and planning mechanism for Biafra.

II. Parliamentary Democracy and Bill of Rights

Mandate: Develop a draft constitution for a Biafran parliamentary democracy built around independent candidates and political parties. The draft constitution must also include a draft Bill of Rights. The proposed political system should provide flexibility and proportional representation, as well as a mechanism for new communities to vote for membership in the Biafran State. The team should build its recommendations around a village/city/town based political structure of the Biafran State. It is assumed that each village/city/town will be governed by a Mayor and a Council. A regional level of government may or may not exist between the national parliament and the village/city/town councils. A critical principle is for the team to keep in mind and reflect in their deliberations is the sovereignty of the people above and beyond the State. Therefore, the constitution should also have a mechanism for any Biafran community to secede from the Republic without fear.

III. Domestic Security Issues

Mandate: Develop baseline recommendations on the structure of policing in Biafra. The proposed structure should reflect the constitutional structure of Biafra and the critical importance of individual cities, towns and villages maintaining control over their own affairs. Thus, the recommendations should be actionable output on how individual communities or clusters of such communities can develop policing capabilities. The recommendations should also provide for a national support infrastructure for local police groups, as well as a coordinating national domestic intelligence and law enforcement capability.

IV. Veterans Affairs

Synopsis: The Nigeria-Biafra War created a number of military veterans some of whom are disabled and require military pensions and/or similar support. There will likely be future need for veteran services for Biafran servicemen and women.

Mandate: Develop a plan for conducting a census of BiafraÂ’s veterans, developing a Biafran War Memorial, instituting a pension system, and developing a physical, mental and intellectual health support system. The proposed program of interventions should reflect choices the Government of Biafra will make over a 2 year implementation schedule. When feasible, budgetary estimates should be attached to major program recommendations as well as a suggested time frame.

V. Special Friendship with Niger Delta Republics

Synopsis: Maintaining high quality relations with BiafraÂ’s neighbors is a critical policy objective for the Biafran people and state.

Mandate: Develop a strategy for building high quality relations with BiafraÂ’s Niger Delta neighbors, particularly those who have chosen the path of independence. The focus of such a strategy would be to understand what the issues are that could derail Biafra-Niger Delta relations, what the priorities are for either side (access to the sea, trade etc), and identify what choices both parties can make to advance their common cause. The output should also include recommendations on institutional changes and structures that could be utilized such as the appointment of Ambassador Plenipotentiaries, constitution of Joint Commissions, Cultural Exchange and Scholarship Programs etc.

VI. Foreign and Diplomatic Relations

Mandate: Develop recommendations for addressing BiafraÂ’s transitional and long term foreign policy challenges, including seeking recognition for a the Biafran State. The recommendations should include an analysis of the key issues of concern to Biafra and the position of potential allies such as the United States, Israel, Japan and the European Union on the aforementioned issues.

VII. Defense Policy/Military Strategy

Mandate: Develop a strategy for BiafraÂ’s defense policy based on an assessment of who its potential enemies are, and how best to contain and/or militarily defeat such enemies, including non-state actors such as militant Islamists. The scope of the strategy should include recommendations on the overall doctrine of the Biafran military (such as mobile warfare), its technology research and development program, and the requirements for simultaneously conducting two offensive campaigns and one defense of the homeland campaign. While a detailing of battlefield strategy may be helpful, it should only serve as an illustration of a broader conceptual layout of Biafran military thinking, potential allies, training issues, and reviving the revered Research & Development Directorate.

VIII. Public Health

Synopsis: The Biafran public is today faced with a number of critical challenges. These challenges include an alarming rise in infant mortality in the last 20 years, the absence of an accurate census of disease status especially HIV/AIDs and Tuberculosis, and the lack of well functioning community health services.

Mandate: Maintaining a healthy population is a priority objective for the Biafran state. The team should identify key public health issues such as childhood immunization, HIV/AIDs prevention, senior care, managing disease proliferation from neighboring states, healthcare infrastructure (hospitals, community health centers), training of medical personnel, and development of an US FDA standard pharmaceutical manufacturing capability. The output should include a taxonomy of issues, institutional design recommendations (and/or examples), and potential rollout plan and budget.

Estimated Requirements

Work Group Membership

Biafran Economic Competitiveness Program  30

Parliamentary Democracy & Bill of Rights 10

Domestic Security Issues 10

Veterans Affairs  10

Special Friendship with Niger Delta Republics  10

Foreign & Diplomatic Relations  10

Defense Policy/Military Strategy 10

Public Health  10

BISS reserves the right to increase the sizes of the Work Groups as required.

About BISS: The Biafran Institute for Strategic Studies (BISS) is a new and independent public policy and research institution dedicated to providing the intellectual foundations of a new Biafran republic.