Tribute to Jasper Cummeh III
Jasper Cummeh III ('07) from Liberia passed away on January 25, 2014 following a brief illness. Cummeh was a good friend to many and worked as an activist, researcher and mentor to young civil society members working on issues of transparency and accountability, policy analysis and advocacy. He was the senior policy director of Actions for Genuine Democratic Alternatives, a civil society organization in Liberia that is working to promote citizen participation, promote good governance and increase transparency in fiscal policy management.
The CDDRL family would like to express our condolences to his family and the broader civil society community in Liberia for this great loss. Please keep Cummeh and his family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
"Jasper Cummeh III, was a dedicated Civil society actor in Liberia, who took interest in fighting corruption in Liberia from an activist point of view. He has written and published several anti-corruption policy briefs. Until his demise Jasper served as Senior Policy Director of the Actions for Genuine Democratic Alternatives, AGENDA and Chairman of the Liberia Freedom of Information Coalition. Jasper's passion for anti-corruption and pro-democracy work in Liberia is demonstrated by the fact that he was doing what he loved doing best when he collapsed and was later pronounced dead. Jasper died on January 25, after he collapsed on January 24th while conducting a policy advocacy training workshop in Monrovia. The Liberian Civil society community will indeed miss Jasper."
- Malcolm W. Joseph ('09)
"The passing on of Jasper is a sad loss not just to Liberia but to the African Continent as a whole. I had the privilege of working with Jasper at the time he was with CENTAL and the organisation applied to be a contact group for Transparency International, where I am privileged to serve on the Board of Directors. Jasper, had a clear vision of what needed to be done in Liberia to fight the evils of corruption, and promote greater transparency and accountability in the public sector. Jasper was a fearless, and consummate civil activist who was prepared to serve humanity to the best of his abilities. He did not see obstacles in his working environment as insurmountable challenges but rather as opportunities to seek new ways of addressing the many governance issues affecting his country Liberia and in turn, the continent of Africa. We have lost a young visionary and leader, who held so much promise and still had a lot to offer. My sincere condolences to his family, his organisation and country. May His Soul Rest In Eternal Peace."
- Rueben L. Lifuka ('11)