Liberia: A GOOD UNIFICATION EXAMPLE

On May 30, 2024, a good example of how to unify any entity took place in Liberia. Let us remember that like any example any unification example can be good or bad. Unification can take place to do something good or do something bad. This example of May 30th is certainly a good example of how to unify Liberia. On that day, the election of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF)/Liberia Chapter took place in Monrovia. The President elect, Dr. Roosevelt Jay Jay, is a Christian from Margibi County and the Vice President elect, Dr. Brahima Kaba, is a Muslim from Grand Gedeh County. The President elect teaches at an institution of higher learning in Liberia and this is the same for the Vice President elect. Each of these elected UPF members is engaged in community work in their respective communities of Brewerville and GSA Road.

---

By Togba-Nah Tipoteh, contributing writer

---

This election took place locally, when the world is divided locally and globally over the religious issue. This election took place when the world is divided over the Israel-Hamas problem. This problem could well lead the world into World War Three. When hundreds of millions of people have died over coups d’etat and civil wars, certainly, the people globally, as well as the people locally prefer Peace to War. Definitely. the role of Peacemakers, like the members of UPF, is to work for peace in the realization that peace is not the absence of War but the presence of Justice.

It was this tradition of peace making through the leadership of Liberian Archbishops George Daniel Browne of Sinoe County, Michael Kpakala Francis of Bomi County, William Nah Dixon of Sinoe County, Sheikh Kafmba Konneh of Nimba County,  Imam David Kiazolu of Grand Cape Mount County, Dr. Mary Nema Brownell of Maryland County, Dr. James Lamar Cox of Maryland County, Mr. Herman Greene of Sinoe County and Dr.Benjamin Dorme Larty of Montserrado County that the Inter-Religious Council of Liberia (IRCL) was formed and operated. In its operation, the IRCL became world acclaim, winning the world prize for being the best example of Religious Harmony. A Delegation of the ICRL went to Nairobi, Kenya to receive this renowned award known as The Archbishop Desmond Tutu Award. It should be known that Dr. Mary Nema Brownell was the Founding President of the UPF.

The UPF election became a unifying event because it brought together people from various religious and ethnic backgrounds, especially at a time when unification is a big problem in Liberia and elsewhere. The variance in backgrounds continues to lead to the murders of people in and out of wars. The absence of unity has led to murders in several counties in Liberia. Violence continues to be the outcome of pre-election, election and post-election situations in Liberia and elsewhere. Therefore, the election of the officers of UPF serves as a good example that can help in preventing violence in Liberia and elsewhere. The Founding Leader of UPF, Dr. Mary Nema Brownell, was retired, before she reached eighty eight years of age but as she said ‘I am retired but I am not tired”. Definitely, she worked without being tired until she passed away at the age of eighty eight. 

We must not get tired of doing the right thing, the practice of Justice to get Peace. This is the practice of UPF when it elected officers on May 30, 2024. This election has sent out a message locally and globally to raise the awareness of people in order to motivate them to transform society from a state of disunity to a state of unity. It is only through this transformation that any nation can get persons with good records elected to bring in the system of Justice, the indispensable ingredient for Peace and Progress in Liberia and in any other country.