Monrovia – Liberia’s former Vice President Ambassador Joseph Boakai says the 14 years civil crises did not only devastate infrastructure but vital institutions including the family structure.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson-Mbayo, [email protected]
Ambassador Boakai spoke at the International Men’s day organized by Youth for Change in Monrovia on the theme “What can the world do to sustain Gender Parity?”
He said despite daunting challenges in the country, the more than decade long crises disturbed opportunity for youths, who comprise over 60 percent of the country’s population.
Said Amb Boakai: “[In] 1974, the children that were born witnessed the rice riot at 5 years, which was the beginning of civil disobedience in the country; 1980- the children were six years, they were exposed to violence, 1983 Nimba raid, they were nine years, 1985 -they were 11 years old, 1989- the beginning of the civil war they were used as child soldiers, 1997- they were 22 years old.”
He continued: “These youths from the same age group has become young adults in authority, yesterday rebels who didn’t respect their elders are parents of today young people. These young adults lost parents and guidance and were forced into violence and adulthood.”
Ambassador Boakai added that youths who experienced the crises are not part of traditional children or urban children but are free agents.
According to him, the disarmament did not include trauma counseling, something that left many of them highly traumatized, adding “All those stressful situations lead out an urgent call for a role model.”
He called on adult male role models to exert serious efforts and make young people decent with speech behavior instead of making them honest liars.
Ambassador Boakai, at the same time, attributed constant youth peer pressure to lack of a model.
“We must begin to sponsor radio programs that are less political and more towards motivation. The narrative that no good adult exists in Liberia must begin to change; we must begin to invest in our greater loss, which is the human capital of our youths,” he said.
“The need for positive role model cannot be overemphasized to provide positive examples and mentoring relationship that are vibrant and robust, helping to build the mind and mode the youths.”
The former Liberia vice president added that there are plenty of reasons to celebrate international men’s day because there are some men who are positive role models.
He urged the organizers to establish an association of role models to focus on sustainable mentoring of young men.
“Help our young people not only formal education but the quality of mentoring tutoring and career guidance, technical education,” he said.
Moses Titus Quenneh said the Ministry of Gender Children and Social protection should start focusing on issues affecting men instead of women.
According to him, if nothing is done more men will be vulnerable to drug abuse; something he said will damage the society.
Cllr. Kanio Bai Gbala, who served as a panelist during the event, gave his perspective as a lawyer.
“Are the laws fair enough to enforce gender parity for men and women at all level? The lawyer perspective on men legal struggle,” he said.
He added that laws are insufficient to play the gender parity role adding that societal norms, traditional practices must be changed.
The International Men’s Day, amongst other things, focuses on men’s health and well-being; social, emotional, physical and spiritual, to highlight discrimination against men; in areas of social services, social attitudes and expectations, and law.
To observance of the day also focus on improving gender relations and promote gender equality, creating a safer, better world; where people can live free from harm and grow to reach their full potential, to celebrate men’s positive contributions to society, community, family, marriage, child care, and to the environment.
The ‘IMD’ was reinitialized, after it was established by Thomas Oaster in 1992 but was put on pause because it was not being attended to or honor by many around the world.
This year’s event was held under the theme, “Positive Male Role Models” while the local theme in Liberia was “Promoting Positive Male Role Models in Liberia”.