Abuja, Nigeria – Reverend Tunde Johnson Spencer, the Counselor for Political Affairs at the Liberian Embassy in Abuja, has completed an intensive two-week training in Peace and Development in Bangkok, the Kingdom of Thailand.
A release from the Liberian Embassy in Abuja says Reverend Spencer was among 27 other individuals, drawn from about 12 countries, who successfully completed the training in Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation that ran from February 28-March 14, 2018.
The training was a cross-cultural one, organized by the International Institute of Peace and Development Studies (IIPDS) in Thailand, the release adds.
The Liberian diplomat was the only participant from Africa, while others from Europe, and Asia, including Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Cambodia, South Korea, Thailand, and The Philippines, completed the list of other nationalities.
According to the release, the training’s highlights focused on International Human Rights, Structure and Framework of the United Nations, Geopolitics, among others.
The almost three dozen participants spent adequate time discussing the root causes of conflicts and how to prevent them from spreading.
Mr. Spencer described the training as refreshing, adding that it was an opportunity to expand his knowledge in International Relations based on the topics that were discussed during the training.
“It is very important for diplomats to be knowledgeable on these very important subjects. Our world is transforming at a very rapid speed and we need to be abreast of what’s happening”, the Liberian diplomat said.
Counselor Spencer also used the visit to pay a courtesy visit to the Thai National Commission for Human Rights, where he held discussion with Commissioner Tuenji Deeji, on the history and formation of the Thai Human Rights Commission and how similar program can be replicated in Liberia.
During the training, participants learned from each other and shared their personal experiences.
They also visited historic sites in Thailand including the River Kwai, Kanshanaburi which is about 40 miles west of Bangkok where the railway that was built during World War II connecting Thailand and Burma is located.
According to the release, other activities of the training included a visit to the home of a local Thai hero, the late Bangboong Sirivejjabhandu, (1906-1982).
A tour guard explained to the participants that Mr. Bangpoong was a food store owner who was committed to helping Prisoners of Wars (POWs), supplying them with food and logistics during the rule of Japan in the region during World War II.
The trip was jointly sponsored by the International Institute of Peace and Development Studies (IIPDS) and participants, with the IIPDS providing lodging and feeding and individual participants responsible to transport themselves to and from Thailand including other travel expenses.