Monrovia – NAYMOTE Partner for Democratic Development, in partnership with the government of Liberia and United Nations Development Program has launched phase two of its reconciliation and civic engagement campaign.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh – 00231880881540 / 00231777769531 [email protected]
NAYMOTE’s Executive Director, Eddie D. Jarwolo said that the campaign is a continuation of a nationwide reconciliation project that started under the auspices of the defunct United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and it is geared towards getting people’s feedback on triggers that could generate conflict in their communities.
Jarwolo, speaking at the launch of the project in Bensonville recently, explained that the campaign will bring together a cross section of citizens including local officials, chiefs and elders, youth and women group from Montserrado, Bomi, Grand Bassa, Gbarpolu, Maryland River Gee and Grand Kru Counties through several dialogues at district and county levels to draw up a national reconciliation plan that will be presented to the Government of Liberia for implementation.
Said Jarwolo: “This is a very big project but we are focused on the community engagement aspect where we will conduct 21 community meetings to get people’s feedback on triggers that could generate conflict in their communities. Thereafter, we will organize 14 district level engagements to be followed by the seven-county dialogues where each county will come up with a plan in sustaining peace and reconciliation in the seven counties.”
The seven counties report, he added, will culminate with a national conference to complete the 15 counties’ reconciliation plans to be presented to the President of Liberia.
Phase one, he said targeted eight counties including Bong, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Lofa, Margibi, Nimba, Rivercess and Sinoe Counties.
To make the exercise a success, he stated that local steering committees will be established in the counties in order to give the locals the opportunities to manage the project and take ownership of it.
“This initiative is for the people, so we want them to take leadership of it. We will only give the local committees the financial and technical assistances that they need to succeed—we are committed to doing just that. We are working with the youth, women, traditional leaders, motorcyclists and other vulnerable groups to ensure that this initiative is a success,” he indicated.
Also speaking at the launch of the project entitled, “Advancing Reconciliation through Legislative Reforms and Civic Engagement,” the Director of the Liberia Peace-building Office (LPO) at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Eddie Mulbah noted that reconciliation remains a vehicle for sustained long-term stability, which cannot be achieved without local participation and dialogue among stakeholders.
Mulbah lamented that following the devastating 14-year long civil war which claimed over 250,000 lives and ravaged the Liberian society, it was imperative to get involved in reconciliation and peace building activities to bring about total healing.
“Sweat and blood soaked the grounds. Many people are hurt, while some are coping. We need to heal this country through reconciliation and we therefore need to stop the hate. It is not helping us,” he said.
The LPO head said the government continues to commit itself to reconciling the country, as doing so is the only medium through which it (government) stands to succeed. Meanwhile, the launch was followed by a reconciliation dialogue, which was moderated by Oscar Bloh, Chairman of the Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC) at the Bensonville Administration Building with several participants naming corruption, nepotism and tribalism as some of the potential triggers of violence and vices that continues to be a stumbling block to total reconciliation, peace and unity in post war Liberia. The next stop on the campaign trail, according to Jarwolo is Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.