MONROVIA – Stakeholders attending the launch of the “Support to Early Warning and Early Response, County Peace Committees and District Level Political Reconciliation Dialogues and Civic Engagement Project”
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh – 00231880881540 / 00231777769531 / [email protected]
Monrovia – At head of the 2020 senatorial election, the government of Liberia, with funding from the Swedish Government has launched a peace building project aimed at promoting political reconciliation and civic engagements within the 15 counties of Liberia.
Speaking at the official launch of the project on Friday, March 29, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Varney A. Sirleaf stated that the project will focus on conflict prevention through early warning and early response system and strengthening mediation capacity through county and district peace committees.
In addition, he said the project is aimed at fostering political reconciliation through inclusive and participatory dialogue processes as well as enhancing civic engagement for the purpose of promoting public participation and increasing civic trust.
It is under the title, “Support to Early Warning and Early Response, County Peace Committees and District Level Political Reconciliation Dialogues and Civic Engagement Project” and is implemented by the Peace Building Office of Liberia (PBO), Office of the National Peace Ambassador (ONPA) and ZOA.
According to him, the project stems from calls for multiple approaches and interventions to address challenges to sustain peace and continuous stability; adding that it is built on evidence-based reports contained in the Pro Poor Agenda for Prosperity and National Development (PAPD), the Opportunity Mapping for Peace and
Reconciliation, the Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Index Survey as well as the strategic Road Map for National Healing, Peace Building and Reconciliation.
These documents, he said point to the “fragility of peace we enjoy today.”
“The project will help to further strengthen government’s capacity and ability to respond to these issues which will inherently help in a tremendous way to contribute to ending fragility during the period of the implementation of the PAPD and promote future nonviolence in our society,” he maintained.
He thanked the Government and people of the Kingdom of Sweden through the Swedish Ambassador to Liberia, Ingrid Watterquist and Liberia’s developing partners for their continuous support and challenged the implementing institutions including the PBO, ONPA and ZOA-Liberia to ensure that the project is successfully implemented.
Also speaking, Ambassador Watterquist noted that the root causes of conflict including corruption and land dispute have not been addressed and called on government to take pragmatic steps to tackle these ills.
She further called on the government to create employment and capacity building opportunities for the country’s youthful population and pledged her government’s continuous support to the development and consolidation of peace in Liberia.
Meanwhile, the event was attended by several public officials and members of civil society organizations and the religious community.
In remarks, Representative Dorwohn T. Gleekia (Nimba District #6), Chairman of the House Standing Committee on Peace, Religion and National Reconciliation lauded the efforts of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Swedish Government and implementing partners and pledged his commitments to working with his colleagues at the Legislature to increase the budget towards the promotion of peace and reconciliation.
He cautioned Liberians, especially youth against the use of social media platforms to spew hate messages as well as denigrating their leaders and fellow citizens.
Giving the overview earlier, the Executive Director at the Peace Building Office, Edward K. Mulbah noted that phase one of the project runs from January 2019 to January 2019 and will focus on strengthening infrastructure capacity in support of the existing peace building structures such as the conflict early warning and response mechanisms, the county peace committee, as well as enhancing political reconciliation, civic engagement and to building trust.
Phase two, he said will dwell on the gains that will be made in Phase one, building institution capacities on existing conflict management mechanisms and preparation for the 2020 senatorial elections through civic education.