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MONROVIA – Nineteen youth institutions which include seven Political Parties, four campus-based parties and eight national youth organizations’ leaders have signed a commitment to sustaining the peace and denounced lawlessness and avoid the misuse of social media at the end of the three-day peace dialogue.
The dialogue was organized by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue with funding from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund and coordinated by the UN Resident Coordinator Office.
It was primarily formulated to create a resolution in promoting peace before, during and after the 2023 election, and address risks associated with social media contents and behavior.
The dialogue brought together over 100 participants, with major youth actors the University of Liberia Students Unification Party (SUP), the Progressive Student Alliance (PROSA), the Student Integration Movement (SIM), the Student Democratic Alliance (STUDA), the umbrella organization of the student’s community – the Liberia National Student Union and Federation of Liberia Youth (FLY).
While Political Parties include the Coalition for Democratic Change, Unity Party, Alternative National Congress, Liberty Party, Movement for Economic Empowerment, Rainbow Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia all formed part.
Speaking during the close of the dialogue, Minster of State Presidential Affairs, Wesseh Blamoh said the global community will not stop waiting for Liberia’s students if they cannot protect their learning environment.
According to him, violent action will delay students who aim of graduating from university, stating that the future will keep moving and will accommodate those who are prepared.
Minister Blamoh urged the student leaderships to promote and protect the peace for the thousands of students that enter the university, thereby creating an environment that will encourage disagreement between governors and governed but must resolve to protect and promote a non-violent environment.
Said Minister Blamoh: “We must dialogue to resolve our differences. We must respect our differences and work together for the common good of all.”
“We must close the doors to violence and open the door for constructive dialogue.”
He added: “Peace is the precious commodity we have. We must jealously promote and protect it over our social and political beliefs.”
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Making a brief statement, United Nations Resident Coordinator to Liberia, Christine Umutoni, said taking local and national ownership of sustaining peace and tranquility is key to developing patriotism.
According to her, the October elections solicit efforts that gear towards increasing the capacity of youth-led and youth-focused organizations to engage in peacebuilding processes.
She urged for national and sub-national levels to engage youth in elections processes and built linkages that create cohesive actions on peace and peaceful elections.
Said Madam Umutoni, this commitment should serve the basis to sustain peace and tranquility and help to minimize the risk of violent conflict amongst people by consolidating local, regional, and national reconciliation processes and frameworks that can deliver peace dividends in Liberia.”
She added: ” The staunch commitment to the process of reconciliation, particularly at this crucial moment in time, ahead of the 2023 elections will assuredly contribute to sustainable, unity and inclusive peace”
Also addressing the occasion, ECOWAS Ambassador to Liberia, Madam Josephine Nkrumah said the ownership of Liberia’s national transformation must be spearheaded by the young people.
She noted that youths are victims of systemic failures that hamper the realization of their potential and ability to add value not only to themselves but as positive contributors to democracy and development.
She, however said young people to desist from social media to incite, channel language, and misinform which degenerates into societal tension and violence.
“We all have a vested interest in empowering the youth. More importantly, the youth must realize that they equally owe it to themselves to conduct themselves responsibly if they will be entrusted with a critical role to play in nation-building,” she stated.
She further added, “One of the strategies to prevent violence and promote active youth involvement in peacebuilding in the ECOWAS Youth Policy is to promote dialogue, tolerance, cooperation and increase youth participation at all levels including the political sphere.”
Also speaking, the National Elections Commission Chairperson, Davidetta Brown-Lansanah said that the NEC joins the youth and student leaders to ensure non-violent election processes.
Accordingly, she said that the NEC commits to peaceful elections come October 10, 2023.
Said Madam Brown-Lansanah: “Why you are committing to non-violent, we say we are committing that the trigger from electorate processes that will cause violence we are addressing it and we are addressing it in this voter registration.”
Also making a brief remark, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Maj. Gen. Prince C. Johnson said under his watch the AFL will not respond to violence until the police are overwhelmed.
The Chief of Staff further said the AFL will hold young people responsible if they refused to uphold the commitment they signed.
Said Gen Johnson: “We are professionals, we will come here, we will dialogue with you, we will engage with you and tell you this is my responsibility and this is your responsibility and let’s both of us respect each other as we do our job.”
He insisted that he will continue to send out caveats to politicians and individuals who want to obstruct the peace in Liberia.