The Organizers of National Unification Day (NUD), on Thursday, April 25, held fruitful consultative roundtable discussions with lawmakers who are in leadership position in the 55th National Legislature need to strengthen National Unification in Liberia.
The organizing committee is made up of a conglomeration of civil society organizations, under the umbrella of Partners for Democracy & Good Governance (PDG). Committee members includes; the Better Future Foundation (BFF), proponent of Liberia’s Democracy Sustainability Platform (DSP); Kofi Annan Institute for Conflict Transformation (KAICT) at the University of Liberia, Youth Beyond Barriers (YBB), and People United for Peace In Liberia.
Attended by other organizers of the NUD including Voices of The Elders (VOTE) – Republic of Liberia, the National Muslim Council of Liberia and the Angie Brooks International Center (ABIC) for Peace, the roundtable was aimed at providing an update to the 55th National Legislature on the need to enhance collaborative engagements between CSOs and Government of Liberia in honor of Liberia’s 60th National Unification Day which will be held on Monday, May 13, 2024, in the auditorium of the Capitol Hill main Campus of the University of Liberia.
This year NUD Anniversary is being organized under the Theme: “Reconciling Liberia for the 21st Century: Welfare and Plight of Senior Citizens.” The eventseeks to highlight and facilitate national discussions to aid policy formulation and legislations in ensuring that the state fulfills its social welfare obligations in enhancing the well-being of senior citizens.
The National Unification Silver Jubilee initiative is a dedication and commitment to showcase and debate the current challenges faced by Liberia’s senior citizens, many of whom made significant and impactful contributions to national development in yesteryears but, are now sadly experiencing glaring neglect and abandonment in their time of need, with no access to pension and social security benefits.
From 2014 to present, the Better Future Foundation (BFF), and its CSO collaborating institutions including the Kofi Annan Institute for Conflict Transformation of the University of Liberia, among others, have been actively involved in advocacy, making policy recommendations, aimed at complementing the efforts of the Government of Liberia, for peace consolidation and sustainability.
According to BFF, 200 years on, since its establishment in 1822; and nearly 60 years after the formal launch of the Unification and Integration Policy in 1964 by the 19th President, William V. S. Tubman (late), actualizing genuine peace, reconciliation and integration, remains a critical challenge in Liberia.
This year National Unification Day program, the organizers told the roundtable consultative forum, will also be characterized by presentations of Goodwill Messages by a number of senior diplomats and other distinguished personalities including H.E. Ambassador Nona DEPREZ, Head of Delegation, European Union Delegation to Liberia, H.E. Catherine Rodriquez, Charge d’ affairs, U.S. Embassy, Liberia, Dr. Patricia Jebbeh Wesley, Professor of English/Literature, Pennsylvania State University-Altoona, USA & Special Guest of Honor/Chairperson, National Unification Day Compendium Committee.
The delegation, which also included former Minister of Education Dr. Evelyn Kandakai, and Chairperson of the Unification Day Organizing Committee informed the Legislative roundtable that House Speaker Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa, and the President Pro-Tempore of the Senate Madam Nyongblee Karnga-Lawrence have been officially invited as co-launchers of the Unification Day Diaspora Initiative (UDI)/National Unification Day Compendium project, while the keynote speech would be delivered by H.E. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr.
National Unification Hero Awards (NUHA) Presentation
Further updating the Legislative Roundtable, the organizers said, three categories of award will be presented. According to the organizers, Liberia’s development partners, represented by the diplomatic community will do the presentations of the various Awards.
At the roundtable discussion, Dr. Kandakai, while soliciting the interest and partnership of the 55th National Legislature, craves the Legislature’s collaborative efforts and support for the NUD indoor program as it prepares to do a follow-up Post-Elections Peace Building Snap Survey, and subsequent publication of a Compendium, capturing the decade-long National Unification Day programs, from 2014 to 2024, aimed at aiding the teaching of civics in Liberian schools.
The Chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs and Executive Committees who disclosed that he would convey their request to the Foreign Affairs and Executive, in response commended BFF, in collaboration with the Kofi Annan Institute for Conflict transformation of the University of Liberia and civil society partners for their ten years of concerted initiatives and dedication, promoting peace and reconciliation through National Unification initiatives.
Senator Darius Dillon assured Dr. Kandakai and the CSO delegation that he would convey their request to the legislative leadership for full representation of the 55th National Legislature at Liberia’s 60th NUD celebration.
Meanwhile, in their persistent drive for peace, Voices of The Elders- Republic of Liberia (VOTE), in collaboration with Better Future Foundation (BFF), convened a One-day Technical Retreat at BFF Head Office, suburb of Monrovia, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. At the retreat, which also attracted three former ministers of Agriculture, Education, and Foreign Affairs of Liberia, took stock of critical areas of concerns, and the need for State and Non-state actors to remain constructively engaged for the preservation and sustenance of peaceful coexistence in the country.
Better Future Foundation (BFF), a non-state actor of the EU; and advocate for the economic and regional integration of ECOWAS, is a civil society organization dedicated to the postwar reconstruction and development of Liberia.
BFF’s mission primarily involves initiating programs and activities aimed at promoting peace, socio-economic, educational, and international cultural understanding and cooperation.