Monrovia – Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in collaboration with Liberia National Student Union (LINSU), Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), and the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY) through the USAID-Supported the Youth for Peace (Y4P) Activity, recently organized a week-long National Inter-High School Peace Debate Championship in Montserrado County from June 18-21. The event, themed “Enhancing young peacebuilders through an intellectual exchange,” brought together four secondary high schools with peace clubs established by CRS, aiming to empower high school students with the skills and knowledge needed to become agents of positive change in Liberia.
The championship, a part of CRS’s effort to build the intellectual and peacebuilding capacity of students in Montserrado, Bong, Margibi, and Nimba Counties saw the participation of a total of 180 individuals, including key stakeholders, representatives from the Ministry of Education, donors, career counselors, motivational speakers students, debaters, and school administrators, with 84 participants hailing from Nimba, Bong, Margibi, and Montserrado. The five-day debate competition featured various activities such as edutainment sessions, career coaching, and sports for peace, and culminated in the grand finale of the debate.
The participating schools, including St. Lawrence Catholic High School of Nimba County, St. Martin Catholic High School of Bong County, Lango Lippaye High School of Margibi County, and United Dawah Ummah High School of Montserrado County, showcased their intellectual prowess and commitment to peacebuilding. In the grand finale, United Dawah Ummah High School emerged as the winner, engaging in a compelling debate against St. Martin Catholic High School on the topic: “Individuals have a moral obligation to intervene when witnessing a crime.” St. Martin Catholic High School secured the first runner-up position, followed by St. Lawrence Catholic High School in third place, and Lango Lippaye High School in fourth place.
During the trophy presentation, the CRS Country representative, Abena Amerormey, praised the articulative skills of the debaters and expressed hope that activities like the debate will inspire the students’ career paths, reaffirming the significance of such initiatives in nurturing the next generation of peacebuilders in Liberia.
“These experiences will stay with you for the rest of your life, in your thoughts and decisions you will make in your career choices and growth for yourself. One day you will sit back and reflect that because of the capacity you developed from your participation in the debate, you will say to yourself “I am now a lawyer, judge or researcher”.
The National Inter-High School Peace Debate Championship stands as a testament to the dedication of CRS, USAID, and collaborating organizations in promoting peace and empowering the youth to drive positive change in Liberia.
