Abuja, Nigeria – The University of California, Sacramento, has named Liberia’s Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Professor Al-Hassan Conteh, as a member of the International Advisory Board of the Africa Peace Fellows (APF) of its Center for African Peace and Conflict Resolution (CAPCR).
Dr. Fred Baldini, Dean of the College of Health and Human Services, in a letter, stated that Professor Conteh’s appointment was based on the recommendation of CAPCR’s Director, Professor Ernest Uwazie, and took effect on January 2, 2019, for an initial three-year term which is renewable, a release from the Liberian Embassy in Abuja states.
“Your role is critical to the success of the APF, and highly appreciated”, Dr. Baldini said of the Liberian diplomat’s responsibility in the American-based university’s international advisory board.
“Thank you for your pro bono service as a committed member of the APF board, with your contribution to achieve the goals of this new, bold endeavor and toward building the next generation of peace leaders in Africa.” the letter continued.
Professor Conteh, also a former president of the University of Liberia (UL), will help the Advisory Board to “provide leadership and assistance in raising the funds for the endowment, budget oversight, strategic advice on programming and African partnership development, participant-student priority setting, and overall policy direction”.
The long-term vision, according to the Dean’s letter to Ambassador Conteh, is to build a $25 million endowment for the APF, to ensure the development of consistent, sustainable training and continuing education of personnel from critical public, civil society and the business sectors in advanced and specialized conflict resolution skills, the release adds.
Ambassador Conteh, who served as the Project Director for the CAPCR’s US Institute for Peace grant on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) curriculum for Liberian institutions in the late 1990s, said his appointment to the international advisory board of the acclaimed American university was an honor for him and Liberia.
The CAPCR was founded in 1996. Housed in the College of Health and Human Services of California State University, Sacramento, it has developed independently by working with partners worldwide on major training initiatives on conflict resolution for over 25,000 people.