By: Stephen G.Fellajuah
Email fellajuahstepheng@gmail.com
The Eminent Women of the Women Situation Room (WSR) over the weekend ended eighteen months of training activities for women & youths in Montserrado County.
The activities were implemented by Angie Brooks International Centre for Women’s Empowerment Leadership Development International Peace and Security, in partnership with ZOA Liberia with support from the United Nations Peace building Fund.
The initiative is a flagship program of the ‘’Women Situation Room (WSR)” under the project sustainable and inclusive peace in Liberia through promoting women leadership and participation in civic and political life and their strengthened role in conflict resolution.
The program was held on Friday, August 19, 2022 in the Cecil Dennis Auditorium of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,. bringing together hundreds of women from 10 communities within rural and urban Montserrado County, to include Westpoint, New Kru Town, Todee, Bentol City, Clara Town , King Gray among others.
In remarks, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Angie Brooks, Cllr. Olubanke King -Akerele encouraged Liberians to exercise patriotism and hold together for the betterment of the country, mentioning that Liberians should get involved with initiatives that will buttress the efforts of the government.
Furthermore, she expressed the need for civic education to be taught in Liberian schools to prepare the citizens to know their roles and responsibilities for the growth and development of the country, saying every Liberian has a role to play in the development of the country. The incorporation of civic education is paramount, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs remarked.
The Establishment Coordinator of Angie Brooks Centre, Cllr. Yvette Chesson-Wureh urged the women to use the knowledge acquired from the training to keep talking to their children about the danger of violence, expressing that women are accountable to maintain the peace of the country. She motivated the women to ensure the peace of the country is sustained.
“You need the country, the country does not need you”, Cllr. Chesson-Wureh told the women and further told the women to be ambassadors of peace within their respective communities. She assured that ABIC and her partners will continue the program with the women who are leading the way in protecting the peace of the country.
John Dennis of the United Nations Peacebuilding Office of the Resident Coordinator praised the Angie International Centre and ZOA Liberia for implementing sustainable and inclusive peace in Liberia through promoting women leadership and participation in civic and political life and their strengthened role in conflict resolution projects.
Mr. Dennis said with the level of transparency and accountability exercised by ABIC and ZOA Liberia in implementing the project, the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund office will continue to support it, disclosing that the new fund will focus on election and peaceful environment. He said ABIC will work closely with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Also remarking at the event, ZOA Country Director Jaap Van Kranenburg elaborated that the project was intended to celebrate women empowerment. “I think this is what we are trying to achieve in this project. The objective of the project is to lift women up to their rightful place in the society”, he stressed.
The heads of the women from the 10 communities in Montserrado County, in separate remarks, thanked ABIC for the impactful knowledge acquired during the period. They said it was through the training that some of them among other things get to know their rights, and step forward to speak of matters concerning their political life and the peace of the country.
“The project has made a lot of impact in our community, learning about conflict resolution. We were brave enough to go into ghettos to talk to our children. They welcomed us and we talked good and they are willing to change”, said Winner Johnson, Chairlady of West Point.
“The truth is that this program brought women together whether you’re educated or not. For this program we want to say thank you that today we are able to stand up and talk on peace, and other problems women are faced with “, Comfort Peters, Chairlady of District #8, enjoyed her colleagues.
