KAKATA, Margibi County – Organization of the Mano River Bread for the World Partners of the Civil Peace Service (CPS) Network has kicked off its annual Network Meeting in Margibi County intended to share experiences and develop practical steps aimed at addressing electoral violence.
Bread for the World is the globally active development and relief agency of the Protestant Churches in Germany that provides qualified specialists on the basis of the German Development Workers Act for the international cooperation of Church and civil society organizations.
The Civil Peace Service is a Programme aimed at preventing violence and promoting peace in crisis zones and conflict regions. It aims to build a world in which conflicts are resolved without resorting to violence.
The meeting brought together about seventy-two participants or stakeholders from the Bread for the World partner organizations in Sierra Leone, Liberia and other representatives from Germany.
Speaking to Journalists at the start of the meeting on Tuesday, November 16, Civil Peace Service Liberia Network National Coordinator, Joseph Howard said the overall objective of this year’s meeting is to provide opportunity for national and regional exchanges of learning and sharing experience of Bread for the World Partners of the CPS Network partner organizations in peace dividends interventions.
Liberia and Sierra Leone are poised to go to Presidential and Legislative elections in 2023 as both countries’ youths accounts for huge portion of their respective countries’ population.
The three-day annual meeting organized by CPS with support from Bread for the World, Germany is being held under the Theme: “Community Supporting Peaceful Elections”.
In the case of Liberia, Mr. Howard furthered that practical actions will be developed and directed at young people who accounts for over 50% of the country’s population and hugely venerable and exposed to drugs addiction, something that is seriously posing security threat to communities.
Mr. Howard reminded Liberians that the absence of peace and empowerment, among others, give birth to conflict and under development; something Liberians should consider for a peaceful election in 2023.
He was quick to indicate that young people in Liberia will be engaged to commit themselves for a violence free election in 2023; stating that such engagement will create space for dialogue towards what he described as ‘right base approach’ to peace building and violence free election in the region.
Sierra Leone and Liberia share similar history of civil wars and elections violence including peace initiatives towards national reconciliation and social cohesion and lasting peace.
The 72 participants are expected to reflect on and develop practical solutions ahead of both countries’ presidential and legislative elections in 2023.
For their part, Civil Peace Service Sierra Leone Network National Coordinators Dr. Sheku Kamara and Madam Adenike Cole stressed the need to keep engaging the disadvantaged youth commonly known as “zogos” who are addicted to drugs on ground that such group could seriously undermine a nation’s peace and security.
Dr. Kamara and Madam Cole empathized that it is national stakeholders’ duty to ensure young people are developed and empowered, while calling on Liberia’s President George Weah to take critically youth development and empowerment in an attempt to make the youthful population more productive than allowing them become threat to national progress.
Dr. Kamara particularly maintained that if Liberia’s former soccer star turned politician can utilize sports to unite the country’s youthful population positively, it will reduce the risk of being mis led by politicians.
Madam Cole noted that poverty and unemployment are among several factors responsible for young people being negatively used by politicians to instill violence.
“Peace is unmatched and if we have peace than we have everything” she added.