-Cllr. Yvette Chesson-Wureh
By Lincoln G. Peters
Liberia: The Establishment Coordinator of the influential Liberian-based Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC) for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security, Counsellor Yvette Chesson-Wureh predicts here that 2023 will be a turbulent season for Liberia, as the country goes to elections.
Liberians are due to go to the polls next year, with a crowded political field in which incumbent President George Manneh Weah will be battling the opposition for a second six-year term.
The main opposition Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) that had vowed to make Mr. Weah a one-time President has disintegrated over who should take the CPP to elections with one of its key leaders taken to court on criminal charges, while another constituent party is engulfed in leadership struggle.
Cllr. Chesson-Wureh disclosed Thursday, 24 February 2022 that she has launched an outreach engagement program with women and youth groups in several communities across Montserrado County, aimed at conscientizing them against electoral violence.
She says the program is also aimed at encouraging women and youth groups to co-exist and promote development.
On Thursday, 24 February, ABIC organized a one-day peace tournament in Todee District and Bentol City in Montserrado.
“We are having outreach in Montserrado – engaging women and young people for them to understand that we are moving towards 2023,” she says.
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“Peace, reconciliation and unity [are] the hallmarks that we can all embrace to promote lasting development in the Country,” she notes.
She cautions youth and women to do away with violence that could undermine the peace of the country, adding that violence only benefits politicians because they are the ones who occupy political seats.
“It is important that we bring the message of non-electoral violence, that if you have anything to say, say it through the ballot box.”
Cllr. Chesson-Wureh details that her institution chose to use sports for the engagement because it is a unifier that brings people together to demonstrate teamwork.
“We have to move as a team to ensure that we keep the peace,” she urges during a kickball match in Bentol City.
According to her, various communities in Monterrado including Clara Town, New Georgia, King Gray, West Point, PHP, Gardnerville, and New Kru Town, among others, are already identified for the outreach.
Cllr Chesson-Wureh says she has observed that politicians mostly use women and youth from slum communities to cause violence, so she hopes the engagement with women and youth groups will give them a sense of direction to uphold the peace.https://thenewdawnliberia.com/afl-conducts-training-for-2023-elections/
