By Joseph Titus Yekeryan
In eight days from now, Liberia will go to its fourth presidential and Legislative elections since the end of the last civil war in 2003.
The Country has made remarkable peace gains over the last two decades having had its first post-war transition in 2018.
As the big day draws closer, rural Liberians are not only concerned about exercising their democratic franchise, one of the most important things people are concerned about in Bong is the maintenance of the already existing peace.
Our Correspondent in Bong County says there have been different groups that comprise market women, students and religious leaders organizing and conducting peace forums ahead of the election.
“Right now, anyone who has a future and wants to do something for himself/herself will not support violence. The person will always talk about peace everywhere,” Nowai Togbah, a potato green seller at the Gbarnga central market told journalists.
Nowai said she prefers struggling to fend for her kids in an even more difficult economy rather than supporting things that trigger instability.
“My children need to continue going to school, I know it something becomes difficult for me to cater to their needs as a widow but I think I will enjoy in the absence of war.”
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“We know what the war did; we know the negative impact it has had on us. My late husband was beaten and his leg got cut due to gunshot wounds. He suffered throughout until he died two years ago and I am the only one taking care of my children. In this kind of situation, do you expect me to support someone who will want to undermine our peace? You expect me to tell people to fight on Election Day? No, I can’t because even though I don’t have money, I am enjoying the life God wants me to live” the 56-year-old concluded.
Our Correspondent said to further spread the message of peace and a violence-free election, the Rural Women United for Community Development, a local women group in Zota recently concluded a one-day peace submit geared towards sensitizing rural women on the importance of peace.
The head of the group, Annie Nushean said they are a local farming group but decided to focus on the maintenance of the country’s peace since it is going to a very crucial election.
“If we don’t have peace, we won’t make our farms, our kids will not go to school so it is important for us to keep carrying on peace messages,” she said.
At the same time, a Lecturer of the Joseph Saye Guannue Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution at Cuttington University, Sam McGill stressed the need for Liberians to reflect on the dark days of the country and also on the gains the Nation has made over the last two decades.
Mr. McGill said Liberia had suffered and that the efforts of the country and its international partners in sustaining the peace should not be wasted for those he considered as mere politicians.
“Without peace, it will not be possible to achieve the levels of trust, cooperation and inclusiveness needed for societies to be resilient to shocks, manage disputes and adapt to changes in their environments,” McGill said.
McGill said with peace, Liberians will be directed to embrace diversity and support one another to the fullest extent possible.
