Peace Liberia, a local group trains several youths in Harper and Pleebo, Maryland County, on peacebuilding, conflict resolution, mediation, public speaking and communication skills, respectively.
Executive Director Ruchlue Morlue, says the aim is to make sure young people take initiative in society that would promote peace and transparency.
Speaking in an interview with The New Dawn in Harper City, Maryland County, he notes that participants are expected to return to their respective communities after the training to serve as peace ambassadors and set up community peace committees that will mitigate conflict at the community level.
Morlu pledges his organization’s commitment to developing the minds of young people in Maryland to enable them serve as agents of positive change in society. He says gone are the days when people thought the youths are only capable of creating problems through violence, a serotype he underscores, people must do away with.
“Life and death lies in the power of the tongue; these young people are your sons and daughters, so if you say nothing good is to come out of them, it might follow them and you parents will become the losers. Negative saying to your children should stop” he cautions.
However, he lauds the Eric Giko Foundation, Team Rise and Professional Services International for providing financial support for the training exercise, which he says will transform lives of the country’s future leaders.
Dorris Cheechea and Bryan Dioh, Jr. – participants from Pleebo and Harper thank Peace Liberia for the training and promise to put in practice knowledge acquired. They stress that if Liberia must develop and be like other nations in West Africa, young people should take the lead, because they are the ones to take over leadership from the current generation.
The regional coordinator of the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission or JPC based in the county, pledges his entity’s support to Peace Liberia initiatives in the county, but challenges the organization to extend the training to other parts of the county.
He says there is need for such program to be extended to Barrobo and Karluway, and other areas because these places are far from the county capital, because if young people in villages are trained and can manage their conflicts at community levels, the county will remain peaceful, which will foster growth and development in Maryland.
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By George Kimbah/ Maryland–Editing by Jonathan Browne
