By Thomas Domah
A two-day nationwide training on use of Early Warning and Early Response System (EWER) to collect, manage and report incidents related to electoral violence across Liberia that began in Gbarnga, Bong County on February 6, has been extended to other parts of the country up to February 28.
The trainings are geared toward providing early warning monitors and agents for peace with requisite knowledge and skills to detect electoral violence and other forms of conflict triggers.
Participants will receive specific trainings on recording and managing incidents, generating reports, and sharing information, using upgraded EWER platform developed by UNDP with support from the EU-UNDP Joint Taskforce from Brussels.
The training workshops bring together participants from all fifteen counties at separate locations, including Gbarnga, Bong County, Grand Gedeh, Maryland, and Grand Bassa, among others.
UNDP Liberia Electoral Support Project (LESP) is supporting the Liberia Peace Building Office (PBO) to set up early warning and response mechanisms for data collection and incident reporting before, during, and after elections.
Situations of cross-border registration and voting, political party militarization, civil demonstrations, violent protests, political intolerance, ethnic tensions, and community insecurity, all of which pose a risk of escalating tensions ahead of the upcoming elections are to be monitored and documented under the exercise.
Mr. Roosevelt Zayzay, UNDP Elections Program Officer, said the ongoing training is part of efforts by UNDP and Liberia governance portfolio to strengthen inclusion, participation, and conflict prevention during, and after the 2023 elections.
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Mr. Zayzay thanked the peacebuilding office for organizing the training, and the embassies of Sweden and Ireland respectively, for providing funds, while urging the participants to seize the opportunity and contribute to conflict prevention and peace in Liberia.
Liberia peace building office (PBO) coordinator for Early Warning, Early Response (EWER) Sheikh Kamara said, participants will be able to report cases of violence that may occur in their respective districts and counties before, during and after the polls in October.
He explained that participants were also trained on how to help community to reduce local conflicts rather than rushing to the Police and to court.
Participants thanked UNDP and the Liberia peacebuilding office for the training opportunity and pledged to serve as peace ambassadors to help combat violence that may occur in their respective districts and counties. Editing by Jonathan Browne
