Africa-Press – Liberia. Monrovia — Migrants As Messengers Association of Liberia, and partners have labeled Reconciliation as fundamental for fostering peace and stability in transitional settings.
The group has also noted that the process of reconciliation is a central element of peace deals and transitional political unities.
Align with a series of pre-electoral awareness activities conducted to prevent electoral violence, hate speeches, and conflict triggered during Liberia’s general and presidential elections, the Migrants as Messengers Association of Liberia, (MAMAL), has led efforts to ensure conflicted communities are reconciled through sports, town hall meetings and peer to peer interactions in three counties including, zwedru Grand Gedeh, Zozuolay Nimba, and Palala in Bong County.
These locations, according to the group, were selected based on unsettled disputes that arose during the election period amongst political leaders and their constituents.
Therefore, to foster peace among communities affected by violence during the elections, MAMAL with support from the International Organization for Migration, the Peace Building Funds, and partners, has conducted sports and soccer tournaments, cultural and traditional performances, interactive dialogue, and media engagement during a reconciliation campaign to reunite these communities.
The campaign focused on a clear and authentic message of unity, peace building, and reconciliation, thereby referencing the Farmington River Declaration.
During the campaign, the audience was enlightened on the importance of upholding the peace within their various villages and towns.
The messages of peace and reconciliation were disseminated via media and communities engagements.
The activities implementation commenced on March 24th to April 7, covering at least 500 participants, both males and females.
The migration group, MAMAL Executive Director, Catheryn Best Kenny mentioned, the reconciliation campaign had a stronger effect on individuals who were directly and indirectly involved with electoral violence and the selling of votes during the just-ended general elections. She stated that the awareness campaign was aimed at promoting peace and reconciliation in areas with election-related conflict and to reunite citizens in the concentrated areas.
“Strengthening conflict resolution and peace infrastructures that effectively resolve conflicts and limit electoral violence, as well as providing authentic information on the importance of maintaining peace and reconciliation, also highlighting the negative effects of misinformation was paramount during the reconciliation campaign,” Madam Kenny said.
Kenny said during the campaign, the team collaborated with the county’s stakeholders, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the elderly, especially women groups as well as youth volunteers within the selected activity’s location.
Each of the activities comprised a session of dialogue, where MAMAL’s team interacted with the participants on the importance of upholding peace and provided messages that prevent violence in any form.
At the same time, Media outlets were engaged to air jingles and live radio talk shows containing peace and reconciliation messages.
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