By: Julius Konton
Liberia has taken another significant step in consolidating post-war peace and strengthening grassroots conflict prevention mechanisms following the formal launch and implementation expansion of the Peace Gen Project, an initiative aimed at reinforcing sustainable in-country capacities for effective conflict management, reconciliation, and intergenerational peacebuilding.
The initiative, supported by the European Union and the Embassy of Ireland and implemented through a coalition of Liberian civil society organizations in partnership with KTK and Wongosol, seeks to strengthen community resilience, mediation systems, civic participation, and social cohesion across vulnerable communities.
Speaking during the launch ceremony, Cllr. Bowoulo Taylor Kelley, Vice President of the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia who spoke on behalf of the implementing partners, described the initiative as a strategic investment in sustainable peace at a time when Liberia continues to consolidate gains made after years of civil instability.
Addressing government officials, civil society actors, development partners, community leaders, women and youth representatives, and members of the media, Taylor stressed that peacebuilding in Liberia requires collective responsibility and sustained local engagement.
“Lasting peace is not built by institutions alone, but through the active participation of communities, local leaders, women, youth, and all stakeholders working together with a common purpose,” she said.
A Nation Still Shaped by Conflict Recovery
Liberia’s modern peacebuilding architecture remains deeply influenced by the scars of two devastating civil conflicts fought between 1989–1997 and 1999–2003, which collectively claimed an estimated 250,000 lives, displaced hundreds of thousands, weakened institutions, and disrupted economic and social systems across the country.
Since the signing of the Accra
Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2003, Liberia has undertaken major democratic and institutional reforms, including national reconciliation programs, transitional justice discussions, electoral reforms, women-led peace initiatives, and expanded civil society participation.
Although the country has remained largely stable for more than two decades, analysts and local stakeholders continue to emphasize the importance of strengthening preventive peace mechanisms, especially in communities vulnerable to land disputes, youth marginalization, political tensions, misinformation, and socio-economic exclusion.
Cllr. Kelley acknowledged these realities, noting that while Liberia has made measurable progress, peace remains a process requiring long-term investment.
“Liberia’s history has taught us the importance of dialogue, reconciliation, inclusion, and cooperation,” she stated. “Sustaining peace requires continuous investment in local structures, preventive mechanisms, and community resilience.”
Peace Gen Project: Bridging Generations for Sustainable Peace
The Peace Gen Project focused on “bridging generations for peace” aims to empower local actors with practical skills and platforms for mediation, conflict resolution, civic dialogue, and early warning systems capable of reducing community tensions before they escalate into violence.
According to project implementers, the initiative will strengthen partnerships among communities, local institutions, women-led organizations, youth networks, and media institutions to encourage peaceful coexistence and greater democratic participation.
She praised international partners for supporting locally driven approaches to peacebuilding.
“We are particularly grateful to the European Union for its invaluable support and confidence in local organizations and community-driven initiatives,” she noted, adding that the partnership demonstrates confidence in grassroots leadership and community-based solutions.
She also commended implementing collaborators KTK and Wongosol for helping ensure the project remains responsive to local realities.
The Peace Gen initiative places strong emphasis on dialogue, mediation, civic engagement, social inclusion, and intergenerational participation reflecting global peacebuilding models increasingly centered on local ownership and community resilience.
FeJAL Signs Landmark Peace Partnership
Meanwhile, the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL) has described its inclusion in the initiative as a major institutional milestone for women journalists and community-centered media engagement in Liberia.
Speaking briefly to journalists after the signing ceremony, Lisa Diasay said the agreement reflects years of advocacy for stronger female participation in media leadership and more development-centered journalism.
Diasay noted that FeJAL has consistently championed stronger representation of women in journalism while expanding communication initiatives connecting media practice with development, public service, and community empowerment.
“This represents a milestone for Liberia’s female journalists,” she said, emphasizing that journalism must increasingly function as a force for public awareness, inclusion, and peacebuilding.
Five Strategic Counties Selected
Under the agreement, FeJAL will be flanked by other partners to implement activities in five strategic counties: Bomi , Bong, Montserrado Nimba and Sinoe Counties.
These counties collectively represent an important demographic, political, and historical segment of Liberia and include communities affected to varying degrees by civil conflict, displacement, social fragmentation, and post-war reconstruction, she added.
Project stakeholders say community dialogue, historical memory, civic education, and local participation remain central to long-term peace and democratic stability in these areas.
Planned Interventions: Media, Memory and Reconciliation
As part of implementation, FeJAL will coordinate a broad package of media and community-based interventions designed to increase public awareness and deepen citizen participation in reconciliation and peace processes.
Planned activities include:
Creative and intergenerational peacebuilding workshops;
Photography documentation of community-led reconciliation and memorialization initiatives;
Mapping of independent media institutions and community radio outlets;
Capacity-building programs for radio stations focused on youth-responsive, gender-sensitive, and conflict-sensitive journalism;
Public storytelling and awareness campaigns amplifying survivor experiences and marginalized voices.
The intervention reflects increasing international recognition of journalism’s role in societies emerging from conflict, where media institutions are expected to help combat misinformation, promote accountability, encourage dialogue, and strengthen democratic participation.
Legacy of Women-Led Peacebuilding
The initiative also reconnects Liberia’s contemporary peacebuilding efforts with the historic grassroots peace campaigns led by Liberian women during the civil crisis.
Community-based “peace huts” and women-led organizing networks became internationally recognized for mobilizing citizens, promoting dialogue, and advocating nonviolent solutions amid escalating violence.
Today, these spaces remain symbols of resilience, mediation, civic engagement, and women’s leadership in national peacebuilding.
Diasay stressed that FeJAL’s participation signals renewed international confidence in women-led civil society organizations and recognition of journalism’s role in strengthening democratic culture and social healing.
A Shared Responsibility
Project leaders concluded the launch with a call for communities, beneficiaries, and stakeholders to actively participate in shaping peaceful futures.
Implementers emphasized that the success of the initiative depends on dialogue, accountability, trust-building, and the willingness of citizens to become ambassadors of peace within their communities.
As Liberia continues its long recovery from conflict, the Peace Gen Project is expected to reinforce national efforts aimed at preventing future violence, deepening social cohesion, and strengthening community resilience for future generations.
