Annual Unification Day Celebration
PHOTO: Representative Ruggy Barry on behalf of the 55 National Legislature receiving the National Unification Day Report &
Seven-count Petition from BFF, CSOs-PdG Consortium standing l/r: Ms. Leona Gono, Rev. Augustine S. Arkoi, Imam Alieu Sheriff, Madam Maureen Hutchison, Dr. Roseda Marshall, Ms. Veronica Songor-Johnson, Mr. Boakai Massalay proxy of NASSCORP Director Mr. Winston Q. Jah and cross section of Law Makers and students.
MONROVIA–The Better Future Foundation, BFF, in collaboration with 34 Civil Society Organizations, under the umbrella of CSOs-Partners for Democracy and Good Governance, PdG, has presented the 2024 National Unification Day celebration report along with a 7-count Petition aimed at enhancing peace consolidation and sustainability in Liberia to the National Legislature.
The NUD report and Petition which signatories included the National Muslims Council of Liberia, Inter-Religious Council of Liberia, Voices of the Elders of the Republic of Liberia, National Civil Society Council of Liberia, and the Federation of Liberian Youth, among others were presented to the Government of Liberia through the Speaker and the Leadership of the 55th National Legislature, on Monday, July 22, 2024, to take deliberate actions including making budgetary appropriation to unify, reconcile and integrate the people of Liberia.
Upon arrival, the high-powered CSOs-PDG delegation was welcomed by the Speaker of the 55th Legislature, Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa, who commended the CSOs for their commitment and dedication to the annual celebration of the National Unification Day, which, this year, had as its Theme- “Reconciling Liberia for the 21st Century: Welfare & Plight of Senior Citizens.”
At the 2024 NUD celebration, the petitioning civil society organizations, led by BFF Founder/CEO Augustine Arkoi, acknowledged that 200 years on, from 1822 to 2022; and from 1964 to 2024, when the National Unification and Integration policy was initiated and launched by former President William V. S. Tubman, peace, reconciliation and integration remain a critical challenge in Liberia.
Accordingly, they told the Legislature that the civil society organizations in Liberia have embarked on an intentional peace-building initiative. BFF and its collaborating CSOs under the consortium of Partners for Democracy & Good Governance (PdG), crave deliberate actions and budgetary appropriation by the 55th National Legislature to unify, reconcile, and integrate the people of Liberia.
Petition: “Whereas, Better Future Foundation is a duly accredited civil society organization with the government of Liberia;
“Whereas, a consortium of recognized and duly accredited civil society, human rights, and pro-democracy organizations, under the umbrella of Partners for Democracy and Good Governance, PdG;
Whereas, Article 1 of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia enumerates that all power is inherent in the people and all free governments are instituted by their authority and for their benefits;
Whereas, Article 5 of the Constitution states that the Republic of Liberia shall aim at strengthening the national integration and unity of the people of Liberia regardless of ethnic, regional, or other differences into one body polity and the Legislature shall enact laws promoting national unification and the encouragement of all citizens to participate in government;
Whereas, Article 8 of the Constitution of Liberia states that the Republic shall direct its policy towards ensuring for all citizens without discrimination opportunities for employment and livelihood under just and human conditions towards promoting safety, health, and welfare;
Whereas, Article 17 of the Constitution further states that all persons at all times in an orderly and peaceful manner shall have the right to assemble and consult upon the common good to instruct their representatives to petition the government or other functionaries for the redress of grievances;
Whereas, the National Pledge of Allegiance of Liberia which states, quote, “I pledge allegiance to the flag of Liberia and to the Republic of which it stands one nation, indivisible with liberty and justice for all”;
This pledge provides the foundational principles for unification, integration, justice inclusive governance of Liberia;
To the contrary, since the founding of Liberia 200 years ago, and since the passage of the National Unification and Integration Policy 60 years ago, national reconciliation and unification are yet to be actualized in Liberia with widespread division across the country;
Whereas, the National Unification Policy which was enacted in 1964 to bridge the social, economic, and political barriers and differences in the country and to further unite and integrate the indigenous population with the settlers;
Whereas, successive administrations of the Liberian government have failed to actualize genuine peace, reconciliation, and integration of the Liberian people consistent with Article 5 of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia;
Therefore, the citizens of Liberia, represented by the duly accredited civil society, human rights, and pro-democracy organizations, under the umbrella of Partners for Democracy and Good Governance, PdG, and acting in honor of the authority of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia and the National Unification and Integration Policy of Liberia, petition the National Legislature to ensure the following:
- The Government of Liberia, through the National Legislature, should appropriate funds through the fiscal budget to facilitate programs, projects, and activities to commemorate National Unification Day nationwide annually;
- The Government of Liberia should provide support for the establishment of the National Unification Day Diaspora Initiative which will seek to identify and engage Liberians in the diaspora to contribute to unification, integration, sustainable peace and inclusive development in Liberia; And to, at all times, exhibit lawful and good citizenship as ambassadors to promote national self-esteem abroad;
- BFF and its collaborating CSOs, in the petition, called on the Government to also ensure the renovation of the Unification Monument in Voinjama City, Lofa County, so as to revive and preserve the facility which is a symbol for the unification and integration of the Liberian Nation, and to host tourists and inspire the ideal of patriotism among Liberians.
- The petitioners called on the Government of Liberia to build a war memorial to remember all lives lost during Liberia’s civil war and to remind Liberians never again to resort to violence to solve any issue that may arise between and, or among themselves.
- They further petitioned the Government of Liberia to initiate regular government-civil society dialogues so as to remain constructively engaged in ensuring that CSOs are adequately informed and supportive of the Government’s policies and national development agenda.
- Such regular dialogues, the petition says, broadly seeks to bridge the gap of low citizens perception and further improve public confidence and trust in the Government.
- The CSOs also called on the Government of Liberia to facilitate national discussion in the formulation of a policy and enact a law to address the plight of senior citizens aimed at meeting the Government’s social welfare obligations to its own senior citizens.
According to the petitioners, the senior citizens across the country who contributed immensely to the development of Liberia in yesteryears are now experiencing neglect and abandonment as most, if not all, have limited access to pensions and social security benefits.
At the same time, CSOs petitioners called on the Government of Liberia to support the compilation and publication of the National Unification Day celebration compendium from 2014 to 2024, so as to aid the teaching of civics and peace education in learning institutions in Liberia.
BFF and CSO Partners told the National Legislature that when the compendium is published digitally, at home and abroad, the Liberian Nation will immensely benefit from the literature, something which would lead to a ripple effect in the sustenance of genuine peace and harmony in the country.
Other CSOs groups that signed the petition include the following: Better Future Foundation (BFF), People Uniting for Peace in Liberia, Liberia Institute for Growing Patriotism, National Civil Society Council of Liberia, the mother civil society organization of over 2,000 memberships, Youth Beyond Barriers, Women Beyond Borders.
Others are Child Education Aid, Child Education Aid Against Drug Abuse, Positive Change Women and Girls Initiative, GAAAP Community Peace Sustainability Empowerment, Education Network Coalition of Rights Advocacy, National Institute for Public Opinion, Catholic Justice and Peace Commission, Federation of Liberia Youth, Harvest International, and the United Methodist Justice and Human Rights Monitor, among others.
The petitioners expressed the hope that the 55th National Legislature will ensure that those crucial documents, deliberations, and the speeches delivered by representatives of the CSOs and other major stakeholders, as well Legislative Leadership would not just evaporate from the Legislative agenda to compile the Unification Day compendium which would help to aid the teaching of civics in Liberian schools.
Receiving the 7 counts petition from the BFF and the collaborating CSOs-Partners for Democracy and Good Governance (PdG), on behave of House Speaker, Honorable Jonathan Fonati Kofa, Montserrado County District # 1 Representative, Rugie Yatu Barry, appreciated the peace-building initiative of BFF, PdG and other collaborating CSOs and assured that the petition and the 2024 National Unification Day celebration report would be submitted to the House leadership for onward presentation to the Plenary of the House of Representatives for appropriate action.
According to Representative Barry, “unification and integration of the citizens of Liberia, is of outmost priority, the foundation for sustainable peace and democracy.” She assured the CSOs Consortium that their petition will be given due attention in the interest of the country.
Also making remarks at the occasion, Madam Veronica Songor-Johnson, Executive Director of Positive Change Women and Girls Initiative, POCHAWOIN, who is also Vice Chairperson of the Civil Society Council of Liberia stressed the need for the Liberian Legislature to support the peace-building initiative by the CSOs in the country.
Also remarking at the occasion, the Chairperson of the Voices of the Elders of the Republic of Liberia, Madam Maureen Hutchinson, underscored the significance of providing budgetary support, backed by the required national political will, for the full implementation of the National Unification Day Diaspora Initiative to enable Liberians in the Diasporas familiarize themselves with the nation’s rich history, cultural mosaics, and civics, to which many young Liberians abroad have been practically disconnected.
Representative Ruggy Barry on behalf of the 55 National Legislature receiving the National Unification Day Report & Seven-count Petition from BFF, CSOs-PdG Consortium Rev. Augustine S. Arkoi, Imam Alieu Sheriff, Madam Maureen Hutchison, Madam Veronica Songor-Johnson and Dr. Roseda Marshall
The National Social Security and Welfare Corporation, NASSCORP, in its intervention, stressed that reconciling Liberia for the 21st Century will be “elusive” unless government implements the Welfare component of the Social Security Program that has all the answers to problems faced by Senior Citizens across the country.
NASSCORP, through Mr. Winston Q. Jah, Assistant Director-General for Public Information, Education & Training stressed that the welfare of the vulnerable segment of the Liberian population, particularly Senior Citizens, is the responsibility of Government, and when their plight is not addressed in a timely manner, they become burden on the society.
Mr. Jah who had earlier presented expert paper at the 2024 National Unification Day program held on the Capitol Hill campus of the University of Liberia pointed out that this is the cardinal reason why the Government of Liberia, in 1975, enacted the National Social Security and Welfare Act, establishing the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), to cater for the welfare needs of workers, their dependents and Senior Citizens.
Other distinguished personalities including Iman Alieu V. Sheriff from the National Muslims Council of Liberia expressed support for the CSOs-peacebuilding initiative and cautioned the National Legislature to ensure the necessary budgetary support for annual celebration of the NUD across the country.