By E. Festus G. Frazer, Jr., efgfrazerjr@gmail.com
The Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) through Conciliation Resources on Women’s led organizations engagement in the monitoring and implementation of the TRC recommendations has concluded a day-long dialogue in Monrovia.
The day-long event, which took at a local hotel in Monrovia recently, brought together over 35 participants from several women-led organizations in Montserrado County.
The dialogue is implemented by Liberia Future Trust Inc. (LIFT) with funding from the Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF).
LIFT Executive Director, Pabai M. Masaquoi disclosed that the dialogue is meant o identify critical barriers that impede the participation of women in the implementation and monitoring of peace agreements in Liberia, especially the 2003 Accra Peace Accord and the 2009 Truth & Reconciliation Committee (TRC) recommendations and its resulting processes.
According to Mr. Massaquoi, the event was also intended to define strategy to include women during the implementing and monitoring of peace agreement in Liberia .
“We have assembled these women to hear from them as to what have been hindering their participation in monitoring the TRC recommendations and other peace agreement in Liberia,” he said.
He used the occasion to call on the government of Liberia and its partners to provide financial support for civic education for rural women on their role in the implementation of the TRC recommendations and other peace agreements that Liberia signed.
Liberia Future Trust’s project supports women’s increased participation in the implementation of the 2003 Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement for Liberia in both Montserrado and Nimba counties.
Also speaking at the day long dialogue, the lead facilitator, Mr. James F. Davis then called on the government to ensure that the 207 recommendations including women empowerment among others be implemented.
He wants Civil Society organizations to demand the government of Liberia to implement those recommendations from the TRC.
For her part, Montserrado County Superintendent, Florence F. Brandy said it is time for the community itself to begin discussing the TRC recommendations and educating one another to engage their lawmakers in implementing the TRC report.
“We can talk, and have all of the dialogues around here, but let me tell you the legislators are the problem, because they have the political will to ensure that these recommendations are implemented,” she asserted.
Superintendent Brandy called on LiFT and partners to take the dialogue to different counties, religious groups as well as communities to dialogue on the implementation of the TRC recommendations.
Participants at the daylong dialogue are however calling for increased awareness across the fifteen Counties of Liberia.