EPA Boss Dr. Yarkpawola Says “Unity Is Not Just The Absence Of Conflict”
By Abraham K Kollie, kollieabraham23@gmail.com
KAKATA, Liberia–In a powerful keynote address that resonated deeply with audiences, Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo delivered a compelling vision for the unification of the Kpelle people, framing it not merely as a cultural exercise but as a national imperative for Liberia’s lasting peace and development.
Kpelle is the largest ethnic group in Liberia mainly residing in central Liberia and extending into southern Guinea, where they are known as the Guerze. The Kpelle language is part of the Mende branch of the Nigerian Congo language.
Speaking on the theme of Pele Unity & Leadership, Dr. Yarkpawolo redefined unification as active reconciliation bringing together what has been separated, healing historical wounds, and building bridges of shared purpose. “Unity is not just the absence of conflict,” he declared. kpelle ethnic group liberia – Search
“It is the presence of a common vision, cooperation over division, respect over jealousy, selflessness over selfishness, and a future-oriented mindset.”
The Kpelle People, A Responsibility, Not Just a Statistic
Dr. Yarkpawolo, who is Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), reminded the audience that the Pele people represent over 20 percent of Liberia’s population, making them the largest ethnic group in the country. This demographic weight, he stressed, carries enormous responsibility. “Being the largest means we must be the most organized, the most generous, the most disciplined, and the most committed to the common good of all Liberians,” he added.
He cited historical indigenous authority models elders and chiefs as examples of service-based legitimacy that modern leadership must emulate.
Unity Beyond Boundaries, Memory Over Maps
The Pele identity spans central and western Liberia and extends into Guinea. Dialects include Bom, Maigivi, Babulu, Lofa, Bomi, and Guinea Pele. But Dr. Yarkpawolo issued a clarion call.
Local place-based labels are descriptions of location, not divisions of unity. “Memory and ancestry form the deeper bond beyond county lines,” he emphasized, urging the Pele people to look beyond geographical fragmentation.
Cultural Values The Blueprint for Recovery
Traditional governance systems, he noted, provided diplomacy, community defense, social order, mediation, reconciliation, accountability, and restorative justice. The values needed for recovery, he said, are clear: respect, discipline, patience, truth-telling, hard work, humility, and reconciliation
“Modern unity must adapt these inherited norms into accountable leadership that listens, reconciles, and protects the vulnerable,” Dr. Yarkpawolo asserted.
Language: The Soul of a People’s
One of the most urgent warnings came regarding language preservation. “Language carries wisdom, prayer, and history,” Dr. Yarkpawolo said. “The loss of language is the loss of a community’s memory and identity.”
He expressed concern that some who identify as Pele cannot speak Pele, calling for urgent action: parental use of Pele at home, institutional respect for Pele learning, radio programming, Church and Mosque use of the language, and music and storytelling as archives of knowledge. He also highlighted a digital frontier: investing in Pele translation and technology so the language can thrive in the digital era.
Highlighting Agriculture From Subsistence to Commercial Power, he announced to the gathering that historically, the Pele people were strong in agriculture, with rice as both staple and life-sustaining force.
Dr. Yarkpawolo called for amajor economic shift from subsistence farming to commercial and commercialized agriculture. He urged partnerships with the government pointing to the presence of the agriculture minister as a sign of opportunity.
“Leadership, minds, businesses, and partnerships must come together to feed the nation,” he said, citing Funna as a market example.
Yarkpowulo explained that Land Memory, Livelihood, and Intergenerational Confidence adding, Land was framed as more than property it is *memory, livelihood, identity, and intergenerational confidence. But Dr. Yarkpawolo issued a stark warning including illegal mining, forest destruction, river pollution, unsustainable farming, and careless land use are threatening communities and future generations.
“Development must respect community, protect water sources, follow the law, benefit locals, and preserve inheritance for future generations,” he declared.
He furthered that the First Teachers and Unifiers giving a passionate call for women’s inclusion, describing them as *first teachers of language, family unifiers, founders of trade, prayer, and organization, and preservers of moral authority.
“Women cannot be ignored in unity discussions,” he said, calling for women’s leadership, girls’ education, protection from violence, access to land and resources, and respect for women’s dignity.
Including youth in his keynote address, Dr. Yarkpowulo explained that Not the Future
Not The Present
In a powerful reframing, Dr. Yarkpawolo described youth not as “leaders of tomorrow” but as present actors whose leadership and mentorship must be nurtured now. “Youth are not waiting for the future. They are building it today,” he said.
A Call to Action
The keynote was a masterclass in reimagining identity, leadership, and national development. Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo did not merely speak about unity, he laid a roadmap: *cultural preservation, responsible governance, economic transformation, environmental stewardship, and full inclusion of women and youth.
For the Kpelle people, and for Liberia, the message was clear, Unity is not a slogan. It is work. It is healing. It is the future.