-Civil Society Rights Platform says
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The Civil Society Human Rights Platform has observed that Liberia, a land of freed and a beacon of hope for the past decade, has been dragged into a failed state by the actions of those who have been in the seat of national governance,
The platform’s chairman, Reverend Francis Kollie said Liberia is endowed with some of the most educated and renown personalities in the sub region, but the nation’s transformation and socio-economic and geo-political growth of state has always been a major reason for growth without development.
Rev. Kollie spoke at the end of a five-day conference organized by the Civil Society Human Rights Platform held in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County over the weekend.
According to Rev. Kollie, “personal aggrandizements have been replaced the people‘s welfare, which remains a threat to the survivability of the people.”
“Our leaders need to take the responsibility of the state of affairs and draw matured decisions on improving the livelihood of the people,” he said; adding: “the civil society organizations must also put on the garments of integrity and uncompromisingly bring the government’s feet to the fire in a robust fashion so as to amend the status quo.”
He reminded stakeholders that “as much as we do not intend to compromise our integrity, we also need the collective support of the government, international nongovernmental organizations and the actors in the judiciary; in the achieving our goals of making our state a nation of trust that can win both local and international accolades without compromising our duties and responsibilities to sustain a vibrant and peaceful nation.”
Rev. Kollie expressed the hope that civil society organizations push for a better environment void of corruption, self-aggrandizements and poor governance as these vices will keep the nation at the ebb of development and sustaining the much acclaimed will of the governed, which is paramount to sustain lasting peace, progress and regional respect.
It is against this back, he went on, for CSOs to strengthen their ideologies in tackling the issues of human rights in Liberia and speak out on issues more than ever before.
The CSO Human Right Platform Chairman maintained that people are going free with impunity even when innocent children are being abused , rights of women have been violated and they cannot find their ways out.
Kollie indicated that Liberia’s democracy is facing crisis between citizens and their government which continue to be endless everyday; adding ; “ we cannot afford to tolerate violence and abuse with impunity.”
“We believe that the responsibility to protect people provides us with tools to tackle the test of our common humanity
“Instead of giving into discouragement and despair , we will choose hope and courage to fight all forms of violation in our country.”
“Let’s overcome barriers, power struggles and disunity among ourselves as human rights organizations, let us not sit on the fence and criticize each other or the national government , but let us work together with national and international organizations to protect the rights of people and advance accountability which is very much the key.”
The program was graced by representatives of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, the Independent National Commission on Human Rights, civil society organizations, local leaders and the media.