By Alfred Kollie, alfredkolliejr92@gmail.com
UNFPA Liberia with funding from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Monrovia has launched a youth-led project called Youth Voices for Change in Liberia.
The project is intended to strengthen the capacity of adolescents and youth-led grassroots organizations to advocate for laws policies programs that uphold the right and protection to life and free from all forms of gender-based violence and other harmful practices.
Launching the project in Monrovia Monday December 5, 2023 at a local hotel, Germany ambassador to Liberia, Jakob Haselhuber urged young people do their best in the project and make sure that their voices are heard.
Ambassador Haselhuber promised to follow the project with great intention in making sure it objective and goals are achieved.
“Germany as you can see we are financing this project and we very proud to be able to contribute both to the fight against violence against women and dialogue between men and women so, this fight is not possible if it is only enforced by one side. We need both genders together in the fight,” he noted.
The German diplomat maintained that it is up to “you the youth to improve and to make it better and make a change”.
The young people at the launch named FGM practices, early marriage, poverty driving vulnerability, culture of silence, harmful traditional practices, and sexual gender-based violence as factors contributing to and affecting adolescents and other youth in Liberia.
Bandu M. Kamara, senior analysts at the Liberia National Students Union (LINSU) used the occasion to calls on partners to provide moral, financial, and spiritual support to push the agenda of young people forward and allow them reach their full potential.
Liberia has a great future
For her part, UN Resident Coordinator in Liberia, Ms. Christine N. Umutoni noted that the project Youth Voices for Change is a vehicle for change in ending all forms of violence against the adolescents and youth in the Country.
According to her based on the passion, power, and courage of the youth in Liberia, she is of the conviction that Liberia has a great future.
She told young people that leadership is about change and advocating for a cost as such they should do all they can to be that voices for change through advocacy.
The UN Resident Coordinator in Liberia observed that it is important to highlight the voices of youth in addressing their problem nothing that is a way of integrating youth into the developmental agenda.
ccording to her, Africa will only change if the young people turn around things by getting them involved in decision-making processes and increasing their voices.
She however, challenged adolescents and youth to continue to participate with all their energy, passion and with all in the project.
Bringing together national, adolescent and youth LED organizations and networks
UNFPA Resident Representative, Ms. Bidisha Pillai explained that the launch of the Liberian Youth Voices for accelerating the International Conference on Population and Development Commitments very important to young people.
“And we really want to express a word of gratitude especially to the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany for this initial grant to support our efforts to strengthen youth LED advocacy for sexual and reproductive health and rights for prevention of sexual and gender based violence and harmful practices. And allow us this opportunity to bring together national, adolescent and youth LED organizations and networks, the beginning of which is today. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the partnership and collaboration of our beloved Ministry of Youth and Sports, with whom we’ve had a long standing collaboration, from whom we’ve learnt a lot and you know with whom we’ve really, I think, tried to engage and embrace young people as much as possible into the work that we do as UNFPA,” she said.
According to Ms. Pillai, she was particularly pleased that the launch is happening within the duration of 16 Days of Activism against on Violence Against Women and Girls.
She believed that for a population to thrive and a country to develop equitably and sustainably, women and young people must have the opportunity to realize their full potential, so they must realize all their rights.
The UNFPA Resident Representative wants young people given the opportunity to be able to decide when they want to have children, how many children they want to have, what is the spacing of those children and to be able to live in a world free of violence maintaining that it is fundamentally at the heart of the connection between population and development which also connects to the agenda of the 16 Days of Activism to prevent violence against women and girls.
“This big policy framework that translates into government policies and practices but how could we, I ask you, be having these conversations without asking young people what they think about these issues and what is important to them. I think very often we forget to speak to young people and in a country like Liberia, where 75% of the people are under the age of 35, it becomes even more important. Because Liberia is at the point of realizing what we call a demographic dividend, right where you can really harness the power and potential of these young people and and use that to transform the country. But how could we do that without engaging young people,” said the UNFPA Resident Representative.
Youth and Sports Min. Wilson Commends partners
Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister D. Zeogar Wilson commended partners including the UNFPA and the Embassy of Germany for supporting such a great initiative for adolescents and youth in the Country.
He stressed the need for the protection of youth and adolescents against all forms of threats that stands to undermine their lives.
“Be the voice of the generation and act with sincerity and accountability to the young people in Liberia,” he urged.
He however, used the occasion to thank the young people of Liberia for helping the government to maintain and sustain the peace of Liberia for the past six years.
Minister Wilson at the same urged young people across Liberia to treat the incoming government the same and protect the peace and stability of Liberia.