-Rabbi Joe Gbaba elected Chairman and Esther Richards Co-Chair
By Our Reporter
With the motto: “Kukatonon”, meaning we are one in Liberia’s Kpelle vanacular, a new group called National Peace and Reconciliation Initiative (NPRI) has been formed by Liberians in the diaspora.
A statement from the group reaching www.newspublictrust.com on Wednesday said, “The overarching goal of the National Peace and Reconciliation Initiative are inter alia, to provide a forum in which Liberians of diverse opinions may have an opportunity to freely exchange views on ways to achieve sustainable peace and reconciliation in Liberia.”
The formation of this group by diaspora Liberians comes amidst heightened political tension in the country amidst the worsening economic situation and controversy over whether or not a war and economic crimes court should be set up.
NPRI, which is headed by renowned Liberian Playwrite and academic, Dr. Joe Gbaba, says its overarching goal is to provide a forum in which Liberians of diverse opinions may have an opportunity to freely exchange views on ways to achieve sustainable peace and reconciliation in Liberia.
Organizing Committee of the NPRI consists of 51 Liberian professionals and prominent Statesmen and women trained in various disciplines, the statement from the group says.
“Over the years, these astute statesmen and women have demonstrated the passion and commitment to use their professional expertise to promote peace, reconciliation and rule of law in Liberia,” according to the NPRI.
At its first General Consultative Meeting held last Sunday (March 31, 2019) in the United States, the National Peace and Reconciliation Initiative elected its corps of officers, with the adoption of the working agenda of the Association.
Those elected, are Dr. Joe Gbaba, a renowned Liberia Playwright and educator, National Chairman, Mrs. Esther Richards, National Vice Chairman, and Mr. Edward William Carter, Jr., National Secretary General.
Others elected are, Mr. Kelvin Gray, National Treasurer and Mr. Junius Smallwood,
Parliamentarian. Dr. Lincoln Sie Brownell was named Chairman of the Advisory Board.
According to leaders of NPRI, the organization hopes to achieve a number of objectives by actively engaging Liberians at home and abroad, the international community and friends of Liberia, the United Nations system, the African Union, European Union, ECOWAS, Mano River Union, American Congress, as well as humanitarians and philanthropists organizations across the globe.
Other objectives are to:
- Provide war trauma counseling services to post genocide Liberian citizens worldwide;
- Rehabilitation of former combatants and child soldiers and survivors of the Liberian Genocide;
- Promote gender equity and women empowerment to empower Liberian females and Liberian youth acquire skills to enable them to earn honest livelihoods and reintegrate successfully into mainstream Liberian society;
- Launch an effective national peace and reconciliation campaign throughout Liberia using the performing and visual arts in collaboration with local Liberian artists to promote peace, reconciliation and national unity;
- Actively engage Liberian youth in peacekeeping activities and provide them scholarships and appropriate teaching and learning opportunities to advance themselves and prepare them as future leaders of Liberia;
- Promote mass literacy, peace and civic education programs for Liberian citizens in the hinterland to help them learn about their basic human rights and freedoms; • Promote voter’s education to create awareness among Liberian voters and to help them make informed decisions in the exercise of their franchise.
- Promote rule of law and transitional justice in Liberia to ensure perpetrators of genocidal and economic crimes face the consequences of their actions.
Recently, renowned Liberian playwright Dr. Joe Gbaba “made a passionate plea to his compatriots in the diaspora, requesting their support to join him appeal to all Liberians, the government of Liberia and the international community, to assist in bringing the Liberian peace process back on course.”
Dr. Gbaba also cautioned that it was high time that post war victims and survivors of massacres and mayhem during the Liberian civil war received medical treatment and social intervention services to address the war traumas they experienced.