Kicks Off Training Workshops In Grand Bassa And Bong Counties
In line with its Mission Statement and as part of the project titled “Enhancing Civil Engagement and Democracy Through Leadership and Education, the Young Women’s Actions For Rights, Peace and Development (YWARPD) has begun hosting a number of training workshops for members of its Democracy Club Program in Grand Bassa and Bong Counties.
The overall objective of the project, which is sponsored by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), is to increase youth’s participation in governance and democratic development at local and national levels. According to the Executive Director of YWARPD,
Ms. Richelle Allison, the first two training workshops took place at the Bassa High School in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County and John F. Bakalu Junior and Senior High School in Gbarnga, Bong County and were held under the theme “Youth Engaged in Leadership and Learning (YELL)”.
The primary objective of a Democracy Club is to educate students about democratic structures, political governance and civil responsibility, thereby empowering students to become informed and engaged citizens who will participate effectively in the local governance process. The mission of a Democracy Club is to create a growing pool of active young citizens through the means of education on democracy, who then become a driving force for democratic change and development. As part of the training, which was conducted for 20 participants in each school, experienced facilitators from local CSOs and local universities provided training on a variety of topics relating to civic education, democracy, government, elections, peace and conflict resolution, leadership, governance, etc. Each Democracy Club will be responsible to organize activities like local school election, discussions, debates, workshops, simulation and community projects to promote civil education, democracy and engagement.
YWARPD was founded in October 2022 as a non-profit organization by young women who saw the need to get off the stands as spectators and jump on the pitch as players to play a more proactive role in advocating for their own rights. YWARPD’s work reflects a commitment to empowering young women, promoting their rights, and ensuring their meaningful participation in peace, human rights, governance and development efforts within Liberia.
The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a private, nonprofit foundation dedicated to the growth and strengthening of democratic institutions around the world. Each year, NED makes more than 1,900 grants to support the projects of non-governmental groups abroad who are working for democratic goals in more than 90 countries.