By Lincoln G. Peters
About 76 women including women from Peace Huts have benefited from transformative leadership, Peace mediation, and conflict resolution training in the Grand Bassa, Grand Gedeh, and Loaf Counties.
The training, held under the auspices of Sister Aid- Liberia (SALI) in partnership with UN Women with funding support from Irish Aid brought together Rural Women structures, the National Traditional Council of Liberia, WIPNET, Community Watch Forum, peace-building organizations, and Other Women Networks was geared towards equipping and building their capacity with a comprehensive understanding of the root causes of conflicts, as well as the interests, needs, and concerns of all parties involved.
The training also emphasized the importance of cultural awareness in Conflict resolution, enabling participants to adapt their approaches to diverse cultural contexts. Since the conclusion of the highly contested Presidential runoff election in November 2023, between the two Presidential candidates, former Soccer Legend George Manneh Weah and former Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai which witnessed the election of Ambassador Boakai to the Liberian Presidency, there has been a serious division among the vast majority of the citizens who are still loyal to the two Statesmen of the County.
According to an Executive of Sister Aid Liberia (SALI), these political disagreements could potentially trigger conflicts and hinder national development efforts if the citizens are not sensitized to change their behaviors.
Based on these conflict triggers, Sister Aid- Liberia (SALI) in partnership with UN Women with funding support from the Irish saw the need to quickly intervene to build the capacity of these Rural Women structures, and women from the National Traditional Council of Liberia in the three key counties to enhance their capacities to express themselves without fear of violence.
It was also recorded that during the 2023 General and Legislative elections, female Aspirants suffered serious bullying and online harassment, which have become prevalent with numerous women recounting experiences of sexual harassment and threats in digital spaces.
Additionally, there are also reports of sexual harassment and exploitation within political parties and government institutions, where women are pressured to provide sexual favors in exchange for advancement.
In response to these challenges and to promote peace, SALI and its partners before the series of trainings between (September 18 and 20, 2024) in Grand Bassa, Grand Gedeh, and Lofa counties, successfully built the capacity of at least 76 participants comprising members and leaders from peace hut structures, the Liberia National Police (LNP), the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), the Immigration service, (LIS) the Community Watch Forum, Peace Committees, and other peacebuildingnetworks among others.
For their part, the participants reported significant improvements in their communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills, empowering them to address conflicts in various settings, including personal, professional, and community realms.
They appreciated Sister Aid- Liberia (SALI) in partnership with UN Women with funding support from Irish Aid for the knowledge acquired, assuring that the skills acquired during the training will make a significant impact upon their return to their respective communities and organizations.
Some of the key topics covered during the training included: Phases of conflict, Types of mediation, Methods for conducting successful dialogues between disputing parties, Principles, and processes of mediation, Types, stages, sources of conflicts, Negotiation principles, and ingredients of effective negotiation, and Mediation rules and styles for conflict resolution
The training sessions were facilitated by Mr. James Carter (National Security Sector Trainer) in Bassa and Lofa and Grand Gedeh by Mr. Walo Fannoh.
