GBARNGA, Liberia (ILO News): The International Labour Organization (ILO), in collaboration with Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of Liberia the on Thursday, 27 June 2019, launched the Peacebuilding Fund Project in Gbarnga, Bong County. The project entitled “Sustaining peace and improving social cohesion through the promotion of rural employment opportunities for youth in conflict-prone areas” aims to support peacebuilding and income generating opportunities among youth groups in Bong and Lofa Counties.

Hon. Peter Bemah, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports for Technical and Vocational Education, who performed the official project launch rites, called upon young people of the two project Counties: Lofa and Bong to embrace the project and be positive agents of peace for sustaining the peace, fostering social cohesion and living side-by-side in unison. He pledged the Ministry’s commitment in making the project a success story as a basis for expansion to other at risk counties in Liberia.

Representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture, Gender, Labour and Youth and Sports and the Cooperative Development Agency (CDA) in their various remarks noted the timeliness of the project for Liberia’s youth in Bong and Lofa Counties. Bong County Gender Coordinator, Hon. Anita K. Rennie reinforced the importance of the project in his address, “Young people can only be able to foster peace and fight against violence when they are empowered with the essential skills and opportunities to be marketable” and this project is the right vehicle, he said. Youth Leader, Salala District in Bong County - Diggs K. Singbah, in his address highlighted the hardships faced by Liberian youths in accessing livelihood and productive opportunities, and expressed the hope that the project will help improve lives of young people by making them productive citizens.

Speaking on behalf of the ILO, Mr. Salif A. Massalay during his remarks emphasized the importance of the project and its expected results which he noted were in line with priorities of the ILO Decent Work Country Programme for Liberia; towards the acceleration of job recovery, decent and productive employment creation and sustaining enterprises; and enhancing and extending the coverage of social protection. He urged the beneficiaries to take this intervention very seriously and encouraged their active participation in the programmes.

Sustaining peace and improving social cohesion through the promotion of rural employment opportunities for youth in conflict-prone areas project

The primary purpose of the peace building project is to sustain peace and improve social cohesion through the reduction in youth vulnerability using the agricultural value chain, through their positive engagement in improved rice and vegetable production, poultry, and fish farming. It was developed against the backdrop of addressing two interlinked and interrelated causes of conflicts, namely:

1.       Insufficient participation of youth in local dispute resolution; and

2.       Lack of youth employment and livelihood opportunities;

The intervention is a team-driven effort which will be implemented by the Government of Liberia through the Ministries of Agriculture, Gender, Children and Social Protection, Labour and Youth and Sports in collaboration with, the United Nations agencies, ILO, FAO and WFP with support of the Liberia Multi Partner Trust Fund Secretariat (LMPTF) under the auspices of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office.

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For more information please contact:

Salif A. Massalay, ILO Liberia,
Tel. +231886497169/775768853,
E-mail: massalay@ilo.org