MONROVIA – Ireland’s Ambassador to Liberia, Gerard Considine, has issued a powerful call for greater youth participation in Liberia’s peacebuilding and transitional justice processes, warning that sustainable peace cannot be secured if the country’s young people are left on the sidelines.
By Patience M. Jones
Speaking at the official launch of the PeaceGen Project in Monrovia, Ambassador Considine said Liberia’s future stability depends on empowering young people—particularly young women—to become active leaders, advocates and agents of change in shaping the country’s democratic future.
The PeaceGen Project, funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Embassy of Ireland, seeks to strengthen youth and women’s participation in peacebuilding, reconciliation, memorialization and transitional justice efforts across Liberia.
Addressing government officials, civil society actors, youth leaders, diplomats, and development partners gathered at the launch, Ambassador Considine described the initiative as a natural extension of Ireland’s longstanding commitment to supporting peace, justice and democratic governance in Liberia.
“It is an honor to join you today for the official launch of the PeaceGen Project,” Ambassador Considine said.
“Ireland is proud to co-fund this project alongside the European Union because we firmly believe that sustainable peace is built not only in government institutions but within communities, by the women and young people who are its primary guardians.”
At the heart of the Ambassador’s message was a strong appeal for meaningful youth inclusion in national decision-making and peacebuilding efforts.
Highlighting Liberia’s youthful population, where the majority of citizens are under the age of 35, Considine cautioned against excluding young people from conversations that will determine the country’s future.
“In a country where most of the population is under 35, we cannot afford to leave youth behind,” he declared.
According to the Irish diplomat, lasting reconciliation and transitional justice can only be achieved when young people are not treated as passive observers but are given the opportunity to serve as leaders and partners in national transformation.
“This project rightly recognizes that lasting transitional justice and reconciliation can only be achieved if young people are at the table—not as observers, but as leaders, advocates and agents of change,” he emphasized.
His remarks resonated strongly with the core objectives of the PeaceGen Project, which aims to engage thousands of young Liberians through leadership training, advocacy campaigns, intergenerational dialogue and peacebuilding initiatives.
Ambassador Considine also paid tribute to Liberian women, whose role in ending the country’s brutal civil conflict has earned international recognition.
He noted that Ireland has witnessed firsthand the impact of grassroots peacebuilding through years of support to community-based initiatives, including the Peace Huts established with support from UN Women.
“For years, Ireland has supported grassroots peacebuilding and has seen the extraordinary power of local women in preventing conflict and strengthening social cohesion,” he said.
However, he stressed that the responsibility for sustaining peace cannot rest on one generation alone.
According to Considine, PeaceGen takes Liberia’s successful women-led peacebuilding model a step further by investing in the next generation of peacebuilders, particularly young women whose voices have often been overlooked.
The Ambassador described the project as a critical bridge between Liberia’s painful past and its aspirations for a more just and peaceful future.
While acknowledging the country’s progress since the end of the civil war, he noted that unresolved grievances and demands for accountability continue to shape public discussions about justice and reconciliation.
“We believe this project will help bridge the gap between unresolved grievances of the past and the aspirations for justice in the future,” he said.
Considine further highlighted the project’s alignment with the global Youth, Peace and Security Agenda and Liberia’s ongoing efforts to advance transitional justice, including plans for the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court.
The Ambassador stressed that accountability and justice remain essential ingredients for lasting peace.
“Peace is not simply the absence of conflict,” he stated. “Peace must also be the presence of justice.”
Reaffirming Ireland’s partnership with Liberia, Ambassador Considine pledged continued support to both the Government of Liberia and civil society organizations working to strengthen peace, governance, and accountability.
He praised Kvinna till Kvinna, WONGOSOL, and the project’s implementing partners for their commitment to empowering women and youth and creating inclusive spaces for dialogue and reconciliation.
