MONROVIA — Liberia’s efforts to consolidate peace, advance transitional justice, and empower a new generation of leaders received a major boost on Tuesday with the official launch of the PeaceGen Project, a European Union-funded initiative designed to strengthen the participation of women and young people in peacebuilding, reconciliation, memorialization, and accountability processes across the country.
The launch, held at the Cape Hotel in Mamba Point, brought together senior government officials, diplomats, civil society actors, youth leaders, women’s organizations, development partners, and peace advocates, all united around a common goal: ensuring that Liberia’s hard-won peace is sustained through inclusion, justice, and active citizen participation.
Implemented by the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation in partnership with the Women NGO Secretariat of Liberia (WONGOSOL), the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL), the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL), the Alliance for Peace, Justice and Human Rights (APJHR), and the National Young Women Political Council of Liberia (NYWPCL), the project will run from January 2026 to January 2029 in Bomi, Bong, Montserrado, Nimba, and Sinoe Counties.
Funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Embassy of Ireland, PeaceGen aims to directly benefit more than 5,000 Liberians while creating opportunities for over 2,500 young people to engage in leadership, advocacy, dialogue, and peacebuilding initiatives.
Remembering the Past While Building the Future
Delivering the welcome remarks, Korto Williams, Country Director of Kvinna till Kvinna Liberia, emphasized that Liberia’s journey from conflict to peace remains deeply rooted in both painful memories and remarkable resilience.
Williams called for a moment of silence in honor of those who lost their lives during Liberia’s civil war and subsequent crises, reminding participants that the nation’s peace cannot be taken for granted.
Reflecting on the wartime checkpoints that once symbolized fear and uncertainty, she noted that they serve as powerful reminders of what happens when trust collapses, justice is absent, and institutions fail.
“Today, those checkpoints stand in contrast to what we are trying to build—a society where movement, opportunity, and dignity are guaranteed through peace and justice,” Williams said.
She praised the women who mobilized for peace during the war and the young people who rejected violence as their future, stressing that the responsibility now rests on the current generation to sustain the progress made since the conflict ended.
Williams said PeaceGen arrives at a critical moment in Liberia’s democratic journey, where issues of inclusion, justice, accountability, and trust remain central to national development.
Presenting the project overview, Agiechie Comfort Baysah, Program Manager at Kvinna till Kvinna, described PeaceGen as a regional initiative being implemented in Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau.
She said the project is grounded in the belief that young people are not merely future leaders but essential peace actors today.
According to Baysah, PeaceGen seeks to strengthen sustainable national capacities for youth engagement in peacebuilding and transitional justice while advancing the global Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda outlined under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250.
The initiative will focus on four strategic pathways: capacity building and community engagement, intergenerational learning and dialogue, youth and women-led advocacy, and youth- and gender-responsive media engagement.
Under the project, young people will be trained as Youth Peace and Security champions, participate in regional peace forums, engage in creative advocacy campaigns, and lead community-based initiatives aimed at preventing conflict and promoting reconciliation.
Baysah also highlighted the project’s commitment to strengthening media institutions by supporting conflict-sensitive reporting and increasing the production of youth- and gender-responsive content.
She emphasized that PeaceGen is designed to complement—not duplicate—existing peacebuilding efforts and will work closely with the Office for the Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court (OWECC-L), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UN Women, community peace structures, and relevant government ministries.
Speaking on behalf of the Liberia Peacebuilding Office, Executive Director Sheikh S. S. Kamara described the project as timely and fully aligned with Liberia’s national peacebuilding priorities.
Kamara argued that young people are too often viewed as security risks instead of assets capable of driving positive change.
“This project flips that narrative,” he said. “Young people are not only future leaders; they are leaders now.”
He noted that youth can play critical roles in preventing violence in schools, communities, marketplaces, and digital spaces.
Kamara also emphasized the importance of gender-responsive peacebuilding, noting that conflicts affect women and men differently and that sustainable peace requires addressing the root causes of instability rather than merely treating its symptoms.
He pledged the Peacebuilding Office’s support in linking project beneficiaries to county peace committees, early-warning systems, and community peacebuilding structures.
Representing the European Union Delegation to Liberia, Governance Team Leader Anna Brzozowska underscored the significance of empowering women and youth as central actors in peacebuilding and democratic governance.
She noted that peace is often discussed through institutions and agreements but becomes meaningful only when people feel heard, valued, and included.
“Peace becomes real when trust begins to return, when painful truths are not ignored, and when the next generation believes it has a place in building the future,” Brzozowska said.
She praised Liberia’s resilience and acknowledged the leadership demonstrated by civil society organizations, women, and young people in maintaining peace since the end of the civil war.
According to her, the PeaceGen Project seeks to create space for dialogue, accountability, remembrance, and reconciliation while ensuring that women and youth are placed at the center of national conversations about peace and justice.
“Transitional justice is not only about the past—it is about the future,” she emphasized.
Representing Justice Minister Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh, Legal Counselor Cllr. Alben Greaves reaffirmed the Ministry of Justice’s commitment to supporting the PeaceGen initiative and advancing broader national efforts toward justice and reconciliation.
Drawing from a traditional Liberian proverb, Greaves explained that peace remains vulnerable unless deliberate efforts are made to sustain it.
“We cannot discuss peace without reconciliation. We cannot discuss peace without conflict management. And we cannot discuss peace if we fail to discuss how to sustain it,” he said.
Greaves highlighted ongoing government efforts to establish the War and Economic Crimes Court and a National Anti-Corruption Court while strengthening Liberia’s national security architecture.
He also stressed the importance of using social media and digital platforms to engage young people in peacebuilding and civic education initiatives.
Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister Gbeme Horace-Kollie described the PeaceGen Project as an initiative that embodies hope for Liberia and reflects the country’s determination to build a peaceful and just society.
The Minister praised Kvinna till Kvinna for its longstanding partnership with the government and for consistently integrating women and youth into peacebuilding efforts.
She stressed that women and young people should not be viewed merely as beneficiaries of peace but as its architects.
“Our youth represent the energy, creativity, and innovation that can transform communities and bridge divisions,” she said.
Horace-Kollie expressed confidence that the project would create meaningful platforms for young women and men to participate in dialogue, reconciliation, and transitional justice processes.
She also highlighted the role of community Peace Huts and women-led initiatives in sustaining peace across Liberia, urging all stakeholders to ensure that youth voices remain central to ongoing transitional justice efforts.
Irish Ambassador Gerard Considine said Ireland is proud to partner with the European Union in supporting the PeaceGen Project as part of its long-standing commitment to peace and governance in Liberia.
The Ambassador noted that Ireland has witnessed firsthand the impact of grassroots peacebuilding through its support for women-led Peace Huts and local mediation initiatives.
He emphasized that peace cannot be sustained by one generation alone and that young people must play a leading role in shaping Liberia’s future.
“In a country where the majority of the population is under the age of 35, we cannot afford to leave young people behind,” Considine said.
He added that lasting reconciliation and transitional justice can only succeed if young people are not treated as observers but as active leaders and agents of change.
The Ambassador also noted that PeaceGen complements national efforts toward establishing the War and Economic Crimes Court and advancing Liberia’s broader accountability agenda.
