ECOWAS is urging all Liberians to take national ownership of consolidating their peace.
The regional body said all Liberians must desist from divisive tendencies, including ethnic and tribal discrimination which have the propensity to disrupt the peace that Liberians have committed to for the past 19 years.
In a press statement issued on yesterday, September 21, 2022, during the celebration of the International Day of Peace in Monrovia, the ECOWAS commission said, “We stand in solidarity with the call to end racial discrimination and its adverse effects on human dignity.”
The sub-regional body called on citizens to observe the global Peace Day with the rest of the world under the theme: “End Racism. Build Peace” to build a culture of peace at home and abroad.
“On behalf of the ECOWAS Commission, the Office of the Resident Representative of the President of ECOWAS Commission in Liberia wishes Liberia, a ‘Happy International Day of Peace’,” the press statement said.
“To build sustainable peace, Liberians should nurture consensus building, social cohesion, civic engagements, dialogue, and nation building as we approach the 2023 General and Presidential elections and beyond. Liberia’s peace is an integral part of regional peace and stability. ECOWAS and its partners remain committed companions in Liberia’s peace-building journey,” the statement added.
The International Day of Peace is devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace through observing 24 hours of non-violence and a ceasefire around the world.
The original idea behind this day was to encourage the promotion of peace and the ending of violence and hostilities and as therefore its significance has expanded to focusing on using the day as a stage for creating awareness and promoting advocacy on building peace.
Specifically, emphasis is placed on how the world can work collectively to ensure sustainable and just peace that promotes not only the end of war and violence but addresses human rights, seeking justice, discouraging impunity, and addressing the human security needs of all.
