ANGIE BROOKS INT’L CENTER LAUNCHES MEDIATION MOBILE CLINIC
By: Oretha Bundoo
Liberia:The Angie Brooks International Center (ABIC) in partnership with the Women’s Situation Room (WRS) recently launched its first mediation mobile clinic under the theme: “the peace is in our hands, as they bring mediation to your door step”.
The program brought together scores of women Chiefs, men, elder, town chiefs, clan chiefs and superintendents specifically from Montserrado and Bong Counties.
The Mobile Clinic’s establishment comes following a major partnership between the Angie Brooks International Center, Global Liberia and the United Nation Peace Building specifically in all participant communities.
The project is based on sustainable and inclusive peace in Liberia through promoting women leadership and participation in civic and political life and the strengthened role in conflict resolution.
In an opening remark, the head of Angie Brooks Int’l Center, Cllr Yvette Chesson-Wureh indicated that
project is in twenty communities, ten in Montserrado County and another ten in Bong County simultaneously. The WRS is a non curtsey peace building that empowers eminent and gross root women in collaboration with youth to take ownership of peace processes in their communities before during and after elections. “I’m please to bring to your attention our priority funding which are crucial to the peace, security and stability of our beloved country, she noted.”
However, WRS recognition was created in 2011 in Liberia to prevent and mitigate incidences of violence as a country heading for the presidency and legislatives election, this was important as the interest of women and youth was not only in observation, but to go an extra mile to avoid and mitigate electoral violence.
Since this creation the Women Situation Room (WRS) it has played a major role in maintaining peace in Liberia and other six African countries namely: Sierra Leone, Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Ghana.
Following this report, Cllr Yvette Chesson-Wureh explained that in some of these countries, the WSR recognition has been implemented more than once as it’s effectiveness and efficiency in mitigating electoral violence, as the African union through the agenda and the agenda campaign G-max adopted this name in 2012 as the best practice and recommended this repetition in all African countries during election.
She further mentioned that the WSR believed that the basic violence practices against women during election process needs to be mitigated in every community that involved in peace building.
At the same time, ABIC’s Board Chair, Olubanke King-Akerele urged that women peace and security issues are crucial especially during elections period, and as such, the mobile clinic needs to be observed.
She mentioned that it is taking place within the context of Liberian women uniting once again the mass action for peace, “we started it two days ago; it was the mass action for peace that brought peace to the south region lead by the women of Liberia”.
Madam King-Akerele further asserted that
“Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia women were the once that united this process starting on the ground were the two people from Liberia that were given a noble peace price honor for what the Liberian women have done; in this light were former president of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Leymah Gbowee. Yesterday bishop kortu Brown head of the Liberia council churches spoke on the imperative of peace in the nation, she noted.”
According to her, violence against women is on the increase in some parts of the rural areas, as such; the need for urgent attention can’t be over emphasized. These countries are: Nimba county, Grand Gedeh county, Sinoe county and Lofa county is intrinsic.
