Peace & Cultural Festival
Gbarnga, Bong County
March 2-4, 2006

The Liberia Media Project hosted a Peace and Cultural Festival in Gbarnga, Bong County from March 2-4, 2006. The festival brought together traditional communicators, community residents, local government officials and other stakeholders, in sharing their understanding of the conflict and their approaches to finding and sustaining amicable resolution measures. Participants came from Gbarpolu, Bong, Nimba and Lofa Counties. A troupe also came in from neighboring Guinea.

Participants presented their culture and tradition through music, drama, dance and food. They also shared their traditional history, especially as it has to do with conflict resolution measures. There were as well closed interactions between elected officials and participants from their respective counties. This was meant to signal means through which citizens can be involved in the process of good governance.

There was also the opportunity for leaders from various local government units to get to collaborate with their counterparts, and to seek a clearer understanding of why one community succeeds in a given situation, when others are failing.

A similar event was held in Fish Town, River Gee County in February 2005. Then, the Liberia Media Project hosted Dan Smith, Secretary General of International Alert and a delegation from the West African Civil Society Forum.

More than three thousand persons attended any stage of the festival. An inspiring keynote address was delivered by the acknowledged Liberian academic, diplomat and historian, Professor Joseph Saye Guannu, Director of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution at the Cuttington University.

Professor Guannu called upon the audience to think about the cause of the conflict as the means of sustaining the peace. He glossed over various scenes of conflict in contemporary Liberia, and noted that only knowledge of the cause of the conflict can provide a good approach to its resolution.
Professor Guannu also recalled how people from various parts of Liberia had lived together in peace for many years, and noted that the goodness of Liberian tradition, which kept such peace can also be utilized in making and preserving peace in present day Liberia.

Other remarks at the event were heard from Bong County Superintendent Daniel Weetol, International Alert’s West Africa Manager Lulsegged Abebe, Gen. Zia, Commander of UNMIL Sector 3, Assistant Information Minister for Culture Jailee Quiee and Bong County Senator Franklin Siakor.

Local government representatives and legislators came in from Bong, Lofa and Nimba Counties.