Liberia has experienced two civil wars, one from 1989 to 1997, and the other from 1999 to 2003. The wars killed a total of between 150,000 and 200,000 people, and to this day, Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has failed to implement many recommendations, such as banning perpetrators from public office.
A recent summit held in Liberia helped to educate young people about transitional justice, human rights, and reconciliation. The summit, held in Margibi County in November 2025, was organized by the Office for the Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court (OWECC-L) in collaboration with UNICEF Liberia.
The summit gathered over 150 students from more than ten schools to bring them into Liberia’s ongoing conversation about accountability, reconciliation, and national healing. Through lectures, workshops, and storytelling, students delved into the history of Liberia’s civil conflicts and the country’s current efforts to establish the War and Economic Crimes Court (WECC) and the National Anti-Corruption Court.
During the summit, students engaged in discussions with legal professionals, human rights advocates, and university interns from the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, who served as mentors and trainers, Liberian Observer reported.
Dr. Cllr. Jallah A. Barbu, Executive Director of OWECC-L, described the summit as part of a national strategy to ensure inclusivity in Liberia’s transitional justice process, particularly for children who were either victims, or indirect witnesses of war. “Our mandate is to ensure that every Liberian—including children—is engaged, consulted, and heard in this process,” he told The News. “Many of today’s young people did not experience the war firsthand, but they live with its legacy. Educating them about our history and empowering them to promote peace is essential to preventing future conflicts.”
The Ministry of Justice’s Deputy Minister for Administration Councilor Cora Hare Konuwa discussed how the trauma of conflict, which many young people continue to endure. She recounted the 1989 civil war, and the disastrous impact of using young people in conflicts.
“Young people were often used because of their energy and influenceability,” she said. “That is why you must now be part of the accountability process to make sure such tragedy never happens again.”
The initiative, Dr. Barbu noted, also reflects the implementation of Executive Orders No. 131 and 148, which originate from Joint Resolution 001/2024—the legal framework guiding the creation of the new courts. For Barbu, engaging young people is a deliberate effort to foster intergenerational dialogue and civic responsibility in a country still healing from decades of division.
Mohammed El-dust Fahnbulleh, representing the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR), stressed that ongoing advocacy for youth can help keep Liberia moving towards peace and reconciliation. He praised OWECC-L and UNICEF for amplifying youth voices in national conversations on justice.
“We must not allow resistance from policymakers to silence the call for justice. Go back to your communities and tell your leaders, you support the court, and you want transparency, fairness, and accountability,” said Fahnbulleh.
As the program expands beyond Montserrado and Margibi Counties, organizers envision a national network of youth ambassadors leading dialogues in classrooms and communities—spreading the message about Liberia’s war legacy, human rights, and peacebuilding.
Peace News Network (PNN) has written in the past about efforts to empower youth for peace in Liberia. In September 2025, we published an article on how peace camps have been empowering Liberian youth to envision a different future. In July 2025, 50 young people from Liberia’s Maryland and Grand Kru communities gathered in Monrovia for the ninth Annual Peace Through Fair Play (PTFP) Youth Camp, organized by the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa (GPFA).
For a week, the youth participated in activities teaching them to build a more peaceful Liberia. These activities included: visiting an ice-cream factory to learn about entrepreneurship; attending a service by a pastor about “walking in purpose and peace;” a session on understanding conflict and root causes of the civil wars; a session on effective communication; and a community-building workshop led by Nobel Peace Laureate Madam Leymah Bgowee. To read the full article, click here.
Keywords: Liberia, youth, transitional justice, summit, Margibi County, OWECC-L, UNICEF, peace, conflict, conflict resolution, Office for the Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court, National Anti-Corruption Court
Tara Abhasakun
Tara Abhasakun is Peace News Network (PNN)'s managing editor. She is journalist based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and formerly in Bangkok, Thailand. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
