I was fortunate to have represented iLab Liberia at the first ever Atrocity Prevention Workshop of the Early Warning & Early Response (EWER) Working Group organised by the Peacebuilding Office in partnership with Peace Direct, a UK based organization which aims to support local action against conflict. The EWER Working Group is comprised of civil society organizations, government agencies, UN agencies and other international partners working on issues of peace building and conflict prevention.
This three days (September 5-7, 2013) interactive workshop held at the county office of National Elections Commissions in Buchanan city, Grand Bassa County, taught participants ways to develop community based approach to atrocity prevention. The facilitator, Roland Clarke also drilled participants through a series of sessions that will help them create a link between Atrocity Prevention and Local First, a development approach that looks first for the capacity within countries before bringing in external expertise and resources.
In conflict zones worldwide, local people are building peace, stopping violence, saving live and healing their own communities. I believe that if the "Local First" approach can be employ by the Government, International NGOs, and other peace and development actors, the local heroes (ordinary Liberians) can play a pivotal role in sustaining the peace that the Liberian society currently enjoys.
Luther D. Jeke
Training Director
*iLab_Liberia
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