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. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from the Liberian Observer

Mariama H. Konneh, a young Liberian women’s rights advocate, has been selected to participate in the Global Peace Chain summit 2020 in Turkey. The summit, set for October 15 through 18, aims to provide a platform for young leaders to form partnerships, bring solutions, and theory on ways to reshape how the world response to the 2030 UN sustainable development Goals amid COVID-19.

Mariama H. Konneh, young Liberian women’s rights advocate

Konneh, a student of network engineering with a focus on systems administration at the Blue Crest University in Monrovia, says she has been involved with advocacy since she was a child during the heat of the civil war in my country during which children of all ages were raped, killed and forced into hard labor and fighting forces.

“Advocacy does not necessarily mean protest or agitation, but a way in which we add our peaceful voices to the problems we face nationally or globally to make our world a peaceful place for all humanity,” she says.  “Having witnessed multiple incidents of violence perpetrated against women in Liberia, I voluntarily joined the Paramount Young Women Initiative (PAYOWI) to support their work and add my voice on issues affecting women and girls in my country. I have 8 years of experience in community service, particularly working on gender equality and environmental protection campaigns.” 

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Konneh says she volunteers with many youth-led organizations in Liberia, including those involved with campaigns against rape, gender-based violence, corruption, and environmental pollution. Hers is a call to duty which she says, inspired by the words of former US President John F. Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.”

“I am so excited to participate in the Global Peace Chain,” she says. “This will bring so much pride to my country and inspiration to other young people working on the same causes I believe in. I will use the knowledge to conduct trainings around the country and pass-on the knowledge to many other young Liberians who wish to contribute to social change and peace. By transferring knowledge and skills gained from the Global Peace Chain, I hope to build a network of youth activists committed to non-violence advocacy and values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence.” 

The Global Peace Chain has more than 75 peace ambassadors from Liberia, including Konneh, who was selected as an ambassador in December 2018. The organization so far has more than 2,330 peace ambassadors in more than 130 countries around the world.

Established on July 2, 2018, Global Peace Chain is an international non-profit organization that empowers youth and reinforces the vitality of youth leadership and development through partnership-driven activities, Community service initiatives, and peace-building workshops. Global Peace Chain envisions to build resilience by cultivating a culture of tolerance, inclusivity, interfaith harmony, and co-existence through the contribution toward the UN SDGs, peace education, interactive sessions and peace talks with society stakeholders such as diplomats, religious scholars, and community-based groups/organizations. The Global Peace Chain is headquartered in the United States of America, with regional offices in Pakistan, Nepal, Burundi and Mauritius for reinforcing youth leadership and development.

The Global Peace Summit 2020 in Turkey serves as one of our initiatives to bring young leaders from diverse ethnic, religious and Professional backgrounds and empower them to continue developing young leaders and contributing to a culture of peace through the achievement of the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals.