-Leymah Gbowee urges first-time voters
2011 Nobel Peace Laureate Madam Leymah Gbowee has urged potential first-time voters including the public not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to cause chaos and disrupt the country's peace.
"Do not allow yourselves to be used by any political groupings. Peace is for your future, peace is not just an individual's thing," she said Monday, 7 August 2023 at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Oldest Congo Town.
Ggowee's message to first-time voters came on the second day of a peace dialogue held under the auspices of the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa in collaboration with the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development, MADRE, and the African Women Development Fund (AWDF) for women leaders and aspirants.
At the end of the dialogue, Gbowee told a team of reporters that peace is about the future of the young people and it is about the future of Liberia.
"So this is my message that we should all conduct ourselves peaceably during these elections," said Madam Gbowee.
Over the last two days, she said they have been having conversations about some of the challenges to the sustenance of peace in Liberia.
"So we want the message of peace to be in the various counties. For example, I am from Bong and not a Monrovia girl, so some of the messages from the manifesto, I will try with my little Kpelleh and put it in the local language and send [it] to the radio stations to say Madam Gbowee says peaceful election is important," she noted.
The 2011 noble laureate added that one of the key components of their conversation is how religious institutions can use their platforms.
"We are going to be engaging with some churches to say at least two minutes every Sunday we are going to read our message," she noted.
Madam Gbowee detailed that they will also be engaging with the Imams to read the message for one or two minutes to their congregation to say this is what the women want.
She said encouraging people isn't something strange to her, noting that it's like what she was made to do.
"I think it is important for all of us to be messengers of peace, from the media to peace activists, to politicians. This is not a moment for us to relax as Liberians," she noted.
