Young leaders from six counties across Liberia gathered at the Liberian Learning Center for a two-day Civil Society Organization (CSO) Capacity Building Training Workshop aimed at strengthening youth participation in monitoring, tracking, and reporting on the ARREST Agenda.
The workshop, held from March 21-22, 2025, was organized by the Youth Development Agency (YDA) with budgetary support from the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The event convened representatives from the Liberian Senate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, civil society organizations (CSOs), youth-led groups, and community-based initiatives. Discussions focused on enhancing youth engagement in governance, fostering accountability, and ensuring effective implementation of national development priorities.
Delivering the keynote address, Deputy Minister for Budget and Development Planning, Tanneh Bruson, emphasized the critical role of young people in promoting accountability, transparency, and good governance. He underscored the importance of youth-led organizations serving as watchdogs to ensure the successful implementation of the ARREST Agenda, which focuses on Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation, and Tourism.
"The future of Liberia depends on the active participation of its young people in governance and development processes," Minister Bruson stated. "By tracking and reporting on the ARREST Agenda, youth-led CSOs can drive meaningful change and ensure that commitments made by policymakers are fulfilled."
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Liberia's Ambassador to Guinea, Amb. Forka Gizzie, lauded the Youth Development Agency for organizing the initiative and urged young people to serve as agents of change in their communities. He stressed the significance of local efforts in achieving national development goals and encouraged participants to take ownership of the ARREST Agenda through community-driven monitoring and advocacy.
Lawrence Yealue, Country Director of Accountability Law, noted that the training was designed to equip participants with practical skills in data collection, policy analysis, and advocacy strategies. Sessions covered key areas such as social accountability, digital monitoring tools, and grassroots engagement techniques to enhance youth effectiveness in tracking national development initiatives.
Participants expressed enthusiasm about the knowledge gained, pledging to strengthen community engagement, promote evidence-based advocacy, and enhance collaboration among youth-led CSOs to hold policymakers accountable.
For his part, Robert K. Gboluma Jr., Executive Director of the Youth Development Agency, reaffirmed the agency's commitment to empowering young people through capacity-building initiatives, ensuring they play a leading role in shaping Liberia's development trajectory.
The ARREST Agenda is a national development framework that prioritizes Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation, and Tourism, aiming to drive sustainable growth and socio-economic transformation in Liberia.
