By: Austin Fallah and Kla Wilson
Introduction:
Our country has a history, marred by prolonged civil war and political instability.
While the country has made significant strides towards peace, development, and infrastructure reconstruction woven into a democratic system, there are still underlying tensions and unresolved conflicts/disputes among individuals, ethnic groups, counties, communities, political entities, and others.
These underlying tensions continue to pose challenges to the long-term stability of the country on one hand and that of the various communities on the other.
In this context, it is significant to establish the Bureau of Conflict Mediation and Resolution (BCMR), which will play a pivotal role in fostering sustainable peace and reconciliation in Liberia.
Despite the holding of elections for the fourth time last year (2023), the remnants of conflicts/disputes still affect the socio-economic and political landscape of the country.
These conflicts/disputes include land, ethnicity, and politics, among others.
They often escalate due to the lack of effective mechanisms or the appropriate institution to help mediate and resolve them.
That is why it is vital to establish the BCMR, premised on the vision for a unified national consciousness and effective conflict/dispute and mediation resolution mechanisms, to sustain the peace, progress, and advance the prosperity of Liberia.
This bureau will serve as a central agency for promoting cultural unity, mediating, and resolving conflicts/disputes of varying forms and backgrounds while upholding local and international laws that bind the Liberian people to a shared destiny.
We are aware of the many challenges in the court system that sometimes prevent citizens from seeking remedy through the court, which leads to unresolved conflicts/disputes, with seething tensions among conflict parties.
Consequently, the establishment of the BCMR underscores and reinforces the idea that conflict/dispute can also be resolved without the involvement of the court system and that resolution may affect individuals, groups, communities, and the larger society positively.
This national infrastructure, which will be supported by the legal ecosystem, intends to serve as the alternative route for conflict parties to settle their conflicts/disputes outside of the court system, without creating an adversarial proceeding with protracted litigation.
Many conflicts/disputes in Liberia are deeply rooted in local communities, where traditional mechanisms for conflict resolution have weakened over time.
A well-structured and culturally sensitive approach to mediation will be integrated into the bureau’s structure to yield the expected outcome in conflicts/disputes that involve ethnic groups and communities, among others.
The history of our long civil strife and the resulting fractures and its societal erection create the urgent need for this establishment, which will nurture our national consciousness to address and resolve conflicts/disputes of many kinds that exist now and in the future, whether on a smaller or larger scale.
The past civil upheaval gives us insights as to how they may arise, and if not given the appropriate attention for adequate resolution, they could exacerbate and get out of control, with devastating consequences on lives and properties.
Currently, the past conflict’s consequences and aftermaths are still being felt after many years, and they add to the complexity of the fractures that society continues to experience.
According to research, while conflict parties may want to resolve their differences, the conflict also creates a “crisis mentality,” which is destructive because the conflict parties are quickly moved to ease the anxiety they get from the conflict.
As part of its overarching function, the BCMR will design a comprehensive and effective National Conflict and Dispute Resolution System (NCDRS), with varying functions, that will be tailored to the Liberian context and used to resolve conflicts/disputes arising among individuals, groups communities, etc.
This framework tool will help to advance our national mutual coexistence and consciousness.
Proposed Policy Objectives:
This proposed policy seeks to address many conflicts/disputes, arising among individuals, communities, ethnic groups, etc.
They affect the peaceful coexistence of people in various neighborhoods,
communities, villages, towns, cities, and society at large, and they may hurt how they conduct themselves during and after the resolution of the conflict/dispute.
It is noted that many conflicts/disputes are dynamic or reactive because the behavior of one conflict party subsequently affects the behavior of the other conflict party, which then changes the action of the first conflict party.
When this happens, it affects their coexistence in the community and the mediation process profoundly.
This BCMR proposed policy is to achieve the following objectives:
- To have an alternative approach to resolving conflict/dispute that supplements the court system.
- To mediate at various levels—community, regional, and national to promote reconciliation among conflict parties.
- To train local mediators and equip them with skills that will enable them to handle disputes effectively, ensuring a sustainable and community-driven approach to conflict/dispute resolution.
- To raise awareness about the importance of peacefully resolving conflict/dispute and promote policies that support the mediation process.
- To document conflict/dispute mediation and resolution processes and outcomes, to build a repository of knowledge that can inform future efforts and policies.
- To provide timely and effective resolutions to various conflicts/disputes through a well-designed NCDRS that outlines coordinated mediation and resolution processes.
- To promulgate and advance the values of national identity and consciousness among the Liberian populace through a coordinated and effective mediation process.
- To integrate cultural, traditional, local, and international laws to maintain peaceful communities.
Summary Functions of the BCMR:
The BCMR will function as a policy-oriented, operational, and conflict/dispute mediation resolution entity within the government structure of Liberia, focusing on but not limited to the following:
- To mediate at all levels, which includes community, regional, and national.
It is also to facilitate dialogue between conflict parties, negotiate a peaceful settlement, and ensure that agreements are honored by the conflict parties.
- To invest in the training of locally assigned mediators and community leaders in conflict resolution and mediation techniques.
Building local capacity to make certain that mediation efforts are sustainable and culturally appropriate.
- To design public education programs that raise and promote awareness about the benefits of mediation and conflict resolution processes.
- To promote Liberian culture, tradition, and history through mediation and resolution.
Through its education campaigns, it will promote a culture of peace to encourage conflict parties to seek mediation.
- To effectively resolve a conflict/dispute, it is quintessential to first understand the root cause and dynamic of the conflict/dispute for appropriate intervention.
- To conduct research, document case studies, and analyze trends to apply the appropriate strategies and interventions.
The Imperative to Establish the BCMR:
- To Prevent Conflict and Dispute: The bureau will design and provide a structured (NCDRS) with a proactive approach in the identification and mediation of any conflict/dispute before it escalates.
It will address it at an early stage to prevent a small conflict/dispute from becoming a major crisis.
- To Build Trust in Mediating and Resolving Conflict/Dispute:
The bureau will help to establish public trust in the mediation and resolution processes by demonstrating a high level of transparency, impartiality, and effectiveness, combined with some culturally appropriate methods of mediation and resolution.
It will be a trusted institution that conflict parties can turn to for fair, amicable, and peaceful resolution.
- To Foster Social Unity and Reconciliation: The bureau will go beyond mediation to heal wounds and rebuild strained relationships between conflict parties.
It will play a pivotal role in fostering reconciliation that will promote understanding and strengthen social unity.
- To Support Long-term Sustainable Development:
The bureau, through its well-designed NCDRS, will ensure that peace and stability are maintained as prerequisites for sustainable development.
The mitigation of conflicts/disputes will create a peaceful and harmonious society, with a conducive environment for economic development, investment, and social growth.
Conclusion:
The establishment of the Bureau of Conflict Mediation and Resolution (BCMR) will be a significant step towards addressing the country’s simmering conflicts/disputes among communities, groups, individuals, political institutions, etc., to build a foundation for peaceful coexistence.
It will encourage positive dialogue, promote reconciliation, and empower communities and other groups to utilize this alternate route to resolve their conflicts/disputes.
The BCMR stands to help as an effective institutional structure for a stable and harmonious Liberian society.
The bureau will function with a well-designed NCDRS, erected with an effective institutional framework and structure, with the participation of the community.
It presents a promising transformation for Liberia’s mediation and resolution efforts and strategies to make certain that conflict communities can emerge as peaceful communities for mutual coexistence.
Note: This article is only intended to create awareness for the establishment of the BCMR.
The detailed policy document is being developed to present to key stakeholders and policymakers for timely consideration.
About the authors:
Austin S. Fallah: Just to name a few: Attended the University of Liberia, University of Minnesota, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, University of St. Thomas, Hamline University, Hamline University School of Law, University of St.Catherine (St.Kate), and Harvard University.
Accepted at the University of St. Thomas Law School, Accepted at Boston University Law School, Accepted at the University of Texas CyberSecurity Graduate Program.
He has over thirty years of experience in accounting and finance leadership in the private and public sectors in Liberia and the United States.
He also has hands-on experience in the security sector of the United States of America.
He is a public policy, diplomacy, finance, software, legal mind, and economics expert.
A writer, columnist, contributing writer, researcher, academician, intellectualist, conflict revolutionist, negotiationist, family man, and unifier.
Kla Wilson has a Master’s in Organizational Leadership, a Master’s in Educational Leadership, and a Master’s in the Study of Law, with a concentration in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from Hamline University.
He is also a candidate for a Master’s in Public Policy at the University of Saint Thomas.
He has worked in different areas for many years and has vast experience, especially in human resources.
He is currently a consultant and CEO of Leadworks Consulting.
He specializes in Organization Leadership Development, Strategic HR Management, and Training.
He develops policies in the areas of HR, leadership, conflict and mediation resolution, and business contracts.
