Dr. Gbaba Calls for Inclusive Approach to Liberia’s Peace-building
MONROVIA, LIBERIA — August 31, 2026: Liberian playwright, educator, cultural advocate and peacebuilding expert Dr. Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr., Ed.D., has called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. to ensure that Liberia’s renewed peacebuilding and cultural revival efforts are inclusive, participatory and rooted in Liberia’s own history and traditions.
Dr. Gbaba made the call in a communication to President Boakai following reports that a Liberian delegation is visiting Rwanda and South Africa to study their approaches to peace, reconciliation and cultural preservation. While welcoming the President’s initiative, Dr. Gbaba said Liberia can learn valuable lessons from both countries but should not simply “copy and paste” foreign models into the Liberian context.
He argued that Liberia must first engage victims and survivors of the civil conflict, traditional leaders, elders, young people, historians, cultural practitioners and professionals in areas including culture, education, anthropology, law and peacebuilding.
Calls for Internal Consultation
Dr. Gbaba said a genuine national peace-building process should begin with an assessment of Liberia’s own history and traditional conflict-resolution practices. He stressed that Liberia’s diverse cultural and ethnic communities must have a meaningful voice in the reconciliation process, adding that solutions developed for Rwanda or South Africa may not necessarily address Liberia’s unique historical and cultural circumstances.
The cultural advocate also disclosed that Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI) previously submitted a proposal to President Boakai offering its expertise in culture, education, peace-building and national unity. According to Dr. Gbaba, the proposal outlines ways DATI can assist the government in strengthening Liberia’s peace-building process and promoting a cultural renaissance.
He therefore urged the administration to consult qualified Liberian professionals and organizations with decades of experience before finalizing its national cultural and reconciliation framework.
“Learn From Others, But Build a Liberian Solution”
Dr. Gbaba emphasized that international experiences should serve as lessons rather than templates. He encouraged President Boakai to ensure that future committees and national delegations reflect Liberia’s diversity, history, professional expertise and generational perspectives.
Despite his concerns, Dr. Gbaba described the President’s peace-building initiative as an important opportunity to address Liberia’s cultural and reconciliation challenges. He reaffirmed his willingness, through DATI, to work with the government and other stakeholders to promote peace, national unity, cultural preservation, reconciliation and youth development.
“We cannot simply copy and paste what took place in Rwanda or South Africa. We must learn from them and adapt what is relevant to Liberia’s unique history and culture,” Dr. Gbaba maintained.