The International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA) has officially launched “Peace Begins With Me” campaign in Liberia, aimed at promoting a peaceful electoral environment and educating the citizenry on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
On Saturday, August 26, 2023 at the Sinkor Palace Hotel in Monrovia, political parties, religious leaders as well as representatives of the National Elections Commission graced the official launch and the graduation and award presentation of IAWPA peace ambassadors.
At the ceremony, IAWPA presented and unveiled the “Peace Begins With Me” campaign in Liberia, an initiative of the United Nations Peace-Keepers 2023.
The “Peace Begins with Me” campaign recognizes the service and sacrifice of United Nations peacekeepers, past and present, and the resilience of the communities they serve.
Around the world, millions of people are suffering immense harm from conflict. Their lives are torn apart by death, destruction and displacement.
For 75 years, more than two million peacekeepers have worked to save and change lives in the world’s most fragile political and security situations. They are ordinary people working in difficult and dangerous conditions to help secure sustainable peace and progress, inspiring all peoples to take action for peace.
International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA) is an international civil society organization operating as a non-profit making entity with a global mandate to promote peace, and appoints Credible personalities whose lifestyles are anchored in promoting peace as eminent peace ambassadors across the 193 member states of the United Nations.
Following the recommendation by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs to United Nations Economic and Social Council, the Council on the 12th of June 2019, after considering their activities on Sustainable Development, granted Special Consultative Status to the International Association of World Peace Advocates.
The status has since then afforded the organization the opportunity to partner and collaborate with all United Nations agencies, funds, and programs to improve the workings of the United Nations anywhere in the world for peace and sustainable development. In addition to the ECOSOC Status, IAWPA is also an active participant of the United Nations Global Compact on Active Participant ID-Status 30511.
Making remarked and officially unveiling the “Peace Begins With Me” campaign, IAWPA Country Director, Ambassador Pastor Samm David, expressed excitement over the launch of the project, saying that it is the first of its kind in Liberia.
He also congratulated the new graduates, urging them to make significant impact with the training and teaching they have acquired.
“This is the first of its kind in Liberia, and we are grateful for that. Without peace, there will be no school, hospital, market and we will not sleep and wake up. Without peace we will have nothing to show. So, today we are putting all these men in office so that they can help us protect this vital peace,” he added.
Also speaking, His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Per Stafsen, World Peace President, said that he is grateful for the preparedness of all the graduates, adding that they are now ambassadors of peace. Therefore, they should champion peace.
“I want to thank the country director for promoting the aims of our organization in Liberia. We are in Liberia for the first time to kickstart the ‘Peace Begins With Me’. We can’t achieve the UN Sustainable Goals without peace. And so, I want you to know that this is the time of promoting peace,” he stated.
Twenty-three graduates of the International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA) have vowed to spread and uphold the message of peaceful election and co-existence, underescoring that they cannot afford to see Liberia return to the days of chaos.
According to the graduating class of 2023/2024, Liberia has gone through the taste of war, therefore they cannot sit and watch Liberia return to its ugly past, which claimed the lives of many.
The graduating class vowed to ensure that the “Peace Begins With Me” campaign, which is meant to protect Liberia and global peace, will be elevated and told to all Liberians.
IAWPA graduated over twenty-three Liberians as eminent peace ambassadors, and also presented peace advocates award and appointed some as eminent peace ambassadors. The graduation comes following an intensive year-long training in conflict mitigation, peaceful election, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).