The African Youth Fellowship Liberia (AYF) has officially launched its Digital Empowerment for Peacebuilding and Advocacy program, an initiative designed to equip young Liberians with essential digital skills to promote peace and strengthen advocacy. Organized in partnership with YMCA Liberia under the Youth Peacebuilding Initiative and funded by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the program aims to transform youth and civil society organizations’ approach to peacebuilding throughout Liberia.
At the launch event, Moses Buwee, Founder and Executive Director of AYF Liberia, emphasized the organization’s commitment to its core pillars: peacebuilding, human rights, youth empowerment, and advocacy. “These pillars are the foundation of AYF’s mission,” Buwee said. “Our goal is to inspire young people to take active roles in creating a peaceful, progressive Liberia.”
The Digital Empowerment for Peacebuilding and Advocacy initiative is designed to empower youth and civil society organizations (CSOs) through three key objectives: providing digital skills training to enhance their peacebuilding and advocacy capabilities, developing digital content and campaigns that promote social cohesion, and establishing an online community that fosters continued dialogue on peace-related issues. He said this comprehensive approach aims to equip young Liberians with the digital tools and platforms necessary to actively engage in creating a peaceful and united society. As part of the project, AYF will establish two e-libraries in Montserrado County, located in the Fiamah and 12th Street communities, within districts #8 and #9. These e-libraries will serve as vital resources for young people, enabling them to conduct research, collaborate on peaceful content, and deepen their understanding of critical issues related to Liberia’s development and unity.
“These e-libraries are spaces for young Liberians to gather information, exchange ideas, and create contents that reflect our commitment to peace and unity,” Buwee said. “This is an opportunity for youth to shape Liberia’s future through informed, constructive dialogue.”
In his address, Buwee urged young people to be champions of peace rather than violence in their communities. “If we want Liberia to move forward, we must prioritize dialogue and peaceful coexistence,” he observed.
Amanda K. Armah, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at YMCA Liberia, commended AYF Liberia for spearheading the initiative. Addressing participants, she emphasized the power of technology in shaping knowledge and influence. “If you have access to technology, you have access to the world,” she stated, encouraging participants to utilize the e-libraries as rich sources of knowledge. “The e-library will provide accurate information to support your arguments in debates, and it will reduce the stress of data costs when completing assignments. You don’t need internet data to access it—just the center’s code,” she stated.
Armah further explained how the platform could serve as a tool for promoting peace. “The e-libraries will help young people create peaceful, accurate contents that contribute to constructive discourse,” she added.
Representing the community, Grace Kollie of 12th Street community expressed gratitude for the project. She noted that the initiative would greatly benefit students and residents, especially those from nearby Tubman High School. “We’re thrilled about this e-library because it will help us so much, and the best part is there’s no internet required—just the access code,” Kollie said. “Thank you to AYF Liberia and YMCA Liberia for this invaluable resource.”