04 December 2009

Monrovia, Liberia: Environmental action will be essential to Liberia's future despite the country's severe conflict recovery and development challenges, said student volunteer leaders today.

In the presence of UNV Executive Coordinator Flavia Pansieri, the Minister of Youth and Sports Etmonia Tarpeh, and the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Maria Threase-Keating, volunteers from five universities representing all of Liberia's counties held a simulated parliamentary debate on 'preserving Liberia's environment for future generations'.

Aimed at giving youth "hands-on exposure to parliamentary procedure, and the opportunity to have their views heard", the event took place at the Joint Chamber of the House of Representatives in Monrovia, the real-life venue of the elected Liberian parliament.

Supervised by student volunteers Samuel Cummins as Speaker and Kula V. Fofana as Deputy Speaker,  proceedings precisely mirrored the protocols of Liberia's actual governance process.

The students noted that while poverty, unemployment and corruption were "weapons of mass destruction for development in Liberia, Africa and the world", water and forestry management and the environmental hazards of mineral extraction were also major issues. Though Liberia was "a rich country" in terms of natural resources, noted one delegate, mining and deforestation were causing "health catastrophes" for rural dwellers.

"I see some 'firebrand politicians' among you delegates" said the Minister for Youth and Sports and called on the students to back up their talk with action too. She was echoed by the Deputy Resident Representative, who told the youth parliament to "be the change you want to see".

Ms. Pansieri joined them by reminding the assembly that it was through civic engagement like this that citizens could bring environmental issues to political attention. "Institutions and individuals can work together despite the challenges," she said. "I'm optimistic about the outcome at Copenhagen – because of people just like you."

Later in the day, she met with the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General (Rule of Law) at UNMIL headquarters, before going on to meet National Youth Volunteer Service coordinators and the Minister for Youth and Sports to discuss options for sustaining volunteer achievements in Liberia.