11 May 2010

Gbarnga, Liberia: Taking Liberia from its violent past into lasting development will take the commitment and cooperation of every stakeholder in the nation's future. But a gently guiding hand goes a long way towards bringing people together.

UNV volunteer Livingstone Kariuki describes his job as "assisting the Government in peacebuilding – to ensure that whatever the county officials are doing, the UN is a part of it." His work as a Civil Affairs Officer ranges from monitoring local government activities to building the capacity of local leaders through sharing ideas and expertise. He stresses that since the UN will one day leave Liberia, transferring this knowledge is essential.

A Kenyan national, Livingstone gained experience in Civil Affairs work during an assignment to Kosovo in 2000, where he assisted with elections. Having been involved in Liberia's 2005 elections too, he has been working as part of the UN team in Bong County since 2006. This experience gives him an in-depth insight into the region.

Livingstone stresses that his work is mainly about supporting officials in their day-to-day activities, whatever the obstacles. "Initially when we came in, there were a lot of logistical problems," he says. "Some of the officials didn't even have paper, and we even needed to help write letters for them. But by and large, although challenges persist, they now have most of the logistics needed for their functions."

Despite working for the United Nations Mission in Liberia, ostensibly a peacekeeping organization, Livingstone's work is about development. Having emerged from conflict, one of the biggest priorities in Liberia these days is its Poverty Reduction Strategy, which catalogues a three-year development agenda for the country.

Each sub-region, like Bong County, where Livingstone works, has its own development agenda to help it solve problems at the local level. The county needs advice in prioritizing needs- from roads and the local economy to education and health- which means interfacing regularly with everyone involved.

A monthly meeting facilitated by Livingstone unites all the interested partners in Bong County, which includes local Government, civil society, NGOs and the UN. Among these partners' achievements over the last few years, Livingstone cites their work with youth in particular.

"Many youth of course were combatants, and we are integrating them back into communities," he explains. "There are many things to take pride in, such as our support to Civil Society Organizations and peace clubs, plus the National Youth Volunteer Service (NYVS) managed by UNV and UNDP [see related article]."

Peace clubs are mainly based in high schools. They provide an intellectual platform for youth to discuss various problems that affect their well-being, says Livingstone, and help in solving conflicts and maintaining interaction. He remarks that dealing with things together and learning the importance of co-existence irrespective of tribal background in schools and communities is critical when it comes to preaching peace to others.

The impact of what Livingstone does in Bong becomes clearer when you join the monthly county meetings. If peace is about bringing people together, then here they all are – from Government officers to schoolteachers, youth leaders and community workers, as well as representatives from different agencies of the United Nations.

Many of the delegates speak up to celebrate the progress they have made with Livingstone and the UN's quiet guidance. "As youth, if we want Liberia to move forward from this stage, we have to volunteer our services," says Famatta Kieh, a volunteer Youth Peace Ambassador in a UNDP-UNV project to get youth involved in local peacebuilding.

"I want to praise Livingstone," added a Government official, "because he's put so much effort into helping us solve the issues that we face. We are achieving the capacity to rebuild and we need young people who have the competencies and skills."

It's ultimately about bringing all the actors together and building bridges through voluntary action. Part of this pride derives from Livingstone's ethic as a UNV volunteer. "I feel very good to be a volunteer," he remarks. "I play my part, and my work means promoting volunteerism."