Methodist Church Undertakes Conflict Resolution Initiative
By: Lewis K. Glay
Forum
Monrovia, Liberia
Distributed by
The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
The United Methodist Church, through its peace counseling entity- S. Edward Peal Center is one of many institutions currently initiating such drive to ensure a change of violence among Liberians after years of civil crisis.
The FORUM has gathered that the center is responsible for reconciliation,
healing and renewal of attitudes of Liberians who were being traumatized
as a result of the devastating conflict.
Located on 13th Street Sinkor, the Center held a four-day workshop from
10-13 January 2006 with the participation of 39 students from 13 United
Methodist learning institutions including J.J. Roberts and Arthur Kulah
United Methodist School.
The Center’s Director, Rev. Dr. Anthony G. Dioh, has disclosed that the entity is the counseling and psycho-social healing arm of the church.
According to him, the center was established since 1994 when some counselors and professionals from the United States held seminar with members of the Church aimed at training its first group of counselors in 1993.
Rev. Dr. Dioh also explained that the center is mandated to teach peace
education, psycho-social training as well as counseling at various United
Methodist owned schools in order to sway the youth from he ashes of war
through the methodology of conflict resolution.
According to him, the young people of present day Liberia have not known
peace since the war started; as such, they need counseling to learn the
non violent way of resolving issues.
For their part, the participants lauded the efforts of the center for organizing the workshop under the theme: Student Palava Management” and vowed to utilize the knowledge acquired in order to coexist in the new Liberia.
