-For Peacebuilding, Mediation, and National Unity
MONROVIA — The Cuttington University; the Liberian Institute for “Growing” Patriotism (LIGP) and the Angie Brooks International Centre for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security (ABIC); officially launched the Reverend William R. Tolbert III UNESCO Chair for Peace Building, Mediation, Conflict Resolution, Reconciliation & National Unity on May 21, 2026, at the Liberia Broadcasting System Theatre.
The UNESCO Chair represents Liberia’s first entry into the global UNESCO Chairs Programme. Cuttington University hosts the initiative as a joint undertaking with the Liberian Institute for “Growing” Patriotism (LIGP) and the Angie Brooks International Centre for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security (ABIC).
Dr. Romelle Horton, President of Cuttington University, delivered special remarks emphasizing the university’s role in advancing academic excellence and community engagement. Hon. Olubanke King-Akerelie, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, framed the initiative’s journey from vision to reality, highlighting years of collaborative groundwork.
The program featured brief remarks from several distinguished speakers. Cllr. Yvette Chesson Gibson, who serves as Executive Director of ABIC and Co-Chair of FemWise ECOWAS, addressed the gathering, as did Mrs. Henrietta Tolbert, wife of the late Rev. William R. Tolbert III. Hon. Christine Umutoni, the UN Resident Coordinator for Liberia, and Hon. Jarso Jallah, Minister of Education, also delivered remarks.
Dr. Rudolph Monsio Bropleh, Vice President of Cuttington University’s Graduate School, moderated the event. Bishop James Sellee of the Episcopal Church of Liberia offered the opening and closing prayers. Ms. Morgiana Natt, President of the Senior Class at CU Graduate School, assisted with welcoming remarks, and Ms. Effua McGowan, Executive Director of the CU Leadership Institute, delivered the vote of thanks.
International Recognition from Mali’s UNESCO Chair
Dr. Lalla Ben Barka, Holder of the UNESCO Chair at Université Kurukanfuga de Bamako in Mali, sent a formal message of congratulations. She wrote that this important achievement reflects Liberia’s commitment to education, research, dialogue, and international cooperation in addressing the pressing challenges facing societies today.
Ben Barka added that the establishment of this Chair opens new opportunities for cooperation between Malian and Liberian institutions, particularly in the promotion of peace, intercultural dialogue, youth empowerment, and the prevention of hate speech and violent extremism. She confirmed that Mali’s UNESCO Chair remains fully committed to joint initiatives with Liberia, and Dr. Brehima Tounkara serves as Co-Coordinator of the Malian Chair.
The newly inaugurated Chair honors the legacy of Reverend William R. Tolbert III. Three institutions jointly implement the initiative. Cuttington University provides the academic home and research infrastructure for the Chair and integrates peacebuilding curricula into graduate programs. The Liberian Institute for “Growing” Patriotism (LIGP) contributes programming that fosters civic responsibility, national identity, and ethical leadership among Liberian youth.
The Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC) brings expertise in women’s empowerment, leadership development, and international peace and security, leveraging its regional role as Co-Chair of FemWise ECOWAS. The partnership merges academic rigor, civic engagement, and gender-responsive peacebuilding. The Chair will train mediators, produce conflict resolution research, support reconciliation processes, and build national unity across Liberia and West Africa.
President Boakai’s administration has prioritized reconciliation and institutional capacity-building as central pillars of Liberia’s post-conflict development agenda, and the UNESCO Chair will operate as a research and training hub linking Liberian scholars with international peacebuilding networks. The event concluded with moderated audience engagement, which allowed participants to pose questions to speakers and explore practical pathways for the Chair’s implementation.
