This latest version of DUCOR DEBATE which sat at the Parker Paint
Community Junction in Paynesville City outside Monrovia recently
gathered as guest panelists, U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, H.E. Linda
Thomas Greenfield, the Establishment Coordinator of the Angie Brookes
International Center Cllr. Yvette Chesson Wureh, Former Planning and
Economic Affairs Minister, Amelia Ward, Liberian Women Activist, Ruth
Caeser, Federation of Liberian Youths President Prince Korvah and
Paramount Young Women Executive Director, Kulah Fofannah.

Opening the panel discussions, the establishment coordinator of the
Angie Brookes International Center , Cllr. Chesson Wureh told
hundreds of youths in the audience that maintaining Liberia’s peace
and current progress was in their best interest as in her words, “
the generation of the 1990’s had been grossly abused and disadvantaged
by violence”. Cllr. Wureh said Liberia was destroyed by years of
civil which major conduit of violence was the youth sector.

She appealed to youths to youths on all sides of the political divides
in the country’s current electoral process to avoid being used for
violence of any kind as a means settling disputes arising out of the
elections.

For U.S. Ambassador, Linda Thomas Greenfield, she denounced claims of
fraud by the opposition saying the first round of the elections were
free fair and transparent. Greenfield said the fact that the elections
even had to go for a run-off between the incumbent and the opposition
points to fair play in the process. The U.S. Ambassador using other
countries as hypothetical cases of elections rigging mentioned that
incumbents would have 70—90 % win over the opposition. She said
International and local observers had declared the elections as free
and fair and she wouldn’t doubt them, describing such observers as
credible.

The other panelists, Former Ministers, Olubankie King Akerele and
Amelia Ward, Women Activist, Ruth Caeser, Youth Activists, Kulah
Fofannah and Prince Korvah said youths should use the proper channels
to deal with grievances especially during and after these elections.
The courts they said was the constitutional and best way to go. As
usual, the broadcast of the deliberations from the latest DUCOR
DEBATES has begun and is continuing on our partner network of 42
National and Community Electronic Media outlets across Liberia.
THE LMI FIGHTING TO SUSTAIN LIBERIA’S DEMOCRACY.

JOHN O. KOLLIE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Monrovia Liberia…Friday. August 26, 2011… The Liberia Media Initiative
for Peace Democracy and Development (LMI) announces the conduct of the
latest edition of its media and Community Outreach blended public
Interactive forum, the DUCOR DEBATES with focus on the achievements
and failures of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf led Government.

Today’s DUCOR DEBATES forum features as panelists, Veteran Liberian
Politician and Presidential Aspirant, Dr. Togbah Nah Tipoteh, Deputy
Information Ministers, Norris Tweh and Jerilimic Piah and National
Democratic Coalition, NDC National Campaign Coordinator, Civicus
Barsegiah.

The forum which leads the LMI’s transition from its focus on the just
held National referendum to other governance and policy issues in the
country seeks to zero in on the achievements, challenges and failures
of the closing six reign of Africa’s first woman president Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf.

The panelists per tradition of the DUCOR DEBATES will deliver three
minutes presentation each on the topic: “The Achievements and failures
of the Ellen Sirleaf led Government which out-weigh the others”

The latest DUCOR DEBATES comes less than four months to Liberia’s next
general and presidential elections which timing will be determined by
the result of the just concluded National Referendum and it’s aimed at
scrutinizing the performance of the government in a balanced way.

As ever the audience will interact with the panelists through
questions, concerns and suggestions and deliberations will
subsequently be broadcast on LMI’s partner Network of 42 National
Community radios across Liberia in addition to two TV stations..

THE LMI. FIGHTING TO HELP SUSTAIN LIBERIA’S DEMOCRACY, JOIN IN AND SUPPORT US.

JOHN O. KOLLIE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

LiberiaMedia Initiative for Peace,

Democracy and Development

_______________________________________
13^th Street,  Sinkor Methodist Compound

Monrovia, Liberia

Email: Liberia.mediainitiative@gmail.com  jkollie2001@yahoo.com
Cell: +23177005347   +2316513080

                                         LMI PRESS RELEASE

     LMI  LAUNCHES PLAN LIBERIA SPONSORED REFUGEE CHILD SENSITIVE  RADIO PROGRAM SERIES

 Monrovia Liberia…Sat. August 20, 2011… The Liberia Media Initiative for Peace Democracy and Development (LMI) and Plan International Liberia have launched three months of  weekly media campaigns on Plan Liberia’s work with Ivorian refugee communities in Grand Gedeh and Nimba Counties.

 Under the media campaign, a series of radio programs, 30 minute each in length are magazine style featuring voices of Ivorian refugee children, their parents, host communities and organizations working with them…The 30 minute program is a blend of interviews and drama in basic simple Liberian English and French translation produced and presented by LMI’s training child broadcasters under its child sensitive program, “FOCUS ON THE FUTURE”.

 The weekly program series under LMI’s radio program named and styled “FOCUS ON THE FUTURE” is gathering contents in Ivorian refugee communities in Grand Gedeh and Nimba Counties of mainly refugee children and their welfare.

 The campaign  include a video version of “FOCUS ON THE FUTURE” and radio and print news clippings. The campaign involves the deployment of LMI reporters in the areas of refugee settlements in Grand Gedeh and Nimba Counties for the gathering of contents for production back at LMI’s Studio Democracy or Studio-D in Monrovia.

 The program series is being broadcast on LMI’s partner radio and TV stations across Liberia but with focus on  Grand Gedeh and Nimba Counties. The main radios broadcasting the LMI radio program series for Plan International Liberia are the following:

MONROVIA

1…Truth FM 96.1

2…Sky FM 107

3…Veritas FM 97.8

4…Fabric FM 101.1

5…Power FM 93.3

NIMBA COUNTY

1…Radio Nimba————–Sanniquellie

2…Radio Kergaymah——-Ganta

3…Radio Tappitta————Tappitta

4…Saclepeaye—————–Saclepeaye

5…Radio Bahn—————-Bahn

6…Voice of Karnplay——-Karnplay

GRAND GEDEH COUNTY

1…Smile FM——————-Zwedru

2…Radio Tota—————–To–Town

This media campaign is being funded by Plan International Liberia and implemented by the Liberia Media Initiative for Peace Democracy and Development (LMI)

 JOHN O. KOLLIE

 EXECUTIVE DIRECTO

 Madam Judia Duncan Cassell speaking at the second assembly of the Association of Liberia Community Radio (ALICOR) in Bechanna Grand Bassa County said, radio play a very important role in the society and therefore those opporating the radio under the policy of community radio should report issues of the elections as a community radio in other to keep their identity.

Liberia Media Initiative for Peace,

Democracy and Development

_______________________________________
13^th Street,  Sinkor Methodist Compound

Monrovia, Liberia

Email: Liberia.mediainitiative@gmail.com 

PRESS RELEASE August 2, 2011:The Liberia Media Initiatives for Peace,Democrcay and Development  in collaboration with National Democratic Institute for international Affairs has completed a three day meeting which ran from July 29-31 with Community radios in Gbarnga Bong County geared at explaining to Community radio personnel about the  National Democratic Institute sponsored Elections project with funding from the USAID.

 According to the LMI’s Deputy Director and Media Officer, the three days brought together Program Directors  and Station managers from 30 Community radios from across the Country and discussed how Community radios can commence the airing of two LMI programs Our Liberia and Reconciliation Road that are being used as platforms for the implementation of the Elections Series sponsored by the National Democratic Institute with funding from the USAID.

 The LMI in a release said the gathering offered  lectures on how the two elections series can be transcribed and translated into local vernaculars from the various Communities across the Country to be played alongside the LMI programs for an easy understanding of the elections issues  produced  from the LM in collaboration with the National Democracy Institute.

The release  explained that from the Gbarnga meeting it was realized that nearly all the Community radios  had been yarning for some radio programs  that would help in educating and sensitizing rural dwellers on the 2011 elections process since the participation of everyone was cardinal in the search for democracy in Liberia.

The LMI  team headed by  its Deputy Director and Media Officer Korta Dogba said after informing the Community radios of the five months elections project received  statements of commitment from participants to ensure the success of the project since according to them  it was in the best interest of true democracy in Liberia.

The release said the Association of Liberia Community radios  President William Quire, Vice President for Operations Emmanuel Karlea and Press Union of Liberia Central Liberia Coordinator, Clarence Jackson including some UNMIL radio staff attended the gathering.

The LMI  said Mr. William Quire lauded efforts by the sponsors and producers of the elections awareness programs and promised that every Community radio in the Country would be encouraged to see the project as an opportunity for rural residents most of whom he acknowledged  listen to only Community radios.

Mr. Quire believes the dramatization of the 2011 elections activities would create a space for greater participation of rural residents in all elections exercises leading to the National Referendum and the Legislative and Presidential Elections this year.

Mr. Quire noted that with the production of Special Elections editions of Our Liberia, the Simple Liberian English and Drama, critical and important issues that have been creating doubts on the minds of rural residents would now be easily understood, something he thinks must be considered a plus in terms of awareness around the elections process.

 The ALICOR Boss said thought Community radios were already doing several programs geared at educating rural residents on the 2011 elections process, the inclusion of the Elections series from the LMI was another learning avenue that  Community radios are going to make use of even after the five months project.

Meanwhile, the Liberia Media Initiatives Media Officer Korta Dogba has expressed satisfaction over the turn-out since participants were able to get to Gbarnga in term despite a short notice for the meeting and promised to work with Community radios in developing meaningful production skills that would be of greater benefit to rural Communities.

The United Methodist church (UMC) department of youth has spoken on the importance of the roll of youths in the upcoming elections.  The august 23^rd schedule Referendum sensitization is still going on in Monrovia and the rural parts of the country.

The UMC Youth director S .Edward Harmon wants Liberian youths to prospect better Liberia.

 “Though the referendum is a good idea but I personally have problem with the timing of the Referendum and the elections”.

 The director describes the youths of Liberia as the future of the country and therefore urges them to take the elections serious. He also encourage the youths to be very careful in their behaviors, because they are mostly use for violence which he said affects them……….