WANEP - LIBERIA
The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP-Liberia) is a National Non-Governmental Peacebuilding Organization (NGO) in Liberia, founded in 1998 and legally registered with the Government of Liberia in July 2002. The founding of WANEP was hatched out of the tragic conflict situation of the Liberian civil war that spread to neighboring countries subsequently need for the people's response to the terror became crucial. The Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET), a program of WANEP-Liberia led a massive mobilization of civil societies mainly women focus and the largest women movement forming an effective response network to address the conflict that plagued Liberia and spread to the Mano River Union region. Destroying the social, economic, political, and technological fabric of the Liberian societies consequently there was a need for this massive, consolidated effort for peace in every spectrum of the Liberian society. WANEP has a strategic advocacy based and awareness raising approach that have built synergies at the community level in consolidating peaceful coexistence amongst various sectors of our societies. Policy advocacies on women’s rights and participation referencing the 30% gender quota, to promote women’s participation in politics, passing into law of these various instruments, the Domestic Violence Law, Rape Law, Land Rights Law and other legal instruments that seeks to provide protection for women and girls at all levels of societies. This has strengthened relationship at one end but yet at the other basic social services need where all citizens can relate with sectors that cater to their basic human needs and at the same time have increased knowledge on these sectors and how it benefits them. This has been a niche for WANEP reaching the grassroot communities with knowledge on these concerns thus contributing to sustainable peace in Liberia. Peace is strategic at all levels of the human needs thus through strategic engagements citizens can relate with these structures that are crucial to coexistence and building trust.