Fostering sustainable peace in post-war Liberia: A theological appraisal of the work of the Lutheran church in Liberia

Abstract

Sustainable peace is a great need in post-war Liberia. The Lutheran Church in Liberia is determined to provide an appropriate Christian response to building sustainable peace in the country. The main objective of this study, therefore, was to do a theological appraisal of the post-war peacebuilding work of the Lutheran Church in Liberia.In order to do this, a conceptual study of conflict in general and a contextual study of the Liberian civil war in particular were conducted to enhance the understanding of the Liberian conflict. Interviews and participant observation were used to collect the data for the field work.The study found out that the Lutheran Church has three programmes aimed at helping to build sustainable peace in Liberia. These include the Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Programme, HIV/AIDS Testing and Counselling Programme and the Lutheran Development Service in Liberia programme. These theologically relevant interventions have made great impact in various communities in Liberia. However, the Lutheran Church has some deficiencies (e.g. lack of effective monitoring, inability to mobilize funds internally, and internal rivalry) and external challenges (e.g. insecurity, social injustice, and land disputes in the country). In view of the challenges, the Lutheran Church alone cannot effect sustainable peace in the country. Therefore, the study has made several recommendations for sustainable peace in Liberia, which include the need for joint-church effort, the need for government support and collaboration, the need for educational reform, and the need for inter-religious dialogue.