By New Dawn

Copyright thenewdawnliberia

Former Presidential Candidate and renowned human rights lawyer, Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe is calling on the Boakai Administration to desist from greed, corruption, and injustices.

By Lincoln G. Peters

Monrovia, Liberia; September 29, 2025 – Former Presidential candidate Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe has deeply reflected on war drum elements of fourteen years of civil conflict in Liberia, while warning the current administration to desist from greed, corruption, and injustices, which plunged the country into past civil unrest.

Delivering a speech on September 27, 2025, at the New Liberian Women Organization Skills Training and Advocacy Center, in collaboration with the Universal Peace Federation, on the theme: Peace begins with you”, Cllr. Gongloe said he believes deeply that nothing meaningful can be achieved in communities and the entire country if violence continues to destroy lives.

“My fellow Liberians, the war that destroyed our country did not begin with guns; it began with greed, corruption, and injustice. The peace that will save Liberia will not come from soldiers or speeches alone. It will come when each of us declares: “I will not cheat. I will not steal. I will not oppress. I will live as if every child is my child, every life is my responsibility”, he stressed.

The political leader of the Liberian People’s Party challenged each of the participants to return home and ask if they are a peacemaker or a peace-breaker, whether they lift others up or pull them down.

He believes that as each of them believes that peace starts with them, peace will spread from their homes to communities, schools, churches, and from their hearts to the nation.

“My friends, I ran in the 2023 Presidential Election, and God’s willing, I intend to run again. But hear me clearly: I do not seek power for power’s sake. I seek power to serve, to sweep corruption out of our government and to prove that Liberia can be better – with better schools, better healthcare, affordable housing, more food, decent roads, more jobs, and equal treatment for all Liberians—guided always by uncompromising commitment to respect for the rule of law and human rights.” Cllr. Gongloe stated.

He pointed out that if Liberia is to become a progressive and prosperous country, built on a foundation of sustained peace, then every leader, every community, and every citizen must live the truth they proclaim today, that peace starts with them.

“Let this be our pledge: From this institution to the highest office of the land, from the poorest village to the richest community, let each of us be the candle of peace that lights the darkness of violence. Together, let us say, “I will not engage in violence, because peace starts with me.” He urged.

The LPP political leader pointed out that as a nation, Liberians must understand a fundamental truth that violence does not solve problems; rather, it only delays solutions, urging Liberians to remember that every decision that resorts to violence begins with an individual.

According to him, in 1980, Liberians violently overthrew the government and ended one-party rule. However, elections did not take place until 1985, and when they did, many felt that the polls were not free and fair.

He also reflected that on November 12, 1985, violence was used again in response to the disputed elections, and it solved nothing, but cost many Liberians their lives, lives that could still have been here today.

He further indicated that once more, on December 24, 1989, on the eve of Christmas, violence was used to address the problem of bad governance, and some Liberians decided to plunge the country into 14 years of war before they could hold truly free and fair elections in 2005.

“Therefore, if each Liberian promises never to use violence as a means of solving any problem, then violence will disappear from Liberia. On this note, I have chosen to speak to you on the theme ‘Peace Starts with Me.’ We often speak of peace as if it is a gift to be handed down by leaders, governments, or international organizations.” Cllr. Gongloe continued.

He urged Liberians to be honest with themselves, as peace does not begin in the palaces of presidents, in the conference rooms of ministers; rather, peace begins in the heart of an individual.

According to him, it begins when people choose not to hate and refuse revenge, when they treat their neighbor’s child as their own.

“You women and children sitting here today have different situations. Some of you are orphans, some are struggling, yet all of you are holding onto the hope of fulfilling your dreams. Your very lives teach us that peace is not an abstract idea. Peace is food in your stomach. Peace is education in your mind. Peace is dignity in your soul. When a society cares for its most vulnerable, it plants the seeds of peace. When it abandons them, it plants the seeds of violence.” He cautioned. Editing by Jonathan Browne