News and updates

Monrovia, Liberia

February 4th, 2011

PCO begins recruitment of LPI Core Team!  

 

Today PCO-Liberia began the recruitment of community leaders in Liberia who will serve on the Core Team of the Liberia Peacebuilders’ Initiative (formerly the Liberian Tribal Leaders’ Reconciliation Forum in Buduburam, Ghana)

The Liberia Peacebuilders’ Initiative aims to create and maintain a community-based network of peacebuilders who will foster conflict resolution, reconciliation, and sustainable peace and development mainly at the grassroots level in Liberia. The project will engage members of the tribal community, religious community, and the traditional council of Liberia.

Please stay tuned for more info

 

Seattle Washington

December 19, 2010

PCO, others make news in Seeattle!

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thebusinessofgiving/2013706272_talking_back.html

 

 

 

Monterey, California

December 6-9 2010

Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) of ex-combatants and Security Sector Reform (SSR) are key aspects of post conflict reconstruction.
This week, I and other representatives from NGOs, the UN, USAID, European countries, and Security personnel from various governments and security groups across the globe, have been invited by the Center for Stabilization and Reconstruction Studies in Monterey, California to participate in a training that is aimed at strengthening our understanding of the complex relationship between DDR and SSR.
For three days now, we have been exploring the major tensions, challenges and overlaps within the DDR/SSR nexus.
This has been a major learning experience for me.

By: Emmanuel G. V. Dolo, Founder & Executive Director of PCO

 

PCO Director appointed 2010 International Faculty- In- Residence of iLEAP

PCO Director, Emmanuel G. V. Dolo has been appointed as the international Faculty –in – Residence by iLEAP: the center for critical services. Director Dolo main responsibility will be to help new international fellows in their learning. This year, iLEAP international fellows include six outstanding leaders from Guatemala, Nicaragua, Kenya, and the Philippines. The fellowship program will last for ten weeks. Last year Mr. Dolo was among three international fellows who took part in the iLEAP 2009 international Fellowship program in Seattle Washington State, USA and after completion of the program in June 2009, he and the other fellows were awarded international faculty status. In August this year, he was again invited to the US and appointed as an international faculty in residence. He currently works at iLEAP headquarters in Washington State. While in the States, our able director will also help to fundraise for PCO projects. He will also participate in public events and other training programs.

November 16, 2010

Monrovia, Liberia

PCO Rural Youths aim to industrialize the cassava crop

The Rural Liberia war affected youth peace and education empowerment program has moved its focus toward industrializing the cassava crop instead of swarm rice. Cassava has very high nutritional and economic values in Liberia and is one of the nation’s staple foods next to rice. It is mostly processed locally into fufu, gari, diper, starch, etc.

The youth group wants to advance these values by focusing on producing and expanding the variety of cassava products.

The cultivation of cassava was introduced to the project after two unsuccessful harvests of swarm rice in Maimu Town, Bong County.  The youth realized that cassava is easily grown and maintained than swarm rice. 

Unlike cassava, the growing and maintenance processes of swarm rice are difficult: Flooded rice fields caused by heavy rain fall makes it extremely difficult for the project staff to go into the swarm rice farms;  the harvest periods were always very quick, leading to spoiled rice.

To avoid all of this including continual tussle over the use of the swarm farmland, the project was moved to different land and the effort was switched to the cultivation of cassava.

Fortunately, the beginning of the first harvest of cassava indicates that there is going to be successes.  The first harvest began around the end of October and so far, six hundred and twenty two (622) tubers of cassava have been dug from just around 10% of the total farm. Roughly, depending on the size, around two to ten pieces cost from $ 0.50 to $2.00.

Although the harvest has not ended yet, the youth are very optimistic that this could be the beginning of their effort to begin the industrialization of the cassava.  The youth leadership has begun looking into ways the crop could be processed so as to add value to it. 

The project is supported by the Starbuck fund through the International Youth Foundation