Dear Mr. President – Joseph Nyuma Bokai, Sr;
Ref: A Call for Sustained National Reconciliation and Healing
I would like to take this opportunity to commend your government for its historic and commendable initiative to rebury former Presidents Rev. Dr. William R. Tolbert Jr. and Dr. Samuel K. Doe, along with other deceased government officials from the 1980 coup d’état. Additionally, I applaud your proclamation declaring July 5th as National Healing, Reconciliation, and Unity Day — a timely and symbolic gesture to honor Liberia’s painful past and to strengthen our national peace.
Mr. President, I wish to remind you that, over the years, successive governments have often approached critical national issues such as education, health, and agriculture in a stratified manner. I urge your leadership to ensure that the current process of national reconciliation does not follow a similar path of partial implementation or neglect.
In light of your government’s bold steps, I respectfully submit a few suggestions for your consideration. It is vital that the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report be revisited, republished, and broadly disseminated at all levels of society — including national, county, district, and community platforms — to engage citizens in open dialogue and gather diverse input on its recommendations.
Additionally, I propose the establishment of a National Healing, Unity, and Reconciliation Commission — one that includes stakeholders from all counties, districts, and communities — to coordinate long-term reconciliation efforts through inclusive education, civic engagement, and policy development. I further encourage your leadership to consider repealing the Act that established National Unification Day (May 14) and instead propose legislation that formally enshrines July 5th as National Healing, Unity, and Reconciliation Day. This national observance would serve as a day of mourning, reflection, and recommitting to peace and unity.
To preserve memory and honor victims, I recommend the erection of memorial monuments across all fifteen counties, particularly at significant sites where unarmed and defenseless citizens lost their lives — such as the Lutheran Church in Monrovia, Duport Road in Paynesville, Carter Camp in Firestone, Phebe in Suakoko, and Senji in Grand Cape Mount.
An equally important element of reconciliation is the provision of psychosocial support. Many Liberians continue to live with the trauma of past conflicts, and a national strategy for healing and resilience is urgently needed. Promoting a shared national identity through education is also critical; I urge reforms that integrate civic values, critical thinking, and awareness of our conflict history into school curricula, to foster unity and responsibility in the next generation.
Most importantly, I encourage your government to take bold steps toward the establishment of a War and Economic Crimes Court. Ensuring legal accountability for those responsible for atrocities is a cornerstone of justice and a decisive measure in breaking the cycle of impunity that has plagued our nation for decades.
Mr. President, reconciliation is not an event but a long, continuous, and deliberate process. If my message is viewed with skepticism, or if I am perceived as merely a “liar man,” I kindly encourage you to look to President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, whose leadership demonstrates the transformative power of genuine reconciliation when pursued with vision and conviction.
Lastly, I respectfully bring to your attention the patriotic song titled “The Liberian Flag” by Louise A. Mars Kolaco. A key line in the song — “In unity, we will build this nation” — echoes the very spirit of national healing. I kindly appeal to your office to consider allowing the artist to perform this piece during this year’s Independence Day celebration, as she was not given the opportunity to do so last year despite her efforts.
In-Peace
Sir Urias W. Brooks, Jr.
c: 0880618261
e: brooksurias@gmail.com