REPORT ON ANTI-POST ELECTIONS VIOLENCE TOURNAMENT HOSTED BY YONER-LIBERIA

REPORT OF SPORTS EVENT HOSTED BY YONER-LIBERIA UNDER THE THEME “PROMOTING THE CULTRE OF TOLERANCE BY COUTERING POST ELECTIONS VIOLENCE IN LIBERIA WHICH WAS SPONSORED BY LIBERIA YMCA

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The youth interactive kickball and soccer  tournament was held for two days involving eight (8) communities in the Paynesville City, having both soccer and kickball categories. It was hosted and implemented under the theme:” Promoting the Culture of Tolerance by Countering Post Election Violence in Liberia”. The tournament lasted from July 9-10 2011 hosting approximately five hundred (500-about 200 females and 300 males) persons predominantly from the Paynesville City with few others from communities outside of Paynesville.

On July 9, 2011 at about 10:00AM the tournament was however preceded by a grand awareness match beginning at the Police Academy Junction to the Sports Pitch that pulled a large crowed which contained the participating communities and sundries of on lookers who were attracted by such great initiative of national interest. During the course of the awareness match, hundreds of flyers were distributed as several persons were dressed in the T-shirts bearing the logos of both the YMCA supporting youth livelihoods and governance and YONER-LIBERIA as sponsor and implementer of the program respectively. By a huge banner of the YMCA supporting youth livelihood and governance project which clearly suggested the pivotal role of the YMCA as well as the banner of YONER-LIBERI that displayed the theme of the program ensuring a massive extension of the program purpose. Subsequently, after the awareness match was the formal opening program marked by speeches, remarks and several messages indicative of the significance of tolerance made by institutional Representatives including the YMCA Peer Educators.

On the same day, there were series of games which led to the Shara (in Duport Road) and Paynesville Joe Bar Communities to progress to the final of the soccer category while the Police Academy and GSA Road Communities settled for the third place and the Seekey and Harmon Field-Police Academy Communities combined secured their places in the final of the kickball category.

On the 10^th of July which was the final day, the Police Academy - Harmon Field Communities combined emerged as champions over Seekey Community while the Seekey Community sealed the “third place” spot over GSA Road Community. In the soccer category and the Paynesville Joe Bar Community boys emerged over the Shara Community (inside Duport road) in a 1-0 win.

Finally, a colorful ceremony was conducted by presenting certificates of participation and honor as well as cash prizes to the deserving winners in both games. The program was climaxed with an interlude of music and dances by participating teams and well-wishers as well as members and officials of both YONER-LIBERIA and YMCA Peer Educators.

LIST OF COMMUNITY TEAMS THAT PARTICIPATED

1.      GSA Community

2.      Shara –Duport Road Community

3.      Joe bar Community

4.      Police Academy

5.      Harmon Field

6.      Outland Community

7.      Seekey Community

8.      Zayzay Community

LIST OF MATCH COMMSSIONERS

1.      Edward Weah

2.      Joshua Wisner

3.      Garmondyu J. Saydyu

LIST OF PROGRAM COMMTTEE MEMBERS

1.      John S. M. Yormie, Jr. Chair

2. Garmondyu J. Saydyu-Co-

3. J. Garmondyu Greaves-Secretary

4. Foday C. Amara-Member

5. T. Emmanuel Johnson-Member

6. Asatu P. Greaves-member

7. Terry J. Socro-Member

8. Amos Nyndroh

9. Joseph Mikely-Member

10. Joshua Wisner-Member

11. J. Andrew Greaves- Advisor

12. Emmanuel Bropleh-Advisor

13. Ms. Era Jappah-Advisor

MAJOR ACHEIVEMENTS

Ø  YONER-LIBERIA successfully distributed over one five hundred (500- about 200 females and 300 males) pieces of flyers displaying Anti-Post Elections Violence messages and other messages of tolerance and the relevance of such to a country like Liberia;

Ø  YONER-LIBERIA also distributed 48 pieces of T-shirts clearly displaying the theme of the tournament at the back and the logs of YONER-LIBERIA and YMCA –LIBERIA at the front;

Ø  YONER-LIBERIA was able to establish a preliminary partnership with the St. Clements University-Liberia;

Ø  The program was implemented without incursion of any bodily casualties or injuries and any form of violence depicting the level of cooperation and compliance to promote the culture of tolerance as was anticipated by so highly.

LESSONS LEARNT AND LIMITATIONS

Ø  The program capital intensive thereby created a condition of additional funds raised by members and officials of YONER-LIBERIA in evidence of “self help initiative”.

Ø  The communities were cooporative and turned out in mass numbers therefore causing the shelter difficulties during the rainy day.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Predicated on our own program experience and the demands for societal growth and development as embedded in the sense of stability for overall development we have resolved to recommend the followings:

Ø  That the YMCA supporting youth livelihoods and governance project in Liberia must remain supportive to such initiative (s) to YONER-LIBERIA and other institutions alike.

Ø  That the YMCA supporting youth livelihoods and governance project should increase the visual Aids capacity of their Peer Educators for the continuation of this project and other projects alike.