Monrovia, Liberia – Liberian politicians of the present age have been characterized as “hateful and selfish,” indicating that they are unable to change the nation. Mother Tegeste Stewart Apostolic Pentecostal School in Brewerville hosted a one-day training and awareness course on Forgiveness Education, where Bishop Kortu K. Brown, pastor of the New Water in the Desert Assembly, delivered this unvarnished evaluation.
The workshop, which had as its topic “The Place of Forgiveness Education in Renewing Communities and Promoting Reconciliation in Liberia,” sought to teach students about the value of forgiveness as a means of fostering reconciliation, community rebirth, and long-term peace. Teachers and students from 25 rural Montserrado County elementary and secondary schools participated in the workshop.
Bishop Brown stressed in his speech the need of instituting forgiveness instruction in schools. He cited the biblical example of King Josiah, who ascended to the throne at the age of eight and “did what was right in the sight of the Lord,” as seen in 2 Kings 22:1-2. He challenged Liberia’s leaders to follow these models by encouraging moral leadership, maintaining moral principles, and acting consistently.
The students were reminded by the former president of the Liberian Council of Churches that their nation is still having difficulty “doing the right thing,” whether that means putting an emphasis on economic restraint, the rule of law, reconciliation, or good administration.
Citing the recent political impasse over the Speaker’s seat in the House of Representatives as a clear disrespect for the Constitution and the rule of law, he condemned what he observed as excessive hostility and selfishness among older generations.
Bishop Brown urged all parties involved in education, including the Ministry of Education, local communities, religious organizations, and the Legislature’s education committees, to assist CAI and IFI in establishing forgiveness education in Liberia.
After more than 25 years of studying the moral value of forgiveness, the International Forgiveness Institute (IFI) at the University of Wisconsin Madison created the Forgiveness Education curriculum. According to their research, forgiveness increases the chance of harmonious relationships among communities by lowering feelings of anger, sadness, and anxiety while promoting optimism and inner peace.
According to the IFI, teaching the majority of young people the art of forgiveness will eventually result in more peaceful societies as these students mature and practice these principles in their homes, businesses, and society at large.
In collaboration with IFI, Church Aid Inc. (CAI) is advocating for the introduction of forgiveness education in each of Liberia’s 15 counties. Based on research from the University of Wisconsin lab, IFI prepared Teachers’ Guides and Curricula for Kindergarten through Grade 12 to complement the program.
