Young People Encouraged to Turn Liberia’s Legacy into Progress

MONROVIA, LIBERIA, 13 October 2026 – Liberia’s future will be determined not just by the decisions of today’s leaders, but by how well its young people learn from the nation’s past and apply those lessons to the challenges ahead.

That was the central message delivered at the Liberia History & Leadership Summit 2026 supported by UNDP, where policymakers, diplomats, development partners, and emerging leaders gathered at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development to reflect on Liberia’s history and inspire a new generation of changemakers.

Organized by the Liberia Diplomatic Club (LDC) under the theme “Awakening Liberia’s Leadership Potential,” the summit brought together young people from across the country to explore the links between history, leadership, governance, and national development.

For the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the gathering was more than a reflection on the past. It was a call to action.

From History to Hope

Delivering the keynote address, UNDP Liberia Resident Representative Aliou Mamadou Dia challenged young Liberians to move beyond being observers of their country’s story and become active architects of its future.

Speaking on the theme, “From Liberia’s History to Its Development Future: What Role for Young Liberians?” Dia argued that a deeper understanding of history is essential for building peace, strengthening institutions, and accelerating development.

He noted that history should not be viewed as a source of division, but as a valuable resource for learning, reconciliation, and progress.

“A country’s past should serve as a foundation for learning, reconciliation and progress rather than a source of division,” Dia said. “Young people must draw lessons from Liberia’s history and apply them to the challenges and opportunities facing the country today.”

He pointed to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s recent call to revive the National History Project, originally recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), as an important step in helping Liberians better understand their shared national journey.

For Dia, preserving and telling Liberia’s story is not simply about remembering the past. It is about shaping a more united future. Opening the summit earlier, Madam Ellen Pratt-Harris, Executive Director of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development, underscored the importance of creating spaces where young people can develop their leadership potential.

She highlighted the launch of the E Deéké youth leadership initiative, which selected a cohort of emerging women leaders from across Africa following a highly competitive application process.

The programme reflects a growing effort to expand opportunities for young women to build skills, strengthen networks, and take on leadership roles across the continent.

A Call to Action

As discussions concluded, one theme resonated throughout the day: understanding Liberia’s history is only the beginning. The real challenge lies in transforming that knowledge into action.

Whether through public service, entrepreneurship, peacebuilding, governance, or community engagement, speakers agreed that young people must play a leading role in shaping the next chapter of Liberia’s story.

The summit reaffirmed that the path to a more peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous Liberia will require informed citizens, ethical leaders, and a generation willing to learn from the past while working collectively toward the future.

For UNDP, that future depends on ensuring that young people have opportunities to succeed and a seat at the table where decisions about Liberia’s development are made.

As the summit made clear, Liberia’s greatest resource is not its history alone, but the young people who will carry its lessons forward.

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