Strengthening Partnerships to Maintain the Gains

-Civil Peace Service -CPS Liberia Network Coordinator on Gains and Challenges

Written by Decontee Eva George -National Coordinator, CPS Network Liberia

As partner organizations of Civil Peace Service Network (CPS) implement programs under the 2025 program year, CPS Liberia Network Coordinator, Decontee E. George in her bi-annual message to partners takes a look at the gains made and the next step for partner organizations.

At this time of the year, we are excited to share with you highlights of what we have been involved with during the first half of 2025, and to lift up some milestones achieved by partner organizations, their resilience and their unbending stand to remain key contributors to addressing community needs.

They work to increase youth voices to engage in a nonviolent manner, gender mainstreaming and safeguarding, conflict resolution, group therapy, yoga sessions and counseling for returning migrants and vulnerable youth and adults, vocational programs, and many areas, with focus on contributing to peace building, meaningful women inclusion, and development.

International Women’s Day 2025
Amongst the activities completed during this period, the Network coordinated 30 women from partner organizations to have their voices heard during the International Women’s Day event, which was a call to action.

More work needed on Gender Issues
We also use this medium to reemphasize that there are notable gains made within this area. However, there is a need to pay more attention to stopping abuse in all forms that remain entrenched in our communities. We call on the Liberian Justice System for the speedy trial of gender-based violence cases to ensure justice for survivors and create a safe space for the most affected: girls and women.

Donor Funding: Experiencing the Reality of Cuts and Shutdowns
However, many partners within the civil society space working on related topics have experienced a harsh reality resulting from the abrupt shutdown of a mega donor program, for example, United DStates Aid for International Development – USAID; during the early part of the year, causing affected CSOs to adjust the scope of their programs, while some were compelled to shut down. This situation leaves a trickle-down effect on the community, programs, and public/private sectors at large. Meanwhile, the work of civil society partners, donors, development partners, and government complements each other’s efforts, as is seen more clearly today. Yet, these situations gave more reasons why there is a need for actualizing sustainable development programs and working together.

The effect on CPS-MRU Programs & Partners Cohesion

The CPS Program in the MRU is also affected by the cuts in funding support from BROT, especially the Liberia program. What is unique to note is that CPS is not a donor-driven program, but a partnership that aims to support local partners’ work to sustain peace, human rights, and conflict resolution. In recent years, with support from CPS, there have been open exchanges and context analysis around partners’ preparedness, fostering social cohesion in the midst of shrinking donor space, conducted in our MRU partners’ conferences, planning sessions, and partners meetings.

In 2025, we are working to strengthen partnerships, and go beyond the survival state that might be caused by the gaps, to rethink how we can manage the gains, and identify new innovations and creative pathways to remain a community-centered program and make lasting impacts.

Our partners are working tirelessly with stakeholders to support government efforts to respond to these challenges affecting our community. Our CPS partners are engaged from community to CSO, government, and international levels to promote behavioral change, advocate for structural/policy change, and remain strong partners for peace and development in Liberia. As we are united through partnership, our collective impact and the stories of change we share are a direct reflection of the continued interest and support from our German partner, Bread for the World, with its aim to contribute to peace building and conflict resolution across our region, especially the MRU program. This support has been a cornerstone in our growth and achievements.

Milestones
Among the many milestones reached this year, in July 2025, we launched the Community of Practice (CoP) program to localize the knowledge gained from years of training by the Support Team. Our Liberian experts (CoP) are not only skilled, but deeply committed to integrating key technical competencies such as Do No Harm, Mediation, and Open Space Technology into the local context. This marks an important shift toward sustainability.

A hat – off to our German Counterparts
We are immensely proud of the strides made in building this local capacity, and perhaps even more so, of the ongoing mentorship we continue to receive from our German counterparts. Their technical, funding, and training support have been invaluable, providing our CPS partners with the tools needed to enhance program implementation, refine peace building practices, and ensure the continued success of our initiatives.

Hope for the future
With this strong foundation, we look forward to building even greater impact in the future, knowing that our efforts are grounded in both local expertise and global guidance.

As I reflect on our journey, I am curious to see how we will continue to grow together, and build on our challenges and successes in the coming months of the year.