Making Peace with Our Ancestors and Neighbors

As a result of the conflict analysis exercise and a workshop conducted earlier this year by the Liberia Community Infrastructure Program, (LCIP), participants indicated a strong resentment of ex-combatants by the war affected community leading to traditional cleansing ceremonies. Sentiments from both tribes indicated a mutual approval/acceptance of the Zalakai/Zalayei traditional healing process; only being assisted by LCIP. Villagers spoke of not only their support of peace, but more so, the importance of cleansing the desecrated land where people were killed, but not buried; sisters with brothers, but not married. Although past programs have stemmed from studies of post war conflict in other countries, the inclusion of traditional ceremonies integrated into western theory are influencing the real life healing processes.