BREWERVILLE — Margibi County Senator Nathaniel McGill says many Liberians are still struggling to mend their broken lives and relationships more than two decades after the country’s brutal civil conflict ended in 2003.
He attributed the slow pace of national healing and development to the absence of genuine forgiveness and reconciliation.
Speaking over the weekend to students of the Mother Tegeste Stewart Apostolic Pentecostal School in Brewerville, outside Monrovia, Senator McGill emphasized the critical role of forgiveness in rebuilding Liberia’s communities and fostering lasting peace.
He made the remarks at a one-day “Forgiveness Education Training and Awareness Workshop” held under the theme: “The Place of Forgiveness Education in Renewing Communities and Promoting Reconciliation in Liberia.”
“Liberia, like many nations, has experienced periods of division, conflict, and hardship,” McGill told the students. “The scars of our past still affect our communities, relationships, and institutions.”
McGill, a former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and former chairman of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), said Forgiveness Education is a vital tool that can help individuals overcome resentment, offer compassion, and foster reconciliation, ultimately leading to emotional healing and stronger communities.
“Forgiveness is one of the most powerful tools we have for healing and progress — not as a sign of weakness, but as a courageous step toward reconciliation and renewal,” McGill said.
The senator outlined three key reasons why Forgiveness Education is essential for Liberia’s reconciliation process:
Forgiveness Education, he said, helps individuals and communities confront the painful memories of Liberia’s civil wars and social divisions. By teaching people to process hurt, release resentment, and embrace healing, it paves the way for emotional recovery and collective restoration.
McGill explained that Forgiveness Education fosters values like empathy, tolerance, and understanding — qualities essential for rebuilding trust among citizens. It encourages dialogue over violence and helps bridge tribal, political, and religious divides.
He stressed that educating young people about forgiveness, conflict resolution, and restorative justice can break the cycles of hatred and retaliation, empowering the next generation to build a stable and united Liberia.
“As religious leaders, teachers, students, and community leaders, we all have a critical role to play in reconciling Liberia through Forgiveness Education,” McGill said.
According to McGill, true reconciliation in Liberia is a shared responsibility that requires the collective efforts of every individual, institution, and community.
“Forgiveness Education is not a concept that can be left to a single sector or individual to address,” he noted. “Rather, it is a nationwide effort involving churches, schools, communities, the media, civil society, and the government — all working together to heal the wounds of the past and build a peaceful future.”
McGill described the church as Liberia’s moral compass, with a crucial role in promoting forgiveness. He urged churches to create spaces for people to reconcile past wrongs and heal from emotional trauma through prayer meetings, reconciliation services, and counseling sessions.
He stressed that schools, as institutions of learning, should go beyond academics to instill values of peace, unity, and forgiveness. He recommended integrating conflict resolution, restorative justice, and emotional intelligence lessons into school curricula.
McGill said community leaders — including chiefs, elders, youth leaders, and civil society actors — must promote open dialogue, reconciliation initiatives, and collective problem-solving to address unresolved grievances and foster unity.
He called on the media to play a constructive role by promoting messages of peace, unity, and reconciliation. The senator urged media outlets to counter hate speech and divisive rhetoric, while sharing stories of healing and forgiveness.
McGill highlighted the role of civil society organizations and international partners in supporting Liberia’s reconciliation efforts through grassroots outreach, policy advocacy, technical assistance, and funding for forgiveness and reconciliation programs.
He called on the government to create policies that foster reconciliation, justice, and social healing. He recommended that forgiveness education be integrated into Liberia’s formal school curriculum and that community peace and reconciliation centers be established nationwide.
The one-day Forgiveness Education Training and Awareness Workshop was organized by the Mother Tegeste Stewart Apostolic Pentecostal School in collaboration with Aid Inc.-CAI.
McGill urged the students to become ambassadors of peace and forgiveness, noting that Liberia’s future depends on a new generation that values reconciliation over retaliation.
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