Movement Against Violence and Impunity in Africa

Contact Information

• Where – Liberia (Western Africa)
• Website – www.maviausa.org
• Contact Person – Sylvester A. Diggs
• Email – info@maviausa.org
• Address – Gurley Street, New DEAL Movement Building, 2nd Floor, Monrovia, Liberia
• Other – Facebook, Twitter

Areas of Expertise

Movement Against Violence and Impunity in Africa has expertise in a range of areas, including:

• Good Governance and Security Sector Reform
• Human, Minority and Women’s Rights
• Justice and the Rule of Law

Main Aims and Objectives

The Movement Against Violence & Impunity in Africa (MAVIA) is dedicated to proposing and implementing programs aimed at limiting government powers, fighting corruption and opening governments, restoring order and security, ensuring effective regulatory enforcement, effective civil justice, criminal justice and informal justice.

MAVIA’s human rights education projects serve to energize and motivate communities to recognize human rights as a powerful tool for social action. The programs concentrate on the promotion and protection of fundamental rights and basic freedoms.

Upholding the Principles of Conflict Transformation

Through the establishment of nonviolence and human rights clubs, MAVIA has been able to manage conflicts in many schools and communities within the borders of Liberia. MAVIA uses community outreach, which is a drama component of its program, to raise awareness about transforming conflicts. The core program is the community court set up by its conflict management team, which seeks to handle conflicts within the neighbourhoods. Radio jingles and bomber stickers also help.

Where and with Whom?

MAVIA works in Liberia with the plan to extend to an additional three countries within the next nine months. MAVIA works with the civil society coalition of Liberia, Project for the New Liberia, Global Aid Direct, 4Kids International and schools and communities.

Main Activities in the Field of Conflict Transformation

MAVIA Non-Violence and Human Rights Clubs
MAVIA has launched Nonviolence and human rights club in 65 schools in several communities within Liberia. These clubs serve as active advocates of young people for the attainment of basic rights and at the same time teach against violence behavior and approaches through awareness raising activities such as debate, discussions, and presentations. The clubs activities are communicated through song, dance, poetry, drama, drawing, and public speaking. They are designed to increase awareness of violence against all people, abuse and exploitation and in so doing educate and sensitize their peers in their schools and communities.One of the main activities of these clubs is to empower youth to contribute to the change process in their schools and communities, which is one of the most effective tools that can be used in dealing with Youth Violence and inequality. The more input that youth have into the issues that face them, the more respect they have for the processes used in resolution. One great idea of Youth empowerment is a peer mediation programme. Youth are many times more open to ideas and influence by peers than by adults. They feel that that their peers are able to relate to the issues involved than adults. In effect, this programme comprise youth that can apply for membership of a youth association called a Nonviolence and Human Rights Club (NHRC) in each school represented, whereby active advocates of young people’s human rights and gender equality will meet, discuss, and embark on various activities to sensitize their school and communities.

MAVIA is confident that such a time has come to allow these young growing and aspiring leaders to contribute to the upliftment of their respective schools and communities by engaging other youth and learners in their knowledge and awareness of human rights issues. These initiatives are often referred to as train the trainers’ programmes.

MAVIA envisions then that in each school that it has worked and is currently working in, a youth programme called a Nonviolence & Human Rights Club (NHRC) should be established by the learners in partnership with MAVIA’s Public education programme.

Human Rights and Advocacy
Volunteer outreach teams of MAVIA work within their communities to promote and protect human rights, children’s rights, labour rights, good urban governance, women’s political participation and legal interventions for the protection of at-risk populations. MAVIA’s human rights education projects serve to energize and motivate communities to recognize human rights as a powerful tool for social action. The programs concentrate on the promotion and protection of fundamental rights and basic freedoms.

Promoting the Rule of Law and and Fighting Impunity
MAVIA is dedicated to proposing and implementing programs aim at limiting government powers, fighting corruption and opening governments, restoring order and security, ensuring effective regulatory enforcement, effective civil justice, criminal justice and informal justice. MAVIA encourages the establishment of criminal and international courts in conflict areas as a way of bringing the culture of impunity to an end and, supports a national and international justice system that give all men a fair share of their rights.

Youth Empowerment
MAVIA is aware that empowering young young people is the key to societal transformation and crime reduction. It is a basic human right that create self-reliance amongst young people and at the same time making them productive and decent citizens. MAVIA primarily focus on providing alternative life choices for youths in Africa. The youth center serve as a bridge to create a middle class which is a recipe for helping to alleviate poverty by promoting self-sufficiency and reliability for the youth. The center will provide life skills such as carpentry, masonry, pluming, agriculture, computer education, information technology, sewing, pastry making, and mechanical engineering. Others include programs development and management, conflict management, project development and management etc. The center enrolls thousands of young people every year and run an effective schedule for classes. As part of the activities at the center, are teachings of morals and ethical values.