–Study Mission Examines Memorialization, Archives, Digitization and Peace Education as Government Seeks to Preserve Liberia’s War History
KIGALI, Rwanda — More than two decades after the guns fell silent, Liberia is taking steps toward establishing a Peace, Reconciliation and Memorial Museum, a proposed national institution intended to preserve the country’s painful history, honor the experiences of victims and survivors, and help educate future generations about the cost of conflict and the value of peace.
As part of that effort, a high-level Liberian delegation led by Minister of State Without Portfolio Hadja Mamaka Bility has concluded a study mission to Rwanda, examining how the East African nation has used memorialization, archival preservation, historical education and reconciliation initiatives to confront the legacy of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The mission, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), sought practical lessons that could inform Liberia’s own approach to preserving its history and advancing national reconciliation.
From Reconciliation Talk to Institutions
Bility said the study tour forms part of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s broader vision of moving Liberia’s reconciliation process beyond dialogue and toward the creation of lasting national institutions.
“We want to move Liberia beyond simply talking about reconciliation to building strong institutions that can preserve our experiences, tell our story, and pass the lessons of our past on to future generations,” Bility said.
She said the proposed museum would provide Liberia with an institutional framework through which the country could preserve its collective memory while creating space for citizens to reflect on the events that shaped the nation.
The initiative comes more than two decades after Liberia’s civil conflicts ended in 2003, following years of violence that left thousands dead, displaced hundreds of thousands and profoundly affected communities across the country.
Preserving a Fragmented History
A major concern behind the proposed museum is the scattered nature of Liberia’s historical record.
Photographs, official documents, films, personal accounts and other materials documenting the country’s civil wars are dispersed among government institutions, private collections and archives both inside and outside Liberia.
Some of those materials remain vulnerable to deterioration, loss or permanent disappearance.
Government officials envision the proposed museum as a central institution capable of collecting, authenticating, preserving and digitizing historical materials while also serving as a center for research, peace education and public engagement.
The objective, officials say, is not merely to establish a building where artifacts are stored, but to create a living institution where Liberia’s history can be studied, understood and openly discussed.
Lessons From Rwanda
During the Rwanda mission, the Liberian delegation visited several institutions and programs involved in preserving historical memory, reconciliation and peacebuilding.
Among the sites visited were the Gacaca Archives and Digitization Programme, the National Archives of Rwanda, the Campaign Against Genocide Museum, the University of Rwanda’s Centre for Conflict Management, the Rwanda Peace Academy and the Mutobo Demobilization and Reintegration Centre.
The delegation examined how Rwanda collects, verifies, digitizes and preserves records associated with its history, while also exploring how memorialization has been incorporated into peacebuilding, citizenship education and efforts to strengthen social cohesion.
For Liberia, the experience offers potential lessons on how historical records can be transformed into educational resources and how institutions of remembrance can contribute to reconciliation.
A Museum for a New Generation
The proposed Liberian museum is also being envisioned as an important educational institution, particularly for young Liberians who were born after the civil wars.
Government officials believe that a significant portion of Liberia’s younger population has little or no personal experience of the conflicts and therefore depends largely on stories, records and accounts passed down from previous generations.
The museum could provide a structured environment where younger Liberians can learn about the country’s past through verified historical records, survivor testimonies, photographs, films, artifacts and other forms of documentation.
It could also create opportunities for public reflection and dialogue around difficult chapters of Liberia’s history.
UNDP Backs Liberia’s Reconciliation Effort
UNDP Liberia Resident Representative Aliou Mamadou Dia said the study mission forms part of the agency’s wider partnership with the Government of Liberia in support of peacebuilding and reconciliation.
“UNDP is working with the Government of Liberia to support the establishment of a Peace and Reconciliation Museum as part of the President’s broader reconciliation agenda,” Dia said.
He said Rwanda’s experience provides an opportunity for Liberia to identify practical approaches that can be adapted to its own circumstances.
“This study mission gives us an opportunity to learn from the experiences of other countries, document lessons that can be adapted to Liberia and engage partners who can support the Government in moving this vision forward,” Dia added.
Dia emphasized that meaningful reconciliation requires societies to confront difficult periods in their history while ensuring that the experiences of victims and survivors are not lost.
Building on Boakai’s Apology
The museum initiative also follows a significant step taken by President Boakai in July 2025, when he formally apologized on behalf of the Liberian state to victims and families affected by the country’s years of conflict.
The apology was widely viewed as an important acknowledgment of the suffering caused by Liberia’s civil wars and as part of the administration’s broader reconciliation agenda.
The proposed museum would provide an institutional mechanism for preserving the history behind that suffering and ensuring that the experiences of those affected remain part of Liberia’s national memory.
Rather than allowing the passage of time to erase painful memories, the initiative seeks to preserve them as lessons for future generations.
Potential Liberia-Rwanda Cooperation
The study mission also opened discussions around potential technical cooperation between Liberia and Rwanda.
Areas under consideration include museum development and management, archival digitization, peace education and professional exchanges.
The Liberian delegation also explored possible collaboration with Aegis Trust Rwanda, an organization recognized for its work in genocide education, memorialization and peacebuilding.
Such cooperation could provide Liberia with technical expertise as it develops the concept, structure and operational framework for its own institution.
‘Not a Copy of Rwanda’
Liberian officials emphasized that the country does not intend to reproduce Rwanda’s approach wholesale.
Instead, the purpose of the study mission is to identify lessons, systems and practices that can be adapted to Liberia’s distinct history, institutional environment and reconciliation needs.
Liberia’s conflict experience is different from Rwanda’s, and officials say the proposed museum must therefore reflect Liberia’s own historical realities, including the causes and consequences of its civil wars, the experiences of victims and survivors, the peace process and the country’s continuing journey toward national healing.
South Africa Next
The Liberian delegation is expected to proceed to South Africa for the next phase of its study tour.
The South African experience is also expected to provide lessons relevant to Liberia’s efforts to document conflict, preserve historical memory and use public institutions to support reconciliation.
The broader study tour comes as the Boakai administration seeks to translate its reconciliation agenda into tangible programs and institutions capable of surviving successive governments.
Preserving the Past, Protecting the Future
For Liberia, the proposed Peace, Reconciliation and Memorial Museum could ultimately become one of the country’s most important post-war institutions.
Its significance would extend beyond preserving documents and artifacts.
It could provide a permanent space for the stories of those who suffered, those who survived and those who helped rebuild Liberia after years of conflict.
It could also help answer an increasingly important question for a generation born largely after the war: How does a nation remember its darkest chapters without allowing those memories to divide it again?
The government’s answer appears to be through preservation, education, dialogue and institutionalized remembrance.
If successfully established, the museum could transform Liberia’s scattered fragments of wartime history into a shared national record—one that honors victims, recognizes survivors, educates young people and reinforces the enduring importance of peace.
More than 20 years after Liberia’s civil wars ended, the proposed institution represents an attempt to ensure that the country does not forget what it went through—and that future generations understand why preserving peace matters.
For more information, follow The Liberian Post on Facebook (https://web.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576017166570) and X, formerly twitter (https://x.com/LiberianPost).
