Montserrado – As the world grapples with increasing food insecurity, persistent injustice, the effects of bad governance, and civic unrest, the Liberia chapter of the OMNIA Institute for Contextual Leadership is taking bold strides to build a peaceful future from the grassroots up. The organization recently concluded a two-day refresher training for its local staff—community organizers who are leading efforts to form and grow Interfaith Peacemaker (IP) Teams in communities across three key counties: Bomi, Montserrado, and Grand Cape Mount.

The training session, which brought together seasoned community organizers, focused on revitalizing OMNIA’s unique approach to interfaith collaboration, community organizing, and sustainable peacebuilding. More importantly, the training reaffirmed the team’s commitment to OMNIA’s global strategic goal of training 20,000 peacemakers and forming 1,000 IP Teams in 12 countries by the year 2027.

Founded in Chicago, Illinois, OMNIA Institute for Contextual Leadership is an international organization that works across religious, ethnic, and cultural lines to train clergy and lay leaders—both men and women, young and old—to become interfaith peacemakers. These leaders are then empowered to form community-based teams that tackle urgent, relevant, and winnable issues emerging from the ground.

In a statement following the refresher training, OMNIA Liberia National Coordinator, William Lloyd, emphasized that the organization’s approach is not top-down, but deeply rooted in community realities. “We don’t come with pre-planned solutions. Our community organizers work closely with local residents to identify the problems they are most passionate about, and then help them organize to take meaningful action that brings visible change,” the representative said.

Since its establishment in Liberia, OMNIA has trained over 8,800 peacemakers globally, and formed 440 Interfaith Peacemaker Teams in nine countries including Bangladesh, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Togo, Uganda, and the United States. Each IP Team typically consists of 20 members—religious and civic leaders who meet regularly to reflect, plan, and act on common goals.

Liberia’s contribution to this global movement is both remarkable and growing. Through its grassroots organizing efforts, OMNIA Liberia has established 53 Interfaith Peacemaker Teams across its target counties. The process begins with community organizers identifying 4 to 5 potential leaders from different backgrounds for a month-long intensive training in OMNIA’s organizing method. Afterward, these leaders conduct one-on-ones with individuals in their communities to build relationships, surface shared values, and invite others into the work of peacemaking.

Within a month, the emerging team identifies an action that is both deeply felt and widely supported in the community. These actions are deliberately designed to be winnable, as they help build momentum and confidence while addressing local needs. From resolving land disputes and advocating for women’s rights to improving community sanitation or preventing youth violence, IP Teams are tackling issues that matter most to their communities.

“Every day, somewhere in Liberia, an IP Team is meeting, listening, planning, and taking action,” the OMNIA Liberia representative noted. “These aren’t just meetings—they are engines of transformation powered by hope, courage, and collective vision.”

OMNIA’s methodology emphasizes building power through relationships, not just resolving conflict. It trains leaders to work across identity divides and challenges them to see each other not as enemies, but as potential partners in creating a better society.

With its eyes firmly set on the 2027 target, OMNIA Liberia is intensifying its organizing efforts. The momentum gained from the refresher training is already visible, with community organizers returning to their towns and villages inspired to train more peacemakers and strengthen existing teams.

As Liberia continues its journey of post-conflict recovery and democratic consolidation, initiatives like OMNIA’s Interfaith Peacemaker Teams offer a powerful reminder that peace is not only possible—it is practical and within reach when communities are given the tools and trust to lead.

In the words of one participant from Grand Cape Mount: “We are not waiting for someone else to fix our problems. We are doing it ourselves, together, as one people.”

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