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Monrovia, Liberia. July 16th, 2025. The Faith and Justice Network (FJN), a coalition of faith leaders and justice advocates across the Mano River Basin, issues this urgent and heartfelt call to the people of Liberia, especially the faithful from all denominations, religious bodies, and moral communities, to choose peace, dialogue, and national stability over chaos and confrontation.
We are deeply concerned by the planned street protest spearheaded by the civil society group Solidarity of Trust for a New Day (STAND), under the leadership of Mr. Mulbah Morlu, Jr. While peaceful assembly is a constitutional right, street demonstrations at this moment, given the nation’s current social and economic climate, pose unnecessary dangers to public safety, national stability, and intercommunal trust. Our country cannot afford the luxury of political showboating that undermines the hard-won peace we’ve struggled to maintain since the end of civil war.
The Faith and Justice Network (FJN) unequivocally rejects the use of street protests as a tool for political agitation in Liberia at this time. We stand firm and united in our call for all citizens, especially political actors and members of civil society, to exercise their constitutional rights responsibly and not misuse them to threaten our fragile peace. We remind every Liberian that freedom of expression is not a license for disruption. The right to protest must never be weaponized to undermine the stability, security, and progress of our nation.
As people of faith, we are called to be guardians of peace, reconcilers of division, and stewards of justice. Liberia’s long road to recovery—from mass violence, economic collapse, and systemic impunity—has only been possible through the collective will of our people to rise above bitterness, and to build a new nation rooted in dialogue, justice, and reconciliation. This progress must not be reversed.
We therefore:
- Appeal to Solidarity of Trust for a New Day (STAND) to reconsider the course of mass protest at this critical national juncture. We urge the use of established democratic institutions, legal frameworks, and interfaith dialogue channels to address grievances, however valid they may be.
- Call on all Liberians, especially young people, not to be used as tools of political unrest. The future of this nation lies in your hands, not as protesters in the streets, but as builders of a new Liberia shaped by hope, dignity, and justice.
- Encourage national leaders, opposition figures, civil society, and the media to promote constructive engagement over antagonism, and to avoid political rhetoric that deepens polarization.
- Call on all faith leaders to rise above partisan divisions and recommit to their prophetic role as peacemakers and moral guides in times of uncertainty. This is the moment to lead our people away from the cliff’s edge of conflict. True prophetic witness is grounded in peace and justice—not provocation. Now is the time for spiritual leaders to rise above politics and intercede for national unity and wisdom.
- Urge the Government of Liberia to listen attentively to the concerns of citizens, and to respond with transparency, accountability, and genuine efforts to improve the welfare of all.
The Faith and Justice Network (FJN) calls on all Liberians—especially the people of faith across our churches, mosques, and religious communities to reject any path that threatens our national peace and democratic progress. Liberia has suffered too deeply to allow the flames of division, incitement, or political disorder to consume us again. We therefore speak with one voice, grounded in faith and guided by moral clarity. In the words of the prophet Jeremiah: “Seek the peace of the city… for in its peace, you will have peace” (Jeremiah 29:7). Stand for Peace—Not Protest. For Unity—Not Unrest. For Dialogue—Not Destruction. Let history record that when Liberia stood at a crossroads, we chose the path of peace. We refused to let our wounds reopen. We chose dialogue, justice, and unity as the compass for our future. Let every citizen say today and tomorrow, we Stand for Peace—Not Protest.
Liberia has come too far, and the blood of too many innocent lives cries out from the soil of our past, for us to gamble our future on the streets. The cries of our children, the hopes of our elders, and the prayers of our churches and mosques demand a better way. Let us not allow political impatience or power struggles to destroy what we have painfully built.
We categorically reject protest. We stand for peace. Do not misuse your legal and constitutional rights to derail Liberia’s post-war progress. Let all people of faith rise in prayer, in wisdom, and in moral responsibility to defend peace, unity, and the rule of law. As Scripture reminds us: “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14).