KAICT curriculum

Hena said the institute was established in Liberia and focuses on West Africa at present, because in 1989 the entire Mano River Union (MRU) Basin in West Africa was engulfed in conflict, which began in Liberia and eventually spilt over to Sierra Leone and then parts of Guinea and Ivory Coast. This resulted in a catastrophic humanitarian and refugees crisis in the region.

"The MRU subregion experienced one of the most deadly conflicts in the West African region. In the wake of this development, there is a need to create academic institutions to provide knowledge training and basic skills to teach people how to avoid conflict and build peace and it's against this backdrop we establish the institute here in Liberia," said Hena.

He said the specific focus of the institute in keeping with its curriculum is to teach the students who are drawn from various professional backgrounds, important topics on peace development and conflict prevention. These include such and introduction to peace and conflict studies, gender, culture and peace, human rights and international law, leadership and governance, peace building and development and transitional justice.

"KAICT envisions a future where public dialogue and vigorous research and analysis are endemic to policy making and implementation. It is a future in which a new generation is endowed with abilities for critical and innovative thinking, " said Hena.

The institute currently operates a certificate program, which runs for six months, a nine months diploma program, and a recently introduced Master's Degree program, which has the highest number of applicants for enrollment this academic semester. Hena said the institute collaborates with Kings College, Coventry and Rock Fall Universities all of the UK, on a number of projects to promote peace building. Students from Germany and Sweden are engaged in research study at the institute and enrollment has increased steadily.  

Practical applications

Abraham Dukuly is a member of the first graduating class and he currently serves as the director of programs of a peace building organization based in Northern Liberia, close to the country's border with Guinea and one of the areas where Liberia's brutal civil war was concentrated.

"Studying about peace is important. Although it's a new field of study, it helps to foster peaceful co-existence and promote peace for development. I take an interest in studying about peace because I am a victim of the civil war in Liberia. I lost my mother, who was killed in the war and thereafter I resolved that I should work toward preventing conflict so that others like me cannot be affected again," he said.

Dukuly said he now works with rival tribal groups close to Liberia's border with Guinea to mediate and settle tribal feuds.

Another graduate of KAICT and a gospel minister, J. Beyan Kollie said the institute's work helps to deal with an individual's inner problems and helps others to understand the important role peace plays in development and in resolving family and tribal differences as well as land issues.

"I personally feel that the creation of the institute is highly necessary given the many conflicts we experienced in Africa nowadays. Having acquired the skills and as a minister of the Gospel, I am applying it to settle problems among couples and my congregation and the society as a whole in dealing with community issues," he added.

Future plans    

On plans to expand the KAICT's operation, Hena said it depends on the country's request and specific needs. "What I can say for now is that some countries on the continent have in place their own model of peace building centers that teach peace," he said.

People have taken an interest to learn basic knowledge and skills about peace building to avoid conflict and this is why we have an increase in the enrollment, said Hena, adding that "only us as a people can take charge of the responsibility to acquire these skills to prevent conflict in our region."

 (Reporting from Liberia)