African Child Peace Initiative (ACPI), Inc.

The African Child Peace Initiative (ACPI) is a non-governmental, non-political, non-tribal grass roots organization with the goal of empowering Liberian children and youth and supporting disintegrated communities and families by providing programs in a safe and nurturing youth-friendly environment.

ACPI’s programs are designed to promote peace and provide education to Liberia’s war-affected youth supporting them in developing sustainable livelihoods through hands-on skill training.

ACPI recognizes children and youths as a vital part of the nation’s peace rebuilding process. As a vehicle for achieving lasting peace and security in Liberia, the organization involves children and youth as active participants in the formulation and implementation of development strategies and initiatives in areas such as general education, hands-on life skills, arts, construction, and science and technology.

Currently servicing over three thousand (3,000) war-affected youth, ACPI’s programmes are centered on peace building and community development, encouraging active participation of Liberian children and youth, promoting youth visibility and direct involvement in peace building, supporting policy formulation and implementation for Liberian youth, supporting and facilitating youth empowerment in the community building efforts and helping reunify and integrate separated children with their families and communities.

ACPI’s activities are based on peer-to-peer education, computer training (ICT), youth leadership development and entrepreneurial skills, vocational skill-building, literacy programmes, HIV/AIDS awareness and general health education, youth advocacy and capacity building, peace building and conflict transformation, panel discussions, training workshops, sports, art and culture, partnerships and networking nationally and internationally and production of a monthly activity newsletter.

ACPI works with local schools and runs the first youth peace-building center in Liberia, The Caldwell Youth Peace-Building Center, in a community once used as a base for child soldiers. This is done in collaboration with the local community and youth themselves. The construction of The Caldwell Youth Peace-Building Center was sponsored by the United Nation in Liberia (UNMIL) Quick Impact Projects Program. The ACPI runs and funds all the center activities to help address the obstacles facing war-affected youth. ACPI takes a holistic, community-based approach to addressing these obstacles. ACPI currently has eight (8) local staff and volunteers in Liberia.

The African Child Peace Initiative, (ACPI) Inc, is a humanitarian Non-governmental organization dedicated to creating a better future for children and young people in Liberia and Africa through its youth friendly peace, education, health and community development programmes.