AU Honors MOP-Liberia Executive Director

Liberian peacebuilder Ms. Gwendolyn S. Myers, Founder and Executive Director of Messengers of Peace-Liberia Inc. (MOP-Liberia), has been named the inaugural recipient of the African Union Peacebuilder Award 2025 | Young Peacebuilder of the Year, marking a historic milestone for youth-led peacebuilding on the continent.

The Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Pioneer received the honor at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa during the commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the African Union Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) Policy Framework, themed “Twenty Years of Building and Sustaining Peace: From Policy to Action.” African Union Commissioners, Diplomatic Missions, and Member States of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) attended the high-level ceremony.

This accolade comes nearly a year after Ms. Myers was honored as a global Pioneer of Youth, Peace and Security at the 10th Anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250, reinforcing recognition of her leadership at the highest levels of both continental and international governance. For Liberia, this continental triumph elevates the nation’s standing as a resilient post-conflict model, demonstrating how homegrown civil society innovations can actively shape global peace and security architecture.

Since becoming the first youth representative to address the UN Peacebuilding Commission in 2015 to advocate for UNSCR 2250, Ms. Myers has translated grassroots activism into high-level policy impact. She currently serves as a Member of the African Union Advisory Panel on Democratic Elections and Governance, an AU Advisor on Right to Development (Trod) Quick Impact Projects (QIPs), and an Executive Board Member of the Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (CSPPS).

Presented during the official launch of the third edition of the AU PCRD Journal, the award marks a monumental, full-circle professional milestone for Ms. Myers, who was a contributing author to the journal’s inaugural edition and currently serves as an Editorial Board Member.

The recognition spotlights MOP-Liberia’s 18 years of sustained grassroots impact, empowering young people to transition from passive observers into active peace advocates and community mediators through school-based peace clubs, youth mentorship, non-violence campaigns, and civic dialogues. A major milestone in this continental footprint occurred in December 2025, when MOP-Liberia partnered with the AU Commission’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) through the AU PCRD Centre to host the first-ever Regional Youth Strategy Forum on Peacebuilding and the Right to Development, delivering the full renovation of the Kpor Town Public School in Margibi County as a Right to Development QIP, representing a tangible peace dividend for the local community. This continental synergy continued with the execution of the 8th Annual Youth Peace Summer Camp, a flagship initiative of MOP-Liberia’s Africa School for Peace and Development, convened in direct partnership with the African Union’s Youth for Peace (Y4P) Africa Programme to equip a new cohort of young Liberians with practical continental peacebuilding frameworks, particularly the African Union Agenda 2063.

Reflecting on the honour, Ms. Myers dedicated the award to the young people whose daily commitment sustains peace across Africa. For MOP-Liberia, the accolade validates the collective power of youth-led action and underscores the need for sustained investment in local peacebuilders.

The award also holds profound significance for West Africa, a sub-region navigating complex democratic transitions and fragility. It affirms the vital role of grassroots organizations across the sub-region and reinforces the necessity of integrating their lived expertise into broader continental frameworks.

While celebrating this achievement, Ms. Myers and MOP-Liberia expressed profound gratitude to the African Union, accepting the honour with renewed determination to advance youth leadership, community-led recovery, and sustainable development across Africa.