The Liberia Media for Democratic Initiatives (LMDI) was established in October 2011 and registered during the same period with the Liberian Government. Its mission is to achieve good governance and to promote peaceful co-existence through media related programs and outreach. LMDI regards building the post-conflict fragile peace and the development of the media in Liberia as key to sustaining Liberia’s emerging democracy. The LMDI is a revision of the vision of the Liberia Media Initiative founded in 2007 by the LMDI’s Founder and Director, John O. Kollie.
LMDI aims to achieve participatory democracy, and by extension its sustenance, through media sensitisation, media empowerment, training and workshops for media practitioners, outreach on peacebuilding and national reconciliation, and awareness on key development issues, pillars and governance.
Major achievements
The LMDI is working towards an overall goal of achieving democratic governance through people’s inclusion to consolidate peace in Liberia. The LMDI at the moment runs five active radio and Community outreach programmes all based on themes around democracy, governance, peacebuilding and development. LMDI programmes include:
THE DIALOGUE (TD)
This is a live outdoor Interactive Talk Show. For the first time on the Liberian Media Landscape, people have the opportunity to speak to their leaders, especially policy makers, about policies that affect their lives. The people and their leaders meet face-to-face here in town halls or just simply open air and impromptu gatherings, and are given the chance to exchange views on critical national and community issues. Deliberations from the forums are recorded and produced into one hour radio and TV programmes for broadcast on 45 media partners radio (both national and community) across Liberia. This is a space for real people-to-people dialogue and debates.
WHAT THE PEOPLE SAY (WPS)
The LMDI provides the space for rural communities to talk about issues of democracy, governance and development. Reporters and producers take to the field in search of the voices that matter on peacebuilding, general governance and the living conditions of the people and national reconciliation. National government policies are scrutinised here. This allows people to talk about how certain policies affect their lives.
TOMORROW’S PEOPLE (TP)
This programme focuses on gender and youth issues. Here children and youths are themselves producers and presenters. They are trained in all kinds of electronic media work leading to this production. They go into the field, gather content, compile, script, produce and present with the supervision of our radio and drama producers and trainers. The programme targets sensitive issues like education and livelihood. Gender based violence issues are also central here. The programme is aired twice weekly for 30 minutes on 45 Monrovia and rural community radio partners. Each programme uses a storyline to address child protection, women, children, and youth rights and other issues of concern to children, families and policy makers.
THE WAY TO PEACE (TWP)
This is a drama series based on daily life activities in Liberia. Issues are researched, explored and introduced on this programme with the aim of creating the space for national reconciliation. This programme receives a twice weekly 15 minute slot; the characters address situations and challenges facing Liberians around the country as they rebuild their lives and work to maintain the peace. This is a virtual social re-integration based soap opera addressing national reconciliation and transition to normalcy in Liberia. Under this initiative, LMDI runs an episodic series called “Living Together”. This series highlights reconciliation and peacebuilding as the major force for national social recovery efforts.
