Lifting Liberia, lifting the world: in many nations, the fight against poverty is both an ethical issue and a security imperative. Women leaders are convening in Liberia to commit to action to empower women at all levels to become effective leaders as it contributes to peace and international security--the precondition for development and poverty reduction.

• Author: Ellis, Sarah

Leading the way: the Liberia colloquium

Women leaders will meet at an International Colloquium on Women's Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security in Liberia's capital, Monrovia, on 7-8 March 2009. It will be co-convened by Liberian and Finnish Presidents, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Tarja Halonen, in concert with Pan African Parliamentarians and supported, among others, by the Council of Women World Leaders (www.cwwl.org).

Bringing together several former and present female heads of state, as well as women leaders from all realms of society including from the private sector, NGOs and international institutions, the colloquium will focus on establishing ties across borders and between markets, exchange good practices and innovative ideas and commit to action to empower women at all levels to become effective leaders. The colloquium aims to establish a foundation for increased global security through access to opportunities and resources for women around the world.

Women leaders have risen to positions of influence in government, multi-lateral institutions, the private sector and civil society, where they can increasingly shape approaches to and priorities of international security--the precondition for development. Recognizing that extreme poverty undermines democratic processes and good governance, depletes resources and increases the desperation of individuals and communities who believe they have a stake in a stable...