Cllr. Yvette Chesson-Wureh receives prestigious National Honor
Cllr. Dr. Yvette Chesson-Wureh, an iconic Liberian female, has been awarded the nation’s highest honor, the Order of the Star of Africa (Grand Band).
By Stephen G. Fellajuah
Monrovia, Liberia; July 28, 2025 – In a momentous celebration of Liberia’s 178th Independence Anniversary, Cllr. Dr. Yvette Chesson-Wureh has been awarded the nation’s highest honor, the Order of the Star of Africa (Grand Band), in recognition of her exemplary leadership, peacebuilding work, and lifelong dedication to justice, unity, and women’s empowerment.
Speaking at a special cocktail program hosted in her honor on July 24, 2025, at the Cecil Dennis Auditorium of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cllr. Chesson-Wureh expressed profound gratitude for the recognition. “I thank His Excellency, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, for this gracious honor and for the confidence it expresses in the work that I and so many others have been privileged to carry out in service of this beloved nation,” she stated.
She emphasized that the honor was not for her alone but for generations of Liberians, past and present, “who have dared to serve, to hope, and to believe in the dream of a united, just, and peaceful Liberia.”
Chesson-Wureh passionately urged Liberians to embrace unity that transcends tribal, ethnic, and political lines. “My life, like many others, stands as living proof that Liberian unity transcends tribe, ethnicity, and all divides that have threatened to tear the nation apart,” she said. “We are one people, richly diverse, beautifully complex, and deeply interconnected.”
She continued, “There are many of us across this country who are bridges between the so-called divides of our nation. We are the evidence that peace, reconciliation, and unity are not abstract ideals, but living realities when we choose to embrace each other as Liberians first.”
Calling on all citizens to reject the ghosts of ethnic and civil conflict, she declared that Liberia will rise when its people rise together, accepting the honor in the name of the women who birthed nations, the youth who dare to dream, the elders who have endured, and the peacebuilders, who labor every day for a better future.
“May this Grand Band not simply be a decoration, but a call to deeper service, louder advocacy, and unshakeable faith in Liberia. May God bless Liberia. May God bless all of us, one people, one nation united in purpose”, she expressed.
The ceremony attracted dignitaries, diplomats, civil society leaders, and international guests, many of whom were women from around the world, including the United States, who lauded Dr. Chesson-Wureh for her transformative impact in Liberia and beyond.
Among those who spoke was Olubanke King-Akerele, former Foreign Minister of Liberia, who described the moment as “extraordinary” and a well-deserved tribute to Chesson-Wureh’s tireless service.
Cllr. Dr. Yvette Chesson-Wureh serves as the Establishment Coordinator of the Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC) for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace, and Security, an institution born from the 2009 International Colloquium co-convened by Presidents Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Tarja Halonen.
A trailblazer in gender-responsive peacebuilding, she initiated the Women’s Situation Room (WSR), an award-winning early warning and rapid response mechanism against electoral violence, which has been implemented in over ten African countries. She chairs the Eminent Women’s Room of the WSR and co-chairs FemWise-ECOWAS, a network of women mediators across the region.
Her leadership has also extended to critical national moments: chairing logistics for the 2015 inauguration of President Sirleaf, leading ethical and legal advisory efforts during the Ebola crisis, and mobilizing youth through ABIC platforms.
While in the diaspora, she played a pivotal role in securing Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for undocumented Liberians in the U.S, a victory that granted legal status and work permits to thousands.
Cllr. Chesson-Gibson is deeply rooted in Liberia’s legacy of leadership and resilience. On her maternal side, she is the great-great-granddaughter of King Zolu Duma (also known as King Peter) of the Vai people and the great-granddaughter of President Hilary R. W. Johnson, Liberia’s first native-born president. Her mother, Catherine Leona Tucker Chesson, was a renowned lawyer and former legislator for Montserrado County.
Her paternal lineage includes Joseph Chesson, one of Liberia’s famed merchant princes. Her father, Cllr. Joseph J.F. Chesson served as Minister of Justice and was tragically executed during the 1980 coup. She remains a dedicated member of the April 22nd Memorial Group, honoring the legacy of President William R. Tolbert Jr. and others lost during that period.
Cllr. Chesson-Gibson earned her Juris Doctor with honors from North Carolina Central University School of Law and is a member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar, the U.S. Federal District Court Bar, and the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL). She holds additional certifications in Mediation and Arbitration from Bowie State University and has served on national and international boards, including the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine. Editing by Jonathan Browne
