LUMASA is a survivor-led organization formed by victims and families affected by the 1990 Lutheran Church Massacre in Monrovia, Liberia. The Association advocates for justice, healing, and memorialization, ensuring that the voices of survivors remain central in Liberia’s path to reconciliation and peace.
LUMASA is a survivor-led association established by individuals and families directly affected by the 1990 Lutheran Church Massacre in Monrovia, Liberia. What began as a small network of grieving relatives has evolved into a national platform for truth-telling, advocacy, and healing.
The Association was founded to ensure that the massacre — and the lives lost — are not forgotten. For decades, survivors have faced silence, marginalization, and trauma. LUMASA provides them with a collective voice — one that demands justice and recognition, but also strives to heal through solidarity and remembrance.
Our work spans documentation, memorialization, and support to survivors, but it also goes beyond that. We seek to reconnect families torn apart by conflict, engage younger generations in understanding the past, and foster dialogue that promotes tolerance and human rights in Liberia today.
We believe that acknowledging the truth about the massacre is not only a moral obligation, but also a necessary step toward building a just and inclusive society. LUMASA’s advocacy emphasizes that justice delayed must not mean justice denied — and that healing begins when truth is spoken openly.
Through our partnerships with local and international organizations, we continue to amplify survivors’ voices, ensuring that the pursuit of justice remains a national and global concern.
Promoting justice, remembrance, and peace LUMASA’s mission is to promote justice, remembrance, and peace for the victims and survivors of the Lutheran Church Massacre and all those affected by Liberia’s civil conflict. We work to preserve memory through storytelling, documentation, and commemoration. We advocate for accountability and the recognition of survivors’ rights, while creating safe spaces for healing and intergenerational dialogue.
A reconciled Liberia built on truth and dignity We envision a reconciled Liberia — one built on truth, dignity, and respect for every human life. In this vision, remembrance becomes a bridge between the pain of the past and the promise of a peaceful future. We strive for a country where survivors are no longer silenced, where historical injustices are addressed, and where the lessons of the massacre inspire national unity and compassion.
We believe that speaking the truth about the past is essential to justice and healing.
We support transparent processes that ensure perpetrators are held responsible and survivors are acknowledged.
We promote emotional, spiritual, and communal healing as vital parts of rebuilding trust.
We stand together — survivors, families, partners, and allies — in the shared commitment to peace and dignity.
These values are not abstract ideals, but living principles that shape how we engage with communities, institutions, and each other.
