Rebuilding Liberia

By ⋅ July 1, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment
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Liberia. Source: CIA The World Factbook

Liberia. Source: CIA The World Factbook

The West African nation of Liberia suffered through an on-again, off-again civil war for 14 years from 1989 to 2003. As many as 250,000 people were killed. The country was economically devastated: Roads were destroyed, sewage and water largely ceased functioning, and electricity was knocked out throughout the entire country. A generation of young people, many of whom were child soldiers, never received a formal education. Many were psychologically traumatized by a brutal and at-times bizarre war.

The country has been at peace since United Nations peacekeepers came to Liberia in 2003. There are signs of recovery – a freshly-paved road or new restaurant bring hope – but progress has been difficult and slow. Formal unemployment remains alarmingly high, upwards of 60 to 80 percent.

Jason Margolis in Liberia

The World’s Jason Margolis spent two weeks in Liberia to examine the challenges of rebuilding a war-torn nation.

Liberians discuss Charles Taylor Trial

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While in Liberia Jason Margolis asked people there how they felt about the war crimes prosecution of Charles Taylor. Anchor David Baron speaks with Margolis to find out about the reaction in Liberia. Read the full story here and
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Liberia struggles with land disputes

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The West African nation of Liberia needs a functioning judicial system badly for many reasons, including for settling land disputes. During the country’s 14-year civil war, which ended in 2003, many Liberians fled their country. In the past few years many people have returned home, and some have found other people living on their land. Read the full story here and Download MP3

Liberian Proverbs

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Jason Hepps with the UNHCR in Saclepea, Liberia

There’s an expression people use in Liberia: Monkey work, baboon draws. While that might make no sense to an outsider, the meaning is crystal clear in Liberia: If I do the work, somebody else should not take the credit. Proverbs like this are a powerful and common form of communication used throughout Liberia. Read full post here and Download MP3

Bribes and leverage in Monrovia traffic

John Patrick Van Rensburg (Photo: Jason Margolis)

A police officer walks through the cars stuck in Monrovia’s horrendous mid-day traffic. He spots John Patrick Van Rensburg, taps on his car window, and asks for his papers. Van Rensburg, a tall, white South African with long brown hair, greets the cop but ignores the request for his license. The officer solicits for a bribe and Van Rensburg simply ignores him. This back and forth is part of the daily game.(Click here to read Jason Margolis’ journal )

In Liberia, a different kind of factory

In Liberia, a different kind of factory. Photo: Jason Margolis

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A new sewing factory in Monrovia is producing t-shirts bound for the United States. It’s staffed by 32 Liberian women, and an American boss who has returned to his native country. The enterprise is trying to become one of the first start-up factories in the world, and the very first in Africa, to manufacture “fair trade certified” apparel. The women receive a fair wage, health insurance, and a monthly bag of rice. Read full post here (Photo: Jason Margolis) Download MP3

A conversation with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

President Sirleaf. Photo Jason Margolis

July 7, 2010

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Reporter Jason Margolis got a chance to sit down with President Sirleaf in her office and ask a range of questions about how her country can economically recover after 14 years of Civil War. Sirleaf took office as the president of Liberia for a six-year term beginning in 2006. She will run for re-election next year.

Audio Slideshow: Idi Amin Slept Here

Audio Slideshow: The Ducor Hotel

July 7, 2010

The Ducor hotel in the Liberian capital of Monrovia was once considered one of the finest hotels in all of Africa. The hotel shut its doors shortly after civil war erupted in Liberia in 1989. During the war, the Ducor became home to thousands of squatters. A few dozen remain today. A Libyan company now has plans to revamp the old hotel. A few old employees of the Ducor took reporter Jason Margolis around for a tour. Watch the slideshow.

Helping Liberia’s former child soldiers

Helping Liberia’s former child soldiers. Photo: Jason Margolis

July 6, 2010

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Liberia’s capital city, Monrovia, is swarming with young men who were former child soldiers in Liberia’s civil war. Most of the young men are uneducated and have few job skills. Many have short attention spans, trouble saving money, and are prone to petty crime and violence. A team of American researchers and Liberian social workers are researching how, and whether, this culture can be transformed. Read full post here and see Jason’s photos of Liberian youth.

Re-opening tourism in Liberia

Liberian beach. Photo: Jason Margolis

July 2, 2010

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Before Liberia descended into war, the country was an African travel hotspot: five-star hotels, beautiful beaches, and a rich cultural history. Today, tourism dollars would certainly help Liberia’s economic recovery. But is Liberia ready to re-open for tourists?
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World Cup under way in South Africa

Football match in Liberia. Photo: Laura Cunial

June 11, 2010

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The 2010 soccer World Cup has opened with a spectacular ceremony in Johannesburg. It included a tribute to the six African teams that have qualified for the tournament, symbolized by six branches of a baobab tree. It’s the first FIFA World Cup on African soil and in Liberia, too, soccer fever is palpable, even though Liberia’s team isn’t even playing. Jason Margolis has more. See more of Jason’s photos from Liberia.

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Liberia facts

  • Capital: Monrovia
  • Population: 3,685,076 (July 2010 est.)
  • Religions: Christian 40%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 40%
  • More facts here

Discussion

8 comments for “Rebuilding Liberia”

  • Anne

    Dear Jason and The World,

    Thank you so much for this series! I have loved it. I used to work with Liberian refugees in Ghana and I am always interested to hear news coming out of Liberia. There is so little coverage of what is going on in that nation.

  • lester tenny

    i think with the end of hostility and the incarceration of Africa’s chief bandit, Liberia is on the path of recovery and restoration and then development. i think it is about time we as Liberian abandon some of the structural causes of conflict, which include the such names like Americo-Liberian and indigenous Liberian or country man and Congo man, etc. we should even reflect on certain elements of our history written. some of which portrays a history of conflict, like the fighting between the settlers and the natives and how the settlers defeated the natives in this battle or that battle. i think our new generatiion of liberian shouldnt be reading those history any more. i also think that we participate more fully in meaningful developmental activities like support for our national team, inter county sport leagues. all of which bring unity. finally, we elect people into office on the basis of productivity.

  • Menipakei Dumoe

    Thanks alot Jason. I am the Liberian partner that worked with Seanan to set up WOW Liberia.

    I liked your interview with our president. She did say the same things she has said for over five years!!! Excuses, excuses and more excuses.

    Her response to your questions on corruption was especially classic. She blames everything on lack of institution and capacity. We that live here and monitor what happen in Government know clearly that our president is in bed with corruption! Her own lack of political will to prosecute and punish her political allies and her relatives in Government is her biggest obstacle.

  • http://www.liberiacf.org Carl

    Nice articles. I’m trying to help a little in rebuilding here, too, so far with mixed success. See liberiacf.org. The most necessary thing missing seems to be crafts training – most people do most things on a level far below that of even comparable African countries, simply because they usually only know basic carpentry and masonry, which is often not even applied, as sticks, mud, and corrugated metal are often considered sufficient for housing, furniture, and so on.

  • Nyanfore jappah

    the president tries to side- step many of the situations going on in Liberia. Personally one would feel that corruption is a past time in Liberia. Many of the president’s closest friends have been engaged in huge business deals without putting the country’s interest first. Liberia could have been more better if, officials in charge were implementing policies that were beneficial to our country. Anything short of putting Liberia’s fiscal house in order, reducing the in-equities in the liberian society, the possibility of violence is looming large. we’ve got to stop window-dressing these issues because they are some of the principal reasons of the mess we are in today.Every politician in Liberia make all these orwellian promises and kick the people in the the back when it comes to the implentaion process. Too many of us Liberian are just tired of all these “messiah” who can never be trusted. it is time our leaders realized that we can never be taken for a joke anymore.

  • William Ponder

    The Liberian corruption challenge has been quite politicized. First, the government placed itself on notice by providing the environment for greater transparency. Everyone remembers Madam Sirleaf’s inaugural speech declaring corruption as public enemy number one. With this bold assertion came the availability of information regarding corruption which was initially led by a widely independent press. However, the government did not educate the population on how they were going to go about fighting corruption. Madam Sirleaf herself took her eye of the ball and didn’t early on realize how widely politicized the issue would get until it was laid at her doorsteps. The government’s initial response was some how tentative and theoretical. Obviously, the Liberian people wanted a more robust political action. When the press and critics came down hard, the response became more about building institutions and establishing frameworks of accountability. However, these approaches or methods, for a country like Liberia, take a very long time to achieve systemically positive results. I would say that so far, the response has been mixed for the following reasons. Prior to the civil war, Liberia never had an Anti-Corruption Commission or an independently administered government auditing office. These two institutions are positive signs without delving into their performances. However, the movement to try cases of corruption in the courts has been a slow process. It shows that the judicial system itself needs major reform if it is to respond to meet the challenges of fighting corruption. For those of us who worked and lived in Liberia before the civil war, the country today has the best chance ever to face the challenges of corruption. Knowing the Liberian people and their politicians, there is not one of them who would’ve advance the corruption fight or the development agenda farther than what Sirleaf has done. Read the stories of how bribery is common place. Even the police officers, who get paid today, are prepared to receive bribe tomorrow. Therefore, the problem is systemic and societal. It will require a legal and justice system that is assertive in fighting this problem. I would recommend a corruption court and special prosecutor to only handle cases of corruption in government. Without appearing to interfere in the affairs of the judiciary branch, at least a special prosecutor and court system may fast track the case load. I also do agree that the president can and should still do more in developing a clear approach in cases where there is an allegation. Such an administrative approach needs to be practiced uniformly and across the board. Once there is consistency, the citizens will begin to trust the system. Going back, I also believe that Madam Sirleaf may have initially underestimated the level of corruption that was so pervasive in the society. However, I expect to see further movement to tackle the problem of negative perception before she gets reelected. As far as the wider development agenda is concerned, the government’s meeting of the HIPC completion point and qualifying for debt waiver that would cancel-out $4.6 billion external debt is quite an achievement that benefits the country and all of its citizens for years to come. It also places government on the path to creating the fiscal space necessary to respond and meet the infrastructural and development needs of the country in the short to medium term.

  • Jeffrey Seegers

    I’ve spent lots of time with Joe and we consider each other brothers, I’m the little one, Jon-pat being my bigger one.

    Both are good men and they both want to help the country, but the ppl of liberia aren’t interested in helping there own country!

  • http://www.counsellingsydney.com.au/sutherland Counselling Psychologist Sutherland

    Thanks so much for your interview with the former child soldiers of liberia. It is essential for westerners to hear the impacts of wartime trauma so we can head the lessons learnt. We so often turn away from the truth.