Anna Pudimat ’11, Dartmouth College 1 Liberia: Reconnect, Rebuild, Reconcile - A Communications Initiative to Empower Refugees Summary: Mission and General Structure of Program Liberia: Reconnect, Rebuild, Reconcile (LRRR) is a communications-based initiative which strives to make legal, political, and aid-related information and resources accessible to Liberian refugees in Ghana. The mission of the project is to empower refugees to take action by understanding 1) their rights and 2) the means of assistance and protection that are available to them. The primary product of the LRRR initiative will be literature in the form of illustrated manuals and brochures, detailing the aforementioned legal, political, and practical information. Contact information for important resources for refugees will also be included. This literature will distributed directly to the refugee population in Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana, and will also be made available through NGOs, government offices and outreach centers acting as partners in the project. LRRR will be designed and implemented primarily through the Connecticut-based 501c3, Lawyers Without Borders (LWOB), which currently maintains legal and community outreach projects in Monrovia, Liberia and Accra, Ghana. The knowledge of the LWOB attorneys, the connections of the organization to local NGOs and government ministries, and the organization’s experience with community education will serve as valuable resources for the LRRR initiative. LRRR will also involve collaboration with the Liberian Diaspora Advisory Board, the Lift Liberia poverty reduction program, and members of the Liberian refugee population living in Buduburam Camp in Ghana. Background: Political Context and Urgent Needs Liberia has been on a slow but steady course of reconstruction since the end of its devastating civil war from 1989 – 2003. Current president Ellen Sirleaf Johnson has made great strides in addressing economic stability and rule of law in the country. Still, there is a vast population of Liberian refugees scattered throughout West Africa who have not been able to participate in or benefit from this progress, and who continue to suffer in their long and seemingly interminable exile from their home nation. This past summer, I had the opportunity to work intensely with members of the Liberian refugee community in Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana. There I learned that while most refugees wish to re-establish themselves either in Liberia or in a third country of asylum, they are woefully ill- or un-informed of the resources and legal protections available to them to pursue this path to settlement. Speaking with the local director of the women’s micro-loan foundation One Step One World (OSOW), and a panel of women representatives from the Buduburam community, I was told that most believe that going back to Liberia is impossible due to “fear of prosecution, lack of funds, and a lack of skills necessary to be self-reliant and independent [once there].” This need and this fear, while chronic problems for the Liberian refugee population, are newly urgent, as the Ghanaian government has recently invoked the 1951 United Nations Cessation Clause for refugee aid (to take effect at the end of this year, 2011). The action will effectively redact legal refugee status from Liberians in Ghana. Thousands will thus lose the special protections and rights to aid associated with recognition as a legal refugee. These “ex-refugees,” including the population in Buduburam Camp, will be forced to find a permanent place of registered residence where they will not be considered illegal aliens or transient “units of flight;” according to UN projections, 17,000 are expected to attempt to repatriate to Liberia in late 2011/early 2012. It is therefore imperative that these individuals be made aware of their rights and the implications of this policy change, and educated about the resources that might help them to navigate their inevitable relocation. LRRR Project Goals: - Collect, organize, and publish legal and aid-related information in a publicly accessible format - Distribute/make this information available to critical populations (e.g. Buduburam community) - Conduct workshops, seminars with representatives of refugee policy initiatives to engage Liberian officials and NGOs and educate the Liberian public and the Liberian Diaspora. Assets: What Do I Already Have? - Contacts in Buduburam Camp: I worked in the camp this summer, and continue to be deeply involved with One Step One World (women’s empowerment NGO; see “About Me” below). Thus, I am in close Anna Pudimat ’11, Dartmouth College 2 contact with members of this refugee population and have direct insight into their needs, concerns, and initial responses and opinions of LRRR materials and programs. - Support of Lawyer Without Borders: LWOB Director Christina Storm has committed the support of her staff of experienced pro bono attorneys, as well as office support and publishing connections. - Contacts and Resources in Liberian, Ghanaian, and International NGOs and government ministries: Through the connections of LWOB, my contacts in Buduburam, and personal contacts to individuals involved in the Liberian Diaspora Advisory Board and the Lift Liberia poverty reduction program, I have direct access to relevant and influential resources that would inform the LRRR initiative. Program Detail and Timeline: The project will take place over the course of eight weeks (July 11, 2011 through September 3rd, 2011). The first stage of the project will be based at Lawyers Without Borders headquarters in Hartford, CT (duration five weeks), and the second stage based in Monrovia, Liberia (duration three weeks). This division will help to minimize living and production costs, and will ensure efficient access to resources in each stage of the project. The Hartford stage will include the majority of the legal research, writing, and drafting of communication materials, as well as communication with representatives from relevant organizations (e.g., United Nations). By working from LWOB headquarters, I will be able to ensure efficient and direct access to the resources necessary to research, design, and edit the LRRR communication materials. Specifically, I will be able to work directly with the central body of LWOB attorneys on staff and have immediate access to their publishing and design partners. From Hartford, I will also maintain contact and foster a collaborative relationship with partner individuals and organizations in Liberia and Ghana. The Monrovia stage will include final, direct consultation with Liberia- and Ghana-based NGOs and government ministries regarding LRRR. Publication, distribution, advertisement, and initial implementation of the LRRR resources will also occur during this stage. At least one workshop/seminar will take place to educate community outreach workers and officials about the new resources for working with Liberian refugees. Throughout the project I will implement two means of monitoring and evaluation. Firstly, I will gather official feedback on the LRRR materials by sending regular updates and drafts to involved NGOs and government organizations, both in Liberia and in the United States. Secondly, “user” feedback will be gathered through weekly meetings conducted by OSOW Local Director Oretha Zulu in Buduburam Camp. In these meetings, refugees will be able to voice concerns, discuss developments in camp, and provide input on the use and format of LRRR resources; this information will then be transmitted to me by Ms. Zulu. Prospects for Future Impact: LRRR is specifically designed to capitalize on existing resources and organizations which support Liberian refugees. Thus, it holds great potential for continued impact in the targeted communities. The publication materials and training/seminar programs will be completely transferrable and usable by a variety of relevant organizations. I also intend to personally promote the use of these resources and the education of refugees regarding legal rights and aid opportunities by returning to work in Buduburam camp after the completion of the LRRR summer initiative. I plan to work with the women of OSOW, supporting their existing programs while organizing workshops to promote legal and political awareness and enable aid networking. About Me: I am a senior at Dartmouth College, preparing to graduate in June with a BA in History and Government. My academic concentration of study is “Conflict and Society;” I am deeply interested in the societal implications of conflict, and especially in processes of post-conflict reconstruction. This intellectual and value-based interest was reified this past summer by my work in Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana. My experience there confirmed my commitment to human rights, rule of law, and refugee issues, and created in me a deep bond to this specific community of Liberian refugees. Since that time I have remained passionate about the politics and development of Liberia, and have continued to work with the Vermont-based NGO One Step One World (a women’s support and micro-loan organization which I connected with while in Buduburam). I want nothing more than to make a meaningful impact in the lives of these incredible, capable individuals who have been relegated to life in a neglected community for the past twenty years. .