Postwar Recovery in Liberia: Perspectives from Liberian Ex-Combatants
An important determinant of durable peace in Liberia is the successful reintegration of the approximately 101,000 fighters disarmed and demobilized by the United Nations. By February 2005, reports indicated that about 75 percent had participated in vocational training and education programs. Beyond broad assessments of the high rates of unemployment among ex-combatants, little information exists about their current status: What have the disarmament and reintegration programs meant to the lives of former fighters? How do they make a living? How successfully have they reintegrated into their communities? How do ex-combatants, in a country that cannot meet many of its citizens' basic needs, manage psychological and stress-related disorders? If given the opportunity, could they envision returning to war?
CHF International and the National Ex-Combatant Peace Building Initiative, an organization founded and staffed by former combatants, provide a clearer picture of who the ex-combatants are, what challenges they continue to face, and where the peace dividend may be found.
Speakers
- Gwendolyn Hall Taylor
CHF International Consultant - K. Johnson Borh
National Ex-Combatant Peace Building Initiative - Morlee Gugu Zawoo
National Ex-Combatant Peace Building Initiative - Dorina Bekoe, Moderator
U.S. Institute of Peace
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