Rebuilding Liberia, One Brick at a Time

Examining gender based violence and abuse among Liberian school students in four counties: An exploratory study

“…In Liberia, even though rape is a crime, fear, isolation, economic hardship, and mistrust of authority mean that many instances of gender based violence go unreported and the perpetrators are not identified, caught, or convicted (Ackerman, 2009). Only 6% of all reported cases of gender-based violence in 2010, which includes sexual violence or physical violence, made it to court with only 2% of the cases resulting in a conviction (Dziewanski, 2012).…”

Reintegration as a Social Development Strategy for Liberia’s Ex-Child Soldiers: Addressing Structural Barriers

“…This decree gave a pathway to formally establish the National Commission on Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration (DDR) in September 2003. Rooted on the ideals of security and peace, the overarching goal of DDR programs is to disarm, demobilize, and enable the reintegration of ex-combatants to their communities and stimulate social and economic development (Ackerman, 2009;International Peace Academy, 2002). In spite of the new standards, DDR programs continued to emphasize the economic portion of development and security priorities.…”