http://www.analystliberia.com/trc_success_depends_june23.html
The Officer-In-Charge of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), Mr. Luiz Carlos da Costa said the success of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is dependent on the provision of resources beyond what the government and people of Liberia can afford.
His statement is against the backdrop of the task before the commission, which was officially launched by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Speaking at the Centennial Pavilion during the launch of the TRC yesterday, he repeated appeal to the international community to provide all the necessary support towards the successful completion of the task of the commission.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has been very contributive financially to the TRC, something which Mr. da Costa recognized in his statement.
“UNDP is the first organization to provide substantial funding in the tone of US$600,000 and to commit so early to ensure the success of the TRC,” he said amidst applause. At the same time, the UNMIL acting chief recognized the task before the Commission, which according to him is not an easy one.
He told Liberians what the commission will do as it begins operations: “It is not only to examine the past, but also to delve into what caused communities to turn against one another and people to go against their neighbors.”
“The Commission will also need to come with recommendations to help the victims overcome their trauma,” he stressed. According to the UNMIL Officer-In-Charge, as daunting the task maybe, “we are confident that we have a TRC that has competent and committed members ready to help Liberians confront their past and resolve together their differences.”
Meanwhile, Mr. da Costa has commended members of the civil society, who, according to him, have been relentless in their efforts to see that the commission began functioning. “I must also thank them for their contribution at several stages of the evolution of this commission and am confident that their support will be even stronger as the body moves forward with its tasks,” he noted.
He also recognized the participation of Liberians as essential to the success of the TRC. “Participation of the people freely and without fear is essential to the success of the commission’s mandate, “ he said, and added “I therefore urge all Liberians to see it as an obligation to come forward before the Commission in the spirit of reconciliation and with the determination to look to the future.”
At the same time, ex-fighters in the Liberian conflict have pledged their support and cooperation with the work of the TRC. A representative of ex-combatants told Liberians that 90% of the youth population has experienced the most brutal political transformation in Liberia.
At such, he said it was time to make a comeback of senses by supporting the work of the TRC which according to stakeholders is a symbol of peace and national healing.
According to him, during this period, youths were used as agents of death and utter destruction, but noted that with the election of Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as President of Liberia “they will never be used to kill and destroy our beloved country and citizens.”
What he said the youth want to see is for them to reconcile their differences and become united to ensure that they are empowered academically.
Envoys of the US, EU, ECOWAS and Sierra Leone made statements, and pledged to support the work of the TRC. They also urged Liberians to cooperate with the TRC to ensure its success.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Gov’t Formally Launches TRC , Will The Victims Please Come Forward?
Friday, June 23, 2006
Time For Truth
Liberia’s more than 158 years of political existence is a long tale of contradictions and inequities based on class system versus ethnicity. Almost with its founding came marginalization on the levels of skin color, social status, creed, and sex.
But no sooner was a system of national resistance organized against these improprieties than the nation was thrown into unending bouts of social inequities, political repression and oppression, official violence and impunity characterized by nepotism, bear-faced tyranny, witch-hunting, and the elimination of political opponents without accountability.
All this was crowned at the turn of the decade of the 1980s by the cruelest of wars that wiped the infrastructure of the nation, decimated its population, and sent millions of Liberia darting across borders.
Notwithstanding this grim history, Liberians are called upon to forget the past, but not before the truth is told and pleas of guilt heard, accepted, and documented.
But as The Analyst Staff Writer reports, the core question many Liberians are asking is, “Will the true victims come forward, and will what they reveal lead to justice or more bitterness, feelings of betrayal, and un-fulfillment?”
The government of Liberia, yesterday, formally launched the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) with appropriate indoor activities reportedly in all political subdivisions of the country.
Yesterday’s launch of the TRC did not only affirm the commission’s independence of action and decision, but it also opened the way for the commencement of the activities nationwide that will hopefully lead to reconciliation, the undoing of the culture of impunity, and the establishment of a new order for a sustainable democratization of the nation.
Liberians are divided over the achievability of the mandate given mainly the tenure of operation of the commission compared to the elaborateness of the mandate that include the holding of thousands of public and secret hearings involving participants that are cast across the globe.
The TRC has only two years to implement the mandate thereby reinforcing the doubts of some observers that commission will conclude its activities on time let alone to achieve the set goals.
Other observers, though, say it is too early to talk about time and achievability, insisting that Liberians have no option but to put their hopes and aspirations in the success of the TRC. The choice of the TRC over a war crime court, they insist, created a moral imperative for all Liberians to rally to the success of the processes.
Whatever the arguments and their bases, analysts say the true basis of the commission’s success lies not in what observers believe and think but squarely in how it endears itself and its programs and activities to those crucial to the reconciliation process.
According to them, it depends also on how the government of Liberia and the international stakeholders collaborate and cooperate with members of the commission to ensure adequate financial, security, and moral supports.
Basically, the commission is expected to provide a forum that will address issues of impunity, as well as opportunities for both the victims and perpetrators of human rights violations to share their experiences in order to get a clear picture of the past to facilitate genuine healing and reconciliation.
This, according to the CPA, is necessary in order to maintain the spirit of national reconciliation while dealing with the root causes of the crises in Liberia, including human rights violations.
It will specifically be investigating gross human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law as well as abuses that occurred between January 1979 and October 14, 2003.
Some of the abuses, according to Article IV of the Act establishing the TRC, include massacres, sexual violations, murder, extra-judicial killings and economic crimes.
Amongst acts considered under the Act as economic crimes is the exploitation of natural or public resources to perpetuate armed conflicts. Some say there are exploitations of natural resources that predate the events of 1979 and that because of that the full story or the full line of perpetrators of economic crimes will not be established let alone to ensure true healing and forgiveness.
“Notwithstanding the period specified herein, the Commission may, on an application by any person or group of persons, pursue the objectives set out in this Article IV (Mandate of the Commission) in respect of any other period preceding 1979,” the act said in anticipation arguments that 1979 is not an appropriate starting point in probing Liberia’s problems.
The commission is expected to make elaborate use of this provision, the act says, in order to conduct a critical review of Liberia’s historical past, the goal being to establish and give recognition to historical truths in order to address falsehoods and misconceptions of the past relating to the nation’s socio-economic and political development.
This will require the commission, according to Article VII of the act creating the TRC, to determine whether or not such violations were the result of deliberate planning on the part of the state, authority, or political organization, movement or group of individuals.
It will do this by gathering, by means it deems appropriate, any information it considers relevant, including the ability to request reports, assistance of foreign governments, non-resident Liberians, records, documents or any information from any source, including governmental authorities, and to compel the production of such information as and when necessary.
A special magistrate to be appointed with the consent of the Senate will preside over the equivalence of a circuit court that will have the power to issue warrants of search and seizure, warrants of arrest for contempt, and subpoenas.
It will also issue citations to obtain information and testimonies to enable the commission to visit any establishment or place without giving prior notice, and to enter upon any land or premises for any purpose which is material to the fulfillment of its mandate and in particular, for the purpose of obtaining testimonies which may be vital to its works.
“Any person who willfully obstructs or otherwise interferes with the work of the TRC or any of its members or officers in the discharge of their functions under this Act, commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not less than US $300.00 and not more than US $500.00 or its Liberian dollar equivalent for the first offence to include a term of imprisonment not less than six months or both fine and imprisonment depending on the gravity of the offence,” the act notes.
In order to endear itself to victims and perpetrators, the commission will grant immunity to all persons or groups of persons, organizations or institutions from prosecution or tort actions on account of statements made or evidence given before the TRC.
As part of the immunity, such testimonies will not be used in any court of law against the person making the statement. “Any person who has been subpoenaed or called upon to appear before the Commission may appoint a legal representative.
The Commission may in order to expedite proceedings place reasonable limitations with regard to the time allowed for cross-examination of witnesses or any address to the Commission,” the act said.
What exactly this clause means with regards to individuals currently holding constitutional immunity that may be held liable is not clear, but at the end of the process, the commission intends to help restore the human dignity of victims and promote reconciliation.
It will do so by providing opportunities for victims, witnesses, and others to give accounts of the violations and abuses suffered and for perpetrators to relate their experiences, in an environment conducive to constructive interchange between victims and perpetrators, giving special attention to the issues of sexual and gender based violence, and most especially to the experiences of children and women during armed conflicts in Liberia.
The TRC will recommend, according to the act, “amnesty under terms and conditions established by the TRC upon application of individual persons making full disclosures of their wrongs and thereby expressing remorse for their acts and/or omissions, whether as an accomplice or a perpetrator, provided that amnesty or exoneration shall not apply to violations of international humanitarian law and crimes against humanity in conformity with international laws and standards.”
Meanwhile the Chairman of TRC, Cllr. Jerome J. Verdier, Sr., has warned Liberians against ignoring or compromising the realities of Liberia’s past that led to the establishment of the commission.
According to him the realties that include the prejudice of the class or status, nepotism and the tendencies to regroup, the culture of impunity, the scourge of illiteracy and ignorance, and leadership without compassion, have grossly undermined the security and development of this country since its founding.
“The TRC process will be open, transparent, and accountable to all, including Liberians abroad,” he said, disclosing that yesterday’s launch of the commission proceeded simultaneously throughout the country in order to establish from the onset that the process is not a Monrovia-based affair.
He then assured all Liberians and friends of Liberia that there would not be witch-hunting but that the process would be scrupulously carried out to unravel and document the truth in vigorous pursuit of the commission’s goals.
“We will take advantage of the wisdom of our traditional and religious leaders and explore all means to incorporate them into the processes of the TRC,” Cllr. Verdier said when he spoke at the launch of the commission yesterday.
If the wisdom of traditional leaders is circumspectly blended with the safety-guides contained in the Act establishing the TRC, observers say, there is no question that the testimonies of the victims and the pleas of guilt of the perpetrators are bound to lead to the creation of the environments of security and justice and to the drudgery of more bitterness, feelings of betrayal, and un-fulfillment.
Time For Truth
Liberia’s more than 158 years of political existence is a long tale of contradictions and inequities based on class system versus ethnicity. Almost with its founding came marginalization on the levels of skin color, social status, creed, and sex.
But no sooner was a system of national resistance organized against these improprieties than the nation was thrown into unending bouts of social inequities, political repression and oppression, official violence and impunity characterized by nepotism, bear-faced tyranny, witch-hunting, and the elimination of political opponents without accountability.
All this was crowned at the turn of the decade of the 1980s by the cruelest of wars that wiped the infrastructure of the nation, decimated its population, and sent millions of Liberia darting across borders.
Notwithstanding this grim history, Liberians are called upon to forget the past, but not before the truth is told and pleas of guilt heard, accepted, and documented.
But as The Analyst Staff Writer reports, the core question many Liberians are asking is, “Will the true victims come forward, and will what they reveal lead to justice or more bitterness, feelings of betrayal, and un-fulfillment?”
The government of Liberia, yesterday, formally launched the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) with appropriate indoor activities reportedly in all political subdivisions of the country.
Yesterday’s launch of the TRC did not only affirm the commission’s independence of action and decision, but it also opened the way for the commencement of the activities nationwide that will hopefully lead to reconciliation, the undoing of the culture of impunity, and the establishment of a new order for a sustainable democratization of the nation.
Liberians are divided over the achievability of the mandate given mainly the tenure of operation of the commission compared to the elaborateness of the mandate that include the holding of thousands of public and secret hearings involving participants that are cast across the globe.
The TRC has only two years to implement the mandate thereby reinforcing the doubts of some observers that commission will conclude its activities on time let alone to achieve the set goals.
Other observers, though, say it is too early to talk about time and achievability, insisting that Liberians have no option but to put their hopes and aspirations in the success of the TRC. The choice of the TRC over a war crime court, they insist, created a moral imperative for all Liberians to rally to the success of the processes.
Whatever the arguments and their bases, analysts say the true basis of the commission’s success lies not in what observers believe and think but squarely in how it endears itself and its programs and activities to those crucial to the reconciliation process.
According to them, it depends also on how the government of Liberia and the international stakeholders collaborate and cooperate with members of the commission to ensure adequate financial, security, and moral supports.
Basically, the commission is expected to provide a forum that will address issues of impunity, as well as opportunities for both the victims and perpetrators of human rights violations to share their experiences in order to get a clear picture of the past to facilitate genuine healing and reconciliation.
This, according to the CPA, is necessary in order to maintain the spirit of national reconciliation while dealing with the root causes of the crises in Liberia, including human rights violations.
It will specifically be investigating gross human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law as well as abuses that occurred between January 1979 and October 14, 2003.
Some of the abuses, according to Article IV of the Act establishing the TRC, include massacres, sexual violations, murder, extra-judicial killings and economic crimes.
Amongst acts considered under the Act as economic crimes is the exploitation of natural or public resources to perpetuate armed conflicts. Some say there are exploitations of natural resources that predate the events of 1979 and that because of that the full story or the full line of perpetrators of economic crimes will not be established let alone to ensure true healing and forgiveness.
“Notwithstanding the period specified herein, the Commission may, on an application by any person or group of persons, pursue the objectives set out in this Article IV (Mandate of the Commission) in respect of any other period preceding 1979,” the act said in anticipation arguments that 1979 is not an appropriate starting point in probing Liberia’s problems.
The commission is expected to make elaborate use of this provision, the act says, in order to conduct a critical review of Liberia’s historical past, the goal being to establish and give recognition to historical truths in order to address falsehoods and misconceptions of the past relating to the nation’s socio-economic and political development.
This will require the commission, according to Article VII of the act creating the TRC, to determine whether or not such violations were the result of deliberate planning on the part of the state, authority, or political organization, movement or group of individuals.
It will do this by gathering, by means it deems appropriate, any information it considers relevant, including the ability to request reports, assistance of foreign governments, non-resident Liberians, records, documents or any information from any source, including governmental authorities, and to compel the production of such information as and when necessary.
A special magistrate to be appointed with the consent of the Senate will preside over the equivalence of a circuit court that will have the power to issue warrants of search and seizure, warrants of arrest for contempt, and subpoenas.
It will also issue citations to obtain information and testimonies to enable the commission to visit any establishment or place without giving prior notice, and to enter upon any land or premises for any purpose which is material to the fulfillment of its mandate and in particular, for the purpose of obtaining testimonies which may be vital to its works.
“Any person who willfully obstructs or otherwise interferes with the work of the TRC or any of its members or officers in the discharge of their functions under this Act, commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not less than US $300.00 and not more than US $500.00 or its Liberian dollar equivalent for the first offence to include a term of imprisonment not less than six months or both fine and imprisonment depending on the gravity of the offence,” the act notes.
In order to endear itself to victims and perpetrators, the commission will grant immunity to all persons or groups of persons, organizations or institutions from prosecution or tort actions on account of statements made or evidence given before the TRC.
As part of the immunity, such testimonies will not be used in any court of law against the person making the statement. “Any person who has been subpoenaed or called upon to appear before the Commission may appoint a legal representative.
The Commission may in order to expedite proceedings place reasonable limitations with regard to the time allowed for cross-examination of witnesses or any address to the Commission,” the act said.
What exactly this clause means with regards to individuals currently holding constitutional immunity that may be held liable is not clear, but at the end of the process, the commission intends to help restore the human dignity of victims and promote reconciliation.
It will do so by providing opportunities for victims, witnesses, and others to give accounts of the violations and abuses suffered and for perpetrators to relate their experiences, in an environment conducive to constructive interchange between victims and perpetrators, giving special attention to the issues of sexual and gender based violence, and most especially to the experiences of children and women during armed conflicts in Liberia.
The TRC will recommend, according to the act, “amnesty under terms and conditions established by the TRC upon application of individual persons making full disclosures of their wrongs and thereby expressing remorse for their acts and/or omissions, whether as an accomplice or a perpetrator, provided that amnesty or exoneration shall not apply to violations of international humanitarian law and crimes against humanity in conformity with international laws and standards.”
Meanwhile the Chairman of TRC, Cllr. Jerome J. Verdier, Sr., has warned Liberians against ignoring or compromising the realities of Liberia’s past that led to the establishment of the commission.
According to him the realties that include the prejudice of the class or status, nepotism and the tendencies to regroup, the culture of impunity, the scourge of illiteracy and ignorance, and leadership without compassion, have grossly undermined the security and development of this country since its founding.
“The TRC process will be open, transparent, and accountable to all, including Liberians abroad,” he said, disclosing that yesterday’s launch of the commission proceeded simultaneously throughout the country in order to establish from the onset that the process is not a Monrovia-based affair.
He then assured all Liberians and friends of Liberia that there would not be witch-hunting but that the process would be scrupulously carried out to unravel and document the truth in vigorous pursuit of the commission’s goals.
“We will take advantage of the wisdom of our traditional and religious leaders and explore all means to incorporate them into the processes of the TRC,” Cllr. Verdier said when he spoke at the launch of the commission yesterday.
If the wisdom of traditional leaders is circumspectly blended with the safety-guides contained in the Act establishing the TRC, observers say, there is no question that the testimonies of the victims and the pleas of guilt of the perpetrators are bound to lead to the creation of the environments of security and justice and to the drudgery of more bitterness, feelings of betrayal, and un-fulfillment.
Liberia Launches Truth and Reconciliation Commission
June 22, 2006
http://www.ictj.org/en/news/features/961.html
The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) today welcomed the launch of Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), presided over by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf at a public ceremony in Monrovia.
Today's events marked the official start of the TRC's two-year mandate to investigate human rights abuses that occurred between 1979 and 2003. In that year, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement was adopted in Accra, Ghana, ending an era of intensely violent civil strife and ushering in the first period of relative calm in more than 14 years.
"Today's ceremony emphasized a tremendous national desire to understand, reckon with, and move forward from Liberia's traumatic history," said Director Priscilla Hayner, head of the ICTJ's Liberia program and a participant at today's launch. "This marks a potentially crucial milestone in Liberia's transition-from a period of despair to a time of healing and hope-that will require the courage to face painful truths and a commitment to the pursuit of justice. It was encouraging to hear President Johnson-Sirleaf's promise to support the TRC in facing up to the complex challenge of pursuing restorative and retributive justice for Liberia-both key to addressing the needs of victims."
The TRC is composed of nine national members, all of whom were selected after a widespread consultative process and nominations from the general public in the fall of 2005, with help from a selection panel chaired by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Since its inauguration in February 2006, Commission members have been engaged in preparatory activities in advance of today's operational launch, including extensive public outreach both within the country and to the Liberian diaspora community spread throughout the world. The TRC hopes to involve those dispersed communities in the truth-telling process.
An aggressive outreach and awareness campaign is currently underway within the country, calling for widespread participation from all members of society. The Commission's chairman, attorney Jerome J. Verdier, also recently toured the United States to encourage Liberians living there to participate in the process, reflecting the TRC's strong commitment to hearing from as many victims and witnesses as possible to determine the truth about Liberia's violent past.
"To really move on from this era in our history, we need Liberians to come together in a common forum to investigate the crimes that took place, discuss our problems, and explore possible solutions," said Verdier, a key speaker at today's event. "We will need to hear the truth from as many victims and perpetrators as possible. At the same time, we recognize that for our country to move forward, the Commission will have to recommend institutional reforms, advocate the prosecution of certain crimes, and establish a firm record of the atrocities that took place here. To create a peaceful future, we will have to rewrite our own history."
Although the TRC's temporal mandate covers the period ranging from 1979 to 2003, it is also authorized to look more deeply into Liberian history to uncover and analyze social divisions, economic disparities, and other factors that may have contributed to the recent conflict.
"We must look at the deep roots of conflict in our society if we hope to address issues of impunity in our country," said Verdier. "Time cannot be a limiting factor to our investigations. We will look as far back as possible to understand what allowed such mass atrocities to take place."
Today's ceremony, attended by several hundred people, was the first in a series of events meant to generate discussion, educate, celebrate, and inform the public about the Commission. A public conference on transitional justice,
co-hosted by the ICTJ, the Liberian TRC, and a coalition of national NGOs known as the Transitional Justice Working Group, will take place on Friday, June 23. It will be followed by a national "jubilee" on June 24 and 25, featuring music, festivities, public outreach, and religious ceremonies. From June 26 to 28, the ICTJ will conduct a seminar bringing together representatives from former truth commissions to speak with members of the Liberian TRC.
The TRC will have two years to conduct its investigations. At the end of its mandate, it will have three months to produce a comprehensive final report, detailing its findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
Background
With the departure of former president Charles Taylor in August 2003, Liberia entered its first period of relative calm in more than 14 years. That same month, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in Accra, Ghana, mandated the eventual creation of a national Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), passed into law by the National Transitional Legislative Assembly in June 2005. After several months of public consultations, on October 19, 2005, the names of the nine Commissioners were formally announced to the Liberian public.
Following the first elections held since the departure of former president Charles Taylor, on November 23, 2005, the National Elections Commission declared Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf President of Liberia. In February 2006, she inaugurated the TRC, giving it three months to make preparations. From the time of her election, President Johnson-Sirleaf has publicly supported a truth-seeking and reconciliation process for Liberia.
(To read the formal act establishing the TRC, see: http://www.ictj.org/static/Africa/Liberia/liberiatrcact.eng.pdf
To view the official website of the TRC, see:
http://www.trcofliberia.org)
The ICTJ in Liberia
Since January 2004,the ICTJ has worked closely with the UN Mission in Liberia and the Transitional Justice Working Group-a coalition of national NGOs- to provide extensive advice on the creation of the TRC, as well as on all Commission-related work. In August of that year, Center staff attended a three-day workshop held in Monrovia to discuss and debate proposed TRC legislation.
ICTJ staff returned to Liberia several times during the first half of 2005 to finalize the TRC act and worked closely with civil society, the UN Mission in Liberia, and government officials to plan for the TRC's operation. In August 2005, at the invitation of ECOWAS, the Director of the ICTJ's International Policymaker's Unit, Priscilla Hayner, led a two-day training for the TRC Selection Panel. She also worked closely with civil society and others to advocate for broad public engagement in the process of nominating commissioners and for the transparency of the selection process.
In January 2006, the ICTJ established an office in Monrovia, staffed by two local consultants. Since then, it has held intensive meetings with the TRC, local NGOs, civil society, and government representatives; conducted intensive trainings on the subject of truth commissions; and has been actively engaged in establishing Liberia's security sector reform program.
(To read more about the ICTJ's work in Liberia, see: http://www.ictj.org/en/where/region1/589.html)
About the ICTJ
The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) assists countries pursuing accountability for past mass atrocity or human rights abuse. The Center works in societies emerging from repressive rule or armed conflict, as well as in established democracies where historical injustices or systemic abuse remain unresolved.
In order to promote justice, peace, and reconciliation, government officials and nongovernmental advocates are likely to consider a variety of transitional justice approaches including both judicial and nonjudicial responses to human rights crimes. The ICTJ assists in the development of integrated, comprehensive, and localized approaches to transitional justice comprising five key elements: prosecuting perpetrators, documenting and acknowledging violations through non-judicial means such as truth commissions, reforming abusive institutions, providing reparations to victims, and facilitating reconciliation processes.
The Center is committed to building local capacity and generally strengthening the emerging field of transitional justice, and works closely with organizations and experts around the world to do so. By working in the field through local languages, the ICTJ provides comparative information, legal and policy analysis, documentation, and strategic research to justice and truth-seeking institutions, nongovernmental organizations, governments and others.
http://www.ictj.org/en/news/features/961.html
The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) today welcomed the launch of Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), presided over by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf at a public ceremony in Monrovia.
Today's events marked the official start of the TRC's two-year mandate to investigate human rights abuses that occurred between 1979 and 2003. In that year, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement was adopted in Accra, Ghana, ending an era of intensely violent civil strife and ushering in the first period of relative calm in more than 14 years.
"Today's ceremony emphasized a tremendous national desire to understand, reckon with, and move forward from Liberia's traumatic history," said Director Priscilla Hayner, head of the ICTJ's Liberia program and a participant at today's launch. "This marks a potentially crucial milestone in Liberia's transition-from a period of despair to a time of healing and hope-that will require the courage to face painful truths and a commitment to the pursuit of justice. It was encouraging to hear President Johnson-Sirleaf's promise to support the TRC in facing up to the complex challenge of pursuing restorative and retributive justice for Liberia-both key to addressing the needs of victims."
The TRC is composed of nine national members, all of whom were selected after a widespread consultative process and nominations from the general public in the fall of 2005, with help from a selection panel chaired by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Since its inauguration in February 2006, Commission members have been engaged in preparatory activities in advance of today's operational launch, including extensive public outreach both within the country and to the Liberian diaspora community spread throughout the world. The TRC hopes to involve those dispersed communities in the truth-telling process.
An aggressive outreach and awareness campaign is currently underway within the country, calling for widespread participation from all members of society. The Commission's chairman, attorney Jerome J. Verdier, also recently toured the United States to encourage Liberians living there to participate in the process, reflecting the TRC's strong commitment to hearing from as many victims and witnesses as possible to determine the truth about Liberia's violent past.
"To really move on from this era in our history, we need Liberians to come together in a common forum to investigate the crimes that took place, discuss our problems, and explore possible solutions," said Verdier, a key speaker at today's event. "We will need to hear the truth from as many victims and perpetrators as possible. At the same time, we recognize that for our country to move forward, the Commission will have to recommend institutional reforms, advocate the prosecution of certain crimes, and establish a firm record of the atrocities that took place here. To create a peaceful future, we will have to rewrite our own history."
Although the TRC's temporal mandate covers the period ranging from 1979 to 2003, it is also authorized to look more deeply into Liberian history to uncover and analyze social divisions, economic disparities, and other factors that may have contributed to the recent conflict.
"We must look at the deep roots of conflict in our society if we hope to address issues of impunity in our country," said Verdier. "Time cannot be a limiting factor to our investigations. We will look as far back as possible to understand what allowed such mass atrocities to take place."
Today's ceremony, attended by several hundred people, was the first in a series of events meant to generate discussion, educate, celebrate, and inform the public about the Commission. A public conference on transitional justice,
co-hosted by the ICTJ, the Liberian TRC, and a coalition of national NGOs known as the Transitional Justice Working Group, will take place on Friday, June 23. It will be followed by a national "jubilee" on June 24 and 25, featuring music, festivities, public outreach, and religious ceremonies. From June 26 to 28, the ICTJ will conduct a seminar bringing together representatives from former truth commissions to speak with members of the Liberian TRC.
The TRC will have two years to conduct its investigations. At the end of its mandate, it will have three months to produce a comprehensive final report, detailing its findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
Background
With the departure of former president Charles Taylor in August 2003, Liberia entered its first period of relative calm in more than 14 years. That same month, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in Accra, Ghana, mandated the eventual creation of a national Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), passed into law by the National Transitional Legislative Assembly in June 2005. After several months of public consultations, on October 19, 2005, the names of the nine Commissioners were formally announced to the Liberian public.
Following the first elections held since the departure of former president Charles Taylor, on November 23, 2005, the National Elections Commission declared Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf President of Liberia. In February 2006, she inaugurated the TRC, giving it three months to make preparations. From the time of her election, President Johnson-Sirleaf has publicly supported a truth-seeking and reconciliation process for Liberia.
(To read the formal act establishing the TRC, see: http://www.ictj.org/static/Africa/Liberia/liberiatrcact.eng.pdf
To view the official website of the TRC, see:
http://www.trcofliberia.org)
The ICTJ in Liberia
Since January 2004,the ICTJ has worked closely with the UN Mission in Liberia and the Transitional Justice Working Group-a coalition of national NGOs- to provide extensive advice on the creation of the TRC, as well as on all Commission-related work. In August of that year, Center staff attended a three-day workshop held in Monrovia to discuss and debate proposed TRC legislation.
ICTJ staff returned to Liberia several times during the first half of 2005 to finalize the TRC act and worked closely with civil society, the UN Mission in Liberia, and government officials to plan for the TRC's operation. In August 2005, at the invitation of ECOWAS, the Director of the ICTJ's International Policymaker's Unit, Priscilla Hayner, led a two-day training for the TRC Selection Panel. She also worked closely with civil society and others to advocate for broad public engagement in the process of nominating commissioners and for the transparency of the selection process.
In January 2006, the ICTJ established an office in Monrovia, staffed by two local consultants. Since then, it has held intensive meetings with the TRC, local NGOs, civil society, and government representatives; conducted intensive trainings on the subject of truth commissions; and has been actively engaged in establishing Liberia's security sector reform program.
(To read more about the ICTJ's work in Liberia, see: http://www.ictj.org/en/where/region1/589.html)
About the ICTJ
The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) assists countries pursuing accountability for past mass atrocity or human rights abuse. The Center works in societies emerging from repressive rule or armed conflict, as well as in established democracies where historical injustices or systemic abuse remain unresolved.
In order to promote justice, peace, and reconciliation, government officials and nongovernmental advocates are likely to consider a variety of transitional justice approaches including both judicial and nonjudicial responses to human rights crimes. The ICTJ assists in the development of integrated, comprehensive, and localized approaches to transitional justice comprising five key elements: prosecuting perpetrators, documenting and acknowledging violations through non-judicial means such as truth commissions, reforming abusive institutions, providing reparations to victims, and facilitating reconciliation processes.
The Center is committed to building local capacity and generally strengthening the emerging field of transitional justice, and works closely with organizations and experts around the world to do so. By working in the field through local languages, the ICTJ provides comparative information, legal and policy analysis, documentation, and strategic research to justice and truth-seeking institutions, nongovernmental organizations, governments and others.
Liberia Launches Truth and Reconciliation Commission
June 22, 2006
http://www.ictj.org/en/news/features/961.html
The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) today welcomed the launch of Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), presided over by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf at a public ceremony in Monrovia.
Today's events marked the official start of the TRC's two-year mandate to investigate human rights abuses that occurred between 1979 and 2003. In that year, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement was adopted in Accra, Ghana, ending an era of intensely violent civil strife and ushering in the first period of relative calm in more than 14 years.
"Today's ceremony emphasized a tremendous national desire to understand, reckon with, and move forward from Liberia's traumatic history," said Director Priscilla Hayner, head of the ICTJ's Liberia program and a participant at today's launch. "This marks a potentially crucial milestone in Liberia's transition-from a period of despair to a time of healing and hope-that will require the courage to face painful truths and a commitment to the pursuit of justice. It was encouraging to hear President Johnson-Sirleaf's promise to support the TRC in facing up to the complex challenge of pursuing restorative and retributive justice for Liberia-both key to addressing the needs of victims."
The TRC is composed of nine national members, all of whom were selected after a widespread consultative process and nominations from the general public in the fall of 2005, with help from a selection panel chaired by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Since its inauguration in February 2006, Commission members have been engaged in preparatory activities in advance of today's operational launch, including extensive public outreach both within the country and to the Liberian diaspora community spread throughout the world. The TRC hopes to involve those dispersed communities in the truth-telling process.
An aggressive outreach and awareness campaign is currently underway within the country, calling for widespread participation from all members of society. The Commission's chairman, attorney Jerome J. Verdier, also recently toured the United States to encourage Liberians living there to participate in the process, reflecting the TRC's strong commitment to hearing from as many victims and witnesses as possible to determine the truth about Liberia's violent past.
"To really move on from this era in our history, we need Liberians to come together in a common forum to investigate the crimes that took place, discuss our problems, and explore possible solutions," said Verdier, a key speaker at today's event. "We will need to hear the truth from as many victims and perpetrators as possible. At the same time, we recognize that for our country to move forward, the Commission will have to recommend institutional reforms, advocate the prosecution of certain crimes, and establish a firm record of the atrocities that took place here. To create a peaceful future, we will have to rewrite our own history."
Although the TRC's temporal mandate covers the period ranging from 1979 to 2003, it is also authorized to look more deeply into Liberian history to uncover and analyze social divisions, economic disparities, and other factors that may have contributed to the recent conflict.
"We must look at the deep roots of conflict in our society if we hope to address issues of impunity in our country," said Verdier. "Time cannot be a limiting factor to our investigations. We will look as far back as possible to understand what allowed such mass atrocities to take place."
Today's ceremony, attended by several hundred people, was the first in a series of events meant to generate discussion, educate, celebrate, and inform the public about the Commission. A public conference on transitional justice,
co-hosted by the ICTJ, the Liberian TRC, and a coalition of national NGOs known as the Transitional Justice Working Group, will take place on Friday, June 23. It will be followed by a national "jubilee" on June 24 and 25, featuring music, festivities, public outreach, and religious ceremonies. From June 26 to 28, the ICTJ will conduct a seminar bringing together representatives from former truth commissions to speak with members of the Liberian TRC.
The TRC will have two years to conduct its investigations. At the end of its mandate, it will have three months to produce a comprehensive final report, detailing its findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
Background
With the departure of former president Charles Taylor in August 2003, Liberia entered its first period of relative calm in more than 14 years. That same month, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in Accra, Ghana, mandated the eventual creation of a national Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), passed into law by the National Transitional Legislative Assembly in June 2005. After several months of public consultations, on October 19, 2005, the names of the nine Commissioners were formally announced to the Liberian public.
Following the first elections held since the departure of former president Charles Taylor, on November 23, 2005, the National Elections Commission declared Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf President of Liberia. In February 2006, she inaugurated the TRC, giving it three months to make preparations. From the time of her election, President Johnson-Sirleaf has publicly supported a truth-seeking and reconciliation process for Liberia.
(To read the formal act establishing the TRC, see: http://www.ictj.org/static/Africa/Liberia/liberiatrcact.eng.pdf
To view the official website of the TRC, see:
http://www.trcofliberia.org)
The ICTJ in Liberia
Since January 2004,the ICTJ has worked closely with the UN Mission in Liberia and the Transitional Justice Working Group-a coalition of national NGOs- to provide extensive advice on the creation of the TRC, as well as on all Commission-related work. In August of that year, Center staff attended a three-day workshop held in Monrovia to discuss and debate proposed TRC legislation.
ICTJ staff returned to Liberia several times during the first half of 2005 to finalize the TRC act and worked closely with civil society, the UN Mission in Liberia, and government officials to plan for the TRC's operation. In August 2005, at the invitation of ECOWAS, the Director of the ICTJ's International Policymaker's Unit, Priscilla Hayner, led a two-day training for the TRC Selection Panel. She also worked closely with civil society and others to advocate for broad public engagement in the process of nominating commissioners and for the transparency of the selection process.
In January 2006, the ICTJ established an office in Monrovia, staffed by two local consultants. Since then, it has held intensive meetings with the TRC, local NGOs, civil society, and government representatives; conducted intensive trainings on the subject of truth commissions; and has been actively engaged in establishing Liberia's security sector reform program.
(To read more about the ICTJ's work in Liberia, see: http://www.ictj.org/en/where/region1/589.html)
About the ICTJ
The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) assists countries pursuing accountability for past mass atrocity or human rights abuse. The Center works in societies emerging from repressive rule or armed conflict, as well as in established democracies where historical injustices or systemic abuse remain unresolved.
In order to promote justice, peace, and reconciliation, government officials and nongovernmental advocates are likely to consider a variety of transitional justice approaches including both judicial and nonjudicial responses to human rights crimes. The ICTJ assists in the development of integrated, comprehensive, and localized approaches to transitional justice comprising five key elements: prosecuting perpetrators, documenting and acknowledging violations through non-judicial means such as truth commissions, reforming abusive institutions, providing reparations to victims, and facilitating reconciliation processes.
The Center is committed to building local capacity and generally strengthening the emerging field of transitional justice, and works closely with organizations and experts around the world to do so. By working in the field through local languages, the ICTJ provides comparative information, legal and policy analysis, documentation, and strategic research to justice and truth-seeking institutions, nongovernmental organizations, governments and others.
http://www.ictj.org/en/news/features/961.html
The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) today welcomed the launch of Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), presided over by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf at a public ceremony in Monrovia.
Today's events marked the official start of the TRC's two-year mandate to investigate human rights abuses that occurred between 1979 and 2003. In that year, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement was adopted in Accra, Ghana, ending an era of intensely violent civil strife and ushering in the first period of relative calm in more than 14 years.
"Today's ceremony emphasized a tremendous national desire to understand, reckon with, and move forward from Liberia's traumatic history," said Director Priscilla Hayner, head of the ICTJ's Liberia program and a participant at today's launch. "This marks a potentially crucial milestone in Liberia's transition-from a period of despair to a time of healing and hope-that will require the courage to face painful truths and a commitment to the pursuit of justice. It was encouraging to hear President Johnson-Sirleaf's promise to support the TRC in facing up to the complex challenge of pursuing restorative and retributive justice for Liberia-both key to addressing the needs of victims."
The TRC is composed of nine national members, all of whom were selected after a widespread consultative process and nominations from the general public in the fall of 2005, with help from a selection panel chaired by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Since its inauguration in February 2006, Commission members have been engaged in preparatory activities in advance of today's operational launch, including extensive public outreach both within the country and to the Liberian diaspora community spread throughout the world. The TRC hopes to involve those dispersed communities in the truth-telling process.
An aggressive outreach and awareness campaign is currently underway within the country, calling for widespread participation from all members of society. The Commission's chairman, attorney Jerome J. Verdier, also recently toured the United States to encourage Liberians living there to participate in the process, reflecting the TRC's strong commitment to hearing from as many victims and witnesses as possible to determine the truth about Liberia's violent past.
"To really move on from this era in our history, we need Liberians to come together in a common forum to investigate the crimes that took place, discuss our problems, and explore possible solutions," said Verdier, a key speaker at today's event. "We will need to hear the truth from as many victims and perpetrators as possible. At the same time, we recognize that for our country to move forward, the Commission will have to recommend institutional reforms, advocate the prosecution of certain crimes, and establish a firm record of the atrocities that took place here. To create a peaceful future, we will have to rewrite our own history."
Although the TRC's temporal mandate covers the period ranging from 1979 to 2003, it is also authorized to look more deeply into Liberian history to uncover and analyze social divisions, economic disparities, and other factors that may have contributed to the recent conflict.
"We must look at the deep roots of conflict in our society if we hope to address issues of impunity in our country," said Verdier. "Time cannot be a limiting factor to our investigations. We will look as far back as possible to understand what allowed such mass atrocities to take place."
Today's ceremony, attended by several hundred people, was the first in a series of events meant to generate discussion, educate, celebrate, and inform the public about the Commission. A public conference on transitional justice,
co-hosted by the ICTJ, the Liberian TRC, and a coalition of national NGOs known as the Transitional Justice Working Group, will take place on Friday, June 23. It will be followed by a national "jubilee" on June 24 and 25, featuring music, festivities, public outreach, and religious ceremonies. From June 26 to 28, the ICTJ will conduct a seminar bringing together representatives from former truth commissions to speak with members of the Liberian TRC.
The TRC will have two years to conduct its investigations. At the end of its mandate, it will have three months to produce a comprehensive final report, detailing its findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
Background
With the departure of former president Charles Taylor in August 2003, Liberia entered its first period of relative calm in more than 14 years. That same month, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in Accra, Ghana, mandated the eventual creation of a national Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), passed into law by the National Transitional Legislative Assembly in June 2005. After several months of public consultations, on October 19, 2005, the names of the nine Commissioners were formally announced to the Liberian public.
Following the first elections held since the departure of former president Charles Taylor, on November 23, 2005, the National Elections Commission declared Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf President of Liberia. In February 2006, she inaugurated the TRC, giving it three months to make preparations. From the time of her election, President Johnson-Sirleaf has publicly supported a truth-seeking and reconciliation process for Liberia.
(To read the formal act establishing the TRC, see: http://www.ictj.org/static/Africa/Liberia/liberiatrcact.eng.pdf
To view the official website of the TRC, see:
http://www.trcofliberia.org)
The ICTJ in Liberia
Since January 2004,the ICTJ has worked closely with the UN Mission in Liberia and the Transitional Justice Working Group-a coalition of national NGOs- to provide extensive advice on the creation of the TRC, as well as on all Commission-related work. In August of that year, Center staff attended a three-day workshop held in Monrovia to discuss and debate proposed TRC legislation.
ICTJ staff returned to Liberia several times during the first half of 2005 to finalize the TRC act and worked closely with civil society, the UN Mission in Liberia, and government officials to plan for the TRC's operation. In August 2005, at the invitation of ECOWAS, the Director of the ICTJ's International Policymaker's Unit, Priscilla Hayner, led a two-day training for the TRC Selection Panel. She also worked closely with civil society and others to advocate for broad public engagement in the process of nominating commissioners and for the transparency of the selection process.
In January 2006, the ICTJ established an office in Monrovia, staffed by two local consultants. Since then, it has held intensive meetings with the TRC, local NGOs, civil society, and government representatives; conducted intensive trainings on the subject of truth commissions; and has been actively engaged in establishing Liberia's security sector reform program.
(To read more about the ICTJ's work in Liberia, see: http://www.ictj.org/en/where/region1/589.html)
About the ICTJ
The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) assists countries pursuing accountability for past mass atrocity or human rights abuse. The Center works in societies emerging from repressive rule or armed conflict, as well as in established democracies where historical injustices or systemic abuse remain unresolved.
In order to promote justice, peace, and reconciliation, government officials and nongovernmental advocates are likely to consider a variety of transitional justice approaches including both judicial and nonjudicial responses to human rights crimes. The ICTJ assists in the development of integrated, comprehensive, and localized approaches to transitional justice comprising five key elements: prosecuting perpetrators, documenting and acknowledging violations through non-judicial means such as truth commissions, reforming abusive institutions, providing reparations to victims, and facilitating reconciliation processes.
The Center is committed to building local capacity and generally strengthening the emerging field of transitional justice, and works closely with organizations and experts around the world to do so. By working in the field through local languages, the ICTJ provides comparative information, legal and policy analysis, documentation, and strategic research to justice and truth-seeking institutions, nongovernmental organizations, governments and others.
TRC Kicks Off Mobilization
Friday, June 16, 2006
http://www.analystliberia.com/trc_kickoff_june16.html
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia (TRC) is expected to kick off its community mobilization and sensitization this weekend with a jamboree featuring performances by an array of renowned Liberian artists. The exercise is intended to sensitize the public about the TRC process, what it is about, and what it would achieve.
According to a release from the TRC signed by its Commissioner on Media and Outreach, Massa Washington, the mass media campaign co-named Operation TRC Fatigue, is intended to create massive education and awareness of the TRC process, with the aim of ensuring that every resident within the confines of Liberia know about the TRC and grasp a better understanding of the Commission.
The strategy is to also create a TRC fatigue rather than have people not hear about the TRC at all.
Already, 16 TRC sensitization supervisors from Monrovia have been dispatched into the 15 counties and will be joined by more than 1, 200 county mobilizers trained by the TRC for the distribution of TRC messages, flyers, banners and posters into the rural areas.
On Saturday, June 17, 2006 a wide range of activities will take place commencing with a float display from the TRC office on Lynch Street and throughout the principle streets of Monrovia.
The day will be climaxed at the Sports Commission on Broad Street with performances by high profile Liberian artists including Livi Zinzway, Extra Ordinary (XO), Friday (the cell phone man), D-Trench, E-mass, Sauve, Sundaygar Dear-boy, Ladylove and King O’Bryant.
Others are Sandy Roberts, Theo Dahnkuah, Winston P. Kai, Real Nigga, Tony K, Tokai Tomah, Marie Nyenibo, Hawa Vertikeh, and Gameh Garter. According to the TRC, the awareness jamboree is also a prelude to the official launching of the TRC scheduled for Thursday, June 22, 2006 at the Centennial Pavilion on Ashmun Street at 10am.
Guest Speaker for the occasion will be the Head of the Good Governance Commission, and former President of the Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU), Dr. Amos C. Sawyer, and President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf will serve a Launcher.
ACT Liberia Forum Expresses Concern
The ACT Liberia Forum expresses serious concern over recent reports published by the Save the Children UK in which she alleged the sexual exploitation of vulnerable girls and women in the IDP camps by camp officials, humanitarian workers, business men, peace keepers, government officials, teachers, for the sake of food, money and other services.
The ACT Forum in keeping with its International Code of Conduct categorically condemns any act of sexual exploitation against vulnerable girls and women by privileged individuals, particularly humanitarian workers who are paid to serve humanity during unfavorable circumstances.
The ACT Forum calls on all its members to ensure that their staff signs the Code of Conduct against sexual exploitation issued by ACT International Geneva Office in 2002. The Forum members are urged to create awareness by educating their staff on the danger of sexual exploitation and how to protect vulnerable people with emphasis on the ACT International Code of Conduct.
ACT Liberia Forum, which is a consortium of Church, and church related organizations with partnership to ACT International Geneva, has been working to save lives through humanitarian services during the emergency period.
Presently ACT Forum members in Liberia are engaged in post war rehabilitation, assisting IDPs return, and carrying out other community development projects.
ACT Liberia Forum members include Liberian Council of Churches (LCC), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Christian Health Association of Liberia (CHAL), Concerned Christian Community (CCC), and Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA),
Others are, Lutheran Church in Liberia (LCL), United Methodist Church (UMC), United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), Presbyterian Relief Service (PRS), World Hope International Liberia Ltd. (WHIL), Diakonie Emergency Aid and the Norwegian Church Aid.
http://www.analystliberia.com/trc_kickoff_june16.html
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia (TRC) is expected to kick off its community mobilization and sensitization this weekend with a jamboree featuring performances by an array of renowned Liberian artists. The exercise is intended to sensitize the public about the TRC process, what it is about, and what it would achieve.
According to a release from the TRC signed by its Commissioner on Media and Outreach, Massa Washington, the mass media campaign co-named Operation TRC Fatigue, is intended to create massive education and awareness of the TRC process, with the aim of ensuring that every resident within the confines of Liberia know about the TRC and grasp a better understanding of the Commission.
The strategy is to also create a TRC fatigue rather than have people not hear about the TRC at all.
Already, 16 TRC sensitization supervisors from Monrovia have been dispatched into the 15 counties and will be joined by more than 1, 200 county mobilizers trained by the TRC for the distribution of TRC messages, flyers, banners and posters into the rural areas.
On Saturday, June 17, 2006 a wide range of activities will take place commencing with a float display from the TRC office on Lynch Street and throughout the principle streets of Monrovia.
The day will be climaxed at the Sports Commission on Broad Street with performances by high profile Liberian artists including Livi Zinzway, Extra Ordinary (XO), Friday (the cell phone man), D-Trench, E-mass, Sauve, Sundaygar Dear-boy, Ladylove and King O’Bryant.
Others are Sandy Roberts, Theo Dahnkuah, Winston P. Kai, Real Nigga, Tony K, Tokai Tomah, Marie Nyenibo, Hawa Vertikeh, and Gameh Garter. According to the TRC, the awareness jamboree is also a prelude to the official launching of the TRC scheduled for Thursday, June 22, 2006 at the Centennial Pavilion on Ashmun Street at 10am.
Guest Speaker for the occasion will be the Head of the Good Governance Commission, and former President of the Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU), Dr. Amos C. Sawyer, and President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf will serve a Launcher.
ACT Liberia Forum Expresses Concern
The ACT Liberia Forum expresses serious concern over recent reports published by the Save the Children UK in which she alleged the sexual exploitation of vulnerable girls and women in the IDP camps by camp officials, humanitarian workers, business men, peace keepers, government officials, teachers, for the sake of food, money and other services.
The ACT Forum in keeping with its International Code of Conduct categorically condemns any act of sexual exploitation against vulnerable girls and women by privileged individuals, particularly humanitarian workers who are paid to serve humanity during unfavorable circumstances.
The ACT Forum calls on all its members to ensure that their staff signs the Code of Conduct against sexual exploitation issued by ACT International Geneva Office in 2002. The Forum members are urged to create awareness by educating their staff on the danger of sexual exploitation and how to protect vulnerable people with emphasis on the ACT International Code of Conduct.
ACT Liberia Forum, which is a consortium of Church, and church related organizations with partnership to ACT International Geneva, has been working to save lives through humanitarian services during the emergency period.
Presently ACT Forum members in Liberia are engaged in post war rehabilitation, assisting IDPs return, and carrying out other community development projects.
ACT Liberia Forum members include Liberian Council of Churches (LCC), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Christian Health Association of Liberia (CHAL), Concerned Christian Community (CCC), and Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA),
Others are, Lutheran Church in Liberia (LCL), United Methodist Church (UMC), United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), Presbyterian Relief Service (PRS), World Hope International Liberia Ltd. (WHIL), Diakonie Emergency Aid and the Norwegian Church Aid.
TRC Will Not Grant Amnesty To Everyone
TRC Will Not Grant Amnesty To Everyone
Monday, 5th June 2006
By Sam Togba Slewion
- Says Chairman
http://www.theinquirer.com.lr/editorial_details.php?recordID=1376
Everyone appearing before the investigation panel of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission(TRC) of Liberia will not be granted amnesty contrary to popular beliefs that there will be a blanket amnesty for those who appear before the Commission and confess their roles in the 14-year civil war in Liberia.
This revelation was made by Cllr. Jerome Verdier, Chairman of the TRC, when he met with Liberians in Philadelphia at town hall meeting during his recent visit to the United States in late May. He was here as guest of the Center for Transitional Justice in New York.
Chairman Verdier explained further that while the work of the TRC is to promote healing and reconciliation among Liberians after such a bitter experience in the country, “everyone who appears before us will not be granted amnesty based on the gravity of the atrocities committed by some people during the war.”
The disclosure by Chairman Verdier comes in the wake of apprehensions in some quarters of the Liberian community that a general amnesty awaits perpetrators of all crimes committed during the war by the TRC. This perception appears to be fueling the disdain some Liberians have against the role of the TRC, thus driving their call for the establishment of a war crime tribunal.
Some Liberians strongly feel that any reconciliation process in the country without justice will not contribute to completely healing the wounds and emotional scars of the civil war, but other Liberians hold contrary views, believing that reconciliation without justice promotes forgiveness and provides an opportunity to give a second chance to everyone, including even the most notorious perpetrators in the war.
It appears that the TRC is taking a middle ground between the opposing views, considering its mandate not to grant blanket amnesty to all victimizers of the war. However, it is not exactly clear what will be the fate of those who fail to win the clemency of the TRC, but Chairman Verdier hinted to the gathering in Philadelphia that their fate will be contained as part of the recommendations to be submited to the Government by the Commission for further implementation beyond the scope of the TRC, which is expected to last for two years.
While the TRC is expected to officially commence its work this month, the members of the Commission have been engaging officials of other Truth and Reconciliation Commissions to study the work and experiences of these bodies to enable the TRC effectively conduct its mission. The Chairman of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Sierra Leone recently visited Liberia and shared some of the challenges of his Commission.
He told the TRC to avoid the mistake of simultanously conducting a hearing alongside a war crime tribunal. “The work of these two bodies cannot go together as the war crime tribunal undermined the work of the TRC in Sierra Leone because perpetrators were afraid to come forward for fear of being transfered to the war crime tribunal after their confessions before our Commission, “ he said.
Few weeks after the visit of the Chairman of the Sierra Leonean TRC, the nine commissioner of the TRC of Liberia left for South Africa to review the work of the South Africa TRC headed by Bishop Desmond Tutu. The Commissioner have also recieved short-term training in transitional justice and watched video tapes of hearings of the other TRCs, including those of South Africa.
When the TRC is fully prepared and ready to hear testimonies of victims and victimizers of the Liberian civil war, Chairman Verdier indicated that part of its work will focus on atrocities committed against women, children and the elderly, who are the most vulnerable groups in any crisis. “Our work will also include the investigation of economic crimes between 1979 to 2003,” Chairman Verdier disclosed in Philadelphia.
Monday, 5th June 2006
By Sam Togba Slewion
- Says Chairman
http://www.theinquirer.com.lr/editorial_details.php?recordID=1376
Everyone appearing before the investigation panel of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission(TRC) of Liberia will not be granted amnesty contrary to popular beliefs that there will be a blanket amnesty for those who appear before the Commission and confess their roles in the 14-year civil war in Liberia.
This revelation was made by Cllr. Jerome Verdier, Chairman of the TRC, when he met with Liberians in Philadelphia at town hall meeting during his recent visit to the United States in late May. He was here as guest of the Center for Transitional Justice in New York.
Chairman Verdier explained further that while the work of the TRC is to promote healing and reconciliation among Liberians after such a bitter experience in the country, “everyone who appears before us will not be granted amnesty based on the gravity of the atrocities committed by some people during the war.”
The disclosure by Chairman Verdier comes in the wake of apprehensions in some quarters of the Liberian community that a general amnesty awaits perpetrators of all crimes committed during the war by the TRC. This perception appears to be fueling the disdain some Liberians have against the role of the TRC, thus driving their call for the establishment of a war crime tribunal.
Some Liberians strongly feel that any reconciliation process in the country without justice will not contribute to completely healing the wounds and emotional scars of the civil war, but other Liberians hold contrary views, believing that reconciliation without justice promotes forgiveness and provides an opportunity to give a second chance to everyone, including even the most notorious perpetrators in the war.
It appears that the TRC is taking a middle ground between the opposing views, considering its mandate not to grant blanket amnesty to all victimizers of the war. However, it is not exactly clear what will be the fate of those who fail to win the clemency of the TRC, but Chairman Verdier hinted to the gathering in Philadelphia that their fate will be contained as part of the recommendations to be submited to the Government by the Commission for further implementation beyond the scope of the TRC, which is expected to last for two years.
While the TRC is expected to officially commence its work this month, the members of the Commission have been engaging officials of other Truth and Reconciliation Commissions to study the work and experiences of these bodies to enable the TRC effectively conduct its mission. The Chairman of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Sierra Leone recently visited Liberia and shared some of the challenges of his Commission.
He told the TRC to avoid the mistake of simultanously conducting a hearing alongside a war crime tribunal. “The work of these two bodies cannot go together as the war crime tribunal undermined the work of the TRC in Sierra Leone because perpetrators were afraid to come forward for fear of being transfered to the war crime tribunal after their confessions before our Commission, “ he said.
Few weeks after the visit of the Chairman of the Sierra Leonean TRC, the nine commissioner of the TRC of Liberia left for South Africa to review the work of the South Africa TRC headed by Bishop Desmond Tutu. The Commissioner have also recieved short-term training in transitional justice and watched video tapes of hearings of the other TRCs, including those of South Africa.
When the TRC is fully prepared and ready to hear testimonies of victims and victimizers of the Liberian civil war, Chairman Verdier indicated that part of its work will focus on atrocities committed against women, children and the elderly, who are the most vulnerable groups in any crisis. “Our work will also include the investigation of economic crimes between 1979 to 2003,” Chairman Verdier disclosed in Philadelphia.
Liberia: Healing the Wounds of Civil War
Most Liberians say they are ready to forgive, if not forget, atrocities committed by fighters.
http://www.iwpr.net/?p=acr&s=f&o=260310&apc_state=heniacr200603
By Katharine Houreld in Monrovia (AR No.56, 13-Mar-06)
Jerome Verdier’s best friend's mother still weeps when she sees him. Sixteen years ago, her son left the house he shared with his old schoolmate to look for food just as Liberia's civil war was beginning to rage. Charles Peah never came home, one of tens of thousands of Liberians who simply disappeared into unmarked graves.
Now Verdier's new job as head of Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, TRC, means he may come face to face with the people who killed his friend.
"He was like a little brother to me. We met in second grade, grew up in the same community, and then he moved away but came back to live with me because of the war," Verdier, a US-trained environmental lawyer, told IWPR. "He never came home from the food search. Even now his mother cries if she sees me."
The dynamic young lawyer and civil rights activist is among nine prominent Liberians given the responsibility, as TRC commissioners, of healing the wounds caused by decades of vicious conflict interrupted by periods of fragile peace. During the worst days of the war, he organised food distribution and struggled to document abuses, risking the wrath of the factions who battled to control Monrovia, the capital city.
He remembers narrowly escaping execution when his would-be killers were distracted by a passing food lorry. "They held us at gunpoint and ordered us to strip," he said. "That [escape] was by the grace of God."
Although Verdier himself was lucky, an estimated quarter of a million people in a population of just over three million died during the longest period of civil war, lasting 14 years. Hundreds of thousands more were raped, robbed or mutilated.
Now, after more than two years of peace, the country is struggling to reintegrate over one hundred thousand disarmed ex-combatants back into the society they victimised. Many of them were children, abducted from their families and forced to commit atrocities by a mixture of drugs and threats.
"This country may never find its bearings and reconcile its people if the truth about its past is not adequately revealed and understood and its people made to account for their actions. People died, people lost properties, people have been displaced, people are in refugee camps … The TRC will follow all leads. It will assemble all pieces of evidence and whatever evidence points to any Liberian, inside and outside of Liberia," said Verdier.
During the ceremony to launch the TRC last month, Liberia's new president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, stressed the need for reconciliation and pledged to strike a balance between restorative and retributive justice. The outspoken new head of state has been imprisoned several times herself, and once threatened with rape. She pledged to forgive those who targeted her personally. "I have come to believe that when the truth is told, humanity is redeemed from the cowardice claws of violence," she said.
The bullet-ridden Executive Mansion, where the ceremony was held, rang with thunderous applause when she warned, "Our government will ensure that those culpable of crimes against humanity will face up to their crimes, no matter when, where or how."
Many former faction commanders were elected as senators or parliamentary representatives in elections last October and November and are now part of Johnson-Sirleaf's government. Former warlords Adolphus "Peanut Butter" Dolo and Prince Yormie Johnson, notorious for supervising the torture and killing of former President Samuel Doe, were two of many dubious characters elected to the Senate. But the TRC's head has promised to use his powers of subpoena to pursue those most culpable of gross human rights violations.
"No member of society is immune to the TRC process," said Verdier, confirming that it is part of its mandate to make recommendations for prosecution. "I am very, very confident that Liberians are determined to do away with the culture of impunity. If members of the current government are found to be guilty of rights violations, especially heinous crimes against humanity, yes, definitely [they
may be prosecuted]."
Most Liberians say that for the sake of peace they are ready to forgive, if not forget, the atrocities committed by rank-and-file fighters. "The memories ambush you at odd times," said Katherine Kebbah, now working as a nanny in the capital.
During the war, she was forced to flee several times and was raped by rebel forces loyal to Charles Taylor, the richest, most powerful and best connected of the warlords, who fought his way to the presidency, where he became a kind of mafia don, trafficking diamonds and timber and terrorising the population.
"The man take me into the bush, he do what he wanted," said Kebbah. Her father and sister were being forced to have sex with each other by the rebels, but her grandmother bravely intervened to save them. Instead, the family house was burned down. Despite her family's suffering, Kebbah said she approves of the TRC and is ready to forgive those who have caused her such pain. "If he [her rapist] can be a Christian, and change his wickedness, I can forgive him," she said.
Corinne Dufka, the West Africa head of Human Rights Watch, said such forgiveness is key to Liberians being able to live in peace together again. But although welcoming the president's commitment to bring those most responsible for crimes against humanity to trial, bypassing the snail-like International Criminal Court in The Hague, she warned, "How those identified as most responsible are to be tried, however, poses a major challenge, especially given the near-collapsed state of the Liberian judicial system.
"Few of Liberia's fifteen counties have prisons or courthouses and lawyers typically earn only 25 US dollars per month."
Despite the challenges, Dufka's organisation recently joined over 300 Liberian and international groups who wrote to President Johnson-Sirleaf urging her to ensure that Taylor stands trial for his crimes. He has already been indicted on seventeen counts of crimes against humanity by a United Nations-backed special court for his part in the war of neighbouring Sierra Leone.
Taylor went into exile in Nigeria two-and-a-half years ago, having first transferred nearly the entire contents of Liberia's Treasury to his various foreign bank accounts. A UN peacekeeping force moved in which eventually allowed last year's parliamentary and presidential elections to take place. The indictment for Sierra Leone charges Taylor with mass murder, rape and the extensive use of child soldiers through the Revolutionary United Front, a Sierra Leonean rebel group notorious for mutilation and murder, which Taylor financed and armed from Liberia.
Even forgiveness, Kebbah agreed, has its limits. After he waged war on them, she said, terrified Liberians tried to reconcile with Taylor by electing him president, but he betrayed them by continuing his human rights violations.
"He said we should forgive and forget him, that's why we put him in the [president's] chair," she said. "But then he go back on his word, he can say anything, anytime [meaning he lied]. He cannot be trusted. Some I can forgive, but not him. Never him."
http://www.iwpr.net/?p=acr&s=f&o=260310&apc_state=heniacr200603
By Katharine Houreld in Monrovia (AR No.56, 13-Mar-06)
Jerome Verdier’s best friend's mother still weeps when she sees him. Sixteen years ago, her son left the house he shared with his old schoolmate to look for food just as Liberia's civil war was beginning to rage. Charles Peah never came home, one of tens of thousands of Liberians who simply disappeared into unmarked graves.
Now Verdier's new job as head of Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, TRC, means he may come face to face with the people who killed his friend.
"He was like a little brother to me. We met in second grade, grew up in the same community, and then he moved away but came back to live with me because of the war," Verdier, a US-trained environmental lawyer, told IWPR. "He never came home from the food search. Even now his mother cries if she sees me."
The dynamic young lawyer and civil rights activist is among nine prominent Liberians given the responsibility, as TRC commissioners, of healing the wounds caused by decades of vicious conflict interrupted by periods of fragile peace. During the worst days of the war, he organised food distribution and struggled to document abuses, risking the wrath of the factions who battled to control Monrovia, the capital city.
He remembers narrowly escaping execution when his would-be killers were distracted by a passing food lorry. "They held us at gunpoint and ordered us to strip," he said. "That [escape] was by the grace of God."
Although Verdier himself was lucky, an estimated quarter of a million people in a population of just over three million died during the longest period of civil war, lasting 14 years. Hundreds of thousands more were raped, robbed or mutilated.
Now, after more than two years of peace, the country is struggling to reintegrate over one hundred thousand disarmed ex-combatants back into the society they victimised. Many of them were children, abducted from their families and forced to commit atrocities by a mixture of drugs and threats.
"This country may never find its bearings and reconcile its people if the truth about its past is not adequately revealed and understood and its people made to account for their actions. People died, people lost properties, people have been displaced, people are in refugee camps … The TRC will follow all leads. It will assemble all pieces of evidence and whatever evidence points to any Liberian, inside and outside of Liberia," said Verdier.
During the ceremony to launch the TRC last month, Liberia's new president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, stressed the need for reconciliation and pledged to strike a balance between restorative and retributive justice. The outspoken new head of state has been imprisoned several times herself, and once threatened with rape. She pledged to forgive those who targeted her personally. "I have come to believe that when the truth is told, humanity is redeemed from the cowardice claws of violence," she said.
The bullet-ridden Executive Mansion, where the ceremony was held, rang with thunderous applause when she warned, "Our government will ensure that those culpable of crimes against humanity will face up to their crimes, no matter when, where or how."
Many former faction commanders were elected as senators or parliamentary representatives in elections last October and November and are now part of Johnson-Sirleaf's government. Former warlords Adolphus "Peanut Butter" Dolo and Prince Yormie Johnson, notorious for supervising the torture and killing of former President Samuel Doe, were two of many dubious characters elected to the Senate. But the TRC's head has promised to use his powers of subpoena to pursue those most culpable of gross human rights violations.
"No member of society is immune to the TRC process," said Verdier, confirming that it is part of its mandate to make recommendations for prosecution. "I am very, very confident that Liberians are determined to do away with the culture of impunity. If members of the current government are found to be guilty of rights violations, especially heinous crimes against humanity, yes, definitely [they
may be prosecuted]."
Most Liberians say that for the sake of peace they are ready to forgive, if not forget, the atrocities committed by rank-and-file fighters. "The memories ambush you at odd times," said Katherine Kebbah, now working as a nanny in the capital.
During the war, she was forced to flee several times and was raped by rebel forces loyal to Charles Taylor, the richest, most powerful and best connected of the warlords, who fought his way to the presidency, where he became a kind of mafia don, trafficking diamonds and timber and terrorising the population.
"The man take me into the bush, he do what he wanted," said Kebbah. Her father and sister were being forced to have sex with each other by the rebels, but her grandmother bravely intervened to save them. Instead, the family house was burned down. Despite her family's suffering, Kebbah said she approves of the TRC and is ready to forgive those who have caused her such pain. "If he [her rapist] can be a Christian, and change his wickedness, I can forgive him," she said.
Corinne Dufka, the West Africa head of Human Rights Watch, said such forgiveness is key to Liberians being able to live in peace together again. But although welcoming the president's commitment to bring those most responsible for crimes against humanity to trial, bypassing the snail-like International Criminal Court in The Hague, she warned, "How those identified as most responsible are to be tried, however, poses a major challenge, especially given the near-collapsed state of the Liberian judicial system.
"Few of Liberia's fifteen counties have prisons or courthouses and lawyers typically earn only 25 US dollars per month."
Despite the challenges, Dufka's organisation recently joined over 300 Liberian and international groups who wrote to President Johnson-Sirleaf urging her to ensure that Taylor stands trial for his crimes. He has already been indicted on seventeen counts of crimes against humanity by a United Nations-backed special court for his part in the war of neighbouring Sierra Leone.
Taylor went into exile in Nigeria two-and-a-half years ago, having first transferred nearly the entire contents of Liberia's Treasury to his various foreign bank accounts. A UN peacekeeping force moved in which eventually allowed last year's parliamentary and presidential elections to take place. The indictment for Sierra Leone charges Taylor with mass murder, rape and the extensive use of child soldiers through the Revolutionary United Front, a Sierra Leonean rebel group notorious for mutilation and murder, which Taylor financed and armed from Liberia.
Even forgiveness, Kebbah agreed, has its limits. After he waged war on them, she said, terrified Liberians tried to reconcile with Taylor by electing him president, but he betrayed them by continuing his human rights violations.
"He said we should forgive and forget him, that's why we put him in the [president's] chair," she said. "But then he go back on his word, he can say anything, anytime [meaning he lied]. He cannot be trusted. Some I can forgive, but not him. Never him."
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