USAID/OTI Liberia Success Story
December 2006
USAID/OTI's BRDG-Liberia program was initiated in September 2006 to support the political transition prompted by the free and fair election of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first democratically elected female head of state in Africa.
The Building Recovery and Reform through Democratic Governance (BRDG) program assists the Government of Liberia and other key actors to further the following political objectives:
- Improving capacity in such areas as planning, budgeting, communication, and coordination with relevant counterparts
- Mounting effective responses to high-visibility issues
- Strengthening the Mano River Union by supporting cooperative regional activities
The USAID Mission in Liberia, USAID's Africa Bureau, and the Office of Democracy and Governance are key players in the coordination of the BRDG program.
Exploring Liberian Identity through the Eyes of Children
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| Boutini the Clown entertains children and leads a discussion on identity in Ganta, Nimba County. |
The motto "The Love of Liberty Brought Us Here" can be seen as a tangible expression of the division that exists between Liberians. Those who would accept it are likely to belong to a group whose ancestors came from America as freed slaves; those who would be unlikely to identify with it probably belong to one of the 16 ethnic groups that comprise the country's indigenous population. Liberians tend to identify most strongly with one group or another rather than as citizens of Liberia, and this division is often cited as a key factor in the conflict that engulfed the country from 1989 to 2003.
Since the return to peace in 2003, Liberians have been working not only to rebuild the physical infrastructure that was damaged or destroyed during the conflict; they have been trying to construct a more socially cohesive society. However, due to the political nature of the national identity issue, it is often difficult for adults to discuss the topic in public venues. Children, on the other hand, are rarely regarded as political, and their thoughts are taken at face value rather than seen as promoting an agenda.
Accordingly, on December 16 and 18, 2006, USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI), through the BRDG-Liberia program, partnered with Search for Common Ground's Talking Drum Studio to initiate an effort to help Liberia's children think about national identity. About 125 children who had participated in the International Children's Day of Broadcasting attended workshops in Monrovia and Ganta, Nimba County. Led by renowned Liberian comedian Georgia Boutini, the workshops gave the children an opportunity to express their thoughts on what it means to be Liberian, and Boutini worked with the children to help them broaden their views. Since children are less likely to have adopted a rigid partisan stance, they offer the best hope for formulating a new and inclusive answer to the question: Who is a Liberian?
The discussions were an important first step by USAID/OTI to tackle the identity issue. A wider initiative to engage Liberia's children in discussions about identity is planned for the national level.
For further information, please contact:
In Washington: John Gattorn, Program Manager, 202-712-4168, jgattorn@usaid.gov
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