A House with Two Rooms - The Advocates for Human Rights

And it’s sad what we are doing to each other here in this Diaspora, fighting
this war in ways which are very, very unhealthy and very, very unhelpful to
our country. 557
From their perspective, Dwanyen’s former opponents point to his acknowledged association with the
Nimba Redemption Council and repeat allegations that this organization was associated with violence
or human rights abuses. Such continued and highly emotional conflicts and confusion or disagreement
over what happened and who is responsible are a significant challenge for continuing progress in the
Liberian diaspora. The strains in the community have made mobilizing around important issues, such
as extension of Liberians’ temporary immigration status, 558 unduly difficult.
“a houSe with two roomS”
Liberians, like many other forced migrant communities, maintain close relationships with Liberia. 559
This relationship exists at the individual, local community, and national levels. The relationship
expresses itself primarily through remittances, diaspora philanthropy targeted at development and
rebuilding, as well as extensive diaspora involvement in the national politics of Liberia both during
and after the conflict.
Diaspora Remittances
It was so heartbreaking, to see everyone on the streets begging. To see people
who had nothing. Even people who used to be okay now have nothing. My
friends, my family, people I knew who were fine before, would come round
where I was staying and I went broke. I gave them all that I had, and I went
broke. 560
The pressure on Liberians living outside of West Africa to support and to assist those in Liberia or
in refugee settlements in the sub-region is an omnipresent aspect of life for Liberian immigrants in
the United States. One academic study reports that more than 72 percent of Liberian households
send remittances; 561 community leaders report that the number is even higher. 562 The pressure to
remit reportedly falls on everyone in the Liberian community, regardless of whether they are earning
a wage. A high school-based social worker who works with Liberian students reports that even her
students are subjected to pressure to support relatives – primarily mothers – who remain in Liberia. 563
One study noted that the amount remitted to relatives in Liberia by an average Liberian household
in Minnesota was between $3,700 and $4,150 per year. 564 Based on that average, remittances in total
from the United States to Liberia annually amount to between $19 million and $23 million dollars
annually with another $10 million to $13 million annually going to Liberians in the rest of the West
African sub-region. 565
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Chapter Thirteen