A House with Two Rooms - The Advocates for Human Rights

• The relevant government authorities should support and expand current programming that
facilitates the integration and licensing of Liberian professionals into careers that match their
skills and training.
• Government agencies should ensure that employment services, particularly those funded
through the refugee resettlement reception and placement programs, maintain or develop
career skills and job readiness programming designed to achieve employment in trades or
professions in which the job-seekers have training and experience. Programs should ensure
that Liberians can access peer-mentoring in resume review, mock interviewing, basic
computer skills, and other skills needed to obtain employment in the United States.
• Employment services programs to serve the Liberian diaspora should be expanded in general,
rather than continuing to be limited to arriving refugees and asylees only.
Education
Despite access to free public education in the United States, statement
givers, public hearing participants, and others reported that Liberian
youth are struggling in the U.S. education system. Although some of
these struggles may be related to mental health issues discussed above,
many in the community attribute these challenges to interrupted
education during the conflict. Accordingly, some Liberian youth
are not prepared to enter a U.S. grade level appropriate for their age
or are placed into English Language Learner classes. Additionally,
many community leaders identified lack of parental involvement in
the school system as a barrier to student success. Low literacy skills,
especially amongst older Liberian women and young women whose education was interrupted, was
also identified by many as a key issue in the diaspora. Accordingly, The Advocates urges state, federal,
and local government entities, as well as community based organizations, to take the following actions
Potential Implementation Strategy: Museums to Facilitate Community Remembering and Dialogue
Museums such as the District Six Museum in South Africa or the Rwanda Genocide Museum are possible
mechanisms to facilitate community dialogue. 477 Local or national governments should consider creating
or promoting similar museums and exhibits as a way to build dialogue and educate the public. Such
memorials have an impact on not only remembering the past but addressing the future in that they:
- claim public space;
- create physical reminders, conversation starters, or provocative history lessons;
- operate on the level of local culture;
- demand that society remember what happened. 478
493
Chapter Fourteen
Potential Implementation
Strategy: Extended High
School Enrollment Age
In Minnesota, students can
attend high school through
age 21. 476 Other states may
wish to implement similar
policies to allow students
to complete high school
outside of the normal age
range.