A House with Two Rooms - The Advocates for Human Rights

to ensure that Liberians are able to access educational services.
• School systems serving Liberians should reevaluate policies that may place English-speaking
Liberian students into English Language Learner (ELL) programs with the goal of creating
appropriate educational programs for native speakers of non-American English.
• Establish and/or evaluate the effectiveness of school-community liaison programs to engage
Liberian parents in the educational lives of their children so that these programs meet the
needs of immigrants who may have low literacy and who often are working multiple jobs.
• Establish and/or evaluate the effectiveness of current literacy education programs for Liberian
adults, especially women, to ensure that Liberian women in the diaspora can fully participate
in the cultural, social, and political life of their new community.
Community Reconciliation
The Liberian community in the resettled diaspora is in recovery from the trauma and disruption of
the war. Political, religious, ethnic, and interpersonal conflicts continue to permeate the community
and hamper effective action. In many post-conflict societies, institutions that are tainted by their
perceived or actual role in the conflict must be dismantled and reconstituted so as to regain integrity
and social trust. Accordingly, the following recommendations to address community cohesion and
unity are put forward.
• In consultation with traditional, faith, and political leaders in the Liberian community, a
comprehensive community reconciliation needs assessment should be undertaken with
the goal of developing a long-term program designed to meet the reconciliation needs of
Liberians in the communities where they have resettled.
• Memorializing the sufferings of the past and recognizing their ongoing impact often forms
a key part of reconciliation in transitioning societies. The Liberian diaspora community
should embark on a broad consultative process to develop memorials to the Liberian diaspora
experience. Memorials at the local (statues, building dedication, street renaming, etc.), state
(proclamations, days of remembrance, annual cultural events, exhibits in state historical
societies, etc.), national (national conferences, film festivals, essay contests, participation in
National festivals such as the Festival of American Folklife, establishment of an African
diaspora museum, etc.), and international (U.N. resolutions, using electronic media to engage
a global audience, etc.) level should be considered.
Diaspora Interaction with Liberian Homeland
Liberians in diaspora expressed a clear desire to play an ongoing part in the rebuilding and reconciliation
process in their native land.
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