HELPING EXCOMBATANTS REINTEGRATE INTO THE LIBERIAN SOCIETY

Liberia  Population-3,441,790  Unemployment-85%  Below poverty -80%  Christian -40%  Muslim -20%  Indigenous beliefs-40%

By the end of this presentation, participants will:  Learn about Liberian ex-combatants’ experiences/perceptions of the DDRR program  Identify ways to help ex-combatants reintegrate successfully  Identify at least 5 roles of a social worker working with this population

 Liberian Civil War and DDRR process  Research  Findings  Recommendations  Implications for Social Work  Discussion

Liberian Civil War-( )  Over 100,000 rebel fighters (most recruited as children)  Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DDRR) Source: Disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDRR). (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2008 From

 103,019-Disarmed and demobilized  90, 000- Reintegrated Xc Source: Disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDRR). (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2008 From

 Purpose of Research  Literature Review  DDRR programs are unsuccessful due to limited funding  Lack of research  Ex-combatants suffer from PTSD, MDD, SI and substance abuse Source: Hanson, S. (2007, February 16). Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) in Africa. Retrieved from Asher, J., Beadling, C., Johnson, K., Lawry, L., Panjabi, R., Raja, A., & Rosborough, S. ( 2008). Association of combatant status and sexual violence with health and mental health outcomes in postconflict Liberia. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, 300 (6),

1.What are the ex-combatants’ perceptions of the disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation, and reintegration process? 2.What do the ex-combatants think will help them reintegrate into the Liberian Society?

Research Design and Sample Convenience quota sampling Sample size- 29 Ex-combatants over the age of 18 MVTC / DDRR enrollment Data Collection Ethical Issues

 48% females and 52% males  Average age of participants was 34 years

 52% elementary  35% junior high  14% high school. 52.% 35.% 14.%

 Academic programs- 31%  Tailoring-24%  Plumbing-17%  Masonry-10%  Agriculture- 7%

Hopes and Expectations  41% -Financial help  76% - Education/skills training  14%-Acceptance from the Liberian society

 100% -Education/skills training and reintegration  45% -Monthly stipend of 30USD  59% -Tools and building materials  24%- Jobs

“After we disarmed, we were told that those going to school would receive a monthly stipend of 30USD. The 30USD wasn’t given monthly. It was given after every three months.”  38%- Irregular stipend  93% said that they felt abandoned and ignored

 69% - received skills training  90%- no certificates, insufficient or no tools and building materials as promised.

 Poverty  Lack of program resources  Lack of jobs  Unfriendliness of their neighbors and community”

 53%- Peace  41%- Need to feel accepted by their communities  35%- Support family  35% -Benefits (money, education/skills training and reintegration)

 10%- Fully reintegrated  90% -Not past the DD phase due to lack of employment despite their skills training

 83% - Employment  45% - Support families  51%- Complete the DDRR program “My hope for the future is to be able to send my daughter to school. Right now I don’t have any means of getting money to send her to school. I also hope my living condition can improve because we now live in an unfinished building owned by the government and the living condition is not conducive. If we are asked to leave, we don’t have any place to go.”

 99% - jobs  35%- marketable skills training  45% - regular monthly stipend  31% -assistance with tools and building materials “Me and my family are suffering. I need to support my family. If trained well and given tools, we could support our family. We also need building materials to rebuild our homes that were destroyed during the war.”

 72% - Help from governmental, nongovernmental agencies and international community.  28% - Did not know

 Not fully reintegrated (85% not beyond DD phase)  Poverty  Resilient and hopeful

 96.6% were unemployed

 Allocation of more resources to DDRR programs  Mental Health care for PTSD, MDD etc  Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs Source: Maslow Hierarchy of Needs. (n.d.). Retrieved Marc h 11, 2009 from Physiological needs Safety needs Belongingness and love needs Self Esteem Self- Actualization

 Realistic goals for DDRR program  Marketable skills training and jobs  Ongoing evaluation of DDRR program  Government scholarships for ex-combatants’ children

Ethical Principle: Social Justice “Social workers pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social workers’ social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice.” Source: Code of Ethics National Association of Social Workers

 Need for education on ex-combatants’ needs and strengths  Learn and understand Liberian culture  More research needed  Use evidence based interventions  Self Determination  Importance of faith and community

 Micro level Individual counseling Psycho-education on drugs and alcohol abuse  Mezzo Family and group counseling  Macro Community organizer Advocate

Questions?