Liberia

American Center for International Labor Solidarity
$80,000*
To enhance the capacity of Liberian trade unions to effectively meet workers' needs, advocate on their behalf, and engage the government. ACILS will work with the United Steelworkers of America to provide training and technical assistance to both local sectoral unions and the large trade union federations. ACILS will organize workshops, conferences, and a campaign on organizing, collective bargaining, or membership services.

Center for Law and Human Rights Education (CLHRE)
$44,000*
To increase awareness of human rights, fundamental liberties, and the rule of law. CLHRE will provide pro bono legal aid; organize human rights workshops for teachers, civil society members, and ordinary citizens; produce human rights radio programs; and report and monitor on human rights abuses.

Center for Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP)
$27,900*
To improve the standards of journalism in Liberia by strengthening the knowledge and skills of media practitioners. CEMESP will organize two six-week training workshops for journalists and media broadcasters themed "The Art and Ethics of Journalism" to increase Liberian journalists' understanding of journalistic professionalism and ethics.

Center for Peace Education and Democracy (COPE)
$35,000
To raise awareness of the danger of proliferation of small arms and light weapons and the culture of violence in Liberia. COPE will organize educational workshops and "palava hut" discussion groups as well as a media campaign to educate citizens about the dangers of small arms and light weapons. COPE will also print a quarterly newsletter, distribute posters, and erect billboards promoting peace and nonviolence.

Committee for Peace and Development Advocacy (COPDA)
$34,000
To promote good governance and human rights in Liberia and build the capacity of grassroots citizens to advocate for their rights. COPDA will conduct training seminars for political authorities and other community leaders on good governance, and will continue its adult human rights literacy program. COPDA will also publish a quarterly newsletter while continuing to develop its human rights database and its free legal aid program.

Foundation of Human Rights and Democracy (FOHRD)
$37,170*
To improve government accountability, citizen advocacy for human rights protection, and understanding of the electoral process. FOHRD will lobby the legislature to improve transparency, issue policy papers on corruption, and produce three documentaries about human rights. FOHRD will also aid victims of human rights violations, organize focus group discussions on human rights, provide legal aid to prisoners, and campaign for disarmament.

Global Rights
$75,000*
To help Liberian NGOs effectively participate in legislative oversight and to increase transparency and accountability of elected officials. Global Rights will provide capacity building assistance to human rights networks in Liberia, and convene an advocacy skills-building seminar for Liberian human rights organizations and civil society groups.

Human Rights Watch Women and Children (HURWAWCHI)
$38,860
To reconcile parents, community members, and former child soldiers and to minimize the number of neglected and abandoned children in rural Liberia. HURWAWCHI will organize traditional "palava hut" reconciliation programs to de-traumatize and reunite former child soldiers with their families and communities. Other activities will include organizing street parades, broadcasting a weekly radio program, erecting billboards, and documenting human rights abuses with specific focus on women and children in rural communities.

Justice and Peace Commission (JPC)
$24,080
To improve access to justice and equal protection under Liberian law and increase citizens' understanding of legal procedures. The JPC will provide pro bono legal assistance to indigent individuals as well as civic and democratic institutions, and will advocate for the rights of prisoners who were wrongfully arrested or detained without trial. The JPC will focus particularly on cases of property repossession and the rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Liberia Democracy Institute (LDI)
$19,910*
To promote citizens' participation in the formulation of sound public policies at the community and national levels by strengthening communication between constituents and their representatives. LDI will organize a series of town hall and civic forum meetings between constituents and their elected leaders to discuss legislation, good governance, and the role of local and national leaders in politics.

Liberia Democracy Watch (LDW)
$26,080*
To stimulate debate between government leaders, opposition parties, civil society, and the public on strategic national issues and improve Liberian citizens' understanding of democratic governance. LDW will organize a series of roundtable discussions with panelists that include ruling party members, opposition party members, and civic activists to debate issues of good governance. Papers presented at the discussions will be published in LDW's Journal of Democracy.

Liberia National Law Enforcement Association (LINLEA)
$44,108
To improve law enforcement and due process and enhance the capacity of criminal justice institutions in Liberia. Through its Center for Criminal Justice Research and Education, LINLEA will host professional education workshops, crime prevention and rule of law forums, and a quarterly lecture forum on social justice and the rule of law. LINLEA will also conduct research on justice issues and host a monthly radio program.

Liberia Watch for Human Rights (LWHR)
$29,760*
To raise awareness on human rights, good governance, and democratic principles among rural Liberians, and to educate government officials and private citizens about their civic duties. LWHR will conduct civic education workshops in rural areas through its branch offices in Bassa, Cape Mount, Lofa, and Bomi Counties. LWHR will also produce a weekly radio program on civic education and human rights, hold street theater performances, and publish a newsletter on human rights, elections, and good governance.

Movement for Peace and Reconciliation in Liberia (MOPAR)
$26,000
To promote human rights, democracy, and peace among inhabitants of Sinoe county in Liberia. MOPAR will conduct workshops on democracy, human rights, and conflict resolution for traditional leaders, youth leaders, heads of women's organizations, and religious leaders. Selected participants will become Peace Volunteers and will oversee six Peace Forum meeting huts, holding monthly meetings and mediating in local conflicts.

National Coalition of Civil Society Organizations of Liberia (NACCSOL)
$27,317
To make government more accountable to citizens in Liberia. NACCSOL will build the institutional capacity of Liberian civil society through assemblies focusing on national development, human rights, governance, social justice and rule of law, and by establishing a resource center for civil society organizations. NACCSOL will hold workshops on practical skills, especially computer and internet skills, and publish a quarterly newsletter.

National Prison Monitor, Inc. (NAPRIM)
$19,960
To improve respect of prisoners' rights by prison officials, justices of the peace, and magistrates in Liberia. NAPRIM will conduct a series of workshops, investigations, conferences, and a media campaign on prisoner rights, using the Liberian Constitution and international conventions as reference tools. NAPRIM will also provide legal aid for indigent prisoners, report abuse in prisons, and air a radio program entitled "Prisoners' Forum."

National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections (NAYMOTE)
$37,000
To encourage democratic governance, increase citizen awareness, and promote community involvement in decision making in Liberia. NAYMOTE will conduct a citizen education campaign consisting of posters and booklets for use in social science classrooms, university forums on policy issues, and focus group discussions. NAYMOTE will bring citizens face-to-face with government officials through a series of community forums, and will conduct a media advocacy campaign to discourage violence and promote a democratic culture.

Press Union of Liberia (PUL)
$40,000*
To allow the PUL to continue to promote a free press in Liberia. The PUL will organize capacity-building workshops to train journalists in responsible reporting techniques. The PUL will continue its Blyden Forum lectures as well as its monthly meetings with the heads of media institutions, legal defense of journalists, assistance to imprisoned journalists, and the operation of its internet Media Resource Center.

Prisoners Assistance Program (PAP)
$38,723
To create a proactive, community-based movement against human rights abuses. Activities will include education workshops, rights awareness discussions, human rights and legal advocacy and documentation of abuses, as well as legal assistance to prisoners suffering prolonged and illegal detention. PAP will expand its work with teams of community-based human rights advocates.

Rural Human Rights Activist Program (RHRAP)
$38,150
To increase rural Liberians' awareness of the danger of ethnic discrimination and religious intolerance and to foster a nonviolent society based on human rights and democracy. RHRAP will hold village meetings, roundtable discussions, and school lectures, bringing together young people, traditional and religious leaders and government officials to discuss tolerance and nonviolent conflict resolution. RHRAP will also conduct a media campaign and continue publication of its monthly newsletter.

Zorzor District Women Care, Inc. (ZODWOCA)
$30,000
To mobilize rural Liberian women for the promotion, protection, and advocacy of their rights. ZODWOCA will produce a quarterly newsletter and hold workshops in Lofa county covering issues of women's rights advocacy in conflict situations, legal protection against gender-based violence, and ways for women to assume leadership roles in their communities.