2009 annual report

Liberia

Action for Community and Human Development Inc. (ACOHD)
$43,750
To promote gender equity in Maryland County and strengthen women’s participation in local politics. ACOHD will organize a series of capacity building workshops for eight women’s organizations that will underscore the linkages between development and women’s rights, and provide lobbying and political campaigning skills to women leaders.

Center for Democracy and Elections, Inc (CENDE)
$30,175
To encourage interaction between local leaders and their constituencies through the creation of Democracy Leadership Committees that will promote good governance at the local level. CENDE will also publish a newsletter, Our Constituency, to document its activities and other civic initiatives in Bomi County.

Center for Law and Human Rights Education (CLRHE)
$46,550
To strengthen the Liberian judiciary and civil society institutions supporting the rule of law. CLHRE will hold a capacity building and empowerment workshop for approximately 50 judicial personnel and civil society activists in Nimba, Bong, and Margibi counties,

Center for Media Studies and Peace-Building (CEMESP)
$45,322
To consolidate peace and foster good governance and democracy with journalistic best practices and reduce attacks on the Liberian media. CEMESP will train experts among Liberian journalists in reporting peace consolidation, good governance and democracy and publish an annual report on attacks on the Liberian media and free expression.

Center for Peace Education and Democracy (COPE)
$37,720
To create awareness about the dangers of small arms and build the capacity of rural areas to fight against small arms proliferation. COPE will continue its campaign against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Liberia, organizing a series of workshops in Clay-Ashland, Arthington, Johnsonville and Barnesville, Montserrado County.

Center for Sustainable Human Development, Inc. (CESHUD)
$25,000
To facilitate dialogue on human rights, and reduce arbitrary arrests and other forms of systematic human rights abuses in southeastern communities. CESHUD will reestablish a rural FM community radio station and facilitate workshops on human rights and the rule of law for local magistrates, judges, security personnel, the superintendent and city mayor.

Committee for Peace and Development Advocacy*
$40,000
To improve local leaders’ capacity to identify and report human rights violations and conflict issues, and strengthen their good governance skills through workshops on rule of law, human rights and conflict resolution.

Foundation for Human Rights and Democracy
$56,716
To enable citizens to assess the performance of service delivery through participatory research and the dissemination of a citizen report card and provide budget training to community leaders, District Development Committees (DDCs), CBOs, and students in Montserrado County. A “Citizens’ Report Card” will be issued by workshop participants to rate service delivery and the results used for education campaigns on public accountability.

Human Rights Watch Women & Children, Inc. (HURWAWCHI)
$38,940
To reconcile and de-traumatize parents, community members and former child soldiers in rural communities, and minimize the number of neglected and abandoned children in Liberia. HURWAWCHI will continue reuniting parents and communities with former child soldiers using traditional method of palava hut discussions as a forum for parents and the community for healing and reconciliation.

Liberia Democracy Watch (LDW)
$26,800
To provide a forum for continuing dialogue between government, opposition political parties and civil society. LDW will organize bi-monthly dialogues in Nimba, Grand Bassa and Montserrado counties that will address public policy issues.

Liberia Democratic Institute (LDI)
$28,554
To promote legislative responsiveness and accountability, and increase public access to legislative information including bills and the national budget. LDI will collaborate with community-based organizations in all 15 counties of Liberia, as well as legislative staff in the Senate and House of Representatives to introduce a Citizen Report Card enabling Liberians to evaluate the performance of the Liberian legislature.

Liberia National Law Enforcement Association (LINLEA)
$47,619
To enhance the capacity of criminal justice institutions, including law enforcement, due process and citizen participation, and promote community participation in crime prevention. Through its Center for Criminal Justice Research and Education, LINLEA will improve law enforcement through professional education workshops, research activities, radio programs, and a quarterly public forum in Grand Bassa, Nimba and Bong counties.

Liberia Watch for Human Rights, Inc. (LWHR)
$32,455
To strengthen rural communities’ ability to negotiate with government and extractive industry companies and advocate for transparent, sustainable, and equitable management of natural resources. LWHR will establish community human rights committees that will conduct environmental rights awareness campaigns and form strategic alliances with the government and the private sector to facilitate dialogue on labor issues and environmental management.

Liberia Women Media Action Committee (LIWOMAC)
$30,000
To influence policies and opinions around women’s rights, gender, governance and other issues ensuring Liberian women’s full democratic participation. LIWOMAC will enable broadcasters to produce quality radio programs. LIWOMAC will provide its staff with a series of newsroom trainings including writing for radio, research, news gathering, story development and a review of Liberian media laws.

Movement for Peace and Reconciliation in Liberia Inc.
$39,050
To build the capacity of civil society organizations and rural community leaders on the national budget process and budget advocacy and build a platform for civil society organizations, elected officials, and constituents for discussions on public accountability and transparency in policy formation and planning and the use of public resources.

National Coalition of Civil Society Organizations of Liberia (NACCSOL)
$39,851
To strengthen the role of civil society in the promotion of human rights, the rule of law, electoral and legislative advocacy and democratic governance. NACCSOL will host assemblies and consultative meetings to discuss issues related to member organizations’ respective sectors.

National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI)
$270,000
To build the capacity of Liberia’s legislature to strengthen the legal framework for democratic elections. NDI will assist legislators to analyze pending legislation in advance of historic local elections, provide comparative information and experts to assist with review of election laws and proposed amendments, and assist legislative committees to incorporate public and expert views through public hearings and use of the media.

National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections - Partners for Democratic Development (NAYMOTE-PADD)
$44,655
To expand the democratic space for youth and women’s representation and participation in leadership and governance, and prepare the electorate for the 2011 presidential elections. NAYMOTE-PADD will conduct civic and youth forums in Montserrado, Margibi and Bong counties, and organize six forums for youth targeting upcoming municipal and general elections.

Press Union of Liberia (PUL)
$41,020
To build the capacity of young media professionals working in rural areas. PUL will establish four regional offices in Gbarnga and Bong, recruit and train coordinators who will manage the satellite offices in concert with the head office in Monrovia. The Union will also embark on a collective bargaining campaign to encourage media houses to pay wages that are commensurate with journalists’ qualifications and productivity.

Rescue Alternatives Liberia (RAL)
$52,000
To build the capacity of 25 corrections and other law enforcement officers in understanding the human rights of prisoners and address overcrowding at Monrovia Central Prison. RAL will organize workshops for county development authorities that will address basic human rights, reconciliation, community integration, and law enforcement. Using partnerships with the Justice and Peace Commission and the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia, RAL will provide legal assistance to indigent pre-trial detainees.

Rural Human Rights Activists Programme (RHRAP)
$36,000
To improve the capacity of local communities to mediate and prevent conflict and increase interactions between ethnic groups of targeted communities. RHRAP will continue its conflict mediation program and establish three peace clubs in Lofa, Bong and Nimba counties.

Zorzor District Women Care, Inc. (ZODWOCA)
$32,460
To strengthen the rights of rural women and their participation in local and national politics. ZODWOCA will continue the women’s rights education for the Upper-Worker Clan in Voinjama, Lofa County, and organize workshops on human rights in 33 towns.