Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission to Hold Public Hearings in the united states

News

The Advocates for Human Rights, Minneapolis/St. Paul
For the first time in history, a nation’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission will hold official public hearings in the United States. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Liberia, along with its U.S. implementing partner, The Advocates for Human Rights, are pleased to announce that this historic event will take place in St. Paul, Minnesota during the week of June 9-14, 2008.

All TRC Commissioners will travel from Liberia to Minnesota to preside over these thematic public hearings, which will be the only hearings held outside of Liberia.

Liberia is recovering from years of conflict characterized by egregious violations of human rights, including arbitrary killing, use of child combatants, rape and sexual violence, separation of families, and looting and destruction of property.

Out of a population of 3 million, an estimated 250,000 people were killed, with as many as 1.5 million displaced. Of those who were forced to flee this violent conflict, many came to the U.S. because of the strong historical ties between the two countries.

An estimated 30,000 Liberians live in Minnesota, but there are also tens of thousands of Liberians living in other U.S. cities. The Liberian TRC was agreed upon in the August 2003 peace agreement and created by the TRC Act of 2005.

The TRC was established to “promote national peace, security, unity and reconciliation,” and at the same time make it possible to hold perpetrators accountable for gross human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law that occurred in Liberia between January 1979 and October 2003.

The U.S. public hearings will present the experience of Liberians in Diaspora. Witnesses will testify about the human rights abuses in Liberia that forced them to flee, their experiences in flight and in refugee camps, and the experience of resettlement in the U.S.

The U.S. hearings will also provide an important opportunity for Liberians in the Diaspora to submit their experiences and recommendations directly to the TRC, which is mandated to make binding recommendations to the government of Liberia.  Dates: June 9-14, 2008 Location: Sundin Music Hall, Hamline University, 1536 Hewitt Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55104

Editor @ May 1, 2008