Objectives

This study attempts to evaluate the needs, views, and priorities of Liberians about post-war recovery, sources of insecurity, and dispute resolution. It aimed at collecting detailed data on:

1. Basic priorities and access to services
2. Security concerns and perception of security providers
3. Post-war disputes and resolution mechanisms, including land disputes, ethnic tensions and social cohesion
4. Traditional, formal, and transitional justice: Access to and perceptions of judicial mechanisms and TRC recommendations
5. Impact of the wars and recovery process.

To achieve its objectives, the study used a mixed methods approach, including extensive consultation with local organizations, interviews with key informants, and a nationwide survey. The survey, with a total of 4,501 interviews, constitutes the largest representative nationwide survey on peace and reconstruction at the sub-national level in Liberia. The survey was designed to provide results that are representative of the population down to the county level, with additional distinction between respondents in Greater Monrovia and those in Rural Montserrado. The present study seeks to complement other research on the reconstruction that has shared the voices of Liberian communities and individuals affected by the war.[1] Most studies, however, have focused on specific regions or counties. The present study covers all counties as well as Greater Monrovia, which allows it to explore regional differences in attitudes and perceptions about peace and reconstruction.[2] Such differences may reflect socio-economic and cultural differences as well as various degrees of exposure to the wars.

[1] A list of reports and papers focusing on peace and reconstruction in Liberia is available in the Liberia Research Library

[2] The terms “Greater Monrovia” or “Monrovia” used in this study refer to one of the five districts in Montserrado County, which encompasses the city of Monrovia and practically all the surrounding suburbs. “Rural Montserrado” is used to refer to the remaining four districts of the county, although they also contain some smaller towns. Because of the stark differences between the capital and the rest of Montserrado, there is no composite value used to represent all of Montserrado as a county. The Greater Monrovia district accounts for 87% of the population in Montserrado County, according to the 2008 census.