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Gracie Brownell Baylor School of Social Work Capstone Colloquium Presentation May 5, 2009

HELPING EXCOMBATANTS REINTEGRATE INTO THE LIBERIAN SOCIETY. Gracie Brownell Baylor School of Social Work Capstone Colloquium Presentation May 5, 2009. Liberia. Population-3,441,790 Unemployment-85% Below poverty -80% Christian -40% Muslim -20% Indigenous beliefs-40%. Objectives.

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Gracie Brownell Baylor School of Social Work Capstone Colloquium Presentation May 5, 2009

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  1. HELPING EXCOMBATANTS REINTEGRATE INTO THE LIBERIAN SOCIETY Gracie BrownellBaylor School of Social WorkCapstone Colloquium PresentationMay 5, 2009

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

  3. Objectives 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

  4. Agenda • Liberian Civil War and DDRR process • Research • Findings • Recommendations • Implications for Social Work • Discussion

  5. The Liberian Civil War Liberian Civil War-(1989-2003) • 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 http://www.lr.undp.org/ddrr.htm

  6. DDRR • 103,019-Disarmed and demobilized • 90, 000- Reintegrated http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rMq1esUBXc Source: Disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDRR). (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2008 From http://www.lr.undp.org/ddrr.htm

  7. Research • 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 http://www.cfr.org/publication/12650/ 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), 676-690.

  8. Research Questions 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?

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

  10. Participants’ Demographics • 48% females and 52% males • Average age of participants was 34 years

  11. Education • 52% elementary • 35% junior high • 14% high school. 52.% 35.% 14.%

  12. Educational Programs • Academic programs- 31% • Tailoring-24% • Plumbing-17% • Masonry-10% • Agriculture- 7%

  13. Findings Hopes and Expectations • 41% -Financial help • 76% - Education/skills training • 14%-Acceptance from the Liberian society

  14. Services Promised • 100% -Education/skills training and reintegration • 45% -Monthly stipend of 30USD • 59% -Tools and building materials • 24%- Jobs

  15. Actual Experience “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

  16. Actual Experience cont. • 69% - received skills training • 90%- no certificates, insufficient or no tools and building materials as promised.

  17. Factors Influencing Incompletion24% of the participants did not complete the previous phase • Poverty • Lack of program resources • Lack of jobs • Unfriendliness of their neighbors and community”

  18. Factors Influencing Completion of Previous Phases • 53%- Peace • 41%- Need to feel accepted by their communities • 35%- Support family • 35% -Benefits (money, education/skills training and reintegration)

  19. Extent of Reintegration • 10%- Fully reintegrated • 90% -Not past the DD phase due to lack of employment despite their skills training

  20. Hopes/Expectations About Future • 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.”

  21. Assistance Needed to Overcome Obstacles • 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.”

  22. Addressing Obstacles • 72% - Help from governmental, nongovernmental agencies and international community. • 28% - Did not know

  23. Conclusion • Not fully reintegrated (85% not beyond DD phase) • Poverty • Resilient and hopeful

  24. Conclusion cont. • 96.6% were unemployed

  25. Recommendations • 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 http://www.abrahammaslow.com Self- Actualization Self Esteem Belongingness and love needs Safety needs Physiological needs

  26. Recommendations cont. • Realistic goals for DDRR program • Marketable skills training and jobs • Ongoing evaluation of DDRR program • Government scholarships for ex-combatants’ children

  27. Implications for Social Work 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. 1999. National Association of Social Workers

  28. Implications cont. • 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

  29. What can Social Workers Do? • Micro level Individual counseling Psycho-education on drugs and alcohol abuse • Mezzo Family and group counseling • Macro Community organizer Advocate

  30. Questions? Comments?

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