Friends of Liberia
Accomplishments
Friends
of Liberia (FOL) has been working with the people of Liberia since
1986. Its 800 members -- former Peace Corps volunteers, diplomats,
missionaries, business people, relief workers and Liberians--are
dedicated to helping the nation rebuild its institutions, educate
its children and improve the quality of life for all who live there.
During the civil war, FOL members worked to end the fighting and
lay the foundation for a lasting peace. A 35-member delegation observed
the 1997 election. A team of teachers conducts an annual workshop
for Liberian primary grade teachers and principals on teaching methods.
The organization strives--in its newsletter and e-mail drop-list--
to be an impartial source of unbiased, authoritative information
about Liberia.
During the first Liberian civil conflict, the group engaged in relief
efforts and peace mediation. FOL's advocacy efforts, including congressional
testimony, are a mainstay of FOL activities. A 35-member delegation
observed the 1997 election in Liberia.
In collaboration with the New African Research and Development Agency (NARDA) and funded by USIP and ADB, FOL managed and planned an NGO Post-Conflict Conference in Monrovia in February 1999. The conference brought together post-conflict specialists and local NGOs engaged in peace building, reconciliation, and reconstruction.
FOL's Communities Nurturing Children project has helped rebuild elementary schools and medical clinics in the Johnsonville, Owensgrove, and the Sugar Hill communities.
The Liberian Education Assistance Project revived the tradition of teacher training in which many FOL members participated as Peace Corps volunteers. LEAP has returned former Peace Corps teachers to Liberia on three occasions to conduct the first successful primary teacher workshops in the country in many years. The LEAP initiative has supported the creation of the LEAP Extension Team (LET), a Liberian teacher-run NGO that will sustain the LEAP training concepts.FOL has supported the Liberian Women's Initiatives and Actions for Peace Project, designed by the African Women Peace Support Group and funded by UN Office for Project Services. A Liberian coordinator and several Liberian journalists conducted intensive interviews with Liberian women who have worked for peace in Liberia. The final report will document the peace efforts of Liberian women.
FOL is the 1994 recipient of the National Peace Corps Association's Loret Ruppe Award for humanitarian work. In 1996, former FOL President Kevin George received the Sargent Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service.