Office farewell party for Adam (Liberia, August)

It is now January 2011 and both the Holiday Season and New Year’s Eve have come and gone… WOW time has flown!  It feels like just yesterday that I returned to the U.S. after a terrific three months of research in Liberia.  My dual-M.A. program at Brandeis is two and half years in length, and after two years in the classroom I was expected to do a summer of research followed by an autumn of final-paper-writing.  So, with that summer research in the bag all I had left was the final paper (as of September 1^st).  Fall semester was the final half of that two and half year journey through graduate-school at Brandeis University, and what an odd half it felt like.  I spent the semester as a 3^rd year Masters student, officially enrolled at Brandeis, but without any classes scheduled… I had one task and that was to compose a paper based on my summer research.

I spent my first week back in the U.S. at my mother’s house in Fairfield County, Connecticut… which was great!  Upon returning to Massachusetts I found myself stuck in a nomadic lifestyle, I was supposed to move into a friend’s father’s house in Cambridge but I had to wait 4-6 weeks.  During that time I enjoyed myself around the area and spent many days socializing on campus.  All this was a blast, but my paper was not getting written.  I finally moved into my friend’s father’s house (with a year of glorious house-sitting ahead of me), I created a “war room” in the kitchen, and I got down to business with that paper.  It was not easy to begin, I sort of lost confidence in what I had achieved in Liberia, plus all the fun between Connecticut and Massachusetts had only helped to distance me quite a bit from that (three month long) challenging summer.

I pulled it together quite quickly and the creative juices flowed and flowed.  I had to essentially go underground for two months in order to both begin and complete my paper, and it became something of an obsession and it got written.  My 1^st draft was due November 15^th and I completed the document at 5am on the 14^th.  It had been my goal all along to submit a fully completed paper (in my opinion) on the 15^th even though the final draft was not due until December 15^th… and I believed I achieved this!  The paper is titled Baby-Steps Toward a Peaceful and Profitable Future in the Republic of Liberia: Establishing Economic & Environmental Coexistence Between Rural Communities and International Logging Companies and I could not be happier with it.  I am truly proud of the fact that it fully speaks to my curriculum and experiences within both Brandeis’ M.A. in Coexistence & Conflict and the M.A. in Sustainable International Development and, of course, it fully addresses my three months of research in Liberia during summer 2010.  Additionally, I feel my undergraduate education in urban planning is also visible within the document.

Adam recuperating for a few days in the Berkshires (Massachusetts, September)

I received word from my Advisor (Prof. Ted Johnson) on December 20^th that I had in fact submitted a good and final paper, I had now completed all the requirements of my program at Brandeis.  Specifically, Professor Johnson said “Very well done Adam.  You’ve tackled a serious problem and raised some vital issues not only for Liberia but other resource-stretched societies.” He continued by stating “I will say that you’ve more than met the requirements for passing this requirement… you may want to publish it.”  Needless to say, this was thrilling feedback for me.  But, the moment was bittersweet.  I love Brandeis and I have loved my time here, I have never felt so happy and at home… what a bummer to have to leave now.  But, like many experiences before it, Brandeis has now become a part of my identity and I look forward to representing it wherever I go in the world and in whatever I do.  It is easy to feel as though my time with Brandeis has come to an end, but I do realize that this very moment just marks the beginning of my relationship with the school.  I now have the rest of my life to be involved with Brandeis University, an institution that I own as much of as any other student that has ever obtained a degree from it.  I am, and forever will be, a Brandeisian!

Adam Rosenberg ’11 is a M.A. dual degree candidate in Sustainable International Development and Coexistence & Conflict.  He recently returned from a summer in Liberia, and you can view his prior posts here. This blog post was written as he returned from Liberia.

To my complete and utter amazement, it is 6 p.m. on August 29^th and I find myself sitting in Monrovia’s Roberts International Airport.  I am just two hours away from fully finishing my summer of research in Liberia.  Though I was in this country for just three months, I moved fast and experienced many things… it feels as though I have been here for a year.  While I am happy to be returning home, I am also sad about leaving.  I view the sadness as a positive sign: it is a sign that I was happy and successful here.  In fact, I was very happy.  I stayed in two different comfortable apartments, I had terrific roommates, I spent my days at a terrific organization (staffed by terrific people), I enjoyed the social-scene and made friends, and I got to travel a bit within the country which allowed me to see so much of its great beauty.  Of course, there are more people to meet, more places to see, more work to be done and, as you might imagine, I want to do all these things.  It is this immediate desire that honestly evokes sadness and, this being said, I am happy to be leaving feeling sad as it means something went right for me this summer!

A program for the Peace Corps Swearing-In Ceremony

Since my last blog-posting, I was given the chance to participate in a very special event.  The U.S. Peace Corps has been in Liberia (on and off) since the 1962.  Sadly, it had to evacuate in 1990 and it stayed out until 2008.  Two years ago it returned in the form of Peace Corps Response, a special section of the U.S. Agency that sends Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) back overseas for short-term deployments (e.g. 3 months, 6 months, or a year).  Last season the U.S. Government decided to re-introduce Peace Corps in its entirety so, starting now, Liberia will have Response Volunteers as well as full-term (27 month) Peace Corps Volunteers.  After two months of intensive in-country training, 14 new Volunteers were officially sworn-in and I received an invitation to the event.  It was thrilling!  Firstly, it was held at the Liberian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  It was an intimate gathering, but it gave me a chance to meet many people… including many other RPCVs.  The Swearing-In Ceremony was presided over by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and the U.S. Embassy’s Charge d’affaires.  But, most thrilling to me was the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Olubanke King-Akerele, Class of ’67) .  It was an honor to meet her and she was very excited to realize our Brandeis connection.  During our chat, I learned that her Grandfather served as the 14^th President of Liberia, and her Father had been the Liberian Ambassador to the U.S. (during that period of service he sent all his children to U.S.-based universities).  It was a great ceremony and a great day and I was psyched to be a part of it… has it really been four and a half years since my own Peace Corps Swearing-In in the Kingdom of Lesotho?!

Adam, on his last day of work, and the Country Director for Fauna & Flora International

My final week of work wrapped up nicely: my office threw me a really fun and special farewell party and I have spent these last few days trying to have as much fun as possible (which I definitely succeeded in doing)!  As marvelous as Liberians are, and as beautiful as Liberia is, there is no denying that the country still has many many problems.  There will be challenging job opportunities for development and aid workers for years to come.  I can only assume that the Brandeis alumni base will grow here over time.  Liberians have a funny way of explaining sad things… they commonly say that “this, too, is Liberia.”  If it rains for three days straight then the explanation is that “this, too, is Liberia,” and if there is a car accident then the explanation is that “this, too, is Liberia,” and if Charles Taylor’s former bodyguard (a man responsible for having done terrible terrible things) is sitting on the front steps of the YMCA in Monrovia, just chilling out with friends on a Saturday morning… then the explanation Liberians will surely give you is that  “this, too, is Liberia.”  While the situations described are not always pleasant or fair, people here have come to accept that this is how things have been and this is how things remain for the moment, and by saying that “this, too, is Liberia” they are essentially telling us that the power to change the situation is (at least) temporarily out of their hands and that, despite this, they are doing okay and finding happiness and fulfillment in their day.  I now join with Liberians, near and far, in the hope that, sooner rather than later, a day will come when we can all embrace Liberian progress while looking back on the previously broken version of the country and say “that, too, was Liberia!”

It is now 6:30 p.m., just another hour and a half until I board my Brussels Airlines flight to Belgium then, from Belgium, onto my final destination (New York’s JFK) via American Airlines.  I can already taste the cappuccino and waffles that I’ll be wolfing down for breakfast during my layover in Europe, and I can already smell the ocean-air around Splash, the restaurant in Westport, CT that my Mom is going to take me to for my first meal back in the United States (though, honestly, I would have been just fine with her linguini and white-clam sauce)!  I am sure I will be just as busy answering questions at the table as I will be chewing my food.  Surely there will be gasps (and other noises associated with shock and surprise) upon hearing some of the things I witnessed and experienced in Liberia.  The reality of the last three months of my life can best be summed up by saying that, while I had an awesome summer… that, too, had been Liberia.

UN Peacekeepers guard the tri-nation football match.

Wow, I can’t believe it is already August!  After three months here in Liberia, I will conclude my time on the 29^th… my departure-date will be a sad day for me.  While I miss many people and places in the United States, I love being in Africa and I have especially developed a particular love for Liberia.  The country and its people have taken good care of me and have provided me with many special opportunities.  Just this morning I was telling a Liberian friend that I came here to learn about one thing and, to date, I’ve been taught at least a thousand things!  I do not think it is possible to visit any new country and learn just one new thing, and I now realize that it was never going to be possible to learn just one thing in this special and complicated West African nation.  I hope students from Brandeis will continue to come to Liberia and experience all the beautiful and exciting things that it has to offer and, additionally, I hope Brandeis will continue to attract Liberians to our student-body.  On that note, so far, I have identified one incoming Liberian grad-student and two Brandeis alums… one of which happens to be Liberia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs (Olubanke King Akerele ’67)!

Since my last blog-posting (in July), I have: attended Liberian Congressional sessions, visited the famous Robertsport beach, as well as the infamous West Point slum. I went to a classical-music recital at the historic Providence Baptist Church, watched a professional soccer-match featuring the Liberian and Guinean National teams, and discovered some cool new restaurants and hang-outs.  Of course, this is all on top of the work and research that I have continued to do at the Liberia Democratic Institute (LDI).  Regarding the weather, the rainy-season continues but, as of a few weeks ago, there are now occasional days of sunshine!  I have been most thankful for this — the sunshine has made for some fun days and, in all honesty, Monrovia does look a bit better when there are some rays shining upon it.  On the flip-side, now when it rains the rain is heavier and lasts longer… like, 3-6 days.

Liberia’s legislative-branch of government is modeled after that of the United States.  Being able to visit both Houses of Congress (a privilege afforded to me via a specific project that LDI is working on) gave me an awesome opportunity that few foreigners have had and, sadly, few Liberians as well.  Very little of what I witnessed was reminiscent of the U.S. Congress and, in all honesty, the little work done (by Senators and Representatives) and the lack of transparency was nothing short of disheartening.  I have the ability to go back now each week, for the Tuesday/Thursday sessions and, I must say, it has become addictive purely based on the characters (a bit of this and a bit of that… and a smattering of former rebel leaders) involved and their special style of “professional” behavior.

On a brighter note, I seized an opportunity on July 18^th to visit the church in which Liberia’s Declaration of Independence was signed in 1847.  As it turned out, a Liberian that had been trained at universities in America was returning for a classical-music recital in Monrovia (at Providence Baptist Church).  Not only was it great to spend a Sunday afternoon inside the chapel, but it was very special to hear the vocalist’s interesting selection of songs.  After several classical offerings,  he performed four African-American ‘slave songs.’  He sang them in a beautiful and haunting baritone, but the real intense sensation came from knowing that both he and many in attendance that day were direct descendants of freed-American slaves!  Liberia was colonized by these ex-slaves (I still am not clear on exactly who declared independence from what), and to many of the these former slaves Liberia was upheld as something of a Promised Land.  It was an amazing occasion, and it was a special occasion.

On the weekend of July 23^rd (and to my amazement) there was a “tri-nation” soccer tournament featuring the Liberian, Guinean, and Ghanaian National teams.  This was going to be a big deal because Liberia has not had a team in years, they have just recently assembled a new one, and this was going to be there first (and second) official match.  I attended the Liberia vs. Guinea game and it was a lot of fun, with Liberia even winning 1-0, though they lost to Ghana two days later.  But, there was much more going on than just soccer.  Firstly, the stadium (S.K. Doe Stadium, and Liberia’s largest) had been used as a shelter during the last war, which entailed people both sleeping on the field as well as entire families living in the storage closets.  Secondly, the turnout for the game appeared to fill about 5% of the seats, and the security-to-spectator ratio looked like 10:1!  There was a U.N. Peacekeeping force (many in full riot-gear), Liberian Police (all in full riot-gear), stadium security-guards, and even young men in Tae- Kwon-Do uniforms (which was intended to send the message that if you got past the tear-gas and batons, then the ninjas would stop you!).  These protective forces guarded the stadium both inside and out, and at half-time the Police (in their riot-gear) actually marched onto the field and escorted the referees off… every bit of it looked terrifying!  I turned to my roommates and asked “where else in the world would a soccer game be guarded by U.N. Peacekeepers?!”  It was the most intimidating environment I have ever been in.

Waves crashing at Robertsport Beach

I finally rallied out to Robertsport with my two roommates (a South African and a German), the occasion was an Independence Day celebration!  For your information, Liberia’s Independence Day is on July 26^th and, while I still am not clear on exactly who declared independence from what, I will happily take a 3-day weekend wherever I can get one!  Robertsport is a beautiful beach area (in Grand Cape Mount County) about 2hrs north of Monrovia and in the direction of Sierra Leone.  Also, it is known as both an expat and surfer Mecca.  While we only spent one night there, it was awesome and much needed.  The area truly was beautiful, it was fun to drink from freshly harvested coconuts and eat freshly caught fish (and one lobster!), it was cool to observe some extremely talented surfers, and it was simply nice to meet and compare notes with some Americans and Europeans… which included MANY other summer-interns.  There is not much to do at Robertsport, which contributes strongly to its appeal, but we managed to have loads of fun and even party by the light of a full moon.

In my third and final month I have begun to discover some cool places to both dine and chill.  This has meant that I have met many more young expats, the upside being that I now have places to go and people to be with on the weekends… with the downside being that I have spent more money (and will continue to spend more money) than I did during my first two months in Liberia.  I can now confidently recommend both a great Chinese and Ethiopian restaurant, I can tell you where to find traditional Liberian palm-butter on Thursdays, and I promise you that I know where the best falafel in Monrovia is to be found!  As for straight-up late-night young-adult socializing on the weekends there is no place better than Tides, a mellow and beautiful open-air spot perched right over the ocean in Monrovia’s Rock Town neighborhood.  It is owned and operated by two young Americans, they’re doing an awesome job and, should you swing by, tell Nate & Ellie that Adam sent you!

Adam's new room with a view.

July 2^nd marked something of a new beginning for me in Monrovia — on that day I moved from the City Center neighborhood to the Sinkor neighborhood.

I knew my first apartment would only be available for a month, so, toward the end of June, I posted a “room wanted” note to the (ever so helpful) Liberia Expats Google-Group.  I received loads of offers and, ultimately, chose to share an apartment with two women from South Africa.  While my new place is not quite as nice as my last place, it is nice enough.  But, the real bonuses are as follows: I now have a small porch-like area by the front door that allows me to sit outside and read on the weekends, I am a block from the ocean, I am across the street from a massive church that (thank goodness) has a very talented choir and, best of all, I am now within walking distance of a few spots worth walking too!  One spot is a super-market, another is a Chinese restaurant, and my favorite is a nice hotel (i.e. The Royal Hotel) that has both a general restaurant with Internet access as well as a sushi restaurant!  A friend took me to the sushi restaurant and it was awesome!  The place was very trendy, both the décor and the music gave it a mellow feel, and the food tasted as terrific as the menu looked… it was very much a welcomed surprise.

Having Internet access at the hotel restaurant is key since I no longer have it at home, oh, and just a quick note about Liberian beaches… while there are a few decent ones, most are not very nice.  Aside from fairly dirty and rough water, the sandy beaches themselves are commonly used as garbage dumps and (literally) toilets.  So, living near the beach is nice because the weather is more pleasant and it is nice to see the water from a distance as well as hear the sound of the waves, BUT, I will not be taking a long slow stroll on the sand anytime soon!

Being able to now walk to a few places on occasion has been very nice, and this development has finally allowed me to meet a few new people and watch World Cup matches.  I have had some other cool developments since moving.  On the 8^th and 9^th I attended a workshop for all local NGOs working on good-governance advocacy projects.  A specific Liberian man was pointed out to me and I was told he was quite respected here and that he had experienced some truly challenging times (to be vague) under the rule of Charles Taylor.  Sometime later, that man approached me and asked me how long I would be with LDI and where I was from.  He then said “oh, Boston!  I am moving there in a month to study international development at Brandeis University.”  Immediately I wanted to hug him and share all the helpful knowledge that I have amassed during my 2 years at Brandeis and in the international development program, but I stayed composed and instead offered to chat with him at a later time over coffee.  I do not think it is possible for me to love Brandeis any more than I already do, but such moments (of which I have many) are just constant cherries on the sundae!

The new husband and wife cut the cake.

A few days later it was Saturday the 10^th and I was off to my first Liberian wedding — the groom was a co-worker of mine!  For the occasion I had had a “traditional” suit made by a local tailor, it turned out well and looked good on me (despite the fact that it appears as though I’m wearing an orange prison jump-suit in photos).  We experienced TORRENTIAL down-pours all day, but it did not take away from the fun and excitement.  First we made our way to the ceremony which was held in a Pentecostal church.  It was my first time in a Pentecostal service and it was quite exciting, but it was also a bit scary as the large band was using electric instruments and several microphones… all while the roof was leaking on the instruments, electrical cords, and the performer’s feet.  Thank goodness there were no accidents.  After the service we had to head to the reception, one of my co-workers threw me the keys to the LDI pick-up truck and told me to drive it over.  Not realizing that it had been parked on pure soaked sand (and had already sunk a bit in the rear), I proceeded to give it just a bit too much gas in reverse which resulted in me spinning the rear tires enough to get it truly dug into the sand.  Onlookers quickly noticed my predicament and came over to help, but 30 minutes worth of attempts all failed.  Just when I thought all hope was lost, I saw a bunch of young guys walking toward me from the nearby village.  They got in front of the truck, pushed, and told me to give it gas… the truck was almost instantly freed!  But, as I yelled to other co-workers to run over and get in so that we could leave, one informed me that “Liberians do not help for free and that it is customary to give them something.”  With that I looked up and realized that about 20 guys had worked to free the truck!  I was like “how much do they expect?!”  Thankfully they did not expect too much and I managed to get out of there with my wallet pretty much intact.

The reception was at a Methodist church (at which I randomly met 7 members of a Lutheran church, from Philadelphia, that came over because a congregant was related to the bride), and to my surprise it was quite quick.  Everybody sat down immediately, chowed down (without hesitation) on pre-prepared plates of food, and chatted away loudly while the bride and groom and wedding party attempted to make speeches… which simply could not be heard over the truly loud chatting.  At the conclusion of the reception, I was informed that a smaller group of us would be going to the groom’s home for something of an after-party.  I was quickly shocked to see how far away he lived and, ultimately, that he lived in a hectic yet rural area known simply as “Chicken Soup Factory.”  Apparently, Richard from the office lives in Chicken Soup Factory!  When I enquired about the peculiar name of the area, I was loosely informed that (prior to the war) there had been a factory there that used to produce chicken-flavored soup powder… so, there you have it!  By 9pm I was tuckered out and happy to get home, it had really been a fun day.

The next day was Sunday and I took it easy.  I walked to The Royal Hotel, ate lunch, got a few hours of Internet access (which afforded me the opportunity to learn about President-elect Frederick Lawrence… great choice Brandeis, super exciting!), and I closed down the day by watching the World Cup Final from within a packed house.  It had been a special weekend and I continue to be thankful for the opportunity to intern in Liberia for the summer.  Organizations here have told me that they are interested in hosting Brandeis interns and I look forward to getting that message across both now and especially upon my return to campus in September!

Part II of “The Unpaved Road to the Future” by Adam Rosenberg, MA student in Liberia. Read Part I here.

I slept late/ish the following morning.  In the early afternoon I decided to try walking through the city center of Zwedru, in an attempt to reach the LDI office, which I managed just fine.  I asked my co-workers if there was anything worth seeing. I knew Zwedru had been the home of former-President Samuel Doe.  Doe was President of Liberia from 1980-1990; he came to power by assassinating then-President William R. Tolbert, Jr., and he was later removed from power via assassination (to put it lightly).  Doe’s removal ultimately paved the way for Charles Taylor’s presidency.  So, a man offered to show me around Zwedru!  We walked to the main street and, during this short walk, he told me about how he had sought refuge in Cote d’Ivoire during the conflict.  He had worked closely with, and developed a great relationship with, a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer (and Hingham, MA-native) during those years.  He told me this because he knew I had come from Massachusetts, but he had no idea that I had also served in the Peace Corps.  He went on about his love and respect for the Peace Corps, and while I have had many encounters like this (both in the U.S. and abroad, even once at Mass Ave. Gulf in Cambridge’s Porter Square!) I always get equally thrilled and emotional. It will always mean so much to me that we mean so much to those we serve.

We made it to the street and this man proceeded to chat with one of the zillion former child-soldier-motorcycle-taxi-drivers.  He asked me if I could spend $10USD, and I naturally assumed that either this kid was going to take me around or that my new friend was renting the motorcycle so that he could take me around. I was way off.  He rented the motorcycle for me to drive!  Firstly, I had not driven a motorcycle since 2008 when I found myself in the odd situation of having had to drive a Triumph Thruxton to Yom Kippur services in Westport, Connecticut.  Secondly, I have never liked nor felt comfortable with passengers.  (Note: this motorcycle was no British Triumph, rather, it was some small (but fun!) Chinese-made tourer/scrambler hybrid.)  Perhaps the best part about this bike was that, oddly, every time I turned the key some hidden device began to play Bob Marley’s “One Love” and it only stopped once a passenger, my passenger, got on and sat down (this officially became the coolest bike ever, even trumping my old 1970 BMW R60/6).  I proceeded to spend the next several hours tooling around Zwedru’s dirt-roads, while my friend pointed out sites of note, making occasional stops for closer

The abandoned mansion of former-President Samuel Doe

examination, and all while every child in the area stood by on the sidewalks gawking at what appeared to be the city’s newest (and whitest) taxi-driver.  The most striking and memorable stop we made was at the home of the late President Samuel Doe.  Doe had been constructing a massive compound for himself, which was left unfinished due to his untimely death.  The compound had a shell of a mansion along with the shells of several other structures, the vegetation was severely overgrown and appeared to be reclaiming the space for Mother Nature herself.   Behind the mansion was a large and empty swimming-pool, the entire floor of it was a mosaic of the Liberian flag.  I jumped into the shallow-end of the pool and from there I could see the length of the pool and the mansion in the distance, it was one of the eeriest sites I have ever seen… and nothing short of post-apocalyptic.

The second-best stop on the tour was at the local air-strip, now fully under the control of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).  Specifically, the grounds are operated and protected by Pakistani UN Peacekeepers. Normally civilians are not permitted in but, oddly, I was saluted at the entrance and welcomed in with open arms!  The highest-ranking person there (a 23yr-old) gave me a full tour, fully explaining his job to me, and allowed me a special look into the activities and life of a UN Peacekeeper in Liberia.  Upon saying farewell and getting saluted once again, we jumped on the motorcycle, fired it up to the tune of ol’ Bob Marley, and proceeded to rally back to the LDI office, but, not before passing a massive compound controlled by Chinese UN Peacekeepers.  Seeing large clusters of foreign soldiers is always going to seem surreal, but even more so in an African country that neither they nor me are from.

Adam sits in on the Fish Town election

The next day we headed out to our final assignment, yet another three-hour drive but this time to River Gee County.  We got in late and spent the night in Fish Town, the capital.  That following morning we ran election proceedings on the grounds of a freshly built school. The goal was to elect one person to serve as a representative to the newly formed Community Forestry Development Committee (based in Monrovia).  This position was an actual government role, and the people there knew this was a chance to capture some power.

After brief and mild debate, the election was held and, I must say, it was the most thoughtful and transparent election I have ever seen!  I was selected to count the ballots by reading them aloud in front of everyone — I was both nervous and honored.  With the conclusion of the election, we hopped back in our truck and made the three-hour trek back to Zwedru for one final night before

Counting ballots

heading back to Monrovia.  We spent our final night in Zwedru, and then headed out the next morning for Monrovia… I felt as though I’d been away from Monrovia for a month!  While I was happy to get back, I was also a bit bummed.  The counties I had seen were beautiful and the people were terrific, and I knew I had not even scratched the surface (I could return at some point but it would be difficult).  The ride back took fourteen hours — the truck had to stay behind for a few days so the bunch of us that were going home had to do so in a small taxi, and we experienced torrential down-pours for the last quarter of the ride.  A fourteen hour car-ride on a dirt-road was a new record for me, I must add!  I walked into my apartment at 9:30pm, plopped down on a chair (despite being soaked and covered head-to-toe in mud), and just thought for a moment how fortunate I am… before taking an inappropriately long shower!

Adam Rosenberg
M.A. Candidate, Sustainable International Development/Coexistence & Conflict

After just two weeks in Liberia, my boss at the Liberia Democratic Institute (LDI) informed me that I would be joining a team that was has headed into “the bush” for about a week.  The LDI is headquartered in Monrovia, but it has a national scope and it has one satellite office elsewhere in the country.  While I was a bit nervous (due to minimal details), I was mostly thrilled!  Spending time in an African capital can quickly make one feel a bit claustrophobic; these cities are rarely walkable and even the most walkable examples are not terribly safe during the hours in which one would like to go for a stroll or hike.  Additionally, most travelers know that if you really want to see a country and know its people, then you need to get the heck out of the capital.  In Africa, it is almost always the rural areas that tell the true story of the country’s past, present, and future.

On June 18^th I departed for “the bush!”  I was one of five LDI staff heading out to Liberia’s Grand Gedeh and River Gee Counties, both located on the complete opposite side of the country from Monrovia and each bordering Cote d’Ivoire.  Our mission was two-fold: 1.) we would visit one remote town and work with a community to finalize a constitution that would allow them to reap the benefits of new forest-governance legislation that finally permits rural peoples to benefit from logging activities conducted by international companies, and 2.) we would hold an election in a different town for a group of people seeking a political office that would establish representatives to the body that oversees this new national forest governance program.  So, back to the initial departure.  The plan was to leave at 9am on the morning of the 18^th… we did not leave until 4pm, and for a journey that was

Monrovia's Red Light

expected to take 9-14hrs!  We finally piled into our 4-door pickup truck, after having fully loaded the rear bed, and we headed to our first stop.  A few minutes into the trip, we stopped in a rather infamous spot on the outskirts of Monrovia (appropriately) named Red Light.  This place was outrageously packed with merchants, pedestrians, and all kinds of road-traffic.  We had to pop into this area briefly so as to have some guys secure the top of the truck’s bed with a tarp, until we located these guys we had to roll at a crawl while two of my co-workers walked slowly beside the truck so as to ward off would-be thieves aiming to grab stuff out of the (currently) exposed bed.

Bed secured, we truly got on our way.  Ultimately, we would arrive in Zwedru (Grand Gedeh County’s capital) at 5:30am the following morning after 13.5hrs of traveling along a fully dirt and decrepit road.  The following are some highlights from that drive.  First, we drove past rubber tree plantations that stretched as far as the eye could see.  It was my first time to see rubber trees, and I was told that the foul stench penetrating the truck was actually the smell of rubber dripping out of the trees in the raw form of latex.  After driving beside the orchards for an hour or two, we eventually found ourselves surrounded by pure, lush, beautiful rain-forest.  So, we drove and drove and drove, all while listening to the same 6

The rubber trees

songs played on a loop the entire time (the songs were of Ghanaian and Nigerian origin and everyone in the truck, save for me, sang along to EVERY song).  Again, the road (essentially Liberia’s highway) was all dirt and filled with crater-sized holes, we passengers got thrown around every second and the truck took a serious beating as well.  At 2:30am, and on our second driver, we experienced a flat-tire.  In fact, it was a full blow-out and the tire was destroyed, we spent an hour changing the tire in very challenging conditions… on the side of the dirt-road in the depths of an African rain-forest.  Tire changed, I took the wheel and proceeded to demonstrate my off-roading skills for the final 2.5hrs of the journey.  I am proud to say that my passengers applauded my quick and smooth driving, and I informed them that it was an art-form acquired on some of the more infamous routes in both Kenya and South Africa.

We arrived at the LDI’s satellite office in Zwedru at 5:30am.  We stopped, I emerged from the truck, and as the sun began to rise the first thing I noticed was the minaret of a mosque.  Seconds later it was blasting the voice of an Imam reciting the first prayer of the day (with all due respect, the Imam sounded more tired than I felt at that very moment).  I was then informed that we had just 30mins before we had to drive, for 3hrs, to a remotely located town for our first project.  This, to say the least, was a ROUGH deal.  So, I splashed water on my face and got back in the truck, and we headed to Grand Gedeh’s Ziah Town.  The road to Ziah Town was far worse than the road from Monrovia to Zwedru, which came as a bit of shock to me.  Additionally, the forest in this area was even more dense and engulfing and, while it put me back in Tanzania’s Marangu and Venezuela’s Canaima, it was at the same time wholly unlike anything I had ever experienced before.  On the way, I was informed that, while away from Monrovia, I would essentially be living off of “bushmeat.”  For those not familiar with the term “bushmeat,” it is used to describe any random creature that is found in the forest and used for human consumption.  Those of us that have spent our (entire) lives fearing an encounter with it have done so due to the apprehension surrounding the possibility of being served: 1.) a species of Primate (e.g. a monkey) 2.) an endangered species 3.) an animal that had been ill and, last but not least 4.) road-kill.  So, I was less than thrilled, but I adapt and I do what I have to do.

Adam awaiting the meeting in Ziah Town

By the time we arrived in Ziah Town I had been awake for 28hrs straight, and the end was nowhere in sight… at least it was turning out to be another incredibly hot and humid day!  The community meeting came to order, and we (LDI) proceeded to facilitate the dialogue that would result in the completion and acceptance of a constitution.  This document would establish an unprecedented amount of organization and empowerment in rural Liberia.  Specifically, the constitution would finally allow the newly formed Community Forestry Development Committee (CFDC) to obtain and distribute money generated by the logging activities of international companies (in this case, specifically, the Italy-based Euro Liberia Logging Company).  As mentioned in an earlier blog-posting, the Liberian rain-forest, and the communities that live in and around it, had been exploited for many years by both international logging companies and corrupt governments.  This terrific new development was made possible when, in 2009, the government of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf signed into official legislation the Act to Establish Community Rights Law of 2008 With Respect to Forest Lands.  The meeting was lengthy and contentious, but it eventually ended successfully.  We concluded our day by making the 3hr journey back to Zwedru, I could finally go to sleep and knowing that I had the next day completely free!

Adam Rosenberg
M.A. Candidate, Sustainable International Development/Coexistence & Conflict

Keep reading – Part II is located here.

Attending Brandeis University had long been a dream of mine.  My experience there (thus far) has been everything and more that I ever could have hoped for and, while I am saddened that the school-year has come to an end, I could not be more thrilled to be representing Brandeis in Liberia this summer.  Specifically, I will be doing conflict & security work for the Liberia Democratic Institute (LDI), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) located in Monrovia.  I left for Liberia on June 3^rd and I will be there for three months.

This opportunity would not have been possible without the help of both Jessica Berns and John Lewis Moore at Coexistence International, and I am most thankful for ongoing support and guidance from Professors Mari Fitzduff and Ted Johnson at the Master’s Program in Coexistence and Conflict. I believe that my time in Liberia, and at this particular NGO, will provide me with a terrific chance to both demonstrate what I have learned at Brandeis while also allowing me to further develop my skills and abilities in a work-place setting.  This will not be a one-way street for me, I am as eager to learn from my new colleagues in Liberia as I am to show them what Brandeis has to offer in the way of addressing their challenges and pursuits.

This will be my first time back to Africa since serving there in the U.S. Peace Corps (Kingdom of Lesotho ’06-’08), and this will be my first time to West Africa.  My reason for pursuing this specific internship is two-fold: firstly, it satisfies a requirement for my dual-degree program at Brandeis and, secondly, it is completely relevant to what I hope to do professionally after graduating.  My reasons for wanting to blog about the experience are many.  Mainly, I hope this small effort will encourage other Brandeis students to want to visit Africa in one way or another and, additionally, I hope to raise awareness of some of the many challenges facing Liberia and to send a clear message that future and current Brandeisians can pursue studies and work in these areas if so desired.  In advance, thanks for your interest… and have a terrific summer!

Adam Rosenberg
M.A. Candidate, Sustainable International Development/Coexistence & Conflict

This guest post is from Adam Rosenberg, a MA candidate in the Sustainable International Development & Coexistence and Conflict dual degree program. Adam is just departing for Liberia for a 3-month internship. He will be sending us a few blogs from his trip.