Disheartening expressions from the general public about extortion, arbitrary actions and displays of brutality involving officials of the formal justice and security sectors demand our attention. As well the mysterious circumstance of recent deaths of culprits raises suspicion of our justice officials. Our police force should be building trust rather than fear and suspicion. As official agent of peacekeeping and justice, the formal justice institutions of Liberia have the authority and power to protect every individual and; ensure justice for all! The lack of affordability, accessibility and timeliness of the formal justice system is a complete discouragement. It is unfortunately a common saying in Liberia, that “no money means no justice” when seeking redress through the formal system. With the conviction that strategic measures are required to improve the situation, we at the Citizens Bureau are promoting a campaign for justice sensitization and rights awareness. Our goal for this campaign is to promote responsible citizenship for good neighborliness.
Love, peace and harmony exist with increase access to justice, as with a just environment people learn to fairly and satisfactorily negotiate…Unless the community becomes organized in the way it handles problems or disputes no one will be able to resolve disputes to the complete satisfactions of both parties. Taken up initiatives that promote peace is therefore a constitutional requirement for every citizen. Now, think about it this way, your beloved relatives were killed by mob violence-Later it became established that your relative was mistaken for the wrong doer. Can you imagine? Really community values are in shambles when the rule of law is violated. With police brutality we also have mob violence that is often times perpetrated by citizens. All law abiding persons of Liberia must be encouraged to abstain from such an attitude of taking the law into one’s own hands, if we are to collectively move Liberia forward as a civilized nation and people. As of January, the Citizens Bureau has helped to resolve about 15 disputes.
Speaking at an outreach program, a criminal justice practitioner said, “The Citizens Bureau is on the right path in the wake of UNMIL draw down from Liberia”. The principal of elder John Massay said, “Let us all hail the idea of Citizens Bureau, as it is the first of its kind since Liberia was founded that seeks to bring officials of the formal justice system and the citizenry together in a collective effort to discourage wrong behavior and uphold the rule of law. Our courts are corrupt. The formal justice system extorts the people. I am a witness”
The Citizens Bureau regularly listens to disputes, like the following cases involving family members:
- Two sisters were both living with their parents before they lost them to death. The older sister received a house rental fee and didn’t share with her younger sister. This misunderstanding resulted in them not speaking to each for six months.In fact, the younger sister left the house alleging that her older sister wanted to kill her because of their shared property. In February 2016, with a desire to restore the relationship with her younger sister, the older sister brought the matter to the Citizens Bureau. Both parties were invited to mediation sessions led by Bureau staff. As a result of our mediation efforts, within two weeks, the sisters agreed to forget their differences and live together, attributing the conflict to misperceptions and false rumors. The parties agreed to live together and appreciated our intervention. The younger sister moved back into the late parent’s house with her older sister.
- A husband left his wife based upon information that his wife was engaged in extra-marital relations. Even though they lived together for twenty years, the husband abandoned his wife for ten months to live in a rental house accumulating rental fee of US$250.00. His wife reported this to a community chairperson who referred the issue to the Citizens Bureau.
- During our mediation the husband admitted to abandonment of his wife because he had heard she was in love with another man with whom she frequently played the ludu game in the community. The wife admitted playing ludu with this man but denied any extra marital relations. She promised to stop playing ludu in the community if her husband will return home. The husband agreed to return home and paid the rental fee.
Lessons learned
Justice and Peace are essential components in moving society forward. Conflict when constructively handled, can result in mutual progress. When not handled well, conflict can turn into violence and lasting harm. The fact is conflict is an inevitable part of life. The formal system is not everywhere and cannot resolve every matter at the same time. Moreover bureaucratic bottlenecks and the requirement for money, whether in court fees or requested bribes, makes the formal justice system unaffordable for a majority of Liberians. Thus, the Citizens Bureau has become a vital initiative to buttress government efforts to protect and serve its citizens.
Through our community justice mediation and our sensitization and rights campaigns, mediators have acquired skills in human relations, peace building, societal consciousness and awareness creation. They have also gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of the relationship between the community and the police. The Community Justice Teams of the Citizens Bureau have developed the courage to settle differences through non-violent means, and they are helping others to replicate this mentality through outreach campaigns that demonstrate the value of a non-violent approach to conflict resolutions. Residents in some of the communities who have already received our messages have become peace ambassadors, taking on the challenge to resolve conflicts in their neighborhoods before they escalate to violence.
The broader lesson to share is that a non violent approach to conflict resolution will go the farthest when rule of law is upheld. While it is challenging to endure conflict it is always better to pursue nonviolence because is easier for those in conflict to work toward a mutually appreciable resolution--, which brings greater trust and respect to community relations.
Our outreach and mediation strategies are actively preventing conflicts from escalating to violence every day, and our clients are learning to listen to messages of peace, love and harmony.
Best,
John Kamma
Executive Director
Citizens Bureau for Development and Productivity / Liberia National Police
