Current Resident Views Regarding the Future
Buduburam Refugee Settlement
P.O.BOX 46 state House
Accra, Ghana
Tel. (0) 233 243 95 27 63, Email: egvdolo@, website: ,
The Future of Refugees at Buduburam Settlement:
Repatriation and Integration
August 17, 2007
“Care for the future”
Introduction
The following document is intended to provide an increased level of communication and understanding between the refugee population living at the Buduburam settlement, the UNCHR and Ghana Refugee Board. Population Caring Organization (PCO) is an NGO founded in 2003, whose mission at Buduburam is the empowerment of the local refugee community through education, skills training, and peace-building dialogue. Following the announcement of the end of repatriation, PCO saw the need to provide a format in which members of the community could safely and constructively express their feelings about the situation. This document is the result of that effort.
PCO and the Liberian Welfare Council want to make clear that the views expressed in this report are those of the individual community members, and not the opinions of the organizations involved. It is not the goal of either organization to politically align with any side of the issues discussed, but rather to foster greater communication and knowledge of all perspectives. It is our hope that this information will enable the UNHCR and Ghana Refugee Board to continue protecting the security, dignity and future of the residents at Buduburam.
Table of Contents:
1. Repatriation … pg 3
2. Integration … pg 8
3. Community Assistance … pg 10
4. Conclusion … pg 11
5. Methods … pg 11
6. Zone #1 Minutes … pg 12
7. Zone #2 Minutes … pg 13
8. Zone #3 Minutes … pg 14
9. Zone #4 Minutes … pg 15
10. Zone #5 Minutes … pg 16
11. Zone #6 Minutes … pg 17
12. Zone #7 Minutes … pg 18
13. Zone #8 Minutes … pg 19
14. Zone #9 Minutes … pg 20
15. Zone #10 Minutes … pg 21
16. Zone #11 Minutes … pg 22
17. Zone #12 Minutes … pg 23
REPATRIATION
In response to the July 2, 2007 announcement of the end of repatriation, four main perspectives on the issue have been expressed by residents of Buduburam: those who say they are not yet ready to repatriate, those who say they will never repatriate, those who favor resettlement, and those who think repatriation is necessary. The following section is a summary of those ideas.
I. NOT YET READY TO REPATRIATE
The view most frequently expressed by community members is that of a desire to return to Liberia, but feeling unprepared and unable to do so at present. Residents at Buduburam detailed a number of concerns about the current state of Liberia which affected their decision and made them hesitant to repatriate.
(i) Security
Security is by far the most frequently mentioned, and most critical factor preventing respondents from feeling that they can safely repatriate. There is a perception of Liberia as insecure and mired in ongoing violence. Security forces are viewed as inadequate and corrupt, while the continued presence of peacekeepers is seen by many community members as a clear indication that an acceptable level of security has not been achieved. In contrast, other community members expressed concern that peacekeepers would be absent in the areas they might return to. These notions appear to be based on reports received from contacts in Liberia, often friends and family members who have repatriated.
(ii) Employment, Health Care, Education & Housing
Another concern frequently raised is that of the availability of basic services and infrastructure. It is understood that unemployment levels in Liberia are very high, and residents of Buduburam question whether they would be able to support their families upon return home. Similarly, community members worry that the lack of education and skills training programs might put them and their children at a disadvantage in terms of employability and slow the rate of job creation. Education and skills training are seen as essential elements in the development of the Liberian state, and many participants with children find it hard to leave a place with schools to return to a country with limited opportunities for education.
In addition, some refugees have been living on the settlement for seventeen years. For those individuals especially, it is difficult to think of abandoning everything that has been achieved to return to a land where they have nothing. The refugees have found employment, education and housing in Ghana, as well as developed a strong independent community network. All of which would be left behind with repatriation. In many cases, this is a sacrifice some refugees are not immediately prepared to make.
(iii) Repatriation Assistance
The quality and quantity of assistance given to those refugees repatriating to Liberia is also being questioned. Given the concerns detailed above, many community members felt that the assistance provided through the repatriation program is not enough to start a new life, nor is there adequate support during the period of transition following arrival in Liberia. Specific criticisms include the inadequacy of transportation assistance for those returning to communities far from Monrovia, the limited financial assistance, lack of education and skills training for employment, and the unavailability of resources to rural communities. Refugees at Buduburam feel that at the very least if they were provided with more financial, transportation and employment assistance, repatriation might be feasible.
(iv) The Liberian Government
A great deal of suspicion exists towards the current government among refugees at the settlement, both in terms of motivations behind the administration’s policies, and with regards to its composition. Broken campaign promises were frequently cited as reasons for distrust. Liberians at the settlement expressed the belief that the government was not truly interested in the wellbeing of its citizens, and cited the failure to launch the promised nationwide free education programs as an indication of the government’s indifference towards the needs of the population.
The greater issue in the distrust of government, however, is the notion that several members of government participated in the war, and are personally responsible for acts of violence against the citizens. Community members expressed concern specifically regarding the positions of power held by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Senator Prince Johnson. Sirleaf was accused on several occasions of having been connected to and actively involved in Charles Taylor’s regime, and is also blamed for mismanaging government funds since her election to office. Johnson was accused on a multitude of occasions of being personally responsible for the murders of family members, often men of the Krahn ethnic group associated with Samuel Doe’s regime.
II. WILL NEVER RETURN
In addition to those who felt unable to return to Liberia as of now, a significant number of refugees indicated that for them repatriation would never be a viable option. Though many reasons were given in explanation, the issues of security and past trauma were the principle causes cited by people of this perspective.
(i) Security
In addition to those security concerns mentioned above, those community members who felt it would never be possible for them to return to Liberia stressed the fear of reencountering people who had perpetrated acts of violence in their home communities. Participants suggested that many of those criminals continued to reside in the same areas, and may even hold positions of power; they feared the renewal of violence by these same people.
To a lesser degree, there is also a fear of revenge. Many people at the settlement were forced to be child soldiers or take up arms against their will. Those individuals hope to be able to receive the forgiveness they have been met with in Ghana, however they see the danger in returning to communities where they were the perpetrators of violence, and encountering families seeking retribution.
(ii) Trauma
One of the major factors in preventing people from being willing to return to Liberia is the effect of major trauma. While everyone that came from the war-torn regions certainly experienced a degree of post-traumatic stress, for some it is severe enough that repatriation becomes impossible. Some refugees indicate that their trauma will never dissipate, and that for that reason they would never be able to go home. People have shared their personal experiences of the war, speaking of family members killed, and showing their own injuries. One man showed how his hands had been severed, and is fearful that if he were to repatriate he might lose his legs, or worse his life. Many of the older community members speak of the trauma associated with losing children, and the challenges associated with being reliant on the kindness of neighbors, having no remaining family to care for them. Similarly, younger participants share their experiences of having left Liberia at a very young age, many as orphans raised by strangers, and the distress they felt at the prospect of returning to an unknown land, of which they know only stories of violence and war.
III. RESETTLEMENT
One argument which refugees at the settlement raise continually is the desire for resettlement to a third country. Discussion of this topic tends to center around the issues of empowerment and education. There is an overwhelming sentiment among the refugees that they do not possess the skills required to be independently successful upon repatriating to Liberia, nor do they have the knowledge to rebuild and develop Liberia into an economically stable and peaceful nation. The issue of education is critical. There is a general feeling that the war disrupted and removed educational opportunities and skills training, leaving Liberians and refugees with limited chances for employment and restricting their ability to support their families. It is felt that these issues have not been adequately addressed either at Buduburam or in Liberia. As a result, community members argued that they need to be empowered through training so that they can find and create jobs to rebuild the country.
A second aspect to the resettlement concern is that neither the Liberian state nor the present government have the infrastructure or means to support the citizens. Community members suggest that if Liberia cannot address the needs of its people right now, the return of thousands of refugees would only bring chaos. Monrovia is cited as the key example of government failure to provide for its citizens. As the one city where a minimum level of infrastructure exists to support the population, the fact that it has been overwhelmed by excessive overcrowding, resulting in high levels of unemployment, is viewed very negatively.
For these reasons, skills training is often suggested as especially important for decentralization and the development of the other regions of Liberia, and is viewed as necessary for future peace and stability. Many people express the belief that the only place to receive adequate skills training and education would be in a third country. Countries of preference include the United States, Canada, Australia and Norway.
IV. REPATRIATION IS NECESSARY
Finally, there are some who suggest that repatriation is vital in the long run. This perspective is twofold. First, community members argued that voluntary repatriation programs that provide refugees with assistance are essential for those who want to return to Liberia, but who would not otherwise have the means to do so. Second, repatriation is necessary to provide the nation with people to develop it. Of those who feel that repatriation is necessary, very few suggested that they were willing to repatriate now.
(i) Voluntary Repatriation
A small number of refugees are satisfied with the idea of voluntary repatriation schemes. While the programs and the assistance they provide to those returning to Liberia is seen as beneficial, not a single community member has expressed satisfaction with the current levels and kinds of help provided. Similarly, the end of voluntary repatriation is viewed very negatively. Not only has this measure been seen as depriving those who wish to return of the means to do so, but also as a coercive measure to compel refugees to return to a country they do not yet consider safe. One community member relayed her past experience with voluntary repatriation, having previously returned to Liberia in 1997 and 2003, and suggested that the assistance was not enough to rebuild what was lost. On both occasions, ongoing violence forced her to flee the country again. While she expressed her wish to one day return to Liberia, she feels that it is not safe to do so at present.
(ii) Rebuilding Liberia’s Citizenry
The second aspect to this perspective of repatriation is the understanding that repatriation is necessary for the future development of the Liberian state. Some community members acknowledge this, arguing that until Liberia’s people return, it will not be possible to fully address all of the issues of peace and development which contributed to the war in the first place. The argument is also repeatedly made that by remaining in Ghana as refugees, the Buduburam community is in fact promoting Ghanaian economic development, and that rather than continue this they thought it necessary to return to Liberia as soon as possible to bring development there.
INTEGRATION
According to the UNHCR, the next step with regards to those Liberians who remain as refugees in West Africa is to develop long-term projects to achieve local integration. This will be a particularly large scale project in Ghana, as it remains home to more than 23,000 registered Liberian refugees. Many concerns were expressed by residents of Buduburam, a summary of which follows.
(i) Language
One of the most commonly cited challenges is that of the language barrier. Ghana is an English-speaking country, and many Liberians find it easier to live here than in French-speaking African nations. However, because Twi is so widely used in Ghana, many Liberians find themselves unable to communicate with Ghanaian nationals, and are concerned that this hinders their ability to function in society. More specifically, Liberians feel they are regularly charged higher prices in markets, are less likely to be hired for jobs, and in general will encounter more difficulty. Many Liberians worry that if they are integrated into the Ghanaian community and remain unable to communicate, they will always feel like and be treated as outsiders.
(ii) Ghanaian Acceptance of Refugees
As foreign nationals, Liberians are treated differently than Ghanaian citizens. Many Liberians complain that social services are more costly for them, and express frustration with the health care system in particular. Others are concerned with the current regulations which prevent them from buying land upon which they could build homes to pass on to their descendents, or at being unable to get permits to work outside of the refugee camp. Liberians fear that should they open a business in Ghana, consumers will show preference for Ghanaian businesses, and that without patronage their enterprise will not succeed.
(iii) Employment and Education
Many challenges Liberians expect to encounter involve the inability to find employment in Ghana. Refugees recognize that Ghana already has its own unemployment problems and the government’s priority is not the Liberians. Similarly, refugees are concerned about the ability of Ghana to support the remaining Liberians should they be integrated. Furthermore, many Liberians feel that as refugees, they have had fewer educational opportunities, especially in technical skills, and are at a greater disadvantage in the job market. Many suggest that there is a need for more affordable and accessible skills training and educational opportunities.
(iv) Perceptions of Integration
Misunderstandings prevail among both Ghanaians and Liberians surrounding the topic of integration. Many refugees feel that without the UN’s presence, they would not be safe at Buduburam, or in Ghana. Incidents of murder, jukings and cursed goats have perpetuated animosity between refugees and their Ghanaian neighbors, strengthening feelings of insecurity.
Additionally, Liberians have very real concerns about their future in Ghana. Will Liberians become citizens with equal rights and opportunities? Will they be relocated to other areas of Ghana, away from social networks on which they depend? If they aren’t granted equal rights, many Liberians expect to face injustices. If they are moved far from the community established at Buduburam, Liberians believe they will face added difficulties assimilating to Ghanaian culture. These fears have led to an apprehension among refugees about their futures in Ghana. Thus, Liberians are hesitant to give up their refugee status if they do not receive adequate benefits in return.
Notably, residents of only one zone express a positive outlook on integration, recognizing that although they are sure to encounter difficulties, these are challenges that can be overcome, and are no less than the troubles they would find in relocating to a third country.
COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE
The final section of this report concerns how community members feel they can assist each other, and what needs to be done to ensure a stable transition. The perspectives can be broken into those who see the situation in terms of how residents of Buduburam can help one another, and those who see it in terms of assistance needed from the international community.
Of the refugees currently living at Buduburam, there are those who focus primarily on initiatives that they themselves can do as members of the community. Typical examples of individuals helping individuals include solutions such as offering academic and skills training, sharing financial resources within family and friend networks, and giving increased attention to personal safety. Coming from a similar standpoint are those individuals who seek to mobilize refugees to work together for a common goal. Additionally, these individuals called for increased community organization and leadership from within Buduburam. Some suggestions include forming new organizations and establishing zonal community leaders to disseminate outside information.
In sharp contrast, other refugees at Buduburam regard the international community as entirely responsible for supplying the necessary assistance. This view is expressed through requests for increased resettlement options, and initiatives for educational advancement. Additionally, the refugee community is desperate to have their situation better understood by people in positions of power, specifically requesting greater information sharing between the UNHCR and the international volunteers, equal justice, increased financial support and job opportunities.
Conclusion
It is the recommendation of this report that clearer communication and increased opportunities for community empowerment is needed between the UNHCR, the Ghana Refugee Board and the Buduburam community. Refugees at Buduburam Settlement are concerned that their voices be heard, and see the potential for an open and constructive dialogue between the UNHCR, the Ghana Refugee Board, and themselves.
It is the hope of both PCO and the Liberian Welfare Council that the information included in this report may be of assistance in developing long-term plans for both Liberia and Ghana. Moreover, we hope to be able to provide you with any additional information or assistance that we can.
Methods
The preceding document is a compilation of views, concerns and suggestions of over four hundred refugees residing in Buduburam Refugee Settlement. The opinions included were collected between July 3rd and July 15th through open forums held within each zone by the Population Caring Organization (PCO) along with the support of the Liberian Welfare Council. Due to the heightened level of tension and confusion among the refugee population following the June 30th deadline to voluntary repatriation, PCO mobilized one of the current projects, Peace Cells, to bring these issues to a constructive discussion on the community level. This report corresponds to three main questions asked of the participants: first, “What are your feelings regarding repatriation?” Second, “What challenges do you expect to encounter in integrating into the Ghanaian community?” And thirdly, “What can the community do to assist each other at this transitional time at Buduburam?” Due to the amount of information shared at each meeting, views have been summarized into the primary themes as expressed across the settlement to most effectively communicate the opinions expressed. For further information about specific meetings, the appendix includes summaries of each meeting in the order they were held.
Zone #1: July 3, 2007
Attendance: 32
Question #1: What are your feelings towards repatriation?
• It is necessary.
o Through it the UNHCR provides assistance to Liberia. We are going back home to forget about our past
• Mixed Feelings:
o I want to go back but do not feel ready yet
• Can’t go back:
o No job, no house, no sources of income
o Saw my parents murdered there
o Many people that commited the crimes are now in government
o The UNHCR is not giving enough resources for when we get back: $5 and then they drop you off in a field.
o Liberia is not settled and it is still has IDP camps
o There are no universities or companies
• We wish to resettle
o Don’t want to go back to Liberia without having learned something
o According to the Geneva Accord, ifa refugee stays in a country for more than 10 years he or she should be resettled in a third country
Question #2: What challenges do you expect to encounter integrating into the Ghanaian community?
• Language barrier: Ghana has a general language that they speak so you need to learn it before you can really do anything like get a job
• Hardship and humiliation because Ghanaians do not love and accept Liberians, not even when Liberians marry Ghanaians
• If denied citizenship, will not have equal rights as Ghanaians
Question #3: What can the community do to assist each other at this transistional time at Buduburam?
• We must council each other because many people were depressed by the July 2nd announcement or rumors about it
• Be friendly and kind to the down-hearted because the next problem may be your own
• Encourage each other to be your brother’s keeper
• Put away frustration and try our best to learn in camp
• Equip ourselves so you can sustain your family and others who cannot meet their own needs
• Do not spread misinformation, monitor the radio to know what is going on
• Encourage and challenge each other
Zone #2: July 4, 2007
Attendance: 27
Question #1: What are your feelings regarding repatriation?
• Not Happy:
o There is still killing going on, my children would not be safe
o The people who threatened to kill us are still there
o School here is free
o I can’t go back because there is no work for me to do
o I don’t where my family is or anyone in Liberia
o There’s nothing to go back to, it was all destroyed
• Repatriation itself is not bad but there are some problems with it right now
o High illiteracy rate amongst Liberians
o Friends who have gone back have not been able to find jobs or get into school yet the country needs educated people to rebuild it.
• People don’t want to go back because of trauma
Question #2: What challenges do you expect to encounter in integrating into the Ghanaian community?
• There will not be love towards Liberians because Ghanaian nationalism. People have been killed and nothing was done
• We may not receive equal rights
• If Ghanaians have a problem getting jobs, how will Liberians find work?
• Language barrier-makes it hard to find work in Ghana
• Job discrimination-Ghanaians will get the job over a qualified Liberian
• It will be difficult to survive if we have to relocate in Ghana itself
Question #3: What can the community do to assist each other at this transitional time at Buduburam?
• We need to come up with solutions for what we are going to do when we go back home
• We need to come up with a unified voice on why we don’t want to go back home and submit a petition to the UN for change
• We need to tell the UNHCR and the International community what our situation is here. We are not animals and they cannot force us to do this or that. We wouldn’t stay here for so long unless we felt we had no other choice. UNHCR takes care of other countries better, ie. Rwanda is still getting canned food
• The issue is not simple, there the UNHCR should not treat it as simple with simplistic solutions
Zone # 3: July 5, 2007
Attendance: 21
Question #1: What are your feelings towards repatriation?
• Necessary and beneficial since it is free to get home that way
• Not the right time. There are no job opportunities, we can’t settle our property back home, no drinking water or electricity in most of the country. Also there is no real security.
• It is necessary because in staying here we develop Ghana not Liberia
• It’s good to go back but very difficult. No skills training, the government is not secure and the infrastructure is lacking. Many former perpetrators are now in government.
Question #2: What challenges do you expect to encounter in integrating in the Ghanian community?
• Ghanaian nationalism prevents jobs
• Language barrier
Question #3: What can the community do to assist each other during this transitional time at Buduburam?
• Seek work that helps the overall community such as sanitation and safety issues so that people will be invested in it.
• Study root causes of problems in the home.
• Erase tribalism
• UNHCR should create financial programs
• UNHCR needs to empower us
Zone # 4: July 6, 2007
Attendance: 26
Question # 1: What are your feelings towards repatriation?
• In 1997 people went home and then there was more conflict so they cam back. Now we are hesistant to go back
• You cannot expect opeple to abandon their houses here that they have built themselves and worked 17 years in return for 5 dollars. You need to give them more money for their things
• I want to go home but I need to start from
• There is still much insecurity
• No infrastructure
Questions # 2: What challenges do you expect to encounter in integrating into the Ghanaian society?
• Ghanaian nationalism-closed to foreigners. This will make it difficult to get jobs and social services discriminate
• Language barrier
• I won’t be able to afford to educate my children
• No opportunities for business
• They will not see Liberians as human beings, they will commit fraud, etc.
• Ghana is not rich, how will they support us?
Question # 3: What can we do to help each other as a community to assist each other in this transitional time?
• The UNHCR will never say go home or go back but they will slowly start withdrawing services on camp and directing their support to Liberia and things on camp will fall apart. Those with money will be okay but those without will die here.
• Money is there when you get back to Liberia you just have to pursue it and keep asking till you get it.
Zone #5: July 9, 2007
Attendance: 33
Question # 1: What are your feelings regarding repatriation?
• Not happy with it because the services provided when you get back are not sufficient. Help us to resettle
• All my people in Liberia are dead. Who/where will I live?
• Security is not good in Liberia and there are no jobs
• Even if you have a job skills, there are no jobs to have
Question # 2: What challenges do you expect to encounter in integrating in the Ghanaian community?
• Xenophobia will lead to discrimination. It will e difficult to get a job or intermarry
• Language barrier. I will be denied jobs over Ghanaians.
• We will have to take in Ghanaian rule and culture or be brought down
• The Ghanaians will take our rights
• Liberians here will always be called refugees even if integrated, and as a result their rights will be limited and violated
o Right to move freely
o Unequal access to education
• Cultural differences-ex: food. We will have to accept their culture
Question # 3: What can the community do during this transitional time to assist each other here at Buduburam?
• Put aside tribalism, develop national identity
• Settle problems peacefully
• Put away domestic violence
• Encourage skills training
• Those with skills should teach others
• Help the needy
• Help send children to school
• We need useful knowledge for going home
Zone # 6: July 10, 2006
Attendance: 130
Question #1: What are your feelings towards repatriation?
• It is still unsafe, even the president had to leave for this reason
• My life isn’t safe and I am alone. The killers of my family are still there
• The current party has spoken badly about others which makes me feel unsafe going back
• They’re not giving us anything to start with. People in Liberia are requiring 2 years rent
• Liberia has no security
• Educated people can make more money here then in Liberia, why should we go back?
• The young never knew Liberia yet we carry our name back which may put us in danger
• Sirleaf hasn’t kept her promises (water/electricity/education), why should we trust her?
• Prince Johnson is a senator and he killed my father
• I won’t return till the UN investigates my story
• I am going home even if it means I die
• I have 7 children and the father is missing, how can I support them in Liberia?
• The government isn’t providing a home or education
• It is not safe. Why are there still UN troops there if its safe?
• Liberians on camp have not yet been empowered
Question # 2: What are some of the challenges you expect to encounter if integrating into the Ghanaian community?
• Abiding by their laws and putting ourselves in their shoes
• Being respectful to the Ghanaians
• Language barrier
• Employment-how can I work if so many Ghanaians are unemployed?
• My life isn’t secure here. Nothing happened when I told the UN my story
• I want to live here but it isn’t safe
• You need skills to work in Ghana
• Discrimination
• If the UN leaves camp, it will become very dangerous
Question #3: How can the community members assist each other during this transitional time at Buduburam?
• The UN must stay
• We need to advance ourselves before going back
• Love one another and share
• Tell the International community
• Be careful about where your going
Zone # 7: July 11, 2007
Attendance: 69
Question # 1: What are your feelings regarding repatriation?
• Is fine but for those who don’t want to go back…
• The UNHCR is not providing enough for people to start over
• What will I do when I get back?
• No house, no work, no family, no better education in Liberia
• The people who killed my father are in power (Prince Johnson)
• The president is greedy
Question # 2: What are some of the challenges you expect to face if integrating into the Ghanaian community?
• Language barrier-don’t receive equal treatment if you don’t speak Twi. Are charged more in markets, hospitals, etc
• Ghanaians will not give work to Liberians. Ghana already has it’s own unemployment problem
• UNHCR should provide free education to Liberian children in Ghana so they can help rebuild Liberia
• Many refugees can’t afford education
• There is no space in Ghanaian community. They are not friendly, not open to Liberians and have attitude problems
Question # 3: What can the community do to assist each other at this transitional time here at Buduburam?
• We should unite and help eachother
• Be our brothers keeper
• Don’t shift blame onto one another
• We need a good leader to advise us
Zone # 8: July 12, 2007
Attendance: 53
Question # 1: What are your feelings regarding repatriation?
• Many people don’t want to go because the war still continues in some ways. It isn’t safe
• I would have to restart from scratch
• The trauma experienced makes it hard for people to go back
• I would rather kill myself then go back to Liberia
• Perpetrators remain in power in Liberia
• We want to go to a third country first and gain education/skills
• The president must first handle displaced people in Liberia
Question # 2: What challenges do you expect to encounter in integrating into the Ghanian community?
• Many don’t want to be integrated
• Language barrier
• Ghanaians will not give business to Liberians
• It will not be peaceful process-people will be killed
• When the UN leaves, God will come into the hearts of the people and help us to live together
Zone # 9: July 13, 2007
Attendance: 25
Question # 1: What are your feelings regarding repatriation?
• I feel good about it.
• Don’t want to go because there is nowhere to live
• $5 isn’t enough from the UN
• UN isn’t considering how long some people have been here
Question # 2: What challenges do you expect to encounter if integrating into Ghana?
• Language barrier-teachers teach in Twi, some Ghanaians pretend not to speak English
• Ghanaians have trouble relating to foreigners
• Appeal for resettlement
Question # 3: what can the community do to assist each other during this transitional time at Buduburam?
• Go to vocational schools
• Get united. Group together with elected leaders to discuss community issues.
Zone # 10: July 16, 2007
Attendance: 36
Question # 1: What are your feelings towards repatriation?
• Not a problem for me but I worry about my children. How will they get schooling?
• No jobs
• No places to live in Liberia
• Security is still a big issue-the UN troops still have to stay and perpetrators are in power
• We should resettle first so we can contribute when we get home
• It’s necessary, some people really need to go back
Question # 2: What challenges do you expect to encounter if integrating into Ghanain community?
• Language barrier
• Insecurity
• Jobs/work/education
• Injustice-we will not have equal rights/freedoms
• We are already facing challenges
Question # 3: What can the community do to assist each other during this transitional time at Buduburam?
• The Liberian Refuge Welfare Council needs to do it’s job. They need more mass meetings
• PCO should create jobs for the unemployed
Zone # 11: July 17, 2007
Attendance: 32
Question # 1: What are your feelings regarding repatriation?
• Not necessary
• Liberia is not safe
• We are being pushed against our wills to go back
• Our opinions aren’t listened to
• I fear for my family’s life
• If we all returned now it would create chaos
• Life will not improve if I go back
• We can only go back if the people in power leave or die
Question # 2: What are some of the challenges you expect to encounter if integrating into Ghanaian community?
• Still want resettlement
• It’s impossible in Ghana-jobs, Ghanaian unemployment, lack of financial support, unequal treatment by Ghanaians, language barrier.
• What does it benefit the Ghanaians?
• Ghana can only be forced to take so many, the rest will be forced back
• We must be prepared to learn
• Scholarships should be give
Question # 3: What can we do to support one another in our community during this transitional time?
• We need to more organizations to show our unity and strength in numbers. We cannot make it on our own
• We rely so much on the UN. They haven’t done all they promised. The neglect schools, hospitals and don’t provide security (2003 killing)
• The welfare council should make case to UN
• If the UN closes it’s programs here, Ghanaians will lose their job
Zone # 12: July 18, 2007
Attendance: 18
Question # 1: What are your feelings regarding repatriation?
• Family was killed so there’s no one to go back to
• The UN needs to address the education in Liberia. People must be educated to rebuild
• I went back once and had to flee again
• Everyone ends up in Monrovia but I don’t know it. Where do I go?
Question # 2: What challenges do you expect to face in integrating into the Ghanaian community?
• We will not have many problems we are already doing it
• We will have to change some of our ways but it is possible
• I want to stay in Ghana, I am never going back
• We can do everything together
• The UN will not push us out
• There are Liberians who have been killed and we don’t know who did it
• The same problems as we have now like money
Question # 3: What can the community do to assist each other during this transitional time at Buduburam?
• Give to one another as we can
• Help one another in school
• The International volunteers need to pass our information onto the UN
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