Liberia TRC Project & Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights

Today, May 17, 2007 makes me two weeks and two days old on my Fellowship with the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, specifically working on the Liberia TRC project. I officially started my Fellowship on Tuesday, May 1, 2007. However prior to my official start date, I worked on the National Advisory Committee of the TRC.

As a human rights fellow, first and foremost I enjoy the prestige and honor of the name Human Rights Fellow. I observe when ever I introduced myself to someone as a human rights fellow, I see this great look of admiration on the person's face and the attention that comes along. Yes, it is a great feeling.

Since my start as an Upper Midwest Human Rights Fellow with Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights (MAHR), I have been involved with outreach and visitations with identified community leaders, from local Liberian churches to professors, soccer players, the African stores and Deli, customers at the African stores, and other institutions such as the Center For Victim of Torture (CVT). Basically, our visit has been about asking these leaders to help inform the general public about the Liberia Truth & Reconciliation Commission and how they(the leaders) can get involve with the TRC project, especially with the Statement Taking Process.

Minnesota Advocates, mirroring the TRC's work in Liberia, is coordinating an effort to collect statements from Liberians living throughout the United States. Minnesota Advocates helps train volunteers who will conduct interviews with Liberians in the U.S. who voluntarily come forward to give their statements to the TRC. Most statements are taken at identified statement locations or sites, but since in fact this is a voluntary process, statements are also taken at the choosing of the statement givers. Yet, at every statement site, a team of trained statement takers and counselors are there to provide service.

At the Minnesota Advocates, we have a team of staff that work specifically with the Liberia TRC Project. The team is named, "Team Liberia," which include: the Executive Director Robin Philips, the Deputy Executive Director Jennifer Prestholdt, Wellstone Fellow Laura Young, Women's Rights Staff Attorney Rosalyn Park, Administrative Assistant Kim Babine, Immigration Attorney Michelle Garnett McKenzie, Program Associate Ahmed K. Sirleaf, and of course me Upper Midwest Fellow Seyon Nyanwleh.