ICTJ in the News

August 22, 2006

TRC Preparing for Hearing

All Africa

There are indications that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is making frantic efforts to begin serious work in line with its mandate; especially as it relates to hearings which is significant to the healing process in post- belligerent Liberia.

As a prelude to this the commission will today commence a five- day training national healing effort of several categories of persons recruited for various aspects of field work of the commission. The training will be conducted for statement-takers, investigators, and county coordinators at the St. Teresa's Convent Pastoral Center located on Randall Street in Monrovia. Over 1000 individuals recently sat the statement-takers aptitude test nationwide and two hundred were recruited for the process.

According to the commission 126 persons applied for the post of county coordinators for the 15 subdivisions of the country and eighty-three were short-listed. Fifteen of this number were finally selected. The commission said several individuals will also be receiving training as investigators.

The commission said day on to day three sessions of the training will include topics on Human Rights Law, Humanitarian Law, the TRC Mandate and Powers, Background to the Conflict in Liberia, Role of Statement-Takers in the TRC Process, and Basic Principles of Statement-Taking.

Other topics will include Models of Unsuccessful and Successful Statement-Taking, Introduction to Trauma, Interviewing Skills and Techniques, Liberian Techniques for Interviewing Children and Code of Conduct for TRC Employees.

Topics to be highlighted on day four and five comprise Women and Girls, Victims of Sexual and Gender Based Violence, Ex-Combatants, Persons with Disabilities, Self-Care for Statement-Takers, and Model of a Statement-Taker Involving a Member of a Special Group.

The Trainings are being jointly conducted by the TRC, UNIFEM, UNMIL, the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), UNICEF, the Association of the Blind and the Center for Victims of Tortures (CVT).