...Liberia has a cultural heritage which includes a wide variety of different types. After a period of time the strength of the nation´s own cultural traditions weakened by Western influence, the nation´s arts and culture are thriving as Liberians came to value with their own original cultural expressions while at the same time thriving on the best of Western culture to produce a healthy and exciting mixed historical culture. Liberia´s National Cultural group, for instance, offers plays and dances based on traditional Liberian themes both at home and elsewhere, under the motivation of President Tolbert, creator of the annual National Art and Culture Festival. On Liberian television and radio, African drama and music have their own honored place, while Liberian writers, inspired by the country's rapidly rising level of literacy, are increasingly finding their own place. Literature in Liberia began soon after the nation´s beginning, the first Liberian novel, “Love in Ebony”, was written by Charles Cooper in the late 19th century. The creative writers who followed Cooper include R. Tombekai Dempster, the first Liberian poet to be represented in an anthology, Peter Dorliae, whose collections of folktales gave traditional Liberian stories a modern setting or mood, and the novelist and poet Bai T. Moore. Liberia´s younger writers are working towards a new traditional style of African storytelling with a realistic summary of their society, a trend which promised much for the future of...
Words: 1093 - Pages: 5
...Did you know that Liberia is part of West Africa? Did you also know that it was founded in 1822? The country of Liberia is small compared to other countries in West Africa, but the amount of pull and the effects of this little country on the rest of the world are great. Liberia has done many great things in history and is still doing great things to this day, although like any other country they have had both their ups and downs. Throughout this paper we will cover Liberia’s historical highlights, its people and society, arts and culture and how it connects to today Liberia is a great country with many great achievements and acknowledgments throughout their history. Some may wonder how a country the size of Tennessee can be so great, well throughout history they have fought and struggled for their place in society, starting in 1822 when the first people landed in what is now known as Liberia. In 1816, a group of Quakers and slaveholders formed the American Colonization Society. The Quakers opposed slavery, and the slaveholders opposed the freedom of Blacks. They did not agree on much but they did agree on one thing, that Black Americans should be moved back to Africa. The Quakers felt that Blacks and former slaves would face better chances for freedom in Africa than in the United States. The slaveholders ideas were not as nice, They saw this as a way of avoiding a slave rebellion. The plan moved forward and in 1822, the first 86 voluntary, Black emigrants...
Words: 2721 - Pages: 11
...country of Liberia extends across three hundred sixty miles along the Atlantic Ocean. Nestled on the ocean by Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Cote d’Ivoire, and just above the equator Liberia covers only 43,000 miles , which is only equates to about a third of a percent of Africa’s total size. Divided into fifteen different counties all with their own capitals and sub districts, from some that have dated back one hundred fifty years to a county that dates back only nine years, Liberia is a country with many different people. With a diverse climate, Liberia’s coastal plains, tropical rainforests, plateaus, as well as low mountains provide many areas where habitation for humans is suitable. Unlike most of the countries in Northern Africa, Liberia is hardly affected by the exceptionally dry and ever expanding Sahara desert and has vast amount of rainfall coming in the season of rain which begins in May and ends in October, while the dry season, which is also constitutes as Liberia’s winter extends from November to March, with a transition period in April where it moves back to the wet season. During the dry season violent dry winds sweeps across much of the country. These Harmattan winds are carried over from the Sahara Desert pick up fine sand particles and spread them all over Western Africa limiting visibility and causing troubles for many that inhabit the country. Even with the adequate land which is much more than habitable then many other African climates, Liberia is still one...
Words: 3333 - Pages: 14
...country. I did consider some pacific President terms in office as well. Liberia is bounded on the west Coast of Africa by these following Countries; on the north by Guinea, on the west by Sierra Leone, on the East by Ivory Coast (Cote D’Ivoire) and on the South by the Atlantic Ocean. The name Liberia came from a Greek word which mean Liberty/Freedom was given to that portion of land in west Africa which covers the area of 111,369 square kilometers (43,00 sp M) during the arriver of the Freed Slaves and was fully accept during the declaration as an independent State in the 1847. According to the World bank and the IMF historical Account, in the early 1960 Liberia economic growth very fast making it to the second ranking in the world to that of Japan in income. Liberia economic growth report is not new. At different periods in more than half a century ago, Liberia has experienced the so-called fastest economic growth. Liberia was once regarded as the “fastest growing economy in the world”. Liberia's economic growth has been so enviable to the point that economists described Liberia as "growth without development", clearly pointing to Liberia as a good example of a country with enormous growth rate without much improvement in the socioeconomic conditions of the majority of Liberians. For example, A group of Northwestern University development economists[14] led by Dr. Robert W. Clower described Liberia as being among the high achievers in economic growth performance, ranked...
Words: 3164 - Pages: 13
...Donovan Dinkins IBP Rough Draft Vivas 21 February 2011 Liberia: Maritime Program 1. Introduction: The Liberian Maritime Program is a value based industry that focuses on the transfer of raw materials and goods from one country to another through ships. The Liberian Maritime Program was established in 1948 and the Liberian Registry began after World War II. The program is administrated and operated through two main governmental programs, Bureau of Maritime Affairs (BMA) and the Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry (LISCR), and it is because of these two programs that it is ranked number one for safety, customer service, and quality. The main efforts of the program are driven by developing avenues for strategic partnerships and infrastructural development and growth for the Liberian government. The mission statement for this company further states, “We pride ourselves on assuring Safety, the Welfare of Seafarers, the protection of the Marine Environment, and the preservation of quality service to our clients.” This paper is going to give a detailed description with evidence to show exactly why the Liberian Maritime Program is one of the world leaders in off shoring. 2. Evidences: 3.1. Safety/Quality: The Liberian Administration goes to great lengths to ensure that safety in all aspects is carefully being implemented to the crew, goods, etc. by working closely with its clients. Some of the effective procedures to ensure safety that the security...
Words: 1141 - Pages: 5
...Ebola in Liberia: It was March 24th, 2014 when I first heard of the term Ebola. I, among the rest of my neighbors, were confused as to what exactly was happening. The Liberian Ministries of Information, Culture, Tourism and Health announced that two individuals from Lofa and Nimba County grew sick with symptoms of the virus. However, there was no confirmation. Some people said it was a government scam to attract Western aid; others said it was a deadly virus. Whichever it was, the only thing that mattered was that it was present in Liberia, near my home, Gbarpolu. My name is Juliet and at just 19 years old, I experienced the most devastating epidemic my country has ever faced. I’m a very curious person, so this became a journey to finding myself and helping others. However, my mother, father and younger sister of 9 years old were struck with terror when they gained knowledge of Ebola. They all relied on me to keep them safe since I was the only one who’s made it so far in school. We were a middle class family living in Gbarpolu and although we weren’t poor, we couldn’t afford to flee the country as a family. Actually, we could’ve but my father refused to use the money I had saved up for college to flee. So typical of him. Despite staying in Liberia during an intense epidemic, we dealt with it as knowledgeably as possible. This was only because we had the help of the internet – we are one out of 10 homes in the County who had access to modern technology. Here in Liberia, we're...
Words: 4170 - Pages: 17
...crimes he committed in Liberia? Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson The Special Court for Sierra Leone found the former Liberian President Charles Taylor guilty of “aiding and abetting” war crimes during Sierra Leone’s long civil war. Last week Charles Taylor was finally sentenced to 50 years in prison, which he will serve in the UK. There were atrocious crimes during the civil war in Sierra Leone (see our blog post here), and Charles Taylor did quite a bit more than “aiding and abetting” the Revolutionary United Front rebels under the leadership of Foday Sankoh; he armed Sankoh and organized the rebellion with the aim of taking control of, or at least destabilizing, Sierra Leone. There should be no doubt that he is guilty of war crimes in Sierra Leone. But here is the thing: Charles Taylor also committed war crimes in Liberia. He was a ruthless warlord. He not only used child soldiers extensively, but he encouraged them to commit atrocities, even against their own parents. He won an election in Liberia in 1997, but this was at best an election under the shadow of violence. Charles Taylor campaigned with the slogan: “he killed my ma, he killed my pa, but I will vote for him,” making a banner out of his atrocities, and carrying the implicit threat of further violence if he did not win. His destructive behavior continued once in power. He looted Liberia’s resources and gutted the state. So it would be natural to expect him to be tried for war crimes in Liberia before being tried...
Words: 1383 - Pages: 6
...Liberia is the sole country in Africa that was colonized by the United States this is the same country that in the past 20 years has been devastated by war and disease. Can this country come back from a civil war and the devastation of the Ebola virus disease over the past year? Liberia has been subjected to an outbreak of Ebola virus which has sent the country's health care system reeling. The country has made some strides, it has become the first country in Africa to elect a woman as president but with all the strides that have been made can Liberia rebuild their government? Can essential services such as power and electricity be implemented all over the country? Can Liberia survive and rebuild the country? This paper will look at those issues to see if they can. Liberia is a nation in West Africa that lies on the coast close to the Atlantic Ocean. The name Liberia originates from the Latin word "liber" and it implies freedom and alludes to the country's starting point as a settlement of free blacks repatriated to Africa from the United States in the mid nineteenth century (Sherman, 2011). It was built up in 1833 by a gathering of North American liberated slaves supported by the Maryland Colonization Society. The undertaking had a specific enthusiasm for Maryland as the American state with the biggest number of free African Americans. With budgetary help from nearby parts, places of worship, and the assemblies of Border States, the general public paid for the transportation...
Words: 4022 - Pages: 17
...country of Liberia, covering the country’s background, government, strategic importance and the future direction Liberia is headed today. Background Shortly after the revolutionary war in 1777, a future president Thomas Jefferson would introduce legislation in Virginia that would call for the gradual emancipation and resettlement of the states slaves. That was just the beginning in 1815 a black privateer from Massachusetts funded 38 freed slaves relocation to West Africa. This provided proof and suggested that with governmental or public assistance at least some of the freed slaves eagerly wanted to resettle a country of their own. In 1816, to support the cause of black resettlement the organization American Colonization Society (ACS) was established. Some of its most notable members included Henry Clay, Francis Scott Key, John Randolph, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe,...
Words: 539 - Pages: 3
...Leadership Role of Pres. Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf Korede Oladapo University of Maryland University College MGMT 615 Dr.Pierre Samuel Doe was known for leading a military coup and other malicious activities while running for presidential elections. He selected a group of people to count the ballots and murdered more than 50 of his political opponents. (BBC News) After declaring himself as the president, Pres. Sirleaf campaigned against him and was placed under arrest. According to Council of Foreign Relations, Pres. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was sentenced to ten years in prison and released after a short period. Political pressure caused her presidential ticket to be retracted. Instead, she ran for a seat in Montserrado County. Doe and the National Democratic Party won the presidency but Sirleaf refused to accept the position by claiming it was fraudulent.(Rupp, 2012). Doe’s regime arrested Pres. Johnson , she was later released in July 1986 and discreetly flown to the United States. At the conclusion of the Liberian Civil War, Sirleaf served as a head of the Governance Reform Commission. She also stood as a candidate in the 2005 general election, which she eventually won against former footballer George Weah. Although, he opposed the results as being unfair, the announcement of the new president was postponed until an investigation was implemented. On November 23, 2005, Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf was recognized as the leader of the Liberian election. (BBC News.com) On...
Words: 1045 - Pages: 5
...Liberia is the oldest independent country on the continent of Africa. It was founded first in 1822 by the American Colonization society for the sole purpose of resettling free slaves from North America to Africa. Before the declaration of independence, Liberia was a colony of the ACS and was governed by an agent appointed by the American Colonization Society and later left from a colony to a Commonwealth form of government where the governors were also appointed and assembly members were elected by the province. Liberia is situated on the west coast of Africa and is bounded on the west by the Republic of Sierra Leone, on the east by the Republic of Ivory Cost, on the north by the Republic of Guinea and on the South by the Atlantic Ocean. Liberia declared her independence on July 26, 1847. The form of government is republican with a unitary state. It has three branches of government namely, the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. Liberia economy is made up of the formal and informal sectors. The informal sector consists of petty traders whose activities are not included in the GDP and the formal sector which include both the public and private sectors. With a current population of 3.4M, the government of Liberia is the largest employer in the formal sector. The Civil Service Agency is responsible for the placement, recruitment, hiring and management of all government employees. Due to the two decades of civil war the entire system broke down and the fundamental basis of placement...
Words: 766 - Pages: 4
...HEA 207 10/05/2014 Presenting on (Health, education, poverty and Economy) Article: (Ebola: Economic Impact Already Serious; Could Be “Catastrophic” Without Swift Response) According to the World Bank if the Ebola virus continues to escalate in these affected countries such as Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone; its economic impact could grow eight fold dealing a potentially catastrophic blow to the already fragile states. The Analysis concluded that the economic cost can be limited if the national and international respond quickly in containing the Ebola epidemic. The analysis estimates the short-term impact on output to be 2.1 percentage points of GDP in Guinea (reducing growth from 4.5 percent to 2.4 percent); 3.4 percentage points in Liberia (reducing growth from 5.9 percent to 2.5 percent); and 3.3 percentage points in Sierra Leone (reducing growth from 11.3 percent to 8 percent). This forgone output corresponds to $359 million in 2014 prices. However, if Ebola is not contained, these estimates rise to $809 million in the three countries alone. In Liberia, the hardest hit country, the High Ebola scenario sees output hit 11.7 percentage points in 2015 (reducing growth from 6.8 percent to -4.9 percent). The food prices are now rising due to response of shortages, panic buying, and speculation; which cause a dramatic impact on the economy. To help stop the spread of Ebola The World Bank Group has put together $230 million financing package for the three countries hardest...
Words: 594 - Pages: 3
...EBOLA OUTBREAK INTRODUCTION An epidemic of Ebola virus disease (EVD) is ongoing in West Africa. The outbreak began in Guinea in December 2013, but was not detected until March 2014, after which it spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal. The outbreak is caused by the Zaire ebola virus, known simply as the Ebola virus (EBOV). It is the most severe outbreak of Ebola in terms of the number of human cases and deaths since the discovery of the virus in 1976, with the number of cases from the current outbreak now outnumbering the combined cases from all known previous outbreaks. Another outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has killed 13 people as of 26 August 2014, is believed to be unrelated to the West African outbreak. Initial outbreak in Guinea Researchers believe that the first human case of the Ebola virus disease leading to the 2014 outbreak was a 2-year-old boy who died 6 December 2013 in the village of Meliandou, Guéckédou Prefecture, Guinea. His mother, 3-year-old sister and grandmother then became ill with symptoms consistent with Ebola infection and died. People infected by those victims spread the disease to other village. On 19 March, the Ministry of Health acknowledged a local outbreak of an undetermined viral hemorrhagic fever; the outbreak, ongoing since February, had sickened at least 35 people and killed 23....
Words: 1923 - Pages: 8
...many terrified Americans, two American aid workers infected with the Ebola Virus while in Western Africa, have been transported to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta for treatment. Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly are the first two Ebola patients ever brought to the U.S. for Liberia. Dr. Brantly, arrived at Emory University hospital on Saturday and was immediately brought to the hospital’s specialized isolation unit. Yesterday Writebol arrived. There is no known vaccination or cure for the deadly disease, the two victims were both given an experimental, U.S. manufactured drug while in Liberia before being transported back to the United States. The drug was recently developed and is still so new that it has never before been tested on humans. Both patients are showing significant improvement, but are still being closely monitored by doctors. This situation has left many Americans feeling uneasy and fearful of the risk of the disease spreading throughout the US. The CDC has received numerous angry emails and calls in opposition of bringing these two back onto American soil. Businessman Donald Trump even launched a twitter campaign "Our country has enough problems. Send the doctors to Liberia. Send the doctors to West Africa to take care of our people. It's one thing. But don't let them in," said Trump, in an interview with Fox News earlier this week. Nonetheless, many others see these two as heroes and believe that we should do everything within our power as a nation...
Words: 374 - Pages: 2
...from the back porch of our whitewashed 5 bedroom home in ELWA, Paynesville, have you washed the dishes? I was in the front yard playing hopscotch with some of my friends and we were having a mighty great time; the last thing on my mind was completing chores. After all, today I overheard our Principal Mr. Allen telling Mrs. Yadamah, my fourth grade teacher that LBS (Liberia Broadcasting System) reported this morning that rebels were coming to take over the government from President Samuel K. Doe and we would have to be in our homes for at least two weeks until they were done. For me, this meant that I would not have the chance to play for two whole weeks especially on my Christmas and New Year break so I was trying to play all I could before being forced to remain indoor for two long weeks. What is wrong with these people? I thought to myself. Don’t they know that we are on our Christmas break and want to have fun with our friends and family? Later did I know that this was not just a two week play restriction, but a 15 year Civil Nightmare that would change my life and the lives of every single Liberian. Liberia, sweet land of liberty; oh how I love my country. I still remember when we would sit on our back porch in the night and watch the stars when the moon was bright while listening to our grandmother tell us spider stories. Those memories are treasured in my heart forever. There was 24 hours electricity and running water; something that has become a luxury since the war...
Words: 464 - Pages: 2
