Women's Conference Leaves Liberians Out In The Cold

An international conference aimed at the empowerment of women has caused a stir in the host country's capital Monrovia after slums were bulldozed to give delegates world-class views from their hotels.

Hundreds of men, women and children who live on beaches in the war-torn West-African country have been told to move out of their homes of over 30 years with only minutes to remove their belongings before bulldozers flattened them.

The International Colloquium on Women's Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security has seen over 800 domestic and international participants descend on Monrovia this week to participate in discussions on Saturday and Sunday, presented by Liberia's premier and Africa's first female President, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

The conference's international delegates include female leaders; heads of state and government; ministers; CEOs, presidents and executive directors and is co-chaired by President Tarja Halonen of Finland.

The Colloquium seeks to realise the aims of UN Security Council Resolution
1325 on women, peace and security to ensure that women are protected from the worst abuses in times of conflict and 'to empower them to play their rightful and vital role in helping their countries prevent, end and recover from conflict'.

Slum resident Jasper Tuweh, 40, said a man from the Mayor's office at the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) came at 10am one morning last week, accompanied by police officers, and ordered him to vacate his concrete-walled home of some 30 years.

Minutes later it was reduced to rubble, along with a mass of other slum sea-front property in the area.

Sitting on the rubble where her kitchen used to stand, his neighbour explained how she was trying to use what the bulldozers had left to cook a meal for her six children.

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The following day, the police returned to seize her pots, pans, food and clothes, leaving her destitute.

"No-one came to inform us previously," Jasper added.

"We just took our belongings outside, and our children, women and hotel guests just looked on as City Hall destroyed our homes. They did it because the President is coming."

The President he is referring to is not his own, but the President of Finland, whose entourage has booked out the newly-constructed Cape Hotel which stands directly behind.

The Finish team appeared to know about the clearances, and even to condone them.

Elisabeth Rehn, the former UN Under-secretary General, defence minister and now Minister of State for Finland said anyone who was having guests to their country would want to "clear up" in preparation.

"The President of Liberia has paid for those who have been moved," she said.

"There is very strong work on cleaning Monrovia to get people working. The President feels very strongly about lifting Liberia. She has paid for new houses for them."

But neither those who have already been left homeless, or those who will be made homeless next appear to know where to go.

Princess Tiabe, a 23-year old girl who lives in a near-by slum house has a yellow cross marked on her door with the words, "Remove MCC" spray painted beside it.

Both her and her seven-month old son will be made homeless when the authorities return to destroy it at a time of their choosing.

"I don't know when it will happen, I don't know where we will go. All I know is I have no power to do anything about it," she said.

"I'll be standing here on the day they come for my house. We will have to live in the open."

Pamela White, Mission Director for USAID in Liberia said the women's conference "certainly is probably part of it".

"They cleared slums on the port-side a couple of weeks ago, and I understood residents were supposed to be given two months' notice. I thought the deal was not to take down anything even semi-permanent, just houses made of wood.

"It's a good question: where do they go?"

Some residents have found make-shift accommodation in nearby Westpoint, a sprawling crime-addled slum that is home to thousands of some of the poorest people on the planet.

There are many sea-front slums in Monrovia, the capital of a country that is struggling to introduce reforms to rebuild itself after being decimated by 14 years of civil war.

Initiatives include resuming trade in lumber and diamonds after the UN introduced an embargo on exporting its most valuable assets in 2003, and tidying the capital up in a bid to one day attract tourism.

Brian Cohen, of the US Economic Growth Office in Liberia confirmed he had witnessed a similar operation of flash slum clearances conducted outside his embassy residence two weeks ago.

"Certainly the new mayor is taking a very aggressive stance towards them," he said.

The Monrovian mayor's assistant was contacted for comment but refused to grant an interview on the telephone.

It seems the slum-dwelling women of Monrovia will have little to celebrate on International Women's Day today, while their diplomatic visitors take in the breathtaking sea views they were up until last week allowed to enjoy themselves.

Read more from Press Wire.

Comments

[scottdavene]

I have been homeless at several points in my life. Contrary to popular belief, most homeless did not become so out of choice and not because they are lazy, stupid, or immoral. Many homeless people are victims of abuse in the form of neglect and abandonment by their parents or other caregivers. Some of them are simply victims of life’s tragedies, such as hurricanes, fires, or other catastrophes from which they simply don’t have the resources to recover. I invite you to my blog devoted to raising awareness on homelessness: http://tcrsnst.blogspot.com/. There you will find an article on homelessness and pictures I have taken of homeless people. I always give them a dollar or two for the privilege of photographing them. I am often surprised by their cheerfulness and sense of pride. Often, they will show themselves to have some kind of talent. There is a fine line between genius and insanity.

[0emissions]

If I knew that was happening, I would refuse to stay, as a delegate to the Conference at the otel.
Have not any women protested or even investigated. If not, the Conference is a sham, a scam.
Hypocrisy.­! How embarrassing!

[fbr79]

Of course these imoral things are happening and politicians are applauding it. The UN is involved, duh.

[osamamania]

Is it ever cold in Liberia, really?

[Indie2008]

I know things are bad, but what did librarians ever to to anybody ?

[SPQR1775]

Liberals don't get it? Last time I check the world is in a constant state of WAR because of Republicans and their Corporate hence mens. I gurantee that the IMF and the World Bank, had something to do with it, and when it is all done, they will have rob the country dry. The African Countries need to reform like Chavez, and kick out all the corporate and industrialist who are robbing hem blind. Yes, they bulldoze these people homes but will the Finish President or USAID build new ones. The audacity of the Western Powers to spead imperialism around the world. AFRICOM the US military command created to take charge of Africa, but it is focus on militaristic approach and not aid and development. Keep the locals in a constant state of WAR and steal their natural resources, diamonds, gold etc. END THE CORPORATE OCCUPATION OF THE WORLD!

[fbr79]

"Keep the locals in a contant state of war"...I don't know if you are aware, but wars have existed since the dawn of humanity. People have killed each other long before the notion of continents, nations and corporations existed. It is convinient to always point a finger to others instead of improving youself. Third-world countries all over the world are masters of that artifice. They rob their own people, feed on corruption in all levels, don't invest in education, health care and basic infrastructure and get the nation in debt with pharaonic projects which yield no results. Then, they turn around and point their fingers at the US, the EU, the UN, the IMF, the multinational corporations which they allow into their own countries and say it is all their fault. Infantilizing whole countries is no solution to any of the world's problems. These leaders, such as the president of Liberia, need to be held accountable for their own actions.

[Hazbara]

The only problem is Israel .
Women's rights, ? who cares ?

[Judyisacutie]

Another example of how liberals sometimes don't get it.