community dialogue

As aid budgets shrink, donors want to see more than just the immediate impact of their dollars – they want to know an investment will be sustainable, continuing to affect people’s lives for years to come.

How can we manage tension between citizens returning to post conflict countries and those who remain in the country during conflict?

This was the topic of discussion when seven female development practitioners met on October 15 in Monrovia. The purpose of the meeting was to set up a task force to respond to emergency calls from victims of sexual and gender based violence. But it was dominated by conversation about how Liberians returning home in this post conflict era relate to Liberians who stayed during the civil war.

On July 15, 2010 over a dozen practitioners from central Liberia gathered at the invitation of Cerue Konah Garlo to discuss the question: “How do local community dwellers understand gender dynamics?”  Recent years have seen rapid developments in international law and human rights instruments that address women issues with a particular focus on gender.  These developments aim to promote, inspire, and support international development policy and practice with a view to furthering the goal of equality between women and men.

A few weeks ago I traveled to a conference on theater and conflict in connection with my work on IREX’s youth theater programs. Put on by the all-volunteer organization Theatre Without Borders, Acting Together on the World Stage drew a vibrant international crowd of performers, directors, playwrights, teachers and others who believe in the power of theater to change individuals, communities, and the world.