Peacebuilding in Liberia and the Case for a Perspective from Below

Rule of law reforms in Liberia over the past five years serve as a clear example of how the internationalcommunity has failed on this point, as the country's own practices have been generallyneglected in the process. Characteristically, there is little updated information on the customarylaw and traditional practices of Liberia. In investigating how the international community addressesSGBV in Liberia, we found within the liberal peacekeeping/building paradigm few analyticaltools that could be used to gain a solid understanding of the host country ‘from below'. This areaof society remains a professional blind-spot and represents a gap in the efforts of the internationalpeacekeeping/-building community to build a sustainable peace in the country.