Evaluating the Efficacy of Community Led Mediation in Post-Conflict Rural Liberia

Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies | Vol. 1, No. 1, January 2010 | pp. 73–80

DOI: 10.46882/2010/GJPCS/000001

Research Article

Evaluating the Efficacy of Community-Led Mediation in Post-Conflict Rural Liberia

John K. Mensah¹, Elena Rostova²

¹Department of Peace Studies, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

²Institute for Conflict Resolution, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

Abstract: Community-led mediation frameworks have increasingly been utilized as alternatives to formal state judiciaries in post-conflict environments. This study evaluates the efficacy of local peace committees in rural Liberia ten years after the cessation of civil hostilities. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, data were gathered from 450 households across three counties using stratified random sampling. Regression analysis indicated a significant positive correlation between local committee engagement and perceived community security (R² = 0.58, p < 0.01). Qualitative data from 32 semi-structured interviews revealed that traditional restorative justice mechanisms enjoy higher local legitimacy than formal courts, largely due to lower costs and shorter resolution times. However, the exclusion of youth and women from elder councils remains a systemic limitation. Quantitatively, disputant satisfaction rates were high at 78% ± 4.2% across 120 observed cases. The findings demonstrate that while informal mediation is highly effective for localized property and familial disputes, it requires structural reforms to guarantee gender inclusivity. The study concludes that integrating traditional dispute resolution systems with statutory legal frameworks provides a sustainable path for grassroots peacebuilding.

Keywords: community mediation, peacebuilding, restorative justice, Liberia, local legitimacy, conflict resolution

Manuscript Timeline: Received September 14, 2009; Revised November 05, 2009; Accepted December 12, 2009; Published January 02, 2010.

Citation: Mensah, J. K., & Rostova, E. (2010). Evaluating the Efficacy of Community-Led Mediation in Post-Conflict Rural Liberia. Global Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 1(1), 73–80. DOI: 10.46882/2010/GJPCS/000001

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