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Phone: (612) 341-3302
Fax: (612) 341-2971

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Frequently Asked Questions
  • How are The Advocates for Human Rights and the Liberian TRC working together?
  • Why is The Advocates for Human Rights working on this project?
  • What should I expect when I go to give my statement?
  • What kind of information does the TRC want to know?
  • What will happen to my statement after I give it?
  • How will my statement be kept confidential?
  • May I give an anonymous statement?
  • Is this an asylum process?
  • What will I gain from giving a statement to The Advocates?
  • If I am a perpetrator, will my statement and/or testimony mean automatic amnesty or immunity from prosecution?
  • Who are the statement-takers?

    • How are The Advocates for Human Rights and the Liberian TRC working together?
    The Advocates for Human Rights and the TRC have entered into a special partnership to allow The Advocates to help the TRC extend the statement-taking process to the Liberian community in the United States. The Advocates is not receiving any payment from the TRC to carry out this project.  Our work is being supported by our volunteers and by donations of administrative and technical support from large law firms in Minneapolis.

    Why is The Advocates for Human Rights working on this project?
    The Advocates for Human Rights’ mission is to implement human rights standards to promote civil society and reinforce the rule of law.  We are a non-profit, volunteer-based organization that investigates and exposes human rights violations, and that represents immigrants and refugees in our community who are victims of human rights abuses.  The Advocates for Human Rights has extensive experience working with Liberian asylum seekers, as well as with truth and reconciliation processes in Sierra Leone and Peru.

    What should I expect when I go to give my statement?
    When you arrive to give your statement, you will meet with two volunteers who will listen to your story and take notes.  There are four main sections of a TRC interview:

    1. Preliminary information:  Volunteers talk with you about the purpose of the TRC project, our role as volunteers, and some of the things that you need to be aware of before they give a statement (e.g., giving a statement may raise painful memories and they may want to talk to a counselor, they may want to talk to an immigration lawyer before deciding whether to give their statement, etc. – we provide counseling and immigration advice at statement taking sites).  You will be asked to sign a form indicating that you promise to give an accurate and truthful statement.
    2. Biographical information:  Volunteers will ask you for basic demographic information (name, address, age, tribe, etc.) mirroring what the TRC is collecting in Liberia. 
    3. Statement-giver’s story:  After going through the biographical information, volunteers will ask you to tell your story, whatever you want the TRC to know, for example: “What would you like the TRC to know about what happened to you during the conflict?”  Or, “The TRC would like to hear your story – where would you like to stars?”
    4. Statement-giver’s opinions & recommendations:  The TRC has requested that we ask statement-givers about their opinions regarding reconciliation, the TRC process, and any recommendations they have for the government of Liberia.  We also ask some questions about how the statement-giver thinks reconciliation should proceed in the United States.
    Once you have told the volunteers all the information you want the TRC to know – the interview is over.  The volunteers will type your statement into a computer database so that it can be sent to the TRC in Liberia.

    What kind of information does the TRC want to know?
    The TRC is interested in human rights and humanitarian abuses that occurred between 1979 and 2003, your opinion about the roots and history of the conflict in Liberia, your recommendations for the TRC and the government. You may want to talk about some or all of the following topics when giving your TRC statement:

      1. What happened to you between 1979 and 2003
      2. What happened to friends, family, and others they knew
      3. What happened to their property during the conflict
      4. Their thoughts and opinions about the future of Liberia in general
      5. Recommendations for prosecutions, for government reforms, for specific forms of reconciliation
      6. Their thoughts about the roots and historical problems that led to the conflict
      7. Why they chose to leave Liberia
      8. How the conflict has impacted their adjustment to the United States

    What will happen to my statement after I give it?
    The volunteers who take your statement will type it into a confidential computer database. The statements collected in Minnesota will be used to create a report that will be presented to the Liberian TRC and the Liberian community in Minnesota. All statements will be turned over to the TRC in Liberia for use in their analysis and the creation of their final report. Your statement will form part of the TRC’s historical record.

    How will my statement be kept confidential?
    Both The Advocates for Human Rights and the Liberian TRC intend to keep confidential the information in the statements that identifies the statement givers. The volunteers who hear your statement will enter it into a computer database that is protected by passwords – only the directors of the project will be able to access the statements. The Advocates for Human Rights will not show your statement or any personal information about you with the media. We will only break confidentiality of the statements if ordered to do so by a court of law.

    May I give an anonymous statement?
    Yes. You may give an anonymous statement. If you choose to give an anonymous statement, we will not take down any information that could identify you personally. You may also give a confidential statement. Statements about sexual assault and or crimes committed by children will be confidential as a matter of policy, but if you would prefer that your name not be made public in connection with your statement when the TRC issues its final report, please tell us that information. 

    Is this an asylum process?
    Giving a TRC statement is not part of an asylum or immigration process.  The Liberian TRC is separate institution set up to address violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses in Liberia between the period of January of 1979 and October 2003. 

    What will I gain from giving a statement to The Advocates?
    One of the TRC’s main functions is to help Liberia address the root causes of the conflict that so greatly harmed Liberia so that it will not reoccur. You will be helping your country address its divisive past for a shared and better future. If you or family personally experienced human rights violations during the conflict, giving a statement allows you to share your experiences so that those who harmed you or your family may be held accountable. The TRC’s final report will create a historical record of the human rights violations that took place in Liberia so that they will not be forgotten. In addition, you will have the opportunity to make specific recommendations about reconciliation to the TRC and the Liberian government.

    If I am a perpetrator, will my statement and/or testimony mean automatic amnesty or immunity from prosecution?
    No. Neither the TRC nor The Advocates for Human Rights have the power to grant amnesty.  The TRC may make recommendations for amnesty if appropriate. Although The Advocates for Human Rights cannot protect anyone from prosecution, we will keep your statement confidential unless ordered to break confidentiality by a court of law.

    Who are the statement-takers?
    The statement takers are volunteers who have been extensively trained about Liberian history and culture, the Liberian conflict, working with survivors of human rights abuses, and the goals of the TRC process. Most volunteers are non-Liberians. There will also be other professionals, such as social workers, counselors, and immigration lawyers who will be available to talk with you if you need assistance.