Phase 2 Field Data Collection (September 2014 January 2015) consisted of:

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1 A Locally-Driven Approach to Re-Integrating Pen-Pen Drivers and Combating Ebola in Liberia: Data Collection Design, Peacebuilding Strategies Employed, and Indicators of Impact The Purdue Peace Project s (PPP s) work in Liberia focuses on testing the theory of change that if we bring together a representative and inclusive group of local citizens, and facilitate an opportunity for them to engage in dialogue, they will identify and implement an effective set of strategies to prevent political violence in their community. The Pen-Pen Peace Network (PPPN), a local Liberian peace committee, emerged as a result of a PPP sponsored actor meeting held in July Its initial purpose was to help decrease the likelihood of political violence associated with pen-pen drivers, prevent the eruption of violence between pen-pen drivers, customers, and the police, as well as find ways to integrate pen-pen drivers into Liberian society in productive ways. Due to the rapid spread of Ebola in Liberia during the summer of 2014, however, the PPPN shifted its focus of the previous year to Ebola prevention and violence associated with Ebola by designing and implementing a prevention campaign. PPP s work with the PPPN and the Women Movement for Sustainable Development (WOMSUD-Liberia) focused on preventing Ebola, political violence, and instability in Liberian society caused by the Ebola outbreak. Ebolainduced instability was compounded by the Liberian government s perceived mismanagement of the outbreak, citizen distrust of the government and those assumed to be working with/for the government, as well as the perceived exacerbation of divides between elite and non-elite Liberians. As a result, the Ebola outbreak has been linked to an increased likelihood of civil unrest and political violence. Project and Data Collection Design The research design of PPP s work in Liberia is qualitative in nature, which is appropriate in this cultural context. Incorporating community-based campaign design and research, PPP s project and data collection unfolded in the following manner: Preliminary Research: Desk review, Scouting trip, PPP Project Director and West Africa Program Manager meeting with key individuals in Liberia (January 2013-July 2013) Phase 1 Field Data Collection (July 2013): o During this phase of data collection, PPP s goal was to monitor and assess our work with a representative and inclusive group of actors to find ways to integrate pen-pen drivers into Liberian society in productive ways. Toward this end, PPP conducted focus group discussions, took notes about our observations during (765) Fax: (765)

2 actor group meetings, and conducted one-on-one interviews with participants to understand the complex nature of issues related to the pen-pen drivers in Liberia. This data collection took place before the Ebola outbreak when PPP s work with the PPPN and WOMSUD-Liberia focused on their original goal of re-integrating pen-pen drivers into civil society in productive ways and reducing the likelihood of violence associated with pen-pen drivers. Specifically, PPP conducted: Focus groups with key actor groups, including the Liberia National Police, Ministry of Transport, Pen-Pen Drivers Unions, market women, and community members. Observations of a two-day actor meeting for key actor groups to develop violence prevention and peacebuilding strategies. At the end of the actor meeting, a 15-member peace committee emerged and was later named the Pen-Pen Peace Network, (PPPN), a representative and inclusive group of citizens who met regularly to enact the strategies that came out of the actor meeting. In-depth one-on-one interviews with a sample of actor meeting participants. o The PPP researchers transcribed and analyzed all data. o After the actor meeting, the PPP team collected survey data collection from 265 Liberian citizens to evaluate the levels of public awareness about violence related to pen-pen drivers, attitudes toward pen-pen drivers and pen-pen driving practice, and intention to support violence prevention initiatives in Liberia. Phase 2 Field Data Collection (September 2014 January 2015) consisted of: o Sixty-one (61) one-on-one Skype interviews with the Ebola Prevention Campaign volunteers. The PPP researchers at Purdue conducted these interviews. Each volunteer was interviewed several times during this phase of the project. o Two hundred ninety-four (294) daily field reports completed by Ebola Prevention Campaign volunteers. Representatives of the Pen-Pen Peace Network (PPPN) sent these reports to PPP researchers via . Strategies the PPPN Employed to Prevent Political Violence Related to Pen-Pen Drivers in Liberia (July 2013 April 2014) Data from the July 2013 data collection pointed to three kinds of strategies for political violence prevention in Liberia that the PPPN wanted to employ. These strategies included: o A multi-media campaign that aimed to (a) raise awareness among all actor groups about each other, and (b) change attitudes and behaviors of all actor groups toward one another. o Organizational strategies in collaboration with the pen-pen driver unions, including setting up ID systems and distributing ID cards for pen-pen union members, promoting safe and professional organizational culture within the pen-pen unions (e.g., wearing helmet and union uniform, rain gears), and setting up mentoring systems to foster ongoing conversation about non-violent pen-pen practice. (765) Fax: (765)

3 o Policymaking and enforcement through collaboration among governmental officials, the Ministry of Transport, police, and pen-pen driver unions. Among the three groups of strategies, the PPPN identified the multi-media campaign as the one most immediately needed. Therefore, the second stage of the Pen-Pen Drivers Project focused on the multi-media campaign which delivered violence prevention messages to Liberian citizens. The PPPN printed campaign messages on billboards, broadcasted messages on local radio stations, and sent citizens text messages. As part of this stage of the project, the PPPN also voluntarily initiated and organized community outreach initiatives. The committee members self-organized into teams and took turns going to the street and talking to pen-pen drivers and community members about hygiene, safe driving, and lawful behavior. Strategies the PPPN Employed to Prevent Instability and Political Violence Related to the Ebola Outbreak in Liberia (September 2014 January 2015) The main objectives of the Ebola Prevention Campaign were to prevent the spread of Ebola in Liberia, and reduce violence and political instability associated with Ebola. To meet these objectives, the PPPN initiated and conducted a multi-media campaign which delivered messages about the Ebola virus and protective actions to Liberian citizens. Campaign messages were disseminated through brochures, broadcasted on local radio stations, and delivered to community members via door-to-door, citizen-to-citizen visits. The PPPN also set up sanitary stations at multiple public locations in the capital city Monrovia. In January 2015, as a response to the Liberian government s plan to re-open schools in Liberia, a team of campaign volunteers delivered the Ebola Prevention Campaign messages to schools in Monrovia. Monitoring and Evaluation Since Phase 1 of the project in July 2013, the PPP research team has monitored media coverage, communicative strategies that the PPPN enacted, and public response to the PPPN s initiatives. Before, during, and after the intervention, the PPP team conducted monitoring and evaluation of all activities. Pre-intervention evaluation for Phase 1 activities took place between December 2013 and January 2014, while the intervention was officially launched on February 7, 2014 and lasted until July During the intervention, PPP researchers visited Liberia in May 2014 and evaluated the effectiveness of the intervention by observing and documenting. Post-intervention evaluation for Phase 1 activities took place in September 2014, as the PPPN discussed its transition of focus to Ebola prevention. At the same time, PPP researchers conducted pre-intervention interviews with the PPPN committee members and the Ebola Campaign (Phase 2 campaign) volunteers. During the Phase 2 campaign, interviews and evaluations were conducted from the end of September 2014 to the end of January Post-intervention evaluations are being conducted. All interviews from Phase 1 Field Data Collection (July 2013) were recorded and transcribed. The PPP team at Purdue conducted a thematic content analysis of these data. These data were mined for strengths and weaknesses of the ongoing peacebuilding and violence prevention initiatives. (765) Fax: (765)

4 The PPP research team conducted one-on-one Skype interviews with members of the PPPN to evaluate the effectiveness of their work and the peacebuilding process during the Phase 2 Field Data Collection. The data collection at this stage started in September 2014 and concluded in January All Skype interviews from Phase 2 Field Data Collection were recorded (with permission) and transcribed. The research team at Purdue did a thematic content analysis of these data to examine strengths and weaknesses of the PPP approach so that we can learn for our future peacebuilding initiatives. All daily field reports from Phase 2 Field Data Collection completed by the Ebola Prevention Campaign volunteers were analyzed by the Purdue research team. Impacts to Date In the Area of Peacebuilding related to Pen-Pen Drivers: The July 2013 site visit, data collection, and actor meeting brought together members from relevant actor groups, and importantly community members themselves, to discuss issues related to pen-pen drivers in Liberia and actions to prevent violence associated with them. The PPPN was established (July 2013) and exists to date (May 2015). The actor meeting held in Monrovia in July 2013 served as an initial step for a long-term collaboration among different actor groups that are involved in political violence prevention and peacebuilding associated with pen-pen drivers. Interviews with participants immediately after the July 2013 actor meeting that led to the formation of the PPPN suggested that the meeting itself served as a bridge for these different actor groups to bond with one another. Participants expressed that they would never have imagined sitting in the same room with other groups or working with them on building peace in Liberia. They also indicated that discussions within and across groups helped them better understand the current situation of pen-pen driving and pen-pen drivers in Liberian society, which contributed to identification of the three major sets of peacebuilding strategies: the multi-media campaign, organizational strategies, and policymaking. After the actor meeting, the Pen-Pen Peace Network continued to work on the peacebuilding strategies that were identified. The committee met regularly to discuss the design and implementation of the multi-media campaign, which was coconstructed by PPP, WOMSUD (Women Movement for Sustainable Development- Liberia), and the Pen-Pen Peace Network. Through the process of collaborative relationship building and maintenance, the local peace committee s organizational infrastructure and members trust in each other were built and enhanced. The PPPN organized and executed a multi-media violence prevention campaign (Phase 1), which targeted at all citizens. Pen-pen drivers were one target audience of the campaign. The campaign aimed at raising pen-pen drivers self-esteem as well as perceived importance of their contribution in society and at changing pen-pen drivers behavior in terms of non-violent behavior, personal hygiene, communicative manner, professionalism (including uniform and helmet). Additionally, in targeting Liberian citizens who are not pen-pen drivers the campaign aimed to change these citizens attitudes toward pen-pen drivers, help these citizens recognize pen-pen drivers important role in serving society, and change the public s behavior in how it (765) Fax: (765)

5 communicates with pen-pen drivers (e.g., request for helmet and rain gear before riding with pen-pen drivers). The outreach activities initiated and organized by the PPPN generated positive impact on pen-pen drivers behavior as well as the public s perception of and attitude toward pen-pen drivers. Interviews with participants suggested that the impact of these activities grew beyond the local peace committee itself as citizens shared with their colleagues, families, and friends about these ongoing community-based activities. PPPN members and their call for other citizens engagement in peacebuilding initiatives has transformed the discourses and actions of Liberian citizens, especially those of the pen-pen drivers who have been involved in the PPPN, and changed them from potential sources of political violence to positive contributors in society. In an interview, a pen-pen driver shared the following: The pen-pen riders used to be involved in reckless behavior. We used to be involved in acts that were not compatible with norms and values of our society. But with the help of the PPPN we have been creating awareness, we have been talking to our friends and brothers who also happen to ride a motorbike in Liberia. We have been talking to them so personally you can see us, we wear our helmet because the PPPN are telling us to wear our helmet, to wear shoes and stop holding money in our fingers and...and also to respect the rural law. We used to be outlaws. No respect for the police, no respect for the government, but for now because of the PPPN their intervention, we can see most of us are law-abiding. The PPPN s collaborative work on political violence prevention related to the penpen drivers as well as the Ebola outbreak has helped create mechanisms for productive conversations among various actor groups in Liberia. For example, when the PPPN s peacebuilding initiatives in the field were met with doubts, disbeliefs, and sometimes violence, the team discussed ways of addressing the challenges together. Their collaborative work in the field helped them realize that violence prevention and peacebuilding may only be achieved through dialogue, and that the experience of working with multiple actor groups in the field helped them learn the communication skills and patience necessary for the dialogue to take place (personal correspondence, interview with PPPN member). In the Area of Ebola Prevention and Instability Related to Ebola: The PPPN organized and executed an Ebola Prevention Campaign (Phase 2). By January 2015, the Ebola Prevention Campaign volunteers had visited more than 8,600 houses and spoke to more than 28,000 Liberian citizens. According to the chairman of the AB Tolbert Road community, one of the communities where the Campaign team disseminated the prevention messages, WOMSUD-Liberia is the only NGO that went in this community and set up handwashing stations with a regular supply of materials and did a house-house awareness visitation. As a result of the Ebola Prevention Campaign and other international and national efforts, Liberian citizens started accepting that Ebola is real. This is a significant shift from the early days of the epidemic because many Liberians initially denied that Ebola was real. Campaign volunteers consistently reported that citizens no longer denied the existence of Ebola and showed cooperation in handling the crisis. (765) Fax: (765)

6 Ebola Prevention Campaign volunteers reported that as a result of their campaign, Liberian citizens regularly took preventive measures and even encouraged those around to follow the measures. During the later stages of the Ebola Prevention Campaign, the PPPN added an Ebola survivor to the team of field volunteers. Volunteers reported that this decision made positive impact on how Liberians perceived Ebola survivors who often faced stigma after their recovery and found it difficult to re-integrate into society. Many campaign volunteers recognized that through its character of peaceful message dissemination (through communication and dialogue), their Ebola Prevention Campaign contributed to the overall peace and unity of Liberia. Major international media outlets such as the BBC World Radio, the Guardian ( and the Bloomberg Businessweek ( had coverage about the positive impacts of the PPPN s Ebola Prevention Campaign. The Campaign also received the support of local media outlets. The Ebola Prevention Campaign had a positive impact on pen-pen drivers. Volunteers reported that pen-pen drivers were highly cooperative in taking the necessary preventive measures. In the context of the Ebola Prevention Campaign, pen-pen drivers were observed as not being involved in political campaign activity or any activity that could trigger instability. On January 12, 2015, there were only 10 new confirmed Ebola cases in the whole country. As of May 9, 2015, the World Health Organization has declared Liberia Ebola-free. Together with international and national efforts to control the Ebola outbreak, the PPPN team s campaign initiatives consistently contributed to raising Ebola awareness, debunking misperceptions about Ebola, and motivating behavioral changes to prevent the spread of Ebola in Liberia. The locally-led efforts at the community level proved to be especially effective. The Campaign team not only disseminated the prevention messages in Montserrado County (where Monrovia is located), but also reached to other Ebola-affected counties through radio messages and dramas that encouraged prevention measures. The radio messages were produced in 8 local dialects and were broadcasted in 5 counties, including Bong, Bomi, Lofa, Nimba, and Margibi. For more information, please contact Dr. Stacey Connaughton, PPP Project Director, at sconnaug@purdue.edu or visit the Purdue Peace Project website at Last updated May 2015 (765) Fax: (765)