I. BACKGROUND: Following a review of donor funding priorities and concepts of health system strengthening (HSS) and resilience, this dissertation documents health system resilience factors existing in the Liberian health system in late 2014/early 2015 as the Ebola epidemic flared. The effectiveness of the WHO health system building blocks framework in addressing resilience was assessed, and specific factors that can promote health system resilience for Liberia going forward were identified. II. METHODS: Methods applied as part of this intrinsic case study include document and literature review, analysis of health facility and population-level statistics, and key informant and group interviews at the county and national levels. The methodology allowed for an in-depth assessment of how HSS (using the WHO health system building blocks) and resilience factors (using the WHO-defined key aspects of emergency preparedness) exist (or could exist) within the Liberian institutional and cultural context, and for tentative conclusions to be drawn about the importance of system factors to building specific health system capacities and overall health system resilience. III. FINDINGS: While dealing with myriad other public health priorities, public health preparedness went largely unaddressed in pre-Ebola Liberia where effectively none of the 16 key components or their 51 essential attributes listed in the WHO table of emergency preparedness were in place. The lack of integration of public health preparedness into HSS interventions left the country vulnerable to public health emergencies. There are two limitations to the government’s Ebola recovery and investment plan: (1) lack of a holistic approach to addressing emergency preparedness; and (2) not integrating emergency preparedness needs and corresponding activities into the existing national HSS framework. IV. CONCLUSION: By integrating emergency preparedness and response initiatives into HSS activities, health systems in Liberia and elsewhere can be strengthened to be more resilient, and thus better able to anticipate and adapt to challenges, and ultimately improve the system to be able to anticipate new future challenges. However, strengthening health systems so that they are resilient takes resources, including sector-wide, HSS resources that can be used to build functioning, integrated systems and skilled, networked individuals and groups across sectors.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in the economic development of any nation. However, due to various challenges, including government policies, cost of production, competition, and market demand, SMEs often struggle to survive and grow. Pricing strategy is one of the critical factors determining SMEs' success. This study examines the influence of pricing strategy on the growth of SMEs in Liberia. This master's thesis aims to investigate  the influence of pricing strategy on the growth of SMEs.  In order to investigate the concepts mentioned above, existing literature was reviewed. Following that, a frame of reference was created in order to further investigate these concepts in relation to the case of Liberia. The study adopts a qualitative approach, using a case study design to explore the pricing strategies adopted by SMEs in Liberia and their impact on business growth. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with SME owners and managers in different industries in Liberia. The data collected were analyzed using content analysis to identify common themes and patterns in the responses. The study's findings indicate that pricing strategy significantly impacts the growth of SMEs in Liberia. The study found that SMEs in Liberia adopt various pricing strategies such as cost-plus pricing, value-based pricing, and competition-based Pricing. However, the most effective pricing strategy for SMEs in Liberia is competition-based Pricing. The study also found that other factors, such as cost of production, competition, and market demand, influence the pricing strategy adopted by SMEs in Liberia. Furthermore, the study revealed that SMEs face various challenges in implementing pricing strategies, such as a lack of pricing knowledge and skills, poor understanding of customer needs, and inadequate market research. / Små och medelstora företag (SMF) spelar en avgörande roll i den ekonomiska utvecklingen i alla länder. Men på grund av olika utmaningar, inklusive regeringens politik, produktionskostnader, konkurrens och efterfrågan på marknaden, kämpar små och medelstora företag ofta för att överleva och växa. Prissättningsstrategin är en av de kritiska faktorerna som avgör små och medelstora företags framgång. Denna studie undersöker hur prisstrategin påverkar tillväxten av små och medelstora företag i Liberia. Denna masteruppsats syftar till att undersöka prisstrategins inverkan på tillväxten av små och medelstora företag. För att undersöka de begrepp som nämnts ovan har befintlig litteratur gåtts igenom. Därefter skapades en referensram för att ytterligare undersöka dessa begrepp i relation till fallet Liberia. Studien antar ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt, med en fallstudiedesign för att utforska prissättningsstrategier som antagits av små och medelstora företag i Liberia och deras inverkan på företagstillväxt. Data samlades in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med små och medelstora företagsägare och chefer i olika branscher i Liberia. De insamlade uppgifterna analyserades med hjälp av innehållsanalys för att identifiera gemensamma teman och mönster i svaren. Studiens resultat indikerar att prissättningsstrategin avsevärt påverkar tillväxten av små och medelstora företag i Liberia. Studien fann att små och medelstora företag i Liberia antar olika prissättningsstrategier såsom kostnads-plus-prissättning, värdebaserad prissättning och konkurrensbaserad prissättning. Den mest effektiva prissättningsstrategin för små och medelstora företag i Liberia är dock konkurrensbaserad prissättning.

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Women’s roles in peacebuilding are often marginalized, necessitating a reevaluation of their contributions to peace initiatives. Research has shown that participation of women in peace processes and peacebuilding activities can increase the chances of democratization as they are less violent and more caring, i.e more suitable for these activities. To be able to analyze the long-term changes and consequences of female participation in peacebuilding this study focused  on the women's organization the Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET). Through this organization, this research sought to understand if Resolution 1325 made any long-term differences for women in peacebuilding in Liberia from 2003 until 2023.   Scholars underscores Liberian women’s pivotal role in shaping peacebuilding strategies, advocating for gender-inclusive measures. While post-conflict countries have increased women’s participation in governance, Resolution 1325’s impact needs scrutiny. Despite progress, substantial investment is needed to achieve gender parity, especially in local governance and public service. This study employs a qualitative research approach, focusing on the analysis of existing data with a specific emphasis on women’s rights organization in Liberia. The goal is to enrich understanding of women’s peacebuilding roles and the lasting effects of international resolutions from their engagement.  It was the advocacy efforts of women that led to a recognition of the interrelation between gender equality and sustainable peace. Women were included in various post-conflict mechanisms and transition processes as a result of this recognition. It is evident that the journey toward gender equality is both complex and intertwined between international resolutions, local advocacy, and the subsequent inclusion of women in leadership roles.

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Den negativa attityden kring palmolja har uppkommit för att industrin ur ett hållbarhetsperspektiv brister i sociala, ekonomiska och ekologiska aspekter. Produktionen finns i utvecklingsländerna, främst i Malaysia och Indonesien. Intresset för palmolja har ökat i Liberia, som tillsammans med Sverige är studieländer i den här undersökningen. Industrin har en stor miljöpåverkan, det förekommer dåliga arbetsförhållanden med låga löner och brist på rättigheter. Palmoljeindustrin har samtidigt i utvecklingsländerna gett möjlighet till ökad välfärd, då industrin är det som primärt ger inkomst för lokalbefolkningen.Studiens resultat visar att en uteslutning av palmolja i produkter inte är en lösning på problemet. En möjlig lösning till problemet är istället att samarbeta och jobba för hållbar odling av palmolja. / The negative attitude towards palm oil has arisen because of the sustainability of industry in social, economic and ecological aspects. Production is in developing countries, mainly in Malaysia and Indonesia. The interest in palm oil has increased in Liberia, which together with Sweden are study countries in this survey. The industry has a major environmental impact, there are poor working conditions with low wages and lack of rights. At the same time, in the developing countries, the palm oil industry has provided an opportunity for increased welfare, as the industry is the primary source of income for the local population.The study results show that an exclusion of palm oil in products is not a solution to the problem. A possible solution to the problem is instead to cooperate and work for sustainable cultivation of palm oil.

The study is about how to work with and create community structures for effective and sustainable social reintegration of Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups (CAAFAG), also called child soldiers in Liberia. It analyses the community structures which were engaged in the Disarmament, Demobilisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration processes and questions whether these were premised on community values and norms. The study challenges some of the existing practices of working with community structures in reintegration programmes. The Structural-functionalist perspective is used as theoretical framework of the study based on the notion that social events, like DDRR programmes can best be explained in terms of the functions they perform or the contributions they make towards stability and continuity of societies where child soldiers are to be reintegrated. The study adopts a qualitative methodology to investigate community structures to reintegrate child soldiers in an effective, sustainable way. Different related research techniques, or triangulation, are used referring to a combination of mainly qualitative methods of data collection and analyses. Focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and documentary sources have different complementary strengths which are more comprehensive when used together. The findings indicated that children of all ages were “recruited” by armed groups and forces for diverse reasons. The findings confirmed children going through difficult experiences as they participated and supervised over violence. The war disoriented children‟s socialization processes. In some situations they returned to dysfunctional communities, without adequate support systems. The humanitarian led community approaches delivered results, however, these were short-lived. The engagement of the community structures was not based on clear community analysis. The intended manifest functions of the DDRR programmes and reintegration objectives for sustainability were eventually dysfunctional in most cases. The study‟s major recommendation is that a careful analysis of existing community structures, identification and engagement of positive community networks be made and that comprehensive capacity building programmes, built on societal values and norms nested within a National Planning Policy framework, will deliver durable and sustainable social reintegration of child soldiers in Liberia. / Sociology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Sociology)

The study is about how to work with and create community structures for effective and sustainable social reintegration of Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups (CAAFAG), also called child soldiers in Liberia. It analyses the community structures which were engaged in the Disarmament, Demobilisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration processes and questions whether these were premised on community values and norms. The study challenges some of the existing practices of working with community structures in reintegration programmes. The Structural-functionalist perspective is used as theoretical framework of the study based on the notion that social events, like DDRR programmes can best be explained in terms of the functions they perform or the contributions they make towards stability and continuity of societies where child soldiers are to be reintegrated. The study adopts a qualitative methodology to investigate community structures to reintegrate child soldiers in an effective, sustainable way. Different related research techniques, or triangulation, are used referring to a combination of mainly qualitative methods of data collection and analyses. Focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and documentary sources have different complementary strengths which are more comprehensive when used together. The findings indicated that children of all ages were “recruited” by armed groups and forces for diverse reasons. The findings confirmed children going through difficult experiences as they participated and supervised over violence. The war disoriented children‟s socialization processes. In some situations they returned to dysfunctional communities, without adequate support systems. The humanitarian led community approaches delivered results, however, these were short-lived. The engagement of the community structures was not based on clear community analysis. The intended manifest functions of the DDRR programmes and reintegration objectives for sustainability were eventually dysfunctional in most cases. The study‟s major recommendation is that a careful analysis of existing community structures, identification and engagement of positive community networks be made and that comprehensive capacity building programmes, built on societal values and norms nested within a National Planning Policy framework, will deliver durable and sustainable social reintegration of child soldiers in Liberia. / Sociology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Sociology)

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation is a missiological assessment of the evangelization of the Mano of Northern Liberia. The study considers the historical record of Liberia, the transmission of Christianity through the Americo-Liberian community, and the movement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to and through the Mano of Northern Liberia. As a foundation, a theoretical and missiological framework of evangelization is explored on a biblical, theological, and social understanding. How does one measure the extent and evangelization? Definitions and theories are presented along with expressions of evangelization. In regards to transmission, what was the approach of the initiating missionaries? How and through what impetus did a transition occur to local agents? Understanding evangelization involves identifying the contextual process resulting in the community of God expressed as the local church. This dissertation argues that the intent of the American Colonization Society and the immigrants who sailed to Liberia in 1822 was to establish a Christian presence in Africa that would serve as an impetus for evangelization of the continent. The Americo-Liberians, however, became entangled in a cultural Christianity that proved to be a barrier to evangelization of the indigenous people of the region. Other barriers included geographical isolation, the societal structure of governance, and the absence of a contextual witness. Sociological analysis is given to the all-inclusive nature and governance of the Poro Society which stymied the evangelization process. This study explored the influencing factors towards evangelization of the Mano and Gio and the acceptance of the good news of Jesus Christ. The influencing factors included the collapse of the Liberian governmental structure, the empowerment of local agent through theological education, the role and necessity of leadership caused by the coup, and the subsequent diaspora of the Civil War. Over 50% of the Baptist Churches among the Mano and Gio were started after the coup in 1980 and during the civil war which lasted from 1989 – 2004. This study utilized the methodology of qualitative researching through interviews, observations, and empirical surveys to evaluate the process of evangelization. The first gospel witness came to the Mano and Gio in 1926. The next fifty years of evangelization revolved around missionaries, mission stations, schools, and humanitarian enterprises. More recently, the Gospel has spread rapidly through the influence of contextual witness and local agents. The delimitations of the study focused on the role of Baptist Churches affiliated with Nimba Baptist Union. Prior to 1970, there were few indigenous led, linguistically Mano or Gio Baptist churches. Today, there are almost a hundred churches and missions affiliated with the Nimba Baptist Union, most started after the coup and during the war. A crucial component of the study was to determine whether or not this was a contextual indigenous movement of evangelization. The evidence of such a movement is determined by the presence of churches in the local villages, acts of personal and community transformation associated with the church, and reproductive patterns in regards to leadership and church starting. The movement of evangelization was a collaborative effort of the missionaries and local agents facilitated by political, social, and spiritual transitions. On this basis, the study proposes an Interpretative Model of Evangelization to serve as a useful tool in attempting to understand how to interpret the extent of evangelization. From this study, it is clear that evangelization is an imperfect process, but the movement towards contextualization of the gospel infuses deeper levels of transformation. As the Apostle Paul concluded in the Acts of the Apostles, the Gospel continued unhindered (Acts 28:31). The unhindered manner did not reflect the absence of barriers, but the onward movement propelled by the Holy Spirit, through proclamation of the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and by local empowerment through contextualization of methods, message, and leadership. The study is evaluative in nature and has implications for missiological strategy, cross-cultural understanding, and contextual methods of evangelization. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif is ʼn sendingkundige assessering van die evangelisasie van die Mano-stam in Noord-Liberië. Die studie ondersoek die geskrewe geskiedenis van Liberië, die oordrag van die Christendom deur die Amerikaans-Liberiese gemeenskap en die verspreiding van die evangelie van Jesus Christus aan en deur die Mano-stam van Noord-Liberië. Om ʼn grondslag vir die studie te lê, is ʼn teoretiese en sendingkundige raamwerk vir evangelisasie ondersoek vanuit ʼn Bybelse, teologiese en sosiale perspektief. Dit is gedoen deur die volgende vrae te beantwoord: Hoe meet ʼn mens die reikwydte van evangelisasie? Definisies en beskrywings van, asook teorieë oor, evangelisasie word hiervoor aangebied. Wat was die benadering deur die aanvanklike sendelinge om die evangelie aan ander oor te dra? Hoe en deur watter impetus het oordrag na plaaslike agente plaasgevind? Om evangelisasie te verstaan, moet die kontekstuele proses geïdentifiseer word wat lei tot die gemeenskap van God, soos uitgedruk deur die plaaslike kerk. In hierdie proefskrif word daar geargumenteer dat die oogmerk van die American Colonization Society en die immigrante wat in 1822 na Liberië gevaar het, was om ʼn Christelike teenwoordigheid in Afrika te vestig wat sou dien as ʼn impetus vir evangelisasie van die kontinent. Die Amerikaans-Libiërs het egter in ʼn kulturele vorm van Christenskap verstrik geraak wat ʼn hindernis gevorm het vir die verspreiding van die evangelie onder die inheemse bevolking van daardie streek. Ander hindernisse was geografiese isolasie, die gemeenskapstruktuur van die regering en die afwesigheid van ʼn plaaslike getuie. Die allesomvattende aard en regering van die Poro-gemeenskap, wat die evangelisasieproses gestuit het, is gevolglik in hierdie studie geanaliseer. Hierdie studie het verder die faktore ondersoek wat evangelisasie van die Mano- en Gio-stamme, asook hul aanvaarding van die blye boodskap van Jesus Christus, beïnvloed het. Hierdie faktore sluit in die ineenstorting van Liberië se regeringstruktuur, die bemagtiging van plaaslike agente deur teologiese opvoeding, die rol en noodsaaklikheid van leierskap wat deur die staatsgreep veroorsaak is en die diaspora na aanleiding van die burgeroorlog. Meer as 50% van die Baptistekerke onder die Mano- en Gio-stamme is gestig na die staatsgreep in 1980 en tydens die burgeroorlog wat van 1989 tot 2004 geduur het. In hierdie studie is daar van kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodologie, deur middel van onderhoude, waarnemings en empiriese opnames, gebruik gemaak om die evangelisasieproses te evalueer. Die eerste evangeliese getuie het in 1926 die Mano- en Gio-stamme besoek. Vir vyftig jaar daarna het evangelisasie om sendelinge, sendelingstasies, skole en humanitêre inisiatiewe gewentel. Meer onlangs het die evangelie vinnig versprei as gevolg van die invloed van gekontekstualiseerde getuies en plaaslike agente. Die afbakening van hierdie studie was om te fokus op die rol van die Baptistekerke wat met die Nimba Baptist Union geaffilieer is. Voor 1970 was daar min Baptistekerke wat deur mense van die inheemse bevolking gelei is en waar daar in Mano of Gio gepreek is. Vandag is daar amper ʼn honderd kerke en sendinggenootskappe wat met die Nimba Baptist Union geaffilieer is. Meeste van hierdie kerke is na die staatsgreep en tydens die burgeroorlog gestig. ʼn Belangrike komponent van die studie was om te bepaal of hierdie ʼn kontekstuele, inheemse evangelisasiebeweging was. Bewyse van so ʼn beweging sal wees die teenwoordigheid van kerke in plaaslike dorpies, persoonlike en gemeenskapstransformasie wat met die kerk geassosieer word en reproduserende patrone met betrekking tot leierskap en kerkvestiging. Die evangelisasiebeweging was ʼn samewerkingspoging tussen die sendelinge en plaaslike agente wat gefasiliteer is deur politieke, sosiale en geestelike oorgangstadiums. Op grond hiervan, stel die proefskrif ʼn interpretatiewe model van evangelisasie voor om te dien as ʼn nuttige hulpmiddel om die omvang van evangelisasie te probeer verstaan. Uit hierdie studie kan daar duidelik gesien word dat evangelisasie ʼn onvolmaakte proses is, maar dat dieper vlakke van transformasie bewerkstellig kan word, namate die evangelie gekontekstualiseer word. Soos die apostel Paulus ook in die Handelinge van die Apostels opmerk, het die verspreiding van die evangelie onverstoord (soos in Handelinge 28:31) in Liberië voortgegaan. Dié onverstoorde wyse het egter nie die afwesigheid van hindernisse weerspieël nie en die voorwaartse beweging het plaasgevind danksy voortdrywing deur die Heilige Gees, deur die verkondiging van die blye boodskap van die evangelie van Jesus Christus, en as gevolg van plaaslike bemagtiging deur middel van die kontekstualisering van metodes, die boodskap en leierskap. Hierdie studie was evaluerend van aard en hou gevolge in vir die bewerkstelliging van sendingkundige strategieë, transkulturele begrip en kontekstuele evangelisasiemetodes.