Reintegrating and Employing High Risk Youth in Liberia: Lessons from a randomized evaluation of a Landmine Action agricultural training program for ex-combatants

Blattman, C. and J. Annan.

ABSTRACT

In 2003, Liberia’s 14-year civil war finally came to an end. The war was disruptive and destructive, displacing the majority of Liberia’s 3 million inhabitants, halting economic activity, deepening poverty, and depriving a generation of basic education. The bulk of Liberia’s youth remain poor and underemployed. While the security situation has steadily improved since 2003, many rural youth continue to make their living through unlawful activities, including unlicensed mining, rubber tapping, or logging. Many of them are ex-combatants, and some remain in loose armed group structures. From 2009 to 2011, Christopher Blattman (Yale) and Jeannie Annan (International Rescue Committee) worked with IPA (www.poverty-action.org) and LMA todo a quantitative and qualitative study of the LMA program. The centerpiece of the research strategy was a randomized evaluation. The NGO recruited 1,330 youth, and the researchers randomly assigned these to either “treatment” (receiving the program) or “control” (not receiving the program). By comparing the “treatment” group to the random “control” group 18 months after the program, we can see the effect of the intervention on agricultural livelihoods, shifts from illicit to legal employment, poverty, social integration, aggression, and potential for future instability. The research does not simply evaluate the success of a single program, but uses the findings to weigh in on the broader implications for security and poverty reduction in Liberia and beyond. Additional questions addressed in the report include: Are rural youth interested in agriculture? What kinds of agricultural support can help them expand their activities? Can anti-poverty programs reduce illegal activities, peacefully open up concessions, and reduce the propensity for crime and violence? What are the most cost-effective means to reduce poverty and improve security in rural towns and villages?