USAID Donates $500,000 to Liberia's Truth & Reconciliation Commission 01/11/08 - USAID Liberia  From left, Minister of Planning Dr. Togah McIntosh, Mr.Jordan Ryan and U.S. Ambassador Booth sign deal. Monrovia- he United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has contributed USD $500,000 to support the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in Liberia. This brings the total US Government support to US$900,000 since the TRC was established in 2004 Speaking at the signing ceremony held at UNDP on Thursday January 10, 2008, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for Governance and Recovery Mr. Jordan Ryan said “Since the TRC’s inception, USAID has proved itself to be a committed donor in advancing the work of the Commission”. He said the latest contribution will “enable the continuation of essential services in the areas of statement taking, national sensitization, increasing the involvement of civil society in supporting the TRC’s work, as well as the production of a final and comprehensive report by the TRC to the Government of Liberia”.  He stressed the commitment of the International Contact Group on Liberia to supporting the work of the TRC to successfully fulfill its mandate including resource mobilization where there are shortfalls for critical services. Also speaking, the American Ambassador to Liberia Donald Booth said “Support to the TRC is one component of the US government’s program to assist Liberia in promoting human rights, rule of law, and democracy with the active participation of all sectors of civil society, including a responsible and independent media reporting on TRC proceedings”. He said genuine reconciliation is a major component to the attainment of lasting peace and development in Liberia, adding “at the core of the TRC process is the restoration of human dignity which is so critical to successful development”. Planning and Economic Affairs Minister Dr. Toga McIntosh thanked the American Government for the contribution. He said “the effectiveness of this grant is rated very high because it is timely and relevant to the growth and development of Liberia”.   FPA