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The Sawyer Foundation
The “Amos Claudius Sawyer Foundation Liberia” referenced by way of trade name as the
Sawyer Foundation Liberia is an independent and non-partisan public policy and governance
Foundation incorporated in honor of Professor Amos C. Sawyer, the former President of the
Republic of Liberia. The overall objective of the Foundation is to honor the legacy of
Professor Amos Claudius Sawyer by creating and establishing a non-profit organization for
the purpose of addressing the multiple issues of Democratic Governance, Rule of Law and
Peace building to address local, national, and geo-political issues in the body polity and
general governance structure of Liberia and other societies where and when legally
applicable.
Mission/Vision
Mission
The overall mission of the Foundation is to honor the legacy of Professor Amos Claudius
Sawyer by contributing to bridging the governance gaps in the sub-region through fostering a
democratic culture, facilitate debates on public policy issues, and to support policy making
as evidence informed.
Vision
The Amos Sawyer Foundation vision is to contribute to deepening and enriching the subregional think tank space by providing evidence- based analysis, advisory and policy support
services that is unique and enables stakeholders to engage and resolve complex problems in
the areas of Democratic Governance, Rule of Law and Peace building to address local,
national, and geo-political issues in the body polity and general governance structure of
Liberia and other societies where and when legally applicable.
Areas of Focus
Democratic Governance Practice Group
Strengthening Public Service Institutions (The Public Policy Institute)
Democratic Governance is viewed as having both public and private institutions operate in a
manner that is transparent and are held accountable within a participatory process that
responds to the needs of citizens, and businesses leading to fair and balanced public policies.
Liberia and to some extent, much of Africa continues to struggle with ensuring the
institutions intended to be open and responsive to the needs of the Citizenry functions as
they should. They often lack adequate technical and financial resources, including human
capacity or sustainable strategies to be effective. Therefore, the Foundation will address this
need by mobilizing targeted resources and solutions that provide “deep dive” organizational
development and training to public institutions. To this end, the Foundation will operate The
Public Policy Institute. Housed within the Foundation, the Institute will serve as an ongoing
training program for Senior Management and Policymaking Officials of Government, Civil
Society Leaders, and Business Executives. The Foundation will team up and partner with an
internationally respected University and other partners in developing the most effective
training programs and modules that can be easily delivered leveraging relevant technologies,
including distant learning programs
Annual National Conference on Good Governance
Bi-Annual Survey on Public Service Delivery
Rule of Law
Rule of Law Practice Group
Rule of Law Civics Curriculum
The Amos Claudius Sawyer Rule of Law Fellowship
“No Democracy succeeds without adherence to the rule of law. Liberia is a Constitutional Republic and has well established codified laws and rule-making processes. The Foundation’s Rule of Law program will focus on ensuring fair access to Justice for all.”
Peace Building Practice Group
The importance of sustainable peace building strategies cannot be underestimated in a postconflict country such as Liberia. Liberia has had its share of election violence, campus
violence and vandalism, protests and riots, police-civilian tensions, workers strike, and many
other situations that threaten peace and stability and can easily lead to much broader
conflict. It is crucial that any Peace building strategy includes the ability to foresee and
predict potential problems before they start, include early warning capabilities, and
mitigation techniques.
One of the biggest threats to Liberia’s Peace is the level of high unemployment and lack of
opportunities amongst disadvantaged youth, who are easily prone to coercion to engage in
violence. This also leads directly to the potential for increased tensions between
communities and law enforcement. Therefore, the Foundation seeks to develop two programs
aimed at sustaining long term Peace. The Foundation will focus and develop the following:
Community-based Youth Dialogues through local Groups
Democratic Governance
The Amos Claudius Sawyer Foundation will be dedicated to promoting democratic
governance in Liberia. The Foundation seeks to advance the ideals of good governance,
transparency, and accountability by promoting political education, civic engagement, and
leadership development. Through its various programs and initiatives, the Foundation aims to
strengthen democratic institutions, foster civic participation, and promote sustainable
development in Liberia and the sub-region. The Foundation’s work is crucial in promoting the
values of democracy and promoting the well-being of citizens.
“The Amos Claudius Sawyer Foundation’s commitment to the rule of law is a testament to its dedication to promoting democratic values and principles in Liberia.”
Rule of Law
The Amos Claudius Sawyer Foundation recognizes the importance of the rule of law in
promoting democratic governance and sustainable development in Liberia. The Foundation is
committed to promoting the principles of justice, fairness, and accountability by
strengthening the country’s legal system and promoting respect for the rule of law. Through
its various programs and initiatives, the Foundation works to promote legal education,
support the development of legal institutions, and promote human rights in Liberia. The
Foundation recognizes that the rule of law is essential for promoting peace and stability,
protecting individual freedoms, and ensuring equal access to justice for all citizens.
About us
The Amos Claudius Sawyer Foundation was established in honor of Dr. Amos C.
Sawyer, former Interim President of the Republic of Liberia who served from 1990-1994.
Dr. Sawyer died in February 2022. He was highly respected and regarded throughout
Africa and played significant roles in ushering in the peace in Liberia, and served in
multiple capacities in supporting Good Governance, Rule of Law, and Peacebuilding
initiatives across Africa, especially within the West Africa region. Dr. Sawyer was an
astute political scientist and academic who taught at the University of Liberia and the
University of Indiana in the United States. He was author and co-author of several
scholarly works and books including, “The Emergence of Autocracy in Liberia: Tragedy
and Challenge,” (1992) and “Beyond Plunder: Toward Democratic Governance in
Liberia” (2005). In recent years, after the election of former President Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf of Liberia, Dr. Sawyer was called into service to lead the Governance
Commission, one of Liberia’s integrity institutions as its Chair.
There can be no debate that Dr. Sawyer lived an impactful life of public service, and his
legacy is one of immense consequence in Liberia and across Africa. The Sawyer
Foundation is aiming to continue that legacy of service by working as a non-partisan
independent non-government organization (NGO) that focuses on many of the issues
most important to Dr. Sawyer. The Foundation will operate and implement programs in
the areas of Democratic Governance, Rule of Law, and Peacebuilding. The Foundation
will work closely with local implementing partners and other NGOs to develop and
implement its programs. In addition, the Foundation will conduct or oversee analysis
and critical thinking that is required to address many of the challenges confronting post-
conflict countries such as Liberia, or countries at-risk of falling into conflict.
Democratic Governance
The Amos Claudius Sawyer Foundation will be dedicated to promoting democratic
governance in Liberia. The Foundation seeks to advance the ideals of good governance,
transparency, and accountability by promoting political education, civic engagement, and
leadership development. Through its various programs and initiatives, the Foundation aims to
strengthen democratic institutions, foster civic participation, and promote sustainable
development in Liberia and the sub-region. The Foundation’s work is crucial in promoting the
values of democracy and promoting the well-being of citizens.
“The Amos Claudius Sawyer Foundation’s commitment to the rule of law is a testament to its dedication to promoting democratic values and principles in Liberia.”
Rule of Law
The Amos Claudius Sawyer Foundation recognizes the importance of the rule of law in
promoting democratic governance and sustainable development in Liberia. The Foundation is
committed to promoting the principles of justice, fairness, and accountability by
strengthening the country’s legal system and promoting respect for the rule of law. Through
its various programs and initiatives, the Foundation works to promote legal education,
support the development of legal institutions, and promote human rights in Liberia. The
Foundation recognizes that the rule of law is essential for promoting peace and stability,
protecting individual freedoms, and ensuring equal access to justice for all citizens.
Peace building
The Amos Claudius Sawyer Foundation is deeply committed to promoting peace-building efforts in Liberia. The Foundation recognizes that sustainable peace is essential for promoting democratic governance and fostering social and economic development. Through its various programs and initiatives, the foundation works to promote reconciliation, foster dialogue, and build trust among different communities in Liberia. The Foundation also supports efforts to address the root causes of conflict, such as poverty, inequality, and political exclusion.
The Amos Claudius Sawyer Foundation recognizes that sustainable peace requires the
participation of all stakeholders, including civil society organizations, government
institutions, and the private sector.
“The Amos Claudius Sawyer Foundation’s commitment to peace-building is a testament to its dedication to promoting the well-being of Liberian citizens and fostering a culture of peace and prosperity in the country.”
Background
Liberia’s return to democratic rule through a long and delicate transition period during which
Professor Amos Sawyer served as the Interim President of Liberia (1990 – 1994) was a post
war period of immense recovery and national rebuilding – institutional, political, social.
This period would not have been possible without the diligent service of Professor Amos Sawyer, and though progress was recorded and evidenced by two (2) peaceful democratic transitions of power, it has not been without its challenges and setbacks. Some of these include the widened space for civil society organizations to operate and contribute to national development, the need for inter-community peace and trust rebuilding, the dearth of capacity for public service and the need for a functioning 21st century government. It immediately became clear that there were governance gaps in Liberia, especially of a democratic hue, owing to the Liberian history of governance and to the long period of civil war in the country. Such gaps cannot be filled by the government alone but through a coordinated effort involving the public sector – comprising the elected politicians and bureaucracy, private sector, and civil society organizations
Therefore, Amos Claudius Sawyer Foundation aims to contribute to bridging the governance gaps in the sub-region through fostering a democratic culture, facilitate debates on public policy issues, and to support
policy making as evidence informed. In addition, the Amos Sawyer Foundation will contribute to deepening and enriching the sub-regional think tank space by providing evidence- based analysis, advisory and policy support services that is unique and enables stakeholders to engage and resolve complex problems.
Mission/Vision
Mission
The overall mission of the Foundation is to honor the legacy of Professor Amos Claudius
Sawyer by contributing to bridging the governance gaps in the sub-region through fostering a
democratic culture, facilitate debates on public policy issues, and to support policy making
as evidence informed.
Vision
The Amos Sawyer Foundation vision is to contribute to deepening and enriching the subregional think tank space by providing evidence- based analysis, advisory and policy support
services that is unique and enables stakeholders to engage and resolve complex problems in
the areas of Democratic Governance, Rule of Law and Peace building to address local,
national, and geo-political issues in the body polity and general governance structure of
Liberia and other societies where and when legally applicable.
Areas of Focus
Democratic Governance Practice Group
Strengthening Public Service Institutions (The Public Policy Institute)
Democratic Governance is viewed as having both public and private institutions operate in a
manner that is transparent and are held accountable within a participatory process that
responds to the needs of citizens, and businesses leading to fair and balanced public policies.
Liberia and to some extent, much of Africa continues to struggle with ensuring the
institutions intended to be open and responsive to the needs of the Citizenry functions as
they should. They often lack adequate technical and financial resources, including human
capacity or sustainable strategies to be effective. Therefore, the Foundation will address this
need by mobilizing targeted resources and solutions that provide “deep dive” organizational
development and training to public institutions. To this end, the Foundation will operate The
Public Policy Institute. Housed within the Foundation, the Institute will serve as an ongoing
training program for Senior Management and Policymaking Officials of Government, Civil
Society Leaders, and Business Executives. The Foundation will team up and partner with an
internationally respected University and other partners in developing the most effective
training programs and modules that can be easily delivered leveraging relevant technologies,
including distant learning programs
Annual National Conference on Good Governance
Bi-Annual Survey on Public Service Delivery
Rule of Law
Rule of Law Practice Group
Rule of Law Civics Curriculum
The Amos Claudius Sawyer Rule of Law Fellowship
“No Democracy succeeds without adherence to the rule of law. Liberia is a Constitutional Republic and has well established codified laws and rule-making processes. The Foundation’s Rule of Law program will focus on ensuring fair access to Justice for all.”
Peace Building Practice Group
The importance of sustainable peace building strategies cannot be underestimated in a postconflict country such as Liberia. Liberia has had its share of election violence, campus
violence and vandalism, protests and riots, police-civilian tensions, workers strike, and many
other situations that threaten peace and stability and can easily lead to much broader
conflict. It is crucial that any Peace building strategy includes the ability to foresee and
predict potential problems before they start, include early warning capabilities, and
mitigation techniques.
One of the biggest threats to Liberia’s Peace is the level of high unemployment and lack of
opportunities amongst disadvantaged youth, who are easily prone to coercion to engage in
violence. This also leads directly to the potential for increased tensions between
communities and law enforcement. Therefore, the Foundation seeks to develop two programs
aimed at sustaining long term Peace. The Foundation will focus and develop the following:
Community-based Youth Dialogues through local Groups
WHAT WE DO – Focus Areas
The Sawyer Foundation will direct its resources, experience, and capacity to the following
thematic areas:
Democratic Governance:
The AMOS CLAUDIUS SAWYER Foundation is an organization dedicated to promoting democratic governance in Liberia. The foundation was named after Amos Claudius Sawyer, a prominent Liberian politician and scholar who served as the interim President of Liberia during the early 1990s. The foundation seeks to advance the ideals of good governance, transparency, and accountability by promoting political education, civic engagement, and leadership development. Through its various programs and initiatives, the foundation aims to strengthen democratic institutions, foster civic participation, and promote sustainable development in Liberia. The foundation’s work is crucial in promoting the values of democracy and promoting the well-being of Liberian citizens.
Rule of Law:
The AMOS CLAUDIUS SAWYER Foundation is an organization dedicated to promoting democratic governance in Liberia. The foundation was named after Amos Claudius Sawyer, a prominent Liberian politician and scholar who served as the interim President of Liberia during the early 1990s. The foundation seeks to advance the ideals of good governance, transparency, and accountability by promoting political education, civic engagement, and leadership development. Through its various programs and initiatives, the foundation aims to strengthen democratic institutions, foster civic participation, and promote sustainable development in Liberia. The foundation’s work is crucial in promoting the values of democracy and promoting the well-being of Liberian citizens.
Peace building:
The AMOS CLAUDIUS SAWYER Foundation is an organization dedicated to promoting democratic governance in Liberia. The foundation was named after Amos Claudius Sawyer, a prominent Liberian politician and scholar who served as the interim President of Liberia during the early 1990s. The foundation seeks to advance the ideals of good governance, transparency, and accountability by promoting political education, civic engagement, and leadership development. Through its various programs and initiatives, the foundation aims to strengthen democratic institutions, foster civic participation, and promote sustainable development in Liberia. The foundation’s work is crucial in promoting the values of democracy and promoting the well-being of Liberian citizens.
HOW WE DO IT - The “REAL” Approach
Research & Reflect:
The Foundation will host an inhouse think tank. The think tank will be established to conduct research to generate evidence through primary data and knowledge on critical governance issues in its immediate constituency (being Liberia) at a first instance, West Africa and Africa. This will be aimed at addressing the massive knowledge gap in policy making in Liberia (and the continent as a whole) as well as ensuring that all of the Foundation’s priorities, programmes, projects and engagements are informed by evidence regarding the instance of pertinence. We will analyze governance and public policy issues with aspirations of policy relevance and academic excellence. To this end, the Foundation will partner with leading organizations and institutions (universities, research 3 institutions, other think tanks, development agencies, etc.) The Foundation’s research will be informed by questions on the analytical and normative issues that practitioners in governance and public policy face. Building bridges between academia, political leaders, business, and civil society requires effective communication.
Engage & Empower:
We use the insights of our research and policy advice to foster public debate on key issues
in governance and public policy, as well as feed the questions raised in policy debates and
dialogues back into our research and advisory work. In addition, the foundation will bring
people together to exchange ideas and develop common initiatives. Through debate and
dialogue, we aim to support and assemble social and political entrepreneurs, build
strategic communities and nurture thought leadership, applied research at both national
and regional levels. Effective and accountable governance requires individuals who are
creative, thoughtful and unafraid to work across issues and boundaries.
Working separately or in collaboration with governmental, non-governmental, bilateral,
multilateral, political, non-political and other entities, the Foundation will vigorously
pursue avenues for the establishment of strategic partnerships and the strengthening of
existing ones to develop practical operating frameworks for successfully carrying out the
multiple programmes, projects and other activities aimed at promoting the principles of
Good Governance, Local/National/Regional/Continental Peace, and Security across all
landscapes;
How we work:
The “AMOS CLAUDIUS SAWYER FOUNDATION LIBERIA” referenced by way of trade name
as the SAWYER FOUNDATION LIBERIA is an independent and non-partisan public policy
and governance Foundation incorporated in honor of Dr. Amos Sawyer, the former
president oof the Republic of Liberia. The overall objective of the foundation is to honor
the legacy of Dr. Amos Claudius Sawyer by creating and establishing a non-profit
organization for the purpose of addressing the multiple issues of Democratic
Governance, Rule of Law and Peace building to address local, national, and geo-political
issues in the body polity and general governance structure of Liberia and other societies
where and when legally applicable.
John Doe
My DesignationAdd team member details here
John Doe
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John Doe
My DesignationAdd team member details here
