For more than five years, the Civil Society and Media Leadership Program, led by IREX in partnership with the Carter Center and Social Impact, contributed to building a more capable, collaborative, and agile civil society and media sector in Liberia.

The program shifted its focus during the Ebola crisis. By working closely with civil society organizations and media outlets, the program facilitated public health education and prevented the spread of misinformation during the outbreak.

The CSML team provided intensive support including training, mentoring, small grants, and equipment to over 60 civil society organizations and 35 media outlets in 15 counties.

• IREX distributed over $6 million in grants to civil society organizations to conduct advocacy, reconciliation, civic and voter education, Ebola awareness raising, and organizational development.
• Community radio stations received over $400,000 worth of equipment, including 19 transmitters.
• The Carter Center trained 3,500 chiefs, women, and youth to advance access to justice and resolve community disputes, and broadened awareness of freedom of information to over 15,000 Liberians across the seven original target counties.

Beyond these outputs, the program fostered an improved and enhanced civil society and media sector. These accomplishments were a result of the collaborative effort of IREX and its partners, both international and national, who sought to achieve the goal of sustaining peace in Liberia through greater inclusion and engagement of Liberian citizens.