Movement For Justice In Africa And State Transformation In Liberia

Abstract

Historically, social movements have designed and implemented various modalities for the transformation of the state. Some of these modalities have contributed to the various state transformation projects, while others have not. Overall, state transformation projects have had various outcomes, including success, failure and a mixture of successes and failures. Against this backdrop, this article examines the state transformation project that was undertaken by the Movement for Justice in Africa (moja0 in Liberia from 1973–1980. Specifically, the article interrogates the various modalities that moja designed and implemented in its quest to transform the Liberian society. In terms of a “balance sheet,” some of the modalities, including the political conscientization campaign, the training of cadres, the assistance to labor movements, and coalition building with other progressive forces succeeded in promoting the state transformation project. On the other hand, however, moja did not succeed in transforming state structures, state policies, and power relations. Two major factors contributed to these challenges: 1) moja’s left-wing populist ideology was an obstacle to the organization’s diagnosis of the major causes of the multidimensional crises of underdevelopment that enveloped Liberia; and 2) moja prematurely embraced the Doe-led military regime that came to power after the April 12, 1980 coup, thereby jeopardizing the future of the organization.