There are several online sites that are useful to Liberians but these five websites provide key solutions to pressing problems in the nation. Some are little known while others have already gathered popularity.
1) LiberLII (liberlii.org)
Screenshot of LiberLII.org
Ever wonder what’s illegal or legal in Liberia? LiberLII is a free tool for lawyers, researchers, and even ordinary citizens. It can come in handy when in the face of law enforcers and other government officials.
In a country lacking libraries and where so few of our rules and regulations are written and published for public use, LiberLII is a refreshing tool.
Initiated by the Ministry of Justice with support from the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative, LiberLII includes the Liberian constitution, laws, executive orders, Supreme Court decisions, and articles from the Liberian Law Journal.
As genius as it is, this tool could benefit from a few minor improvements. Some legislations are missing, including the laws establishing most cities. Additionally, it takes too long for recently passed laws to appear on the website. For example, the Decent Work Act of 2015, which repealed the existing Labor Law, has not appeared on the site yet.
2) Executive Mansion (emansion.gov.lr)
A screenshot of the Executive Mansion website.
If you’re not already familiar with the Executive Mansion’s website, the reason why it’s so useful might surprise you. Yes, the website is a place for information and propaganda from the president’s office, but the most important reason why every graduating college student and job seeker should know about it is the Career Opportunities section.
From the main page, just click Career Opportunities followed by Vacancies from the dropdown. It will reveal a smorgasbord of job opportunities and requests for proposals from small and large corporations, NGOs, and government ministries.
It is arguably the largest Liberian platform for this type of information.
3) Liberian Lawmakers Watch (liberianlawmakerswatch.org)
A screenshot of the Liberian Lawmakers Watch website.
Since the National Legislature allowed its website to expire and has done nothing to renew it for over a year, Liberian Lawmakers Watch is the only option for information on senates and representatives.
You can find contact details there although there is no information on the addresses of their local offices. The website also tracks lawmakers’ performance by measuring attendance, the number of bills sponsored, and other key metrics.
The site was developed by the Institute for Research and Democratic Development and would be an important tool for politically active voters, especially with the approaching elections.
Unfortunately, the website lacks crucial information such as bills tabled before lawmakers, voting process on specific bills, and minutes covering sessions and committee meetings.
Such information is crucial now more than ever. For example, several politicians have been feigning outrage as opposition builds to a recently passed provision that will increase taxes on ordinary citizens. It would be important for the public to know how all lawmakers voted on the bill to implement the taxes.
4) Cookshop.biz
A screenshot of the Cookshop.biz website.
Literally derived from its name, the website is about food and dining. A few restaurants delivered food before Cookshop and continue to do so, but there’s no other platform that puts so many different options at your fingertips.
Cookshop would be much better if there were images to allow users to visualize the variety of dishes.
5) Tunes Liberia (tunesLiberia.com)
A screenshot of the Tunes Liberia website.
Liberian musicians are notoriously poor at promoting themselves and it’s difficult to find their music on iTunes or Amazon – it is still baffling that an artist as celebrated as Takun J has not yet made his music available for purchase on these platforms.
Tunes Liberia helps to fill that gap. Yes, you’re not financially supporting the artists as the music is free for download, but it rather ensures that you do not have to be in Monrovia to access some of the hottest Liberian music and it helps increase the popularity of the musicians.
If you think we missed a website you find particularly useful, please leave a comment below and tell us.
Featured photo by Erik (HASH) Hersman
