DOCSLIB.ORG

Grassroots Perspectives of Peace Building in Sierra Leone 1991-2006

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Grassroots Perspectives of Peace Building in Sierra Leone 1991-2006 Coventry University DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Grassroots perspectives of peace building in Sierra Leone 1991-2006 Cutter, Sue Award date: 2009 Awarding institution: Coventry University Link to publication General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of this thesis for personal non-commercial research or study • This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission from the copyright holder(s) • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 01. Oct. 2021 Grassroots Perspectives of Peace Building in Sierra Leone 1991-2006 Susan M. Cutter A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the University’s requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy April 2009 Coventry University ABSTRACT This study is about peace building in Sierra Leone, during and after the civil war (1991- 2002). The initial hypothesis was that the impact of externally driven peace building activities was reduced because of insufficient attention to local culture and priorities. This hypothesis was underpinned by a number of assumptions based on the author’s personal experience and the views of Sierra Leoneans met in the early post-war period. Firstly, that local culture and priorities were the most appropriate in the context of peace building. Secondly, that divergence from local culture and priorities by externally driven activities would inevitability be detrimental to peace building. Thirdly, that local culture and priorities would always have the capacity to inform externally driven peace building activities. In 2003, when this study was planned, the post-war literature mainly described the war and its causes or examined the success of peace building activities and programmes. There was also considerable interest in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Special Court. Informants included external actors, Government and NGO personnel but grassroots perspectives were largely missing. This study set out to remedy this omission; trained local researchers used participatory methods to collect grassroots perspectives at six locations, with different war experiences. In all 76 Sierra Leoneans participated in focus groups and other key stakeholders informed the study. Findings within and among the focus groups were heterogeneous. The three prominent themes of grassroots concern that emerged were need, governance and societal relationships. Although the hypothesis was not substantiated in all respects, the findings related to societal relationships were supportive. Forgiveness, expressed according to local culture and tradition, was a local priority not always given prominence in externally driven peace building activities to the apparent detriment of peace building impact. In other cases (such as shelter or beneficiary participation) where the ‘local’ and the ‘external’ diverged, the influence on peace building impact was more tenuous. Incidental findings suggested that practice-preach dichotomies within external peace building activities may be detrimental to impact although to be certain, further research would be required. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Appreciation and gratitude must first go to my research team, administrator and many friends in Sierra Leone who supported me in various ways during this research. Especially to Fr. F. A. Combey, his mother, sisters and other family members who showed me great kindness, hospitality and gave practical help. I should also like to thank my supervisory team from Coventry University, Professors Roy May, Andrew Rigby and Bruce Baker (Director of Studies), and those who facilitated my bursary. Friends and colleagues who gave a listening ear, encouragement to keep going or space in which to work deserve special mention; Sheila Casey, Marcie Edwards, Marion MacLellan, Angela and Paul Malthouse and Simon Massey. Finally, I must acknowledge the late Fr F. McAllister, his love of the Sierra Leonean people was infectious; had it not been so, I should probably be working in the National Health Service today. Li, lε:i tαmbε. iii CONTENTS Page Abstract ii Acknowledgements Iii Contents iv List of Figures, Maps and Tables vi Abbreviations and Acronyms vii 1 INTRODUCTION 1 (a) Personal Experience 1 (b) Enquiry Structure 9 2 METHODOLOGY 11 (a) Cultural Context 11 (b) Primary Data Collection 14 (c) Participant Observation 20 3 PEACE BUILDING: THEORY AND PRAXIS 24 (a) Peace Building: Descriptions 24 (b) Peace Building: Prescriptions 35 4 PEACE BUILDING: ACTORS 49 5 SIERRA LEONE 61 (a) General Background 61 (b) The Civil War, Beginnings from 1991 66 (c) War and Peace (1996 – 2002) 69 (d) Official Peace (2002 – 2006) 76 6 PEACE BUILDING: NEED 98 (a) Heterogeneity and Causes of the War 98 (b) Need 103 7 PEACE BUILDING: GOVERNANCE 124 (a) Reform of Structures and Institutions 124 (b) Democratisation 130 (c) Economic Reconstruction 136 8 PEACE BUILDING: SOCIETAL RELATIONSHIPS 139 (a) Recap 139 (b) Civilian Combatant Relationships: Peace 140 (c) Civilian Combatant Relationships: Truth 143 (d) Civilian Combatant Relationships: Justice 145 (e) Civilian Combatant Relationships: Mercy 147 (f) Organisation for Peace, Reconciliation and Development (OPARD) 152 (g) Relationships Between Civilians 154 iv 9 IN CONCLUSION 161 (a) About The Research Process 161 (b) About The Hypothesis 166 (c) About The External 173 (d) About Gaps 177 (e) About Conclusions and Applications 179 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES 186 APPENDIX A Focus Group Questionnaire - 1st Meetings 196 APPENDIX B Initial Lessons Learned Regarding Research Process 204 APPENDIX C Chronology of Civil War and Concomitant Peace Building 207 APPENDIX D Examples of Focus Groups’ Time Lines And Conflict Trees 210 v LIST OF BOXES, FIGURES, MAPS AND TABLES Page Boxes 1 Rights Based Peace and Reconciliation Project in the Luawa Chiefdom 22 2 Extracts from OPARD’s Brochure 154 Figures 1 Ages of Focus Group Participants 18 2 Self Ascribed Occupations of Focus Group Participants 18 3 The Place Called Reconciliation 32 4 Section of Regent’s Conflict Tree 100 5 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 107 Maps 1 Locations of Non-Freetown Focus Groups 17 Tables 1 Pre and Post War Health and Development Indicators 6 2 Criteria and Rationale for Research team Membership 15 3 Sierra Leone: Geography and Demographics 63 4 Summary of Findings in Relation to the Study’s Hypothesis 171 5 Programme Questions For Other Peace Building Contexts 183 vi ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ACC Anti-Corruption Commission AFRC Armed Forces Revolutionary Council AFSTRAG African Strategic and Peace Research Group AIDS Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome APC All People’s Congress BBC British Broadcasting Corporation CBO Community Based Organisation CDA The Collaborative for Development Action CDF Civil Defence Force (Kamajors) CECORE Centre for Conflict Resolution (Uganda) CEDSA Centre for Development and Security Analysis CGG Campaign for Good Governance CSSp Congregatio Sancti Spiritus (Congregation of the Holy Ghost Fathers) CODESRIA Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa DDR Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration DFID Department for International Development (UK Government) DRC Democratic Republic of Congo ECCP European Centre for Conflict Prevention ECOMOG Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States FBC Fourah Bay College (University of Sierra Leone) GTZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (German Technical Cooperation) HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus HRW Human Rights Watch IA International Alert ICC International Criminal Court ICG International Crisis Group ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross IFRC International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies IMATT International Military Advisory Training Team IPRA International Peace Research Association Le Leones (currency of Sierra Leone) MoHS Ministry of Health and Sanitation NaCSA National Commission for Social Action NGO Non Governmental Organisation NPFL National Patriotic Front of Liberia NPRC National Provisional Ruling Council ODI Overseas Development Institute OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights OPARD Organisation for Peace, Reconciliation and Development PCIA Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper vii RPP Reflecting on Peace Practice (project) RUF Revolutionary United Front SCF Save the Children Fund SCSL Special Court for Sierra Leone SIPRI Stockholm International Peace Research Institute SLA, SLAF, RSLAF Sierra Leone Army/Armed Forces, Royal Sierra Leone Armed Forces SLANGO Sierra Leone Association of Non-Governmental Organizations SLPP Sierra Leone People’s Party SRR Security Sector Reform SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (analysis) TBA Traditional Birth Attendant TRC Truth and Reconciliation Commission UDHR Universal
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Bosire to (2012) the Bondo Secret Society: Female Circumcision and Th
    Bosire, Obara Tom (2012) The Bondo secret society: female circumcision and the Sierra Leonean state. PhD thesis http://theses.gla.ac.uk/3506/ Copyright and moral rights for this thesis are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Glasgow Theses Service http://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] TITLE: THE BONDO SECRET SOCIETY: FEMALE CIRCUMCISION AND THE SIERRA LEONEAN STATE BY TOM OBARA BOSIRE A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN SCHOOL OF SOCIAL & POLITICAL SCIENCES COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW JANUARY, 2012 i Abstract This thesis explores the place of the Bondo secret society, whose precondition for membership is female genital cutting (FGC), in Sierra Leone’s post-war politics. The Bondo society is considered a repository of gendered knowledge that bestows members with significant forms of power in the local social context. Members, especially Bondo society leaders, are dedicated to the continued practice of FGC even amidst calls for its eradication. The Bondo is much sought after and overwhelmingly supported by the political elite due to the role it plays in ordering community life and its position as the depository of cultural repertoires (Swidler, 2001:24).
    [Show full text]
  • VOLUME 3 EDITION 1 (2014) Welcome to the Journal of Sierra Leone Studies. This Is the Fi
    THE JOURNAL OF SIERRA LEONE STUDIES – VOLUME 3 EDITION 1 (2014) Welcome to The Journal of Sierra Leone Studies. This is the first Journal dedicated solely to Sierra Leone to have been published for a long time. We hope that it will be of use to academics, students and anyone with an interest in what for many is a rather ‘special’ country. The Journal will not concentrate on one area of academic study and invites contributions from anyone researching and writing on Sierra Leone to send their articles to: John Birchall for consideration. Prospective contributions should normally be between 3500- 10,000 words in length, though we will in special circumstances consider longer articles and authors can select whether they wish to be peer reviewed or not. Articles should not have appeared in any other published form before. We also include a section on items of general interest – it hoped that these will inform future generations of some of the events and personalities important to the country. The Editorial Board reserves the right to suggest changes they consider are needed to the relevant author (s) and to not publish if such recommendations are ignored. We are particularly interested to encourage students working on subjects specifically relating to Sierra Leone to submit their work. Thank you so much for visiting The Journal and we hope that you (a) find it both interesting and of use to you and (b) that you will inform colleagues, friends and students of the existence of a Journal dedicated to the study of Sierra Leone. John Birchall Articles
    [Show full text]
  • Religion and Peacemaking in Sierra Leone
    i RELIGION AND PEACEMAKING IN SIERRA LEONE Joseph Gaima Lukulay Moiba HCPS, Cand. Mag., PPU1&2, MA, Cand.Theol., PTE. Director of Studies: Prof. Bettina Schmidt, PhD, D.Phil. University of Wales: Trinity Saint David, Lampeter Second Supervisor: Dr Jenny Read-Heimerdinger, PhD, LicDD. University of Wales: Trinity Saint David, Lampeter STATEMENT: This research was undertaken under the auspices of the University of Wales: Trinity Saint David and was submitted in partial fulfilment for the award of PhD in the Faculty of Humanities and Performing Arts to the University of Wales: Trinity Saint David. SEPTEMBER 2016 ii Declaration This work has not previously been accepted as a whole or in part for any degree and has not been concurrently submitted for any degree. Signed: JGLMOIBAREV (Signed) (Candidate) Date: 8. 9. 2016 Statement 1 This thesis is the result of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated. Where correction services have been used, the extent and nature of the correction is clearly marked in a footnote(s). Other sources are acknowledged by footnote giving explicit references. A bibliography is appended. Signed: JGLMOIBAREV (Signed) (Candidate) Date: 8. 9. 2016 Statement 2 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loan, and for the title and abstract to be made available to outside organisations. Signed: JGLMOIBAREV (Signed) (Candidate) Date: 8. 9. 2016 iii Abstract: This thesis concerns religion as a peacemaking tool in Sierra Leone. The vast majority of people in Sierra Leone consider themselves to be Christians, Muslims and / or adherents of African Traditional Religion (ATR).
    [Show full text]
  • THE REBEL WAR YEARS WERE CATALYTIC to DEVELOPMENT in the SOCIAL ADVANCEMENT of WOMEN in POST-WAR SIERRA LEONE” a Dissertation in Fulfilment for the Award Of
    St. Clements University “THE REBEL WAR YEARS WERE CATALYTIC TO DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOCIAL ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN IN POST-WAR SIERRA LEONE” A Dissertation In fulfilment For the Award of DDooccttoorr oo ff PPhhiilloossoopphhyy Submitted by: Christiana A.M. Thorpe B.A. Hons. Modern Languages Master of University Freetown – Sierra Leone May 2006 Dedication To the Dead: In Loving memory of My late Grandmother Christiana Bethia Moses My late Father – Joshua Boyzie Harold Thorpe My late Brother Julius Samuel Harold Thorpe, and My late aunty and godmother – Elizabeth Doherty. To the Living: My Mum: - Effumi Beatrice Thorpe. My Sisters: - Cashope, Onike and Omolora My Brothers: - Olushola, Prince and Bamidele My Best Friend and Guide: Samuel Maligi II 2 Acknowledgements I am grateful to so many people who have been helpful to me in accomplishing this ground breaking, innovative and what is for me a very fascinating study. I would like to acknowledge the moral support received from members of my household especially Margaret, Reginald, Durosimi, Yelie, Kadie and Papa. The entire membership and Institution of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Sierra Leone Chapter has been a reservoir of information for this study. I thank Marilyn, Gloria and Samuel for their support with the Secretariat and research assistance. To the hundreds of interviewees for their timely responses, trust and confidence, I will ever remain grateful. To daddy for the endless hours of brainstorming sessions and his inspirational support. Finally I would like to convey my gratitude to Dr. Le Cornu for his painstaking supervision in making this study a reality.
    [Show full text]
  • Emis Code Council Chiefdom Ward Location School Name
    AMOUNT ENROLM TOTAL EMIS CODE COUNCIL CHIEFDOM WARD LOCATION SCHOOL NAME SCHOOL LEVEL PER ENT AMOUNT PAID CHILD 5103-2-09037 WARDC WATERLOO RURAL 391 ROGBANGBA ABDUL JALIL ACADEMY PRIMARY PRIMARY 369 10,000 3,690,000 1291-2-00714 KENEMA DISTRICT COUNCIL KENEMA CITY 67 FULAWAHUN ABDUL JALIL ISLAMIC PRIMARY SCHOOL PRIMARY 380 3,800,000 4114-2-06856 BO CITY TIKONKO 289 SAMIE ABDUL TAWAB HAIKAL PRIMARY SCHOOL 610 10,000 PRIMARY 6,100,000 KONO DISTRICT TANKORO DOWN BALLOP ABDULAI IBN ABASS PRIMARY SCHOOL PRIMARY SCHOOL 694 1391-2-02007 6,940,000 KONO DISTRICT TANKORO TAMBA ABU ABDULAI IBNU MASSOUD ANSARUL ISLAMIC MISPRIMARY SCHOOL 407 1391-2-02009 STREET 4,070,000 5208-2-10866 FREETOWN CITY COUNCIL WEST III PRIMARY ABERDEEN ABERDEEN MUNICIPAL 366 3,660,000 5103-2-09002 WARDC WATERLOO RURAL 397 KOSSOH TOWN ABIDING GRACE PRIMARY SCHOOL PRIMARY 62 620,000 5103-2-08963 WARDC WATERLOO RURAL 373 BENGUEMA ABNAWEE ISLAMIC PRIMARY SCHOOOL PRIMARY 405 4,050,000 4109-2-06695 BO DISTRICT KAKUA 303 KPETEMA ACEF / MOUNT HORED PRIMARY SCHOOL PRIMARY 411 10,000.00 4,110,000 Not found WARDC WATERLOO RURAL COLE TOWN ACHIEVERS PRIMARY TUTORAGE PRIMARY 388 3,880,000 ACTION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH 5205-2-09766 FREETOWN CITY COUNCIL EAST III CALABA TOWN 460 10,000 DEVELOPMENT PRIMARY 4,600,000 ADA GORVIE MEMORIAL PREPARATORY 320401214 BONTHE DISTRICT IMPERRI MORIBA TOWN 320 10,000 PRIMARY SCHOOL PRIMARY 3,200,000 KONO DISTRICT TANKORO BONGALOW ADULLAM PRIMARY SCHOOL PRIMARY SCHOOL 323 1391-2-01954 3,230,000 1109-2-00266 KAILAHUN DISTRICT LUAWA KAILAHUN ADULLAM PRIMARY
    [Show full text]
  • Women and Post-Conflict Society in Sierra Leone Hazel M
    Journal of International Women's Studies Volume 12 | Issue 4 Article 9 Jul-2011 Women and Post-Conflict Society in Sierra Leone Hazel M. McFerson Recommended Citation McFerson, Hazel M. (2011). Women and Post-Conflict Society in Sierra Leone. Journal of International Women's Studies, 12(4), 127-147. Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol12/iss4/9 This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. This journal and its contents may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. ©2011 Journal of International Women’s Studies. Women and Post-Conflict Society in Sierra Leone1 By Hazel M. McFerson2 Abstract Gender inequality in Sierra Leone, after colonialism among the worst in Sub-Saharan Africa, has been heightened further by the civil war of 1992-2002--which was related in part to the struggle for control of “blood diamonds” but also to long-standing social and regional disparities, and to collapse of formal institutions and widespread corruption. Sierra Leonean women are today among the most marginalized in the world, socially, economically and politically. However, there are differences among three groups: the better educated, comparatively richer “Krios” (descendants of the original freed slaves); relatively enlightened tribes; and the more traditional patriarchal tribes. The main route to improving the status of Sierra Leonean women is political empowerment. Some progress has been made since the civil war, post-conflict reconstruction programs and donor pressure are also opening up new opportunities for women progress, and there are hopes of significant electoral gains for women in the 2012 elections, inspired by the promising developments in neighboring post-conflict Liberia (which in 2005 elected Africa’s first female president).
    [Show full text]
  • The Chiefdoms of Sierra Leone
    The Chiefdoms of Sierra Leone Tristan Reed1 James A. Robinson2 July 15, 2013 1Harvard University, Department of Economics, Littauer Center, 1805 Cambridge Street, Cambridge MA 02138; E-mail: [email protected]. 2Harvard University, Department of Government, IQSS, 1737 Cambridge Street., N309, Cambridge MA 02138; E-mail: [email protected]. Abstract1 In this manuscript, a companion to Acemoglu, Reed and Robinson (2013), we provide a detailed history of Paramount Chieftaincies of Sierra Leone. British colonialism transformed society in the country in 1896 by empowering a set of Paramount Chiefs as the sole authority of local government in the newly created Sierra Leone Protectorate. Only individuals from the designated \ruling families" of a chieftaincy are eligible to become Paramount Chiefs. In 2011, we conducted a survey in of \encyclopedias" (the name given in Sierra Leone to elders who preserve the oral history of the chieftaincy) and the elders in all of the ruling families of all 149 chieftaincies. Contemporary chiefs are current up to May 2011. We used the survey to re- construct the history of the chieftaincy, and each family for as far back as our informants could recall. We then used archives of the Sierra Leone National Archive at Fourah Bay College, as well as Provincial Secretary archives in Kenema, the National Archives in London and available secondary sources to cross-check the results of our survey whenever possible. We are the first to our knowledge to have constructed a comprehensive history of the chieftaincy in Sierra Leone. 1Oral history surveys were conducted by Mohammed C. Bah, Alimamy Bangura, Alieu K.
    [Show full text]
  • RELIGION and CONFLICT in AFRICA with a SPECIAL FOCUS on EAST AFRICA Bjørn Møller DIIS REPORT 2006:6 DIIS REPORT DIIS
    DIIS REPORT 2006:6 RELIGION AND CONFLICT IN AFRICA WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON EAST AFRICA Bjørn Møller DIIS REPORT 2006:6 DIIS REPORT DIIS DANISH INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES 1 DIIS REPORT 2006:6 © Copenhagen 2006 Danish Institute for International Studies, DIIS Strandgade 56, DK -1401 Copenhagen, Denmark Ph: +45 32 69 87 87 Fax: +45 32 69 87 00 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.diis.dk Cover Design: Carsten Schiøler Layout: Allan Lind Jørgensen Printed in Denmark by Vesterkopi AS ISBN: 87-7605-145-5 Price: DKK 50.00 (VAT included) DIIS publications can be downloaded free of charge from www.diis.dk Hardcopies can be ordered at www.diis.dk This publication is part of DIIS’s Defence and Security Studies project which is funded by a grant from the Danish Ministry of Defence. Bjørn Møller, Senior Research Fellow, DIIS,DIIS, [email protected]@diis.dk The author holds an MA in History and a Ph.D. in International Relations, both from the University of Copenhagen. Since 1985, he has been (senior) research fellow, subsequently programme director at the Copenhagen Peace Research Institute (COPRI), which in 2003 became part of the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS). He served as Secretary General of the International Peace Research Association (IPRA) from 1997 to 2000, and has been External Lecturer at the Institute of Political Studies, University of Copenhagen since 1994 and at the Centre of African Studies since 2002. In the academic year 2003/04, he served as Visiting Associate Professor at the research centre on Development and International Relations (DIR) at Aalborg University, where he is pres- ently external lecturer.
    [Show full text]
  • The Social Function of Writing in Post-War Sierra Leone
    THE SOCIAL FUNCTION OF WRITING IN POST-WAR SIERRA LEONE: POETRY AS A DISCOURSE FOR PEACE by JOANNA KAY SKELT A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Centre for West African Studies School of History and Cultures The University of Birmingham August 2013 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT This thesis considers how creative writing contributes to social recovery and conflict transformation and uses Sierra Leone as a test case. In order to do this, existing theory in relation to the role of the writer and conflict in Africa is examined and a detailed social and literary context outlined. The civil war of 1991-2002 prompted a poetic outpouring amongst new and existing creative writers despite a chronic lack of readership. Interviews with poets based in the capital, Freetown, reveal strong social motivations to write combined with heightened feelings of agency experienced as writers. An examination of texts provides insights into the process of recovery amongst Sierra Leone’s writer-intellectuals. These combined investigations suggest that writing offers an important location for peaceful counter debate and for re-imagining and recreating the nation in the aftermath of war.
    [Show full text]
  • POVERTY and WELFARE in COLONIAL NIGERIA, 1900-1954 By
    POVERTY AND WELFARE IN COLONIAL NIGERIA, 1900-1954 by UYILAWA USUANLELE A thesis submitted to the Department of History in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Queen’s University Kingston, Ontario, Canada September 2010 Copyright © Uyilawa Usuanlele, 2010 ABSTRACT This study examines the interface of poverty and development of state welfare initiatives colonial Nigeria. It attempts to unravel the transformation and the nature and character of poverty afflicting majority of Nigerians since the period immediately preceding colonialism and under colonial rule. It looks at the causes and manifestations of poverty as well as the nature of social welfare in pre-colonial Nigerian societies in relation to the new forms of poverty that British Colonial policies visited on the society. Poverty in the colonial period is shown to have been caused by changes in power relations and accompanying administrative and economic reorganization of the society which facilitated the diversion of labour, resources and surplus produce from family and household use to the colonial state, firms and their agents. This new form of poverty was manifested in the loss of family and household self-sufficiency and the inability to meet personal survival needs and obligations, making the majority unable to participate fully in the affairs of their communities. This dissertation looks at how the British Colonial State tried to achieve its objective of exploitation and deal with the problem of poverty in its various manifestations using indigenous institutions and practices and other non- indigenous strategies in the face of growing African resistance and declining productivity. It argues that over-aching strategy of development represented by the Colonial Development and Welfare Act of 1940 and subsequent amendments and community development were designed to co-opt the emergent civil society into acquiescence with the social system and contain further resistance, and as such could not provide welfare nor alleviate the problem of poverty.
    [Show full text]
  • Post-War Regimes and State Reconstruction in Liberia and Sierra Leone
    POST-WAR REGIMES AND STATE RECONSTRUCTION IN LIBERIA AND SIERRA LEONE Amadu Sesay Charles Ukeje Osman Gbla Olawale Ismail Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa prelim.pmd 1 20/07/2009, 20:25 © CODESRIA 2009 Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop, Angle Canal IV P.O. Box 3304 Dakar, 18524, Senegal Website: www.codesria.org ISBN: 978-2-86978-256-3 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission from CODESRIA. Typesetting: Daouda Thiam Cover Design: Ibrahima Fofana Printing: Imprimerie Saint-Paul, Dakar, Senegal Distributed in Africa by CODESRIA Distributed elsewhere by African Books Collective, Oxford, UK. Website: www.africanbookscollective.com The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) is an independent organisation whose principal objectives are to facilitate research, promote research-based publishing and create multiple forums geared towards the exchange of views and information among African researchers. All these are aimed at reducing the fragmentation of research in the continent through the creation of thematic research networks that cut across linguistic and regional boundaries. CODESRIA publishes a quarterly journal, Africa Development, the longest standing Africa- based social science journal; Afrika Zamani, a journal of history; the African Sociological Review; the African Journal of International Affairs; Africa Review of Books and the Journal of Higher Education in Africa. The Council also co-publishes the Africa Media Review; Identity, Culture and Politics: An Afro-Asian Dialogue; The African Anthropologist and the Afro-Arab Selections for Social Sciences.
    [Show full text]
  • Explaining Women's Roles in the West African Tragic Triplet: Sierra Leone
    Journal of Alternative Perspective s in the Social Sciences ( 2009 ) V ol 1, No 3, 808 -839 Explaining Women’s Roles in the West African Tragic Triplet: Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Cote d’Ivoire in Comparative Perspective Isiaka Alani Badmus , University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia Abstract: This paper is a critical examination of women’s roles in the West African civil conflicts of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Cote d’Ivoire. Our epistemological point of departure is that women perform significant combat roles in war situations. Scholars/analysts have focused on women as solely victims of wars, but this study presents a framework that distances itself from this view and presents information on the wide variety of women’s involvement in conflicts. Thus, whilst the public life of politics that comprises war-making decision is being dictated by men, women are involved in many other roles in the field. Consequently, this study addresses the following research conundrums: What factors explain the increased ‘feminization of the militarization process’ associated with conflicts in West Africa? Are women voluntary partners in war or are they reluctant actors being manipulated by ruthless army officers/warlords? What are the implications of women’s active involvement in conflicts for the future development of women in these countries under focus, and society at large? What are the current and prospective roles of women in mediation and post-conflict peacebuilding? 1. Introduction: The Questions of Analysis This paper is a critical examination of women’s roles in the West African civil conflicts with emphasis on ‘the West African Tragic Triplet’—Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Cote d’Ivoire.
    [Show full text]