Fambul Tok organizes interactive sessions for Peace Mothers

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Solomon Yarjoh

Peace Mothers pose for a group portrait in Moyamba

Fambul Tok continues to create space for people to meet, discuss and find a way forward — together. For the past two weeks, Fambul Tok organized interactive sessions for Peace Mothers groups in Kono, Kailahun, Moyamba, Kono and Bombali districts.

According to the Executive Director of Fambul Tok International, John Caulker, the purpose of the interactive sessions for Peace Mothers is to create a space for women to discuss pertinent issues, share ideas and experiences and overcome the challenges facing them. “The conflict in Sierra Leone divided families and communities. After the war there was no forum for people, especially women, to meet and discuss issues affecting them, so Fambul Tok is creating this space for them  so they could know each other, mingle and interact for the very first time,” Caulker stresses.

He emphasizes the fact that “Fambul Tok addresses the roots of conflict at the local level, walking alongside war-affected individuals as they reflect on the past in ways that enable them to be part of averting renewed aggression. Grounding reconciliation in traditional practices also helps create healthy communities capable of building new foundations of peace.”

These sessions are geared towards consultation, recounting past activities, experience-sharing, and fostering peace to enable them overcome the challenges facing them in their

Peace Mothers celebrating after lunch

communities. During debriefing, Peace Mothers shared their experiences with the goal of  learning new things from one another.

According to Sia James of Woama village, Tankoro chiefdom, Kono district, many initially thought that the group would be shortlived because of the perception that women would not be willing to work together.

Edith Jarfoi of Gorama chiefdom, Kono district says that because the women are now working together, they have benefited from an international organisation that provided them with a rice mill.

The peace mothers from Koinadugu district were so enthusiastic that even though they

Peace Mothers gather for an intensive session in Kabala, Koinadugu

traveled over two hundred miles through rugged roads to meet their colleagues, they had renewed energy anytime they came forward to share their experiences. One of them, Esther Conteh from Wara Wara, Bafodia chiefdom says she was happy for the fact that she had never had the opportunity to take part in such activity.

‘We are happy because this is the first time we are visiting Kono, Kailahun and Moyamba,” Esther says.

One of the women in Moyamba district, Memunatu Sillah, says they have sold their proceeds but have no idea of what to do with the money. She says she has gained an idea from other women to do business — Madam Jeneba, from Moyamba, taught her colleagues how to plant ginger.

The Kailahun women touched on the aspect of upland farming and other techniques in entering the palm oil trade. The women also paid an exchange visit to Shenge town, a centre for fish trade in Moyamba district, to learn how to work in the fishing industry. Kono women boasted of how beneficial ‘konso beans’ and other crops have been to them.

Posted in From the Ground: Program Updates from Sierra Leone, In the News | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Fambul Tok book to be used by Universities

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Solomon Yarjoh

While addressing the crowd at the October 6, 2011 launch of the Fambul Tok book held at the British Council auditorium in Freetwon, Madam Memunatu Pratt, Head of Peace and Conflict Studies at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone lauded the efforts of Fambul Tok International to facilitate and promote peace building. She continued to emphasize the benefit that the newly launched Fambul Tok book could provide to students studying peace and conflict studies in universities.

Audience at book launch at British Council in Freetown

Madam Pratt went on to describe the rich content of the book as providing detailed information about the reconciliation process in Sierra Leone, encouraging universities offering peace and conflict studies to acquire a copy of the book and use it as a resource to educate students on the importance of community reconciliation. She commended Fambul Tok for focusing on reconciliation at the community level, stating that after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, no organization was willing to take up the challenge of continuing reconciliation in Sierra Leone.

Director of British Council in Sierra Leone, Louisa Waddingham, with Memunatu Pratt, Head of Peace and Conflict Studies, Fourah Bay College, and Fambul Tok staff John Caulker and Micheala Ashwood

The Director of the British Council in Sierra Leone, Louisa Waddingham, echoed Madam Pratt by commending the work of Fambul Tok and also recommending that academic institutions use the book.

Executive Director of Fambul Tok International John Caulker then spoke, acknowledging all those who contributed in diverse ways toward the completion of the book, including the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank and Sierra Rutile for their support in distributing copies of the book to communities in Sierra Leone. He also assured the audience that the book would be made available to the rural communities who have worked so hard to make themselves whole again.

As a complement to the book launch, the 82 minute-long Fambul Tok documentary film was screened with a Question and Answer session afterward.

The handsomely produced 144-page book, published by Umbrage Editions, gathers the voices of conflict resolution experts such as Benedict Sannoh, former Sierra Leonean child soldier Ishmael Beah, John Caulker, and Libby Hoffman, the co-founder of Fambul Tok, along with the indelible artistry of the photographs and story documented by journalist Sara Terry to create an unforgettable testimony to the power of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Posted in From the Ground: Program Updates from Sierra Leone, The Book | Tagged , | Leave a comment

‘He is now a father to me’…perpetrator

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Solomon Yarjoh

There is an African proverb which says “There is no bad bush to throw away a bad child.” Indeed, Africans  do not emphasize crime and punishment but stress the culture of forgiveness and reconciliation through various traditional ways.

Sierra Leone, a country that suffered from a eleven-year old conflict is one of the countries that has a very rich tradition. Sierra Leoneans believe that ‘a blazing fire will not put off another blazing fire,’ but that a problem won’t be settled unless and until it is settled in a family way.

With the revival of traditions to help reconcile broken relationships and communities through Fambul Tok, many communities are now using the concept of Fambul Tok to settle their own minor disputes rather than going through the formal justice system. This is yielding fruits in the country and beyond because pressure is mounted on Fambul Tok by various organisations outside Sierra Leone to use its approach of community reconciliation.

In Falaba village, Sulima chiefdom, Koinadugu district in the north of Sierra Leone, one of the boys that was captured and recruited into one of the fighting forces during the war has heaved a sigh of relief as he lives happily with Pa Yeare Samura.

Hassan was captured by rebels at the tender age of eight (8) and was forced to burn down several houses in Falaba.

In his testimony during Fambul Tok reconciliation ceremony in Falaba on May 19, Hassan confessed that he was forced to lead troops to Pa Samura’s house. Fortunately for the old man he got information that rebels wanted him dead so he escaped but he house was razed to the ground.

When the war was declared over, Hassan returned to Falaba to settle down. He is now in his early twenties. Pa Samura also decided to come back home begin life from nowhere. Both Hassan and Pa Samura were not on speaking terms for over 10 years. Each time they set eyes on each other, they described how it seemed a time bomb was set, awaiting to explode.

After both men reconciled in May, Fambul Tok has realised that they are working as one in the interest of peace and reconciliation.

“He is now like a father to me. I always assist Pa Samura any time the need arises,” Hassan says.

On the other hand Pa Samura says everything is fine as Hassan always assist him to work on his farm.

Posted in From the Ground: Program Updates from Sierra Leone, Koinadugu District, People, Updates by District | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

“Illiteracy is not a stumbling block,” Feijia declares

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Solomon Yarjoh

Women in Feijia show illiteracy doesn't mean they can't make an important contribution

The perception of many elites, especially in sub-saharan Africa, is that people cannot contribute positively to any development program if they have not been formally educated. Even though millions of people have various talents and could contribute to the development of  their various communities in one way or the other, the elites continue to disregard their efforts and always see them as unimportant.

The notion that only the educated will strive is being challenged as illiterates have shown to the world that they can contribute even more than the elites.  This has been demonstrated in many parts of the world, especially in Sierra Leone where mostly-illiterate middle-aged women have been trained to become, for example, solar panel engineers.  It is being clearly demonstrated in the Fambul Tok program as well, where women are demonstrating great capacity in things like reconciliation, communication and listening skills, mediation etc.  Through the Peace Mothers program, they are also playing important roles in development, and gaining more confidence in their ability to be important contributors to their communities.

Feijia village, in Njaluahun chiefdom, Kailahun district in the far east of Sierra Leone is one of the communities that attests to the reality that illiteracy is not a stumbling block to progress.

Among the Peace Mothers in Feijia and surrounding villages, virtually 100 percent cannot read and write and have never sat in a classroom. But that did not stop them coming together to take on important development projects in their section.

The Vice Chairlady of the Peace Mothers in Feijia, Madam Fatmata Musa, said that women can do more than men. She said most people assume that illiterate people are not important, adding that they have the perception that only those that are educated could play active roles in every sphere of life.

“Initially we thought that we are not important for the fact we cannot read and write.  But we have realized that we are a great force to reckon with,” Madam Musa stressed.

One of the members, Lucia Ansumana, was enthusiastic and said had it not been for Fambul Tok, they would not have realized their roles and responsibilities and equally their importance.

Madam Fatmata Keifala spoke about plans for next year, adding that they intend to do more.

“We have harvested our groundnut farm and the community farm is in progress,” she said. “We have divided the yields into two,” she continued.  “One part will be sold so that the proceeds would be shared among women to held their children as school reopens very soon.”

Also in Kenewa village in Luawa chiefdom, Kailahun district, Peace Mothers have planned to assist their children through the proceeds of their yields.  This is becoming a very common story in almost all of the nearly 100 Peace Mothers groups.

Posted in From the Ground: Program Updates from Sierra Leone, Kailahun District | Tagged | Leave a comment

Announcing Fambul Tok’s European Premiere!

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Hannah Ewing

We are thrilled to announce that Fambul Tok will have its European Premiere at the Raindance Film Festival on September 29, 2011 at 4:30PM, at the Apollo Piccadilly Circus theater. Producer Libby Hoffman will be on hand for Q&A following the screening.

Check out this Raindance review of the film by Abigail Smith:

“How would you feel if you lived next door to your rapist, or walked past the man who killed your father every day? Could you forgive them? Would you ever be able to call them your friend?

Following an 11 year civil war and a blanket amnesty for all but the most prolific perpetrators, Sierra Leoneans routinely rub shoulders with those who have wronged them in the most heinous of ways – and this documentary follows a rare initiative that seeks to reconcile them.

Drawing on ancient African traditions, victims are encouraged to tell their tale around a campfire before identifying their aggressor. In the intimate night-time recordings, we hear harrowing stories plainly told, then watch in awe as the criminal comes forward. Yet the rights and wrongs shift as easily as the flame-thrown shadows: with so many forced to fall in with the rebels or face death, the murderers ache with regret and the experience is cathartic for the entire community.

In contrast to the dark and intimate campfire sections, the rest of the film is characterised by colour and clarity, communicating the calm, hope and sense of newness that follows a long and violent storm. A humbling testament to the power of forgiveness, this movie is sure to leave you feeling uplifted.”

For tickets and screening information, visit the Fambul Tok page on the Raindance site.

Posted in In the News, The Film | Tagged , | Leave a comment