How another Liberian ‘Iron Lady’ is combating violence against women.

by Nelima

There’s another ‘Iron Lady’ in Liberia who goes by the name of Inspector General Beatrice Munah Sieh-Brown. She is the police chief of Liberia and last night I watched a short feature on World Focus , which was looking at her efforts in combating violence against women. Currently rape is the highest reported crime in Liberia’s capital city Monrovia and more than half the cases involve girls aged between 10 and 14. This gives credence to the discussion on sexual violence in post-conflict societies, which was the main topic of discussion at this year’s International Women’s Day at the U of M – I wrote an article about it here. Rape is often used as a weapon of war, but sexual violence does not stop when the war ends.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf at the U of MN this Friday

Hey people don’t forget this event:

DISTINGUISHED CARLSON LECTURE SERIES

Humphrey Institute to Host Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf at University of Minnestoa

The Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs will present the 2009 Distinguished Carlson Lecture featuring Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia, at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 10, at Northrop Memorial Auditorium. Doors open at 1 p.m.

Internationally known as Africa’s “Iron Lady,” Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was the first woman democratically elected to lead an African nation. She previously held several positions at the United Nations, including serving as the first woman to lead the Development Project for Africa.

Screenings of Iron Ladies in Advance of President Sirleaf’s visit to the U of MN

What: Screening of Iron Ladies of Liberia in advance of Liberian President
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s visit to the University of Minnesota

When: Thursday, April 2, 12 and 4 p.m.

Where: Colwes Auditorium, Humphrey Center

 
Humphrey Institute Announces Screenings of Iron Ladies of Liberia  
in Advance of President Sirleaf’s Visit to the University of Minnesota
Film documents Sirleaf’s extraordinary first year in office

Minneapolis, MN (03/30/09) - The Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs will offer two free screenings of the film Iron Ladies of Liberia at 12 and 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, at the Humphrey Center. 

After nearly two decades of civil war, Liberia elected Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as its first woman president. Nicknamed the “Iron Lady,” Johnson Sirleaf was at one time imprisoned for treason under military dictatorship. Now the Harvard-educated economist and grandmother of eight is Africa’s first democratically elected female head of state.

The women who put an end to the Liberian war

by Nekessa

Leymah Gbowee Photo Credit: Michael Angelo for Wonderland

Pray the Devil Back to Hell is a must-watch documentary. You might have heard about how thousands of women in Liberia were instrumental in sending Charles Taylor and other warlords to Ghana for peace talks at the height of the Liberian war.  Maybe you saw one of the women Leymah Gbowee in a telephone interview on CNN’s international edition. However, chances are you have not heard this inspiring story. Because let’s face it no one was interested in telling these women’s story; least of all the international media that was covering the crisis at the time (not just the Western media, but also African media).

Charles Taylor may go free because court is running broke.

by Nelima

An article in the VOA says that former Liberian president Charles Taylor could go free due to insufficient funds for the court proceedings. For those of you not familiar with the history of this story, Charles Taylor is currently in custody at the Hague and on trial by the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone for war crimes and crimes against humanity during Sierra Leone’s civil war. According to the article;

Reuters news agency quotes prosecutor Stephen Rapp as saying donations to the Special Court for Sierra Leone are down because of the worldwide economic recession. Rapp says if the court runs out of money, it is possible judges will have to release Taylor.

Pray the Devil Back to Hell (film)

Pray the Devil Back to Hell is a film on a group of Liberian women who started a movement to end the civil war in their country.

Portrait of Leymah Gbowee Photo Credit: Michael Angelo for Wonderland

The NFL Super Bowl – Africa Connection

by Nelima 

So while the Pittburg Steelers were celebrating their victory, the Cardinals were trying to get rid of all those pre-printed T-shirts that announced the Arizona Cardinals as the winners of the 2009 Super Bowl Champs. An article in the Pittsburg Post-Gazette says that those T-shirts will be donated to poor families in El Salvador. Also for donation are clothes from the Baltimore Ravens and and Philadelphia Eagles, who both lost their conference title games. That gear will make its way to Africa courtesy of the Christian relief organization, World Vision.

And while some people in Africa will be benefitting off the NFL’s Super Bowl, many labor rights activists were protesting the organization’s cozy partnership with Bridgestone/Firestone.

“Iron Ladies of Liberia” Screening Tomorrow

From Mshale Newspaper

 

Iron Ladies of Liberia, a documentary on the leadership of Liberia’s president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, will be screening at the St. Anthony Park Branch Library tomorrow.

The film goes behind the scenes as Johnson-Sirleaf takes the reigns of a country that has been on the brink of destruction following 14 years of a civil war. Through the film, the world gets a glimpse into the lives of Sirleaf’s pre-dominately female cabinet as they face head-on the monumental challenges it takes to build Liberia’s infrastructure and economy.

The other Iron Ladies of Liberia are: Beatrice Munah Sieh, Liberia’s National Police Chief, Dr. Antoinette Sayeh, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Justice Francis Johnson-Morris, the Commerce Minister Olubanke King Akerele and the Minister of Gender Vabah Kazaku Gayflor.

The film will follow with a discussion led by two attorneys: Laura Young and Harriette Badio who is also a  Liberian community leader.

Presented by The Advocates for Human Rights, this film is part of series highlighting women’s rights issues around the world.

Click here for a full listing of other films in the series.

Read Mshale’s review on last year’s screening here. 

“Iron Ladies of Liberia”
Wednesday, November 19, 7 p.m.
St. Anthony Park Branch Library, 2245 Como Ave, St. Paul, Minn.