Fighting for the Rain Forest: War, Youth & Resources in Sierra Leone"What appears as random, anarchic violence is no such thing. The terrifying military methods of Sierra Leone's soldiers may not fit conventional western models of warfare, but they are rational and effective nonetheless. The war must be understood partly as a 'performance', in which techniques of terror compensate for lack of equipment." "Sierra Leone's youth belong to a modern, trans-Atlantic culture. In remote diamond-digging camps, young people watch Rambo videos and have a sophisticated understanding of world affairs from the BBC. These are part of the cultural resources with which the war is fought." "The war is fought in the rain forest, and can only be understood in the context of old traditions of social and technical management of the forest. There is no evidence that a crisis of deforestation or overpopulation has contributed to the war." "Rebuilding the state - and giving young Sierra Leoneans confidence in it - is essential for peace. But in the meantime, many people are learning to live with war, and building limited peace locally. Aid agencies must learn from these initiatives if relief is to contribute to peace and not become part of the economy of conflict."--BOOK JACKET. |
From inside the book
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Page 32
... trade ( trade goods to Africa , slaves to the Americas , sugar and cotton to Europe ) . The Sierra Leone river was an early , and late , centre for the slave trade , based on the fort at Bunce Island . Sierra Leone was a source of ...
... trade ( trade goods to Africa , slaves to the Americas , sugar and cotton to Europe ) . The Sierra Leone river was an early , and late , centre for the slave trade , based on the fort at Bunce Island . Sierra Leone was a source of ...
Page 77
... trade between the coast and the savanna interior , when Saharan salt trade routes suffered disruption , this would explain the first appearance of a savanna language on the coast . Perhaps Vai was spoken only by a handful of merchants ...
... trade between the coast and the savanna interior , when Saharan salt trade routes suffered disruption , this would explain the first appearance of a savanna language on the coast . Perhaps Vai was spoken only by a handful of merchants ...
Page 96
... trade . Forest - edge West Africans have access to two sorts of palm wine , but the technique of making distilled spirits was introduced only by ex - soldiers after the First World War . Prior to that time ' trade gin ' was an important ...
... trade . Forest - edge West Africans have access to two sorts of palm wine , but the technique of making distilled spirits was introduced only by ex - soldiers after the First World War . Prior to that time ' trade gin ' was an important ...
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Common terms and phrases
African agriculture areas army attack Barbarism Bopolu bush camp Cape Mount cent Chapter chiefdom civil civilians coast conflict Côte d'Ivoire creolization cultural diamond mining ECOMOG economic elephant elite environmental Executive Outcomes farmers farming fighters fighting films Foday Sankoh forest conversion Forest Reserve forest society Freetown global Gola Forest Gola North government troops Guinea hostages ideas initiation insurgency intellectual interviewees Kailahun District Kambia Kenema Kono Krio Lalehun language leader Liberia Liberia and Sierra Liberian border London Mende military modern Momoh Monrovia movement NPFL NPRC Pandebu patrimonial peace Pendembu perhaps political population Pujehun District radio rain forest Rambo rebels recruited refugees regime rice Richards RSLMF RUF leadership RUF/SL rural savanna Shining Path Siaka Stevens Sierra Leonean slaves strangers Taylor Toffler town trade tributors ULIMO Upper Guinean forest villages violence West Africa women young Sierra Leoneans youth zone