Tuesday April 7 2009 / Citizenship
The women of Africa can turn the tide - Pray the devil back to hell
25th Globalization Lecture with Etweda Cooper
Etweda Cooper is secretary general of the Liberian Women's Initiative. Liberian women, Christian as well as Muslim, managed to call a halt to the violent civil war in Liberia in 2003. Elections were held and a strong woman was elected president. In the interim, the former military leader Charles Taylor is being held in detention at the Special Court for Sierra Leone in Scheveningen during his trial.
What is the secret of the Liberian women of peace? Can their approach be successful in other areas of conflict on the African continent?
During the civil war in Liberia, Cooper organized large-scale actions, demonstrations and protest marches to get the attention of both the government and the international community. She will hold a discussion with journalist Linda Polman (The Crisis Caravan) with contributions from writer Vamba Sherif (Land of the fathers) and Sylvia Borren (co-chairwoman of Worldconnectors and of Global Call for Action on Poverty).
In the documentary Pray the Devil Back to Hell (US 2008) by director Gini Reticker, thousands of women clad in white take action. At the low point of the civil war in Liberia, the Liberian Women of Peace pulled out all the stops to get Charles Taylor and the conflicting parties to reach an agreement on the termination of the lengthy and bloody conflict. The film won the Best Documentary Award at the Tribeca film festival.
19.00 hrs: Pray the Devil Back to Hell
20.30 hrs: 25th Globalization Lecture
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