Guest Post by Aaron Leaf
“Liberians decry ‘mockery of justice’ in Charles Taylor verdict” is a piece by Geoffrey York in Canada’s Globe and Mail that portrays a country outraged by the result of Taylor’s trial. The fact that Charles Taylor is reviled in the West but loved in Liberia is a fun thing to report on. It hints at the idea that Liberians have a very different world view, a mystical one where power is celebrated for its own sake, except it’s not really true.
The Verdict on Charles Taylor–Take 2
April 28, 2012 By 4 Comments
The verdict on Charles Taylor
April 27, 2012 By 5 Comments
Guest Post by Mats Utas
Yesterday the Special Court for Sierra Leone found Charles Taylor guilty of aiding the RUF during the Sierra Leonean Civil War. The court case that has taken five years is the last of a court that has previously sentenced 9 Sierra Leonean rebel and military leaders with long prison sentences. Taylor has 14 days to appeal and his sentence should be given on May 30. Not too long ago I was in a Monrovian bar owned by a friend of mine. I complained about a drink where they used American ginger beer instead of making their own “local” version. Local ginger beer is a sweet, nice and affable drink compared to its unpleasant American brother. Nothing comes out of complaining so instead I arranged with the barman that he should buy some ginger and lime and we would meet before opening the following day. So we did and together we made ginger beer and with the skills of the barman created a very tasty drink. We named it CT after Charles Taylor. Charles Taylor was often nicknamed ginger because of his light skin. I hope that costumers ordering a CT do understand that it is an irony – the name was not given to celebrate Charles Taylor, but as a comment on the enigmatic presence of Charles Taylor in Liberia close to ten years after he left the country in 2003.
Africa @ SXSW: filmmaker Idriss Kpange
March 17, 2012 By 1 Comment
Idriss Kpange is a filmmaker from Sierra Leone. AIAC met him at SXSW earlier this week to chat about making film in Sierra Leone, the constraints he and other filmmakers face, and about a new humanitarian film festival called ‘Open Your Eyes’ in the capital city Freetown, which Kpange is organizing.
Shameless Self-Promotion
February 24, 2012 By 5 Comments
So I released an album this week, and shot my first ever music video for it as well. This is my personal reflection on Sorie Kondi’s original message, integrating footage from his video, and my own from New York and Freetown. I hope you enjoy.
Salone Got Riddim
February 2, 2012 By 1 Comment
AIAC contributor Anni Lyngskaer just posted this short video showcasing the rhythm of daily life in Sierra Leone, and the dancing talents of the country’s women. It’s a really nicely shot and edited clip, plus the incorporation of sounds corresponding to the action makes for an interesting audio visual experience. Great job Anni!
The Bubu Ambassador
January 28, 2012 By 2 Comments
We’ve posted on Janka Nabay, the Bubu King from Sierra Leone now creating his music on the US east coast. (See our previous posts here.) He has a new single, ‘Eh Man Ah’. Here it is below. [Read more...]
Selling Freetown
January 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Kieran Hanson’s documentary “Shooting Freetown” is a short glimpse into the lives of various media creators in Freetown, Sierra Leone during July and August of 2011. I was in the city at the same time this was being filmed, and visited with some of the same people, so I have to say that Hanson did a great job of portraying what Freetown felt like this past rainy season (this being an election year, the city will probably feel quite different.)
Sorie Kondi wants to go to Texas
January 12, 2012 By 1 Comment
A small team of folks (including myself) are trying to help raise funds to get Sorie Kondi to SXSW in Austin, Texas this upcoming March. If you’re unfamiliar with Sorie, check out the many profiles done on him c/o Vickie Remoe, the BBC, and We Own TV.
You need Nicholas Kristof
October 15, 2011 By 6 Comments
By Dan Moshenberg
O my friends, there is no friend! If you’re an African girl in trouble, there are only two things you can rely on. Your courage … and Nicholas Kristof. At least, that’s what Kristof would have us believe.
The story Kristof tells is the story he’s told before. This time he’s in Sierra Leone. A 15-year-old girl named Fulamatu is raped by her neighbor. This happens repeatedly, and Fulamatu remains in terrified and terrorized silence. She loses weight, becomes sick. Finally, when two girls report that the pastor had tried to rape them, Fulamatu’s parents put two and two together, and asked their daughter, who reports the whole series of events. They take her to the doctor, where she is found to have gonorrhea. Fulamatu lays charges against the pastor, who flees.
That’s where Kristof comes in.
National Pride
September 22, 2011 By 4 Comments
I’ll take any excuse to post about football.
Fifa, football’s world controlling body, announced the latest rankings for world football this week.
Not surprising are the top five nations: Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Uruguay and Portugal.
We of course care about the African rankings.
The African teams in the top 50 are: Cote d’Ivoire (no. 16, down one place) followed by Egypt (36th, down 2 places), Ghana (37th, down 1), Burkina Faso (41th, down 1), Senegal (42nd, up 7), Nigeria (43rd, down 5), Algeria (46th) and Cameroon (48th).
My team, South Africa, is just outside the top 50: they’re 51st, down 4 places. (Didn’t they draw and beat Egypt in recent African Nations Cup qualifiers eliminating the 6-time continental champions from next year’s finals?)
Sierra Leone (now 68th, up 24), Togo (95th, up 26) and Namibia (119th, up 24) are three of the six teams outside the top 50 who improved their position on the rankings by more than 20 places.
