That diamond changed and ended many lives, and the story of that stone carries a strong social message. Rebel group in sierra leone trying to overthrow the existing democratic government in the 1990s. Venter is a specialist military writer and has had 50 books published. This is a movie i made for a project from school its about childsoldiers i wanna show the ppl how horrible they live. This lesson will be part of a larger unit on africa using the civil war in sierra leone to illustrate the problem of children forced to be soldiers and the use of diamonds to finance the. Both men are african, but their histories as different as any can be, until their fates become joined in a common quest to recover a rare pink diamond that. Campbells book is primarily set in sierra leone and traces the history of diamond mining and its link with the civil war that ravaged sierra leone for over a decade. Military patrimonialism and child soldier clientalism in the. These children soldiers resided in countries such as.
Sierra leone blood diamond rebels found guilty of war. In class, we have viewed two films representing the problems with child soldiers in sierra leone which include films titled blood diamond and ezra. Diamonds were smuggled from sierra leone to his country of liberia and those diamond profits were used in exchange for materials and services to support the war. Sierra leone was in the grips of a bloody civil war from 1991 until 2002. As we drove along i found myself fascinated with the deep oooooohhs and aaaahhhhss that made up her conversational speech patterns.
Sierra leone rebels forcefully recruit child soldiers human. An analysis of the movie, blood diamond essay 1197 words 5 pages. What have recent books and movies taught the world about the tragic fate. Blood diamonds child soldiers blood diamonds child. This paper critically analyzes the related film blood diamond. Founded by foday sankoh and charles taylor, used diamonds to buy guns and get money for their army. The movie blood diamond was released in 2006 and featured leonardo di caprio as an arms smuggler whose main goal is to obtain a seemingly priceless diamond from a villager during the civil war in sierra leone. A million diamond diggers in africa earn less than a dollar a day. The trade in blood diamonds was the focal point of the trial, which demonstrated how natural resource exploitation can serve to fund armed conflict and lead to the abuse of human rights. The druggedup child soldiers at the centre of sierra. The movie blood diamonds starring leonardo di caprio is another tiein that may be used depending on the. The child soldier, of sierra leone, who witnessed and committed war atrocities talks about his new book.
Freetown the rebel revolutionary united front ruf of sierra leone is forcing children, including demobilized child soldiers, to join its ranks and engage in combat, human rights watch said. Blood diamonds, child soldiers and cannibalism, 19912002 by al j. Angola, sierra leone, and liberia, which were significant locations for conflict diamonds. Id read books about the colonial scramble for africa, about the exploitation of its ivory, rubber and gold, but to learn the history of diamonds was to learn the story of africa all over again. May, 2008 set in sierra leone in 1999 in the midst of a civil war, blood diamond draws attention to the responsibility of citizens and businesses in the developed world to ensure that the diamonds they buy have not been used to fund conflicts abroad. The diamond industrys attempt to fight blood diamonds led to the establishment of the kimberley process, an international diamond certification scheme, in 2003. The use of children in sierra leones conflict was not an anomaly. Diamond miners in sierra leone sifting through the sand in search of diamonds. The name diamond comes from the greek word, adamas meaning unconquerable. Us national arrested on sierra leone blood diamond charges. Blood diamonds really shone light onto the issue bringing more awareness to it, just like the move did aswell. Fittingly diamonds are made of pure carbon, and diamonds are the hardest natural substance known to man.
Leonardo, diamonds and child soldiers part i the globalist. Venezuelan smuggling opens door to blood diamond trade sierra leone s blood diamonds and the kimberley process. The engagement of children as soldiers has been determined to be a global problem which started from a fore. Sierra leone, in particular, has struck an interest because of the many films and readings that try to depict this story of the civil war. Blood diamonds, child soldiers and cannibalism, 19912002 al j venter sierra leones elevenyear guerrilla war that left 200,000 people dead was brief, bloody and mindlessly brutal. In her book, childhood deployed, susan shepler argues the concept of youth in sierra leone is distinct from idealized western. The impact would ultimately be felt by millions, thousands of miles away from the scene of the conflict. The name of the popular hollywood combat movie that child soldiers would watch frequently.
May 25, 2015 50,000 dead in sierra leone war fueled by blood diamonds. Civil war in sierra leone and the role of blood diamonds. A diamonds true price blood diamonds africa the new. In the book he describes the experiences of the eight women who were. Executive outcomes south african mercenary group hired by the sierra leone government in exchange for services. The only way that the blood will finally be washed away from conflict diamonds is if there is a true fairtradecertification process that allows conscientious consumers to buy congos artisanal. In the book, beah, now a 26yearold living in the united states, describes how he was recruited into the government of sierra leone s army at the age of, after his village was burned by rebel forces and his family killed. Feb 21, 2019 online shopping for sierra leone from a great selection at books store.
Pdf a critical reading of blood diamond 2006 in the. It later developed into a political party, which still exists today. The presence of diamonds in sierra leone invited and led to the civil war in. Jason cowley on african child soldiers books the guardian. The sierra leone civil war 19912002 was a civil war in sierra leone that began on 23. Set against the backdrop of civil war and chaos in 1990s sierra leone, blood diamond is the story of danny archer an ex mercenary from zimbabwe and solomon vandy a mende fisherman.
Feb 25, 2009 sierra leone blood diamond rebels found guilty of war crimes three senior sierra leone rebel leaders notorious for ordering their troops to chop off opponents hands were convicted on wednesday. It is funded by contributions from readers like you. After being forced to join, many child soldiers learned that the complete lack of. Shooting became just like drinking a glass of water. Revolutionary united front ruf was a rebel army that fought a failed elevenyear war in sierra leone, starting in 1991 and ending in 2002. The book blood diamonds written by greg campbell is a great book that really opens up your eyes to see what has been happening in sierra leone in the 90s and 2000s. Antwerp belgium, liberian diamond exports between 1990 and 1999 were. The three most senior surviving leaders, issa sesay, morris kallon and augustine gbao, were convicted in february 2009 of war crimes. Mar 12, 2007 like other child soldiers, both dia and beah went through a process of indoctrination that involved the sustained use of drugs, which subsequently made it difficult for them to give up their lives as child soldiers. Awardwinning journalist greg campbell traces the deadly trail of these. Best on sierra leone 14 books goodreads share book. Child soldiers in the civil wars in liberia and sierra leone, which began respectively in. The story of the child soldiers in sierra leone who were drugged with cocaine to make them fight in a war fuelled by blood diamonds, and the child victims of mutilations. It also shows that sierra leone still makes slow progress, in 2016, in such different aspects as, for example, education, health, and human rights, since 1990, which is also the year that conflicts took place in sierra leone.
The price of liberty by paul conton theater in sierra leone. What is the history behind blood diamonds sierra leone. See story prosecuting child soldiers for their own safety. First discovered in 1930, the diamonds of sierra leone have funded one of the most savage rebel campaigns in modern history. Set during the sierra leone civil war in 1999, the film shows a country torn apart by the struggle between government soldiers and rebel forces. Through dedicated scholarship and longterm residence in sierra leone, richards conducted interviews with child soldiers, excombatants, youth, diamond traders, ruf members, government forces. Many of the worlds diamonds are mined using practices that exploit workers, children, and communities. May 01, 2007 the child soldier, of sierra leone, who witnessed and committed war atrocities talks about his new book.
After young solomon house is burned to the ground, after being kidnapped and seperated from his family, forced to become a murder machine child soldier by the ruf revolutionary united front young solomon force to work in the diamond mines, after. Diamond mining in africa child labor conflict diamonds. Diamonds have financed bloody civil wars in which child. Maddy bowen jennifer connelly, an american journalist and adrenalin junkie who has covered wars in bosnia and afghanistan, wants to do a story about conflict stones or blood diamonds sierra leone gems smuggled into liberia and then sold around the west by reputable firms. Blood diamonds, child soldiers and cannibalism, 19912002 history of terror venter, al j on. Blood diamonds and prosecuting child soldiers for war. When i first read about sierra leone, i was shocked. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. They feature in films like blood diamond and a new novel by dave eggers. Civil war in sierra leone and the role of blood diamonds the civil war in sierra leone has been one of the most grotesque ones in history, and the nations rich diamond reserves have driven much of the violence. Five popular plays by iyunolu folayan osagie war and embodied memory.
In the movie blood diamond, the characters choices and actions are limited by outside events such as the diamond trade, the fight for independence, the corruption of the government in sierra leone, the decisions of the united nations, and the complexities of international politics. The movie blood diamond traces the path of a large pink diamond found in sierra leone in the 1990s by a fisherman working as a slave in a rebelcontrolled diamond mine. Blood diamonds, child soldiers and cannibalism, 19912002 history of terror. These wars involve inhumane practices such as rape, torture, and slavery involving children. Blood diamonds, child soldiers and cannibalism, 19912002. Memoir from sierra leone africa civil war realistic fiction historical fiction world literature violence in this story ishmael beah, author of radiance of tomorrow and a long way gone, is interviewed about his experience as a child soldier in sierra leone. The film portrays many of the atrocities of that war, including the rebels amputation of peoples hands to stop them from voting in upcoming elections. Ishmael beah was a child soldier during the sierra leonean civil war. It shows that it is a huge consequence of blood diamonds that it brought into sierra leone. Child soldiers were heavily recruited in the sierra leone civil war. In particular, sierra leone, a small country on the west coast of africa famous for ebola and blood diamonds.
These blood diamonds are smuggled out of west africa and sold to legitimate diamond merchants in london, antwerp, and new york, often with the complicity of the international diamond industry. How the diamond trade is enslaving millions of africans. Richards dedicated this book to critiquing the new barbarism thesis espoused by the likes of kaplan. In certain ways the movie weve made is very conventional, an action drama about three. The remix version of grammywinning song diamonds from sierra leone performed by american artist kanye west, has verses that detail the blood diamond trade in sierra leone, and comments about the western public unawareness of the origins of the diamonds linked to the conflict. Sierra leone s child soldiers were recruited by private security companies to fight in iraq. After being traumatised by a civil war in their own country.
Miners are dying in accidents, child labor is widespread, and corrupt leaders are depriving diamond mining communities of funds badly needed for economic development. Cynthia was originally from sierra leone, and i loved the way those two dusky words rolled off her tongue. Young children were involved in the world war 1 and the united states war branded the boys war. This lesson addresses the civil war in sierra leone to illustrate the. Between 1992 and 1999, sierra leone was engaged in a civil war which was blamed primarily on a scramble for diamonds. Sierra leones war over conflict diamonds began in march 1991 when a few hundred men crossed over the liberian border and attacked towns in eastern and southern sierra leone. Child soldiers in sierra leone 1488 words bartleby. At brilliant earth, we believe it is important to end all violence related to diamond mining, regardless of the circumstances. Most were used for attacks on villages and on guard duty at diamond fields as well as guarding weapons stockpiles. Blessing and curse in sierra leone, a young diamond miner holds in his palm what he believes is a diamond at a mining pit near koidu. Such high figures were surprising for a country that is relatively poor in diamond resources. Blood diamonds and sierra leone flashcards quizlet. The sierra leone civil war 19912002 was a civil war in sierra leone that began on 23 march 1991 when the revolutionary united front ruf, with support from the special forces of charles taylors national patriotic front of liberia npfl, intervened in sierra leone in an attempt to overthrow the joseph momoh government. The ruf was a highly barbaric, taking villages by heavy artillery to gather men for sifting through infested lakes, rivers and digging to find diamonds.
In some countries, governments participating in the african civil war also used children to defend their purpose. Blood diamonds, child soldiers and cannibalism, 19912002 al j venter. Development through disease in sierra leone a quadrant book adia benton. Child soldiers in sierra leone refers to the roughly 10,00014,000 children who fought between 1991 and 2002 in the sierra leone civil war. Nearly half of the revolutionary united front ruf, and a quarter of the governmental armed forces consisted of children aged 814 years old. One of its objectives was to drive away much of sierra leone s population from the diamond fields.
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