Posted by Abdul Rashid

More response to “Kony 2012″ – HOW we tell stories is critical

[This blog is a re-post of the blog Sara wrote for the On Screen/In Person tour, organized by Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts.  Fambul Tok is a featured film on that tour, and Sara’s been traveling the mid-Atlantic region for screenings and some lively conversations.]

March 8, Weinberg Center for the Arts, Frederick, MD

First off, I need to say that I think it’s a really good idea for as many people as possible to know who Joseph Kony is – the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), which for more than two decades waged a brutal war in northern Uganda, that went virtually uncovered by the Western media for most of that time. At the same time, it’s worth noting that the LRA hasn’t operated in Uganda since 2006, and is now considered to be barely hanging on, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kony has become quite the household name over the past few days – especially among middle schoolers – thanks to a 28-minute documentary by Invisible Children and their “Stop Kony 2012” campaign. It’s exploded as a viral phenomenon on the internet (with more than 70 million views)– and so has a storm of critiques, both of the film and the organization behind it.

We talked about it a little at last night’s screening of Fambul Tok and I hope it comes up again tonight and tomorrow night, the last screenings of my OSIP tour.

Because I want to talk about not just raising awareness – but HOW that awareness gets raised. The Kony 2012 doc has been widely criticized (and rightly so, from my perspective) for perpetuating the myth that the West/”the white man” needs to save Africa from all its problems. It’s great that more people know who Joseph Kony is — but if we’re learning about him through a lens that reinforces Western stereotypes (and misrepresents and diminishes Africans and their capacities and cultural wisdom), then the learning brings with it a huge negative. We have to question the storytellers — and the ways we tell stories — as much as we question everything else. The very way we frame stories, the perspective we bring, the questions we ask, the way we let others speak for themselves (or not) is an absolutely critical part of this dialogue.

It’s something my collaborator Libby Hoffman pointed out when we first began working together on a still photography project about forgiveness traditions in post-conflict African countries, a collaboration that ultimately led to us meeting John Caulker, the founder of Fambul Tok, and to the creation of the Fambul Tok documentary. As a peacebuilder, Libby was, and is, very convinced that the way you see something, the lens you bring to a story based on your own perceptions and filters, is as important as what is seen. In other words, like the law of quantum physics, the storyteller directly impacts the story being told. It was a sobering thought for me, as a longtime journalist, and gave me much to aspire to. Early on in our work, in 2007, Libby shared this quote from the Nigerian Booker Award-winning author Ben Okri – words which became our shared inspiration as we learned the story of Fambul Tok, and brought it to others through our documentary:

“We have to re-discover Africa. The first discovery of Africa by Europe was the wrong one. It was not a discovery. It was an act of misperception. They saw, and bequeathed to future ages, an Africa based on what they thought of as important. They did not see Africa. And this wrong seeing of Africa is part of the problems of today. Africa was seen from a point of view of greed, of what could be got from it. And what you see is what you make. What you see in a people is what you eventually create in them. It is now time for a new seeing. It is now time to clear the darkness from the eyes of the Western world. The world should now begin to see the light in Africa, to see its sunlight, to see its brightness, its brilliance, its beauty. If we see it, it will be revealed. We only see what we see. Only what we see, what we see anew, is revealed to us. Africa has been waiting, for centuries, to be discovered with eyes of love, the eyes of a lover. There is no true seeing without love.”

I think the West has done more than enough “talking” for Africa, judging Africa by Western standards of crime and punishment that have little to do with local traditions of justice through reconciliation.  And for me, that includes the Kony 2012 campaign, particularly because it advocates what most Ugandans do NOT want: military intervention by the US, and a trial at the International Criminal Court for Kony. In answering criticisms of their campaign on their website, the founders of Invisible Children said this:

“We are advocating for the arrest of Joseph Kony so that he can be tried by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a precedent for future war criminals. The goal of KONY 2012 is for the world to unite to see Kony arrested and prosecuted for his crimes against humanity.”

It’s a popular concept in the West – that we will prosecute African warlords and prove to Africa and the rest of the world that war crimes are not okay. Unfortunately, that conversation rings hollow to so many people in Africa – who criticize the West for not indicting Western leaders considered, in the eyes of many, to be responsible for war crimes as defined by international law (Henry Kissinger is a popular example for many; George W. Bush is a more recent candidate). And many African human rights activists – including John Caulker – argue that the West would do well do listen to Africans, who have a lot to say about the role that local traditions and culture can and should play in resolving post-conflict dilemmas.

Just watch Fambul Tok – you’ll see what John is talking about, and the amazing impact of a cultural tradition in addressing truth-telling, forgiveness and reconciliation at the grass-roots level.

On the internet, a few of the posts from people who are outraged that anyone would criticize Invisible Children suggest that other activists (and storytellers) are simply jealous that their work has not had the same impact. I’m not jealous. But I will tell you this: I wish 70 million people would watch Fambul Tok, and realize how much the West has to learn from Africa. Maybe then we might begin to start seeing Africa in the new ways that Ben Okri so eloquently urges us upon us all.

I’d like to leave you with three of the most recent links that have come my way, one from a Westerner who has worked on the ground in northern Uganda for years, one is a posting from the Fambul Tok website and Libby Hoffman that pulls together many of the best critiques of Kony 2012 and Invisible Children, and one from a site that pulls together responses from the people we should all be listening to in all of this – Africans.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/kristen-melelani-walker/critical-analysis-emailed-from-my-professor-dr-adam-branch-in-kampala-uganda-mar/10150569690241991

http://www.fambultokblog.org/in-the-news/responses-to-the-kony2012-campaign

http://boingboing.net/2012/03/08/african-voices-respond-to-hype.html#previouspost

Posted by Libby Hoffman

Responses to the Kony2012 campaign

I spent most of my day yesterday responding to people’s inquiries about what I thought about Invisible Children’s Kony2012 campaign that has been spreading virally around the world in recent days.  The strong statements of support that the video and campaign were getting from all corners certainly caught my attention.  After I watched the film, however, I became incredibly disheartened by what seemed like people simply jumping on the bandwagon, without taking a more critical look at both the message and the means.

Throughout the day yesterday, however, I began to find more and more thoughtful critiques.  This critical voice has also grown significantly, and a lot of people are pointing out some of the glaring problems with Kony2012 campaign.  A friend asked me if I could pull several of these critical pieces into one blog post, to support people interested in reading them.   I am working on writing my own response to the campaign, which I hope to post soon.  But for now, here are some of the ones I’ve found that I think do an excellent job of bringing a critical eye to the campaign’s message and process.

Take a look at some of these articles, and let’s help each other move away from the trap of thinking we need to be anyone else’s savior.  Instead, let’s focus on seeing, learning from, and supporting the incredible good already present within the cultures and communities we want to help.  Fambul Tok is a powerful example of what happens when those most impacted by a war — even the most brutal one — are given the time and space to lead in their own peacebuilding and reconciliation process.

from a photo shared by Misha Tulek on Facebook

A LOOK AT SOME CRITIQUES OF KONY2012:

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/03/the-soft-bigotry-of-kony-2012/254194/:  “The much-circulated campaign subtly reinforces an idea that has been one of Africa’s biggest disasters: that well-meaning Westerners need to come in and fix it. Africans, in this telling, are helpless victims, and Westerners are the heroes. It’s part of a long tradition of Western advocacy that has, for centuries, adopted some form of white man’s burden, treating African people as cared for only to the extent that Westerners care, their problems solvable only to the extent that Westerners solve them, and surely damned unless we can save them… We sometimes mistake our position at the top of the global food chain as evidence that we’re more capable, that our power will extend into complicated and far-away societies, that we’ll be better at fixing their problems than they are.”

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/03/solving-war-crimes-with-wristbands-the-arrogance-of-kony-2012/254193/: “Perhaps worst of all are the unexplored assumptions underpinning the awareness argument, which reduce people in conflict situations to two broad categories: mass-murderers like Joseph Kony and passive victims so helpless that they must wait around to be saved by a bunch of American college students with stickers… Even under horrific circumstances, people are endlessly resourceful, and local actors understand their needs better than outsiders. It’s good that Americans want to help, but ignoring the role and authority of local leaders and activists isn’t just insulting and arrogant, it neglects the people who are the most likely to come up with a solution to the conflict.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLVY5jBnD-E: A must-see.  A young Ugandan woman responds to Kony2012 in this 6-min video.

http://innovateafrica.tumblr.com/post/18897981642/you-dont-have-my-vote: “We need approaches that are strategic and respectful of the local reality, build on the action and desires of local activists and organizers, and act as partners and allies, not owners and drivers.”

http://ericswanderings.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/a-ugandan-acholi-perpective-on-joseph-kony-and-stop-kony-2012/: One view from a northern Ugandan — “To present the full situation and its complexities, it takes time to encounter and listen to the narratives and perspectives of the victims in the regions affected by the LRA activities. This has not been done. Besides this, Kony 2012 is heavily laden with old clips that do not in any way represent the situations in northern Uganda at the moment.”

http://www.netfamilynews.org/?p=31322: OK, admittedly we especially like this one because it points out that we are a living example of the possibilities of working in a different way! “Maybe, with the criticism it’s getting, Invisible Children will help its supporters shift the focus from getting “the bad guy” to real solutions like the work of conflict resolution activists in Africa – for example, Fambul Tok in Sierra Leone, which really needs to go viral.”

http://justiceinconflict.org/2012/03/07/taking-kony-2012-down-a-notch/: “The campaign reflects neither the realities of northern Ugandan nor the attitudes of its people…. ‘Kony 2012′, quite dubiously, avoids stepping into the ‘peace-justice’ question in northern Uganda precisely because it is a world of contesting and plural views, eloquently expressed by the northern Ugandans themselves. Some reports suggest that the majority of Acholi people continue to support the amnesty process whereby LRA combatants – including senior officials – return to the country in exchange for amnesty and entering a process of ‘traditional justice’. Many continue to support the Ugandan Amnesty law because of the reality that it is their own children who constitute the LRA.”

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/Africa-Monitor/2012/0308/Joseph-Kony-2012-It-s-fine-to-Stop-Kony-and-the-LRA.-But-Learn-to-Respect-Africans:  “The video shows only a Western audience, without any reference to African partners or leaders. They are disempowering and undermining the role of Africans… Whether they meant it to or not, whatever the intentions, it ends up looking like yet another Western campaign to help Africans who can’t help themselves. Africa can’t be handled that way anymore.”

http://thisisafrica.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/acholi-street-stop-kony2012-invisible-childrens-campaign-of-infamy/: “At the end of the day the Kony2012 campaign will not make Joseph Kony more famous but it will make Invisible Children famous. It will also make many, including P.Diddy, feel like they have contributed some good to his capture- assuming Kony is even alive. For many in the conflict prevention community including those who worry about the militarization of it in Central Africa this campaign is just another nightmare that will end soon. Hopefully.”

http://chrisblattman.com/2009/03/04/visible-children/: There’s also something inherently misleading, naive, maybe even dangerous, about the idea of rescuing children or saving of Africa… The savior attitude is pervasive in advocacy, and it inevitably shapes programming. Usually misconceived programming. The saving attitude pervades too many aid failures, not to mention military interventions. The list is long.

“One consequence, whether it’s IC or Save Darfur, is a lot of dangerously ill-prepared young people embarking on missions to save the children of this or that war zone. At best it’s hubris and egocentric. More often, though, it leads to bad programs, misallocated resources, or ill-conceived military adventures. There’s lots of room for intelligent advocacy.”

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/03/07/stop-kony-yes-but-dont-stop-asking-questions/: “Invisible Children asked viewers to seek the engagement of American policymakers and celebrities, but – and this is a major red flag – it didn’t introduce them to the many Northern Ugandans already doing fantastic work both in their local communities and in the diaspora.”

http://africasacountry.com/2012/03/07/phony-2012-risible-children/#more-45997: “This is what democracy looks like according to Jason Russell: the power to choose on Twitter and Facebook who is to be the next target of America’s moral manhunt, all with the benediction of a panel of biddable celebrities.”

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/120307/kony-2012-campaign-criticized-dumbing-down-conflict: A summary of several other critiques of the Invisible Children campaign.

Posted by Solomon Yarjoh

Fambul Tok Peace Mothers resolve to assist vulnerable communities

Fambul Tok peace mothers in various sections of Kono district have agreed to assist other vulnerable communities that are yet to start activities. This agreement was reached during a one-day Peace Mothers consultative meeting in Woama village, Tankoro chiefdom, Kono district.

The meeting brought together over 70 Peace Mothers from Kamaa, Gbense, Tankoro, Nimiyama, Nimikoro, Sandor, Gbane, Gorama, Kono and Fiama chiefdoms, all in Kono district, and was geared towards consultation, recounting past activities, experience-sharing and fostering peace to enable the women overcome the challenges plaguing their communities.

In her welcome address, Fambul Tok’s Lilian Morsay explained that the purpose of the interactive sessions for Peace Mothers is to create a space for women to discuss pertinent issues and ideas and learn from others’ experiences and obstacles.

She explained that a series of Peace Mothers consultative meetings have already been held in Kailahun, Koinadugu, Kono, Bombali and Moyamba districts, and mentioned the recent cross district visit in Shenge, Kargboro chiefdom, Moyamba district, where women learned new ideas, especially pertaining to fish processing.

“The conflict in Sierra Leone divided families and communities. After the war there was no forum for people, especially women, to meet and discuss issues affecting them, so Fambul Tok creates space for them so they could know each other,” Ms. Morsay stated.

Fambul Tok Programme Manager, Madam Marie- Deen Nyarkoh, stressed the need for Peace Mothers to interact and share ideas, as she believes that women can do more if they are united and work as one family.

Madam Deen Nyarkoh emphasized that women should learn to support each other, adding that the whole purpose of the meeting was to discuss and find ways for peace mothers that have enough yields to assist their colleagues that are yet to come on-board.

“You are doing a great job and this round we want you to encourage other women to form Peace Mothers groups and also assist them,” Madam Deen Nyarkoh proclaimed.

Fambul Tok’s Masu Sesay from Moyamba described the successes of Peace Mothers activities in the district, citing a particular section that led other villages to start up activities.

During the debriefing sessions, Peace Mothers shared experiences with the goal of learning new things from one another. According to Finda Sandi of Woama village, Tankoro chiefdom, many of the women initially thought that the group would be short-lived because of the perception that women would not be willing to work together. Mrs. Kamanda of Tombudu, Kamaa chiefdom says they are producing locally made soap but stressed the hazards they face. She explained that they also want to embark on fish trading. Madam Sia Njawa of Nimiyama chiefdom explained how they formed four groups to assist each other, that the Peace Mothers can now boast of some savings, and also disclosed that the groups are hired and the proceeds go into the Peace Mothers fund.

Other Peace Mothers also highlighted challenges and called on other organizations to come to their aid. In spite of the many challenges, Peace Mothers consented to push forward and extend to other women whatever they have for the development of their communities.

Posted by Libby Hoffman

Sermon preached on Fambul Tok at a church in Texas

We often find ourselves humbled by people’s responses to Fambul Tok (the film), and learning about a recent screening held at a church in Austin, Texas yielded another extraordinary example of this kind of response.  On the day that the Church of Conscious Harmony

Church of Conscious Harmony, Austin, TX

was due to host a screening of the film, Minister Tim Cook preached a sermon on Fambul Tok for the congregation.  His sermon was posted online, and we have excerpted here the section where he spoke about Fambul Tok.

He is obviously speaking in a Christian context, so I’m sure you’ll listen with that in mind.  But the way he internalized the universal values and message from the stories in the film moved me to tears.

A couple of factual corrections: the majority of Sierra Leoneans do in fact follow a religious tradition — just over half are Muslim, and just under half are Christian.  The founder of Fambul Tok is John Caulker; and the students at the Philadelphia School were in 6th grade, not 5th, when they had their own direct experience of Fambul Tok.  These are minor issues, however, given the depth of the way Rev. Cook expresses the ways in which the living example of Fambul Tok calls us all forward into higher expressions of community and communion.

Click here to listen to the sermon excerpt.  Enjoy.

Posted by Libby Hoffman

Fambul Tok review makes the connection to our lives

Sometimes we only discover a review of Fambul Tok well after it was written.  This one, written prior to our screening at the Heartland Film Festival in October, is one such recent find.  Because of the way it describes the film’s more universal significance, we wanted to  share it with you here.

Here’s the review, by Richard Propes, as published in The Independent Critic:

<<Every year, it seems as if Indy’s Heartland Film Festival recognizes at least one film with a central theme of forgiveness. In 2011, Heartland presented a Crystal Heart Award to Sara Terry’s highly acclaimed Fambul Tok.

Fambul Tok, Creole for “Family Talk,” isn’t likely to break any box-office records but it is one of the 2011 Heartland Film Festival’s most profoundly moving and inspirational feature documentaries. Sierra Leonean John Caulker created the Fambul Tok organization in an effort to address the intimate and cultural wounds caused by a decade of civil war in the nation of Sierra Leone.

The process itself seems simple. Yet, in a world that can so often be obsessed with an “eye for an eye” justice it can also seem rather absurd. Fambul Tok refers to a process of village-wide gatherings around bonfires – where victims of violence are free to confront perpetrators of violence but, in turn, they are to offer immediate forgiveness when such forgiveness is sincerely sought.

Could you do it?

Seriously?

Could you simply “forgive” if you were a child who had been raped?

Could you simply forgive if someone had mercilessly butchered your entire family? If someone had disabled and blinded you?

What’s surprising is how deeply moving these confrontations are and, in turn, how sincere and celebratory these simple acts of forgiveness become as families are healed, villages are united and, one by one, this war-torn nation begins to experience tremendous healing.

Director Sara Terry follows Caulker throughout the nation as he works to convince local villages to attempt this ritual, a ritual that feels very similar to the teachings of Desmond Tutu. The film also brings to mind a Heartland Film Festival flick from a few years back, Forgiving Dr. Mengele, a feature doc telling the story of Eva Mozes Kor and her proclamations forgiving those who imprisoned her during the Holocaust including Dr. Mengele himself. While that film felt, at times, self-promoting and a bit grandiose, Fambul Tok’s power comes in the actual stories and it never feels like it’s over-glorifying Caulker’s efforts.

The film is beautifully photographed by Henry Jacobson, who nicely weaves together imagery that captures both the intimacy of the village and the global implications of the matters at hand. We are never allowed to forget the complexities of the violence that has occurred in Sierra Leona, but Jacobson and Terry work together to give the film a tremendous  sense that it is by returning to the nation’s communal foundation that true healing will occur.

Fambul Tok has been wildly successful on the film festival circuit, beginning with its world premiere at SCSW and including festival wins at Nashville Film Festival, Fort Myers Film Festival, Global Social Change Film Festival, and now Heartland Film Festival with its Crystal Heart Award.

With Fambul Tok, Sara Terry has done what is nearly impossible for filmmakers by approaching her subjects from a place of tremendous humility. Rather than coming in as American rescuers or with the usual Western mindset, Terry wisely steps back and allows for a culture of restoration, healing and hope that may very well seem foreign to most Americans. Americans might profess an awareness of such spiritual disciplines as confession and forgiveness, but Fambul Tok is extraordinary because it makes these things not just spiritual disciplines but an integral part of communal living.

For more information on Fambul Tok, visit the Fambul Tok website. The film will be showing at 7pm on Friday, October 21st at AMC Castleton in Indy as the Heartland Film Festival winds down. >>

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic

Posted by Abdul Rashid

Fambul Tok Peace Mothers’ Fish Trade Consultations Reveals Community Progress

KOINADUGU, KONO & SHENGE  – 28/01/2012 -Posted by Solomon Yarjoh

As a way to enhance community reconciliation, Fambul Tok thought it fitting to organize a consultative meeting with Peace Mothers groups from Kono, Koinadugu and Moyamba with the possibility of establishing a fish trade connection.  This initiative emerged from the cross-district visitation that was done in October 2011 with the Peace Mothers.  The Shenge community, Kargboro chiefdom in Moyamba district was the host, being one of the main fishing areas in Sierra Leone.

The meeting started with women singing and dancing, the speaker of the Shenge community gave a brief talk on Fambul Tok activities stating that “with the intervention of Fambul Tok, my community is now a peaceful place and whenever Fambul Tok calls for a meeting we are always willing and ready to attend.”

After introductions, Peace Mothers from all three districts spoke about the impact Fambul Tok has had in their communities and as individuals.

A lady from Kono was quoted as saying “Fambul Tok has given me a husband.”  She explained how after the war she was very poor and filthy and no man wanted anything to do with her.  She lost her husband in the war and was left with eight children to care for.  She had no means of survival, but with the intervention of Fambul Tok, she has regained her integrity and she is now married again.  She was able to send her children to school through the proceeds from the farm work.

Another Peace Mother from Kono also testified that because of the intervention of Fambul Tok, she was able to send her children back to school, and not only that, but the money from the proceeds of the farm helped them to give scholarships to eight children in their community in the Kundema section, Kono District. She said their yield was so great that they are planning on giving seed to other communities.

A Peace Mother from Koinadugu, said due to the intervention of Fambul Tok, they now know peace like never before.  After the war nobody cared about each other, everyone just cared about his or her own family, and all the money they had was spent on summoning each other to the chief, but since they had the bonfire and the importance of coming together was explained to them, they put thought into practice and today they enjoy a peaceful community.

Another Koinadugu Peace Mother was very happy to say that because of a Fambul Tok intervention she and fellow women in her community have seen reduced domestic violence.  They are no longer punching bags for their men, rather they now work together with their husbands for development in their homes and the community as a whole.

A Peace Mother from Kagboro (Shenge) talks of now being a real woman.  She used to work on the beach to help pick fish when the boats came in, but now Fambul Tok has changed her story completely. She now buys her own fish and even gives loans to the men who need to repair their boats and nets.

The sharing of uplifting stories could have gone on and on and on as the impact of Fambul Tok on these women’s lives is far-reaching.  However, for the sake of time, the women broke into smaller groups so they could discuss the fish trade issues which were the main issue of the meeting.

A lot was said about the impact of Fambul Tok and it was clear that our work was having a lasting and positive impression on the communities.

Posted by Abdul Rashid

“Postcards To Sierra Leone” Share Audience Responses to Fambul Tok

For the past few months, we have been collecting audience responses to Fambul Tok (the film) and the work being done on the ground in Sierra Leone through our “Postcards to Sierra Leone” initiative. Sharing these comments with the Fambul Tok staff and volunteers in Sierra Leone provides encouragement and inspiration, while also making clear the impact that their efforts are having on individuals communities across the globe.

Fambul Tok ED John Caulker and film Producer Libby Hoffman lead a Q&A at Heartland Film Festival

Inspired ourselves by the responses to the film, we are now launching a blog series to share some of these responses with an even broader audience.

One of our very first community screenings, held in October at the University of New Mexico Law School, brought faculty, staff and students together to screen Fambul Tok alongside Pray the Devil Back to Hell for their “Documentary and Discussion” feature. Following the film, a discussion was led by Prof. Jennifer Moore of the UNM Law School, featuring a small number of experts present to contribute different perspectives to the dialogue surrounding community-based reconciliation methods. Professor Moore also submitted our first Postcard, writing that it was a “…pleasure and privilege to help spread awareness of the work of your grassroots reconciliation program to my colleagues, students and fellow community members… The audience was deeply moved by the film, and the conversation started with simply honoring the power of the story — devastating, and yet uplifting.”

After an incredible 7 screenings at the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis, IN in October (where Fambul Tok was honored with the Crystal Heart Award),  we received feedback highlighting how viewers were touched by the universal themes represented in the film. David, an audience member, shared this thought for the people of Sierra Leone: “Our anger and fear of communication make us prisoners. I am glad you are being set free,” while Mark W., another viewer, echoed that “In the worst of tragedies to be able to ask for forgiveness, being willing and able to forgive — transforms and frees a person and a community to move forward.”

Stay tuned for more responses.  In the meantime, be sure to track our upcoming screenings or be in touch to bring the power of forgiveness to your own community. And feel free to submit your own Postcard to Sierra Leone today!

Posted by Abdul Rashid

More Fambul Tok activities in London

The month of October saw a rush of activity in London! Following the Fambul Tok film’s successful European premiere at the Raindance Film Festival on 29 September, UK-based volunteers working with Fambul Tok International organized a number of events in the city. They were fortunate to have Paramount Chief Alfred Banya, the Chair of Fambul Tok’s Moyamba District Executive Committee and Michaela Ashwood, National Coordinator of our Peace Mothers Groups, join them for these events.

On 12 October, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Conflict Issues, Fambul Tok International and The Forgiveness Project co-hosted a meeting in the UK Parliament. Chaired by Simon Hughes MP, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats and Chair of the All Party Group, the meeting was attended by approximately 80 people, from activists and policy-makers to students from two of the six London schools currently participating in pilot educational activities that draw on the experience of Fambul Tok. Both Chief Banya and Michaela made presentations and answered questions posed by an enthusiastic audience. Both emphasised the importance of community-wide involvement in all aspects of Fambul Tok reconciliation processes.

 

13 and 14 October were spent visiting Notre Dame Roman Catholic School for Girls and Little Ilford Secondary School, respectively, two of five London schools at which Fambul Tok educational activities are currently being piloted. At Notre Dame, a group of 14 and 15 year-old students of Sierra Leonean heritage discussed their reaction to the Parliamentary meeting, which they had attended the evening before, and shared with Chief Banya and Michaela the impact which working with and through Fambul Tok has had on them. Working under the guidance one of their teachers, the students hope over the coming months to develop curriculum materials for classroom use based on the experience of Fambul Tok and plan to screen the film to a whole-school audience by the end of this year.

The next day’s visit to Little Ilford involved witnessing performances put on by groups of 13 and 14 year-old students who had closely examined the gestures, movements and key words used in Fambul Tok bonfire ceremonies and by Sahr and Nyumah, two young men whose friendship was ripped apart during the conflict but which has since successfully been repaired, as shown in the film. Board Member Jon Lunn, Chief Banya and Michaela were moved and inspired by the students’ responses to the work of Fambul Tok – above all, how they had managed to enter into the physical and emotional worlds of Sierra Leoneans involved in it, while at the same time developing their own distinctive interpretations of what they had studied.  The wonderful teachers at Little Ilford who are working with the students intend to continue utilizing the experience of Fambul Tok as part of the curriculum, and hope also to explore its potential to assist in community-building across the school as a whole.

Last but not least, there was another screening of the film on 27 October at the London School of Economics, in an event sponsored by the Centre for the Study of Human Rights. The venue was packed with an audience of 150 people, with some being turned away because there was no more room. Following the screening, Jon Lunn and Chief Banya hosted a lively Q&A session. There was much debate about how far the experience of Fambul Tok might be transferrable into other cultural and political contexts, and whether it should be understood as part of the spectrum of ‘transitional justice’.

I would like to place on record sincere thanks to the volunteers without which these events would not have been possible – in particular, Modupe Oshikoya, Daniel Rogers, Tim Spafford and Nancy Quilliam. Gratitude also goes to Chief Banya and Micheala for being such wonderful ambassadors for Fambul Tok during their visit.

So, what comes next for us in the UK? Hopefully, more film screenings. The pilots in London schools, already underway to such inspiring effect, will continue. Perhaps the time may also have come to explore whether some in the Sierra Leonean community in London and beyond might want to begin moves to establish a ‘friends of Fambul Tok in the UK‘ network. However, in keeping with the values and principles of Fambul Tok, the time will only be right if there are Sierra Leoneans who are happy and willing to take ownership of such an initiative and lead the way. The immediate next step, then (just as it always is in Sierra Leone itself) is consultations!

Posted by Abdul Rashid

Award-Winning Fambul Tok Documentary Celebrates Home DVD Launch!

In the middle of a critically acclaimed festival run and having just kicked off an international community screenings campaign, Fambul Tok is now available on home DVD!  You can order your copy here and get a 25% discount off the retail price.

(Please note, though, that the home DVD is licensed only for home use. If you want to share these stories of forgiveness with your community, school or in another public setting, you can purchase a discounted screening license here and take part in our community screenings campaign!)

The DVD has already garnered high praise, including this review on Amazon.com, from one of their “top-10 reviewers,” K. Harris — “In one of the most horrific civil wars of recent times, ordinary citizens were pushed to perform gruesome atrocities against their friends, families and neighbors in an effort to survive the tumultuous and brutal era from 1991-2002 in Sierra Leone. The stories and reports are shocking, horrifying and unforgettable and as the war came to a conclusion–the country was irreparably scarred.

Order your copy of Fambul Tok today!

“With the government only dealing with the major power players (about 14 people), everyone else was given a general amnesty for their crimes against one another. No one had attempted to heal the country’s deep wounds as victims and their assailants were forced to coexist with no dialogue, discussion, or admission of wrongdoing. And we’re not talking little offenses. Some of the subjects within the powerful and hopeful documentary Fambul Tok experienced sexual assault, maiming, and the murder of family members in the most harrowing circumstances imaginable–oftentimes at the hands of people they knew and loved. The film charts the beginning stages of a process to help the people and communities of Sierra Leone move past these painful memories with forgiveness.

“Fambul Tok (translates to family talk) introduces John Caulker, the originator of a grassroots movement to address these open hostilities and regrets. The organization is seen going into communities to orchestrate public meetings where anyone can level charges against anyone else. In the effort to make issues public, the accused can show regret, make explanation and ask for forgiveness. Healing starts with the simple opening up of a dialogue. The actual scenes of these talks have a rawness and realness that make the movie so moving and thought-provoking. Filmmaker Sara Terry stays removed from the action, shoots in a very straightforward way, and lets the participants be the story. Some of the tales told will certainly stay with me, but the fact that the forgiveness seems genuine and lasting is a testament to a forward thinking openness we could all learn from. And in a stunning turnaround, the film ends with a major revelation from an unexpected source. It demonstrates the ultimate power of the truth and is, quite frankly, disturbing and unforgettable.

“I watch more documentaries than the average person–I’d be willing to wager almost anything on that fact. Some I think I will like, some I think will be good for me. I thought Fambul Tok sounded important prior to watching it in sort of a medicinal way, but I didn’t think it would affect me on such an emotional level. I have rarely found a film to be both shocking and inspirational. If the victims of horror and atrocities can forgive those that committed the crimes, it actually inspires a hope for progress. And that’s what these all stand for–progress through community. It’s not a Western idea per se, but maybe it should be. Sparse, simple and quite powerful–an easy recommendation to lovers of documentary or anyone interested in world events, civics, or sociology.”

Purchase your copy today and join us around the bonfire!

Posted by Solomon Yarjoh

Fambul Tok organizes interactive sessions for Peace Mothers

Peace Mothers pose for a group portrait in Moyamba

Fambul Tok continues to create space for people to meet, discuss and find a way forward — together. For the past two weeks, Fambul Tok organized interactive sessions for Peace Mothers groups in Kono, Kailahun, Moyamba, Kono and Bombali districts.

According to the Executive Director of Fambul Tok International, John Caulker, the purpose of the interactive sessions for Peace Mothers is to create a space for women to discuss pertinent issues, share ideas and experiences and overcome the challenges facing them. “The conflict in Sierra Leone divided families and communities. After the war there was no forum for people, especially women, to meet and discuss issues affecting them, so Fambul Tok is creating this space for them  so they could know each other, mingle and interact for the very first time,” Caulker stresses.

He emphasizes the fact that “Fambul Tok addresses the roots of conflict at the local level, walking alongside war-affected individuals as they reflect on the past in ways that enable them to be part of averting renewed aggression. Grounding reconciliation in traditional practices also helps create healthy communities capable of building new foundations of peace.”

These sessions are geared towards consultation, recounting past activities, experience-sharing, and fostering peace to enable them overcome the challenges facing them in their

Peace Mothers celebrating after lunch

communities. During debriefing, Peace Mothers shared their experiences with the goal of  learning new things from one another.

According to Sia James of Woama village, Tankoro chiefdom, Kono district, many initially thought that the group would be shortlived because of the perception that women would not be willing to work together.

Edith Jarfoi of Gorama chiefdom, Kono district says that because the women are now working together, they have benefited from an international organisation that provided them with a rice mill.

The peace mothers from Koinadugu district were so enthusiastic that even though they

Peace Mothers gather for an intensive session in Kabala, Koinadugu

traveled over two hundred miles through rugged roads to meet their colleagues, they had renewed energy anytime they came forward to share their experiences. One of them, Esther Conteh from Wara Wara, Bafodia chiefdom says she was happy for the fact that she had never had the opportunity to take part in such activity.

‘We are happy because this is the first time we are visiting Kono, Kailahun and Moyamba,” Esther says.

One of the women in Moyamba district, Memunatu Sillah, says they have sold their proceeds but have no idea of what to do with the money. She says she has gained an idea from other women to do business — Madam Jeneba, from Moyamba, taught her colleagues how to plant ginger.

The Kailahun women touched on the aspect of upland farming and other techniques in entering the palm oil trade. The women also paid an exchange visit to Shenge town, a centre for fish trade in Moyamba district, to learn how to work in the fishing industry. Kono women boasted of how beneficial ‘konso beans’ and other crops have been to them.