Sierra+Leone+Today+-+Britta,+Shelly,+Lauren

Sierra Leone Today

Children
 * Many of the children who were active in the war have grown up to be illiterate. This has caused the children, who are now grown up, to not have steady jobs.
 * People in Sierra Leone with the ages ranging from 15 to 35 are "frequently idle and lack optimism".
 * The drug use among this age group is highly abused and steadily increasing.
 * The children of Sierra Leone have problems trusting others after the war.
 * There were violent arguments and fights among students and police in Freetown and in the provinces in 2008.
 * After local sporting events, the children of Sierra Leone are known to start riots and vandalize local businesses.

Survivors
 * Many of the survivors from Sierra Leone have amputations
 * The story of Adamassay, 16 years old
 * Her village, Port Loko, was attacked by rebels in February of 1998. The rebels took her 2 year old son from her and killed him with an axe. They hit Adamassay with a machete and also cut off her right hand because she was screaming for her son. The rebels then left Adamassay and moved on to the next village. Thankfully Adamassay found her mother, father, and brothers in a nearby bush. Adamassay found a doctor in the village of Kambia where she got the help she needed for her hand. After she was discharged from the hospital her and her family moved to Freetown.
 * Admassay and her family lived in Freetown until January 1999 until the rebels came and burnt her house down.
 * "It's hard to find a boyfriend when your hand has been cut. My hope is to be able to have a small business like a shop."

Organizations
 * Trying to help the Survivors
 * "Assistance to victims, among the recommendations of Sierra Leone's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), is expected to begin at the end of February. Up to 100,000 people - among them amputees and other war-wounded, victims of sexual violence, war widows and children - are eligible."
 * Sierra Leone's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) began operations in the summer of 2002
 * provided a forum for both victims and perpetrators of human rights violations during the conflict to tell their stories and to facilitate genuine reconciliation.
 * Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) also began operations in the summer of 2002
 * Special Court was established by an agreement between the United Nations and the Government of Sierra Leone
 * The Court’s mandate is to try those who "bear the greatest responsibility for the commission of crimes against humanity, war crimes and serious violations of international humanitarian law, as well as crimes under relevant Sierra Leonean law within the territory of Sierra Leone since November 30, 1996."
 * Friends of Sierra Leone
 * a non-profit organization founded in 1991 by a small group of returned Peace Corps Volunteers. Sierra Leonean friends and other volunteers who had served in Sierra Leone have also joined this group.
 * aids in the development and well-being of Sierra Leone and its people, increases understanding among Americans and others about Sierra Leone, and also serves as a "Virtual Cottontree," a gathering place for all of us to share our ideas and thoughts.
 * The International Rescue Committee (IRU)
 * began helping people in Sierra Leone in 1999
 * programs focus on children, protection, education, health, gender-based violence prevention, and governance

New Government >
 * In 2000 the Government of Sierra Leone promulgated the Anti-Corruption Act to combat political corruption, and a revised version of the law was passed on September 1, 2008.
 * The amendment added new crimes for indictments, stiffer penalties, and gave the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) greater independence to investigate cases at every level.
 * The ACC is working to secure convictions of high-level government officials, as well as raising national awareness of the problem and build in safeguards in “corruption hotspot” ministries through anonymous whistle-blowing programs and training on proper procurement procedures.
 * On August 11, 2007, Sierra Leone held nationwide presidential and parliamentary elections for the first time since the departure of UN peacekeepers.
 * In addition to their peaceful administration, the 2007 parliamentary elections were notable for the return to a constituency-based system, as called for in the 1991 constitution.
 * //President and Minister of Defense// -- Ernest Bai Koroma
 * //Vice President// -- Samuel Sam-Sumana

Rebuilding
 * During the civil war
 * more than 25 percent of the population was displaced
 * 30 percent of the primary schools were destroyed
 * 75 percent of health facilities were destroyed
 * Since the cessation of hostilities in January 2002, massive infusions of outside assistance have helped Sierra Leone begin to recover.
 * Sierra Leone continues to rely on significant amounts of foreign assistance, principally from multilateral donors. The bilateral donors include the United States, Italy, and Germany, but the largest are the United Kingdom and the European Union.
 * Much of Sierra Leone’s recovery will depend on the success of the Government of Sierra Leone's effort to limit official corruption, which many feel was the chief culprit for the country’s descent into civil war.
 * A key indicator of success will be the effectiveness of government management of its natural resources. Besides mineral deposits, Sierra Leone has sizeable marine and timber resources. Both sectors are threatened by limited management and exploitation.
 * Full recovery to pre-war economic levels will require hundreds of millions of additional dollars and many more years of serious effort by the Government of Sierra Leone and donor governments.

Bibliography
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 * [|International Development Association]