"Wartime Experiences and Postwar Development in Liberia: Two Ex-Teen Soldiers Share Their Stories" will be held this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. at the Nott Memorial.
Morlee Gugu Zawoo Sr. and K. Johnson Borh will speak about their wartime experiences as teenagers in Liberia's 14-year civil war.
At 16 and 19 years of age respectively, Zawoo and Borh were forced to fight and were fortunate enough to survive the brutality they faced on the front lines to share their stories and bring about awareness of the reality of child soldiers. They formed the War Veterans' Association during the war to lobby for support for wounded soldiers, and they transformed this association into the National Ex-Combatant Peacebuilding Initiative (NEPI).
The NEPI specializes in conflict resolution, peacebuilding, detraumatization and human rights training. It is partnered with Washington D.C.-based CHF International to create Community Peace Councils throughout Lofa County and to conduct interviews with 1,400 ex-combatants about issues surrounding economic reintegration.
The event, organized by Jen Libous '08 of Wold House, is open to the public. It is being sponsored by Wold House, Africana Studies, the Political Science Department and the Dean's Office. There will be a reception following the event at Wold House.