Youth Summit: The Role of Youth in Post-Conflict Sierra Leone
January 2nd-16th, 2007
This January, GYPA brought 13 American college and graduate students to Sierra Leone to participate in a two-week Youth Summit on "The Role of Youth in Post-Conflict Reconstruction." This program offered the participants a unique and first-hand look at the realities facing Sierra Leone five years after the end of the decade-long civil war.
The purpose of the program was to engage youth from the US in dialogue, direct service, and cultural exchange with their counterparts in Sierra Leone. The formal Summit in Freetown comprised three days of discussions with experts in various fields such as transitional justice, public health, economic development, and media law, among others. The Sierra Leonean student participants were bright, talented leaders from different universities across Freetown. Their personal stories of perseverance against all odds were enlightening, moving, and empowering. Critically, the American and Sierra Leonean participants were able to form lasting friendships across international borders, opening the door for future collaboration as youth advocates for development in Sierra Leone and the rest of Africa.
While in Freetown, participants had the unique opportunity to visit places like the United Nations Special Court for Sierra Leone and the US Embassy, but also toured the bustling markets and the country’s gorgeous white sand beaches. The American students spent the second week traveling through the interior of the country gaining a more in-depth perspective on the fragile post-conflict environment by participating in NGO site visits, touring schools, and interacting with local communities. For instance, in Makeni (Northern Province), the participants engaged in a day-long HIV/AIDS seminar with local secondary school students. Outside of Bo (Southern Province), the American students visited a diamond mine and spoke with local people who work in the industry. The students also spent an afternoon at a refugee camp for Liberians displaced from civil unrest in their home country. These opportunities for direct service and personal interaction were constructive and powerful elements of the program, and they provided the students with a unique and first-hand perspective on contemporary Sierra Leone.
The inaugural Youth Summit in Sierra Leone was incredibly successful, and we look forward to doing another trip in 2008!
Please contact Carrie Stefansky for more information (carrie@gypafrica.org).
Click here to learn more about GYPA's Student Global Ambassador trips.
Participant Focus
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Melissa Bentley is a graduate student at American University studying International Politics and Human Rights with a self-designed specialization in Youth and Children. She is interested in serving as a youth advocate in Africa. |
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Cristelle Gilmore is a senior at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock studying Sociology and American Humanics. She hopes to start her own non-profit to empower young women from disadvantaged communities. |
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Daniel Henry is a Program Director for Michawana Youth Camp in Michigan. He hopes to return to Sierra Leone in the fall of 2007 to study Linguistics at Fourah Bay College in Freetown. |
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Christopher Murphy is a sophomore at Georgetown University studying Economics. He's a leader in the Student Movement for Real Change, which empowers students to engage in development projects worldwide. |
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Daniel Rogers is a junior at American University studying International Relations and Economics. He spent 5 years serving in the military, including 1 in Iraq. He hopes to pursue a career in poverty alleviation and development. |
Check out our other participants.