Far From the Africa Crowd

PBS Documentary film…Nov 25th, 2007. KBDI Channel 12, Denver.

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars

The Narratives of hope and courage in Africa:

Until very recently-about 2002, Sierra Leone was embroiled in a protracted civil war which resulted in the killing of tens of thousands of its citizens and a conflict that spread beyond its borders to involve neighboring nations, Guinea and Liberia. What started as the expression of dissatisfaction from a group of rebel soldiers about the way the government was being run resulted in the displacement of citizens, the encroachment of strife, poverty, disease, pain and suffering for the country. Out of the conflict came lessons of hope, perseverance, survival and families that could band together in tough times.

The Refugee All Stars is the group that receives attention with their musical compositions as a way of life while surviving the throes of displacement, poverty and nothing else to do while war raged on in their beloved country. After many years of living far away from home, with music, humor and anger, together with other displaced Sierra Leoneans, when the news came that the war was over, they mustered courage and started to return home after almost ten years.

PS:In August 2007, former President Ahmed Tejan kabbah stepped down after serving two terms. Elections were held in September and brought into power Ernest Bai Koroma.

Personal Reaction from George Bamu
Someone is telling the story about change in Africa.

Iron Ladies of Liberia
30th Denver Starz Film Festival. Nov 15th, 2007

The premier of the Iron Ladies of Liberia at the 30th Denver Film Festival was nothing short of spectacular. Watching the depictions of the reconstruction of Liberia’s institutions of government after years of civil war, human and physical destruction, was a relief. The film was mixed with a little fun about how much the citizens have to work themselves up to bring about change, the government’s attendance to citizen expectations about change and also the portrayal of the Iron Ladies, represented in the head of state, president Sirleaf Johnson and her cabinet, as tough minded and ready to make change happen. Even though there are still pockets of threats to the stability of the nation from disgruntled and disenchanted citizens, at least, things appear to be moving in the right direction.

What this film says about change in Africa.
There is assistance coming in from donor organizations such as the World Bank and also from China and the USA. Most important is Liberia’s transformation back to democracy and the restoration of the rule of law and freedom of expression. Citizens are able to challenge the government and ask for redress of their grievances. The press is becoming free and can play its role as the disseminator of information. The government is able to maintain order, crack down on corruption, mismanagement and protect its citizens against unscrupulous forces which threaten daily life.

How long before we see another war.
In my estimation, it would be a while before Liberia fully stands on its own again but at the very least, some normalcy exists in the current setup. I wish Liberia the very best as it strives for peace and security.

Q& A session after watching:

My question to Producer Henry Ansbacher

When I asked producer Henry Ansbacher during a Q&A session why he decided to produce the movie, his reaction was quick. He said they wanted to show that the transformation of Liberia after years of civil was real and that it was a good thing. He added that-they thought the world needed to know that change in Liberia was important not just for Liberia but for the rest of the world.

My rating of The Iron Ladies of Liberia
Overall, this was an excellent film. I give it an A score.

At the last CABJ meeting, the subject of journalism and the law came up briefly when I talked about a new book by Scott Gant with the title “We’re All Journalists now” The sub title is “The Transformation of the Press and Reshaping of the Law in the Internet Age” If you are a journalist, intend to become one and juggling various tasks, some of which involve journalism, this is a good book to check out. That said, the underlying theme that Gant, a Washington DC attorney, explores is the question of whether everyone, from citizen journalists to bloggers, is fast becoming a journalist with the proliferation of mass media and the internet. It is a question that he tackles from a legal perspective in the wake of the Valeria Plame affair and laws currently being enacted by congress to protect journalists of all categories. Gant has put forward some very solid arguments in favor of changing existing laws to accommodate the so called “non traditional journalists” I am particularly amazed at what the internet is doing in these interesting times and particularly with regard to journalism. Does any one in the house besides me buy into the arguments by Scott Gant that we’re all journalist now, at least in the age of the internet?