Fail to Perform and We Will WHACK You…

So, I’ve reached the 1-month mark. Life here is getting easier and more enjoyable. I’ve got a good grasp on the workings of my accommodations and office. And I feel like I know the city well. At least my end of town.

Names and faces are now familiar. Most nearby shop owners recognize me – although I’m definitely not inconspicuous! White man with dreads! Rasta! I get random hugs from grown men. Weird. Now the dreads are gone. A two-week experiment. It was much cooler… I will definitely do it again.

We just concluded a 3-day workshop at the office. 2 guys from Uganda and an America flew in to facilitate the commencement of an analysis of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC.) in Sierra Leone. Basically the TRC was a massive undertaking to document the human rights violations during the war and provide recommendations for the government to move forward. These kinds of commissions are fairly standard in light of South Africa’s TRC after the apartheid. How to deal with the aftermath of a major event such as war, in terms of reparations, impunity, amnesty, prosecution and the institutions and governance that design, implement and evaluated the process. I mean, this is huge. A massive undertaking. The final TRC report for Sierra Leone is 4 volumes. They include detailed accounts of human rights violations.

I have only read reports and summaries of the TRC. The past few days I was lucky enough to hear prominent Sierra Leoneans talk frankly about it’s current status. The TRC was the product of international and national interest. Our organization wants to insure the current government implements the recommendations of the TRC. To date few recommendations are imbedded in national policy, and none are linked to the TRC. In other words the government shows little desire to follow through with these obligations. Bad policy equals bad governance equals trouble. The TRC is the voice of the people and the international community (no doubt not perfect), and the government plays with fire when it doesn’t listen to the people. As a local song translates from Krio… “ if you (the government) fail to perform, we the people will whack you…”

The past couple of weekends I’ve been hanging at the beach. Some friends were involved in organizing a beach market for local traders – that was a lot of fun. I spent my money on food. (Top Photo: Performers at the market... Left Photo: Friends hiding from the hot sun under the market shelter; left to right, Desmond, Howard, Laura, Rosa and Anita AKA Frankie)

But this weekend is a long one – Easter. So a few of us will make the adventurous trek to Sherbro Island. First we must take a 10-hour “bus” ride, then 4-hour boat ride to Bonthe, the main town on the island. We’ll be looking for pigmy hippos and, of course, monkeys. I’m sure Easter dinner will be much different for me this year. Happy Easter to all. Have a Cadbury Creme Egg for me.