Life of the Mind - 2008 Selection
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
The Author and his Book
Author Interviews: Ishmael Beah Transcript of a 2007 interview with Beah from Powell's Bookstore in Portland, Oregon.
A Long Way Gone: News and Media A collection of links to newspaper, magazine, and radio stories and interviews about Ishmael Beah and his book, as compiled by his publisher.
Boy Soldier of Fortune A lengthy review from the Village Voice outlining the controversy which has arisen over the validity of certain events described in Beah's memoir.
The Fog of Memory From Slate Magazine, a review of the allegations of inaccuracy in The Long Way Home and the publisher's defense of the book.
The Issues
SIERRA LEONE: THE NATION
Background Notes: Sierra Leone An overview of recent history and political developments in Sierra Leone along with basic facts and statistics about the country.
Sierra Leone From the African Studies Center at the University of Pennsylvania, a collection of links to information about the country, its history and current affairs.
Africa South of the Sahara: Sierra Leone A lengthy list of links to Sierra Leone information from the African Collection at Stanford University Libraries. Covers many aspects of life and culture in the nation in addition to history and current events.
WAR AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN SIERRA LEONEHuman Rights Watch: Sierra Leone Links collected by Human Rights Watch, an independent, nongovernmental organization, accepting no government funds and dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Sierra Leone Following 11 years of violence and civil war, this commission met to lay the foundation for reconciliation and healing of all those affected, victims and perpetrators alike. Contains the full text of their report, lists of victims, videos of witnesses, an outline of the role of women and children in the conflict, links to similar organizations in other nations, and more.
Amnesty International: Sierra Leone From the well-known international advocacy group, links to their annual reports on Sierra Leone's human rights status as well as news stories and special reports.
CHILD SOLDIERS
Child Soldiers From Human Rights Watch, a collection of reports on child soldiers in several countries, including Sierra Leone.
Child Soldiers: A Field Guide This publication from Save the Children, an international child advocacy group, outlines the issues involved in children acting as soldiers and how agencies and individuals can help to prevent their recruitment, ameliorate their situation, and reintegrate them into normal life.
Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers Established under the auspices of several well known nongovernment international advocacy groups, this organization focuses on the prohibition of military recruitment and use in hostilities of any person younger than 18 years of age.
