US AMBASSADOR MEETS THE 

PEACE MOTHERS

October 31, 2012

Michaela, Lillian and I meet this morning to make an agenda for the meeting of Michael Owen, US Ambassador, and 22 of the Peace Mothers from the Kono District.  We draw a diagram of the best way to situate the tables and chairs.  The staff at the hotel arranges them.  

Michaela, Lillian and Zinab come back at 3PM bringing posters and a Peace Mothers T-Shirt for me.  Along with them are 11 of the 22 Peace Mothers.  When the car pulls up and they all start piling out, it reminds me of the clown car at the circus.  I cannot believe how many can fit inside the Land Cruiser.  And, no, I’m sure there is not a seat belt for everyone!

Peace Mothers & Posters

I hang up the posters along the front of the tables creating the u-shape.  Across from them is the head table for the Ambassador, his wife and two staff members.  The rest of the Peace Mothers arrive and I duck into my hotel room to add the word Grandmother on the back of the T-Shirt under the words Peace Mothers.  It’s official, I am now a member of the Peace Mothers as their Grandmother!  The women all applaud when I appear wearing the altered T-Shirt.  Then they burst into a song just for me!!!

Abdul, Lillian, Ambassador Owen, Mrs. Owen-Huisman,Joshua

At 4:30 as the two cars carrying the honored guests arrive the women all gather around greeting them with song and dance just like in the village.  By the smiles on their faces it is evident they are really caught up in the joy of the celebration.  They are lead into the meeting area singing and dancing all the way.  On the way in I tell the Ambassador about the lunch he had last year for those of us on the cruise up the West Coast of Africa and how touched I was by his stories of Sierra Leone and his plans to help them.

Lillian opens the program with a welcome and purpose of the meeting.  Michaela tells about Fambul Tok’s reconciliation program through the Power of Forgiveness.  She has stories illustrating how this program has empowered the women and resulted in Dr. Die, a main perpetrator of extreme violence during the war, to come in and ask forgiveness from his village.  He is now the leading force in bringing in the Ex-Combatents to educate them about Fambul Tok's process.  Those men now call themselves Peace Parents and are productive members of their villages. Both Lillian and Michaela are excellent speakers and their passion for what they do and for Fambul Tok shines as they speak.

After Michaela’s presentation two of the Peace Mothers tell their stories.  One extolls the wonders of Fambul Tok and how their process has changed her life and the life of her village. She makes the point that she is speaking English even though she is from the village.  It is Fambul Tok that has given her the courage to speak to important people like the Ambassador.  She says if she tells all the wonderful things that have happened, it will take her until tomorrow! 

The next one tells of her rape by her uncle during the war and her reluctance to confront him during the Fambul Tok bond fire.  She finally confronts him and he admits his crime and asks for her forgiveness which she grants.  She says she now feels free and is very grateful to Fambul Tok, the reconciliation process and the Power of Forgiveness bond fire.

Ambassador Michael Owen congratulates the Peace Mothers on their achievements in just a few short years.  He tells them it is due to women like them that Sierra Leone is healing and beginning to recover from the effects of the war.  Many said after the war was over that Sierra Leone would always be broken and could not recover, but Fambul Tok and the Peace Mothers are proving them wrong.  He says President Obama wants him to give them and Fambul Tok a message of respect and admiration for the work they are doing. 

The Ambassador encourages them to continue growing and empowering themselves and other women around them.  Because of their successes they will be the influence on the young girls in their communities to follow in their footsteps.  This is the future of a strong Sierra Leone.

Later that evening Ambassador Owen, his wife, Annerieke, and his Political Officer, Joshua, return to the hotel for dinner with four of the political party leaders in Kono.  They are surprised and happy to see me sitting having a beer and I invite them to join me.

Ambassador Owen asks me to elaborate on the story that brought me back to Sierra Leone to work with Fambul Tok.  Briefly I explain I was touched by his stories of the war and the attempt to recover when he spoke to us last year during our stop in Freetown.  I was encouraged by his plans to help Sierra Leone. Then the Fambul Tok documentary presented by the filmmaker, Sara Terry, came to Bend.  During my contemplations of where I should go in Africa to be of service, a voice in my head said “You need to go to Sierra Leone”!  I tell him I was surprised but after thinking about it my heart felt good about the decision.

Annerieke expresses her desire to visit the villages.  I invite her to come with us after the elections.  She is excited and says she will love that and can take a week to do it sometime in December.  I tell her I will set it up and contact her when I return to Freetown and have Internet access.

About that time Abdul, also with the embassy, returns with their guests and they get up to move to their table.  As they leave both the Ambassador and Annerieke tell me that the presentation by Fambul Tok and the Peace Mothers was the highlight of their day!  Wow!  I know that will please Michaela, Lillian and Zinab.

It's Official!!!

A little later Abdul and I are standing together at the counter.  He to order food and me to pay my bill.  He thanks me for organizing the dinner, complements me on my dancing (with the women at the presentation) and asks me where I learned how.  I tell him I have an African soul and love to dance.  He then tells me the presentation was the highlight of the day and perhaps the entire trip!  Double WOW! 

Much Love To You All,

Mom/Grandma/Sara