Liberia Peace and Cultural Festival

Transcription

1 Liberia Peace and Cultural Festival 11th-13th December 2008 Monrovia, Liberia The 2008 Peace and Cultural Festival is expected to attract 30,000 people, including 375 artists and performers from all 15 counties of Liberia, and over 100 artists from Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Guinea. Acts will include dance, drama, storytelling, acrobats and music! This is the fourth and largest annual peace festival hosted by International, bringing together participants from across ethnic and post-conflict divides to promote reconciliation in the region through traditional and modern arts. The 2008 festival is organised in partnership with Liberia's Ministry of Information, Culture And Tourism.

2 The 2008 Peace and Cultural Festival will bring together people and leaders who until the end of the conflict lived on opposing sides of the war and encourage those taking part to celebrate cultural diversity, rather than allow such differences to divide. The 2008 National Festival aims to reach every community in Liberia, providing Liberians from all 15 counties with an unprecedented opportunity to have a voice in the capital, Monrovia. With the involvement of more and more artists from the neighbouring countries, the Festival will celebrate the shared culture of communities straddling the borders of Mano River Union countries.

3 Through dance, poetry, music, theatre and traditional arts, this Festival sees people from different cultural, linguistic and ethnic groups coming together to celebrate peace in a country that was torn apart by 14 years of conflict. Over the last three years, the Peace and Cultural Festival has become a popular event attended by people and artists from across Liberia and the neighbouring countries. The Festival is part of International Alert s Liberia Media Project.

4 Artists The 2008 Peace and Cultural Festival s artists include: * 375 artists and performers from all 15 counties of Liberia * over 100 artists from Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Guinea Acts will include dance, drama, storytelling, acrobats, music and traditional arts. Artist Spotlight Since 1982, Flomo Theatre Production (FTP) has engaged the people of Liberia, its government, public institutions and militias through radio dramas and live stage performances on issues of human rights abuses, good governance and gender based violence.

5 Alongside the cultural events, representatives from each of the 15 Liberian counties and the neighbouring countries will meet to share experiences of building peace and forge relationships for future collaboration. Rural community leaders will have an unprecedented opportunity to meet with key members of the Liberian government and the international community, providing a rare chance for the oice for rural Liberians to be heard by national and international decision makers. The debates will also explore the vital role that women have to play in building a long term and sustainable peace in Liberia and in the region.

6 Alert started working in Liberia in 1993 and stayed throughout the years of civil war. Alert has focused on work in the field of communications. We have helped journalists and traditional communicators become more effective, enhancing the media s role as a vehicle for transparency, democracy and non-violent change. Since 2004, as part of its Liberia Media Project, Alert has also established eight community radio stations across the country.

7 For media enquiries: In the UK Ilaria Bianchi, Communications Officer T + 44 (0) M + 44 (0) ibianchi@international-alert.org For supporters and donors: Peter Raven, Senior Programme Design and Fundraising Officer T +44 (0) praven@international-alert.org In Liberia Chris Underwood, Head of Communications M +44 (0) cunderwood@international-alert.org For further information: Sidy Dieye, Senior Programme Officer M sdieye@international-alert.org