Sierra Leone

If you want to be part of the national coalition as part of the Global Call to Action against Poverty, you can contact the following:

Sallieu T. Kamara
Network Movement for Social Justice (NMJD)
sallieutee@yahoo.com  
(w) 00232 229937
(m) 232 76 613324

Mohamed Sillah, Action Aid International Sierra Leone, Programme Officer, Policy, Research and Advocacy Unit + 232-22- 231392 / 232246/234197+232-76-830071(Mobile), mohamed.sillah@actionaid.org, mohsillah@yahoo.com

Festus E. Minah, Sierra Leone Teachers Union, President, +232-22-263253/ 263254 +232-76-617349(Mobile), festmyson@yahoo.co.uk, festmyson@hotmail.com

Ansu Rashid Kallon, Sierra Leone Labour Congress, Secretary General, +232-22-227271 +232-76-721817 (Mobile), healthservicesunion@yahoo.com

Events in 2005

Read about the launch of the Sierra Leone national chapter of the GCAP

Read the report on White Band day 3 (pdf)

In Sierra Leone, a campaign has been launched under the title “Give Sierra Leone opportunities to develop.”

A national meeting that was held on the 11th of March 2005 which led to the formation of a new platform in Sierra Leone. 19 civil Society organisations/groups have indicated their willingness to be involved in the GCAP in Sierra Leone. Regional committees have been formed with some CSOs opting to coordinate the campaign in regions in which they feel they have very strong presence/following (Northern region- CARITAS, Makeni, SLTU, NFHR, NAFSL; Southern region- NMJD, SLTU, NAFSL, NFHR, CSAP-SL; Eastern region- MRD, CCSHRA-SL, CSAP-SL, NFHR; Western area-SLLC, TUCSL, CCYA, CCSHRA. NFHR).

It was resolved that a national GCAP coordinating/organising committee will be set up after the regional meetings (in 2-3 weeks time, before the end of March) and representatives in this national committee will be drawn from the regional committees and the national committee will comprise; Youths/ Youth groups, National Union of Sierra Leone Students (NUSS), SLLC, NMJD, NFHR, NAFSL, SLTU, CSAP-SL, MRD, CCSHRA-SL, CARITAS, and Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE).

In addition to the three main issues of the GCAP (Aid, Debt Cancellation and Trade Justice), local issues have also bee identified to be incorporated into the campaign- corruption, illiteracy, unemployment and laws relating to employment, mining policies, trade policies in Sierra Leone, environmental sanitation, access to information, quality of service, use of loans and debts. The group agreed to launch GCAP formally in Sierra Leone in April.

Gender Campaign Recent initiatives relating to the women’s rights and gender equality aspects of the global GCAP mobilization and the poverty eradication agenda. Please see the attached document for a full update in French, Spanish and English.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10, 2nd. WHITE BAND DAY

Calendar of Events

• Monday 5th: Poverty Tour (collecting testimonies in the form of audio, video and photos from people living in extreme poverty to be presented to the Sierra Leone delegates that will be attending the UN+5 Millennium Summit).
• Wednesday 7th: Radio and TV panel discussions on MDGs (Intermittent slots of video testimonies collected from the poverty tour will be aired during the TV discussion).
• Thursday 8th: Radio phone in programme on the MDGs (coalition members will discuss about the MDGs in relation to Sierra Leone and members of the public will make calls to make their own contributions).
• Saturday 10th: Wakeup to Poverty press conference and launch of the Sierra Leone Alternate People’s report of progress made on the MDGs: “As if People Matter”.

FRIDAY JULY 1, WHITE BAND DAY

Cotton Tree wrapping and street party. On 1st July, a white piece of cloth will be wrapped around the famous "Freetown Cotton Tree", planted by freed slaves. A concert will also be held in the centre of Freetown with local artists performing live music and a call will be made on the G8 leaders to immediately consider Sierra Leone for a 100% debt cancellation.

For your information, Sierra Leoneans were deeply disappointed and frustrated that we were not among the 14 countries in Africa that will benefit from an immediate 100% debt cancellation even though we have been at the bottom of the Human Development Index for several years now. Civil society intends using this platform to advocate for 100% debt cancellation and an end to corruption by our leaders so that monies from debt cancellation can benefit the destitute.