creative arts and sports programme

《creative arts and sports programme》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在教育资源-天天文库。

1、CreativeArtsandSportsProgrammeSierraLeoneCountrybackgroundTheRepublicofSierraLeoneinWestAfricaisaformercolonyofBritainandisoneofAfrica’ssmallerstates.Thecountry’shistoryischaracterizedbysubstantialpoliticalinstabilityandeconomicunderdevelopment.Thisisinspiteofthefactthatthecountryisrichinmineralanda

2、griculturalresources.Lackofgoodleadership,combinedwithahostofotherfactors,bothinternalandexternal,culminatedintotheoutbreakofadisastrouscivilwarinMarch1991betweentherebelRevolutionaryUnitedFront(RUF)andthegovernmentarmy.Tensofthousandsofpeoplehavediedandmorethantwomillionpeoplehavefled,manytotheneig

3、hbouringcountryGuineaortosaferareasinSierraLeone.InJuly1999apeaceagreementwassigned.Thefightinghasnotstoppedsincethen,butwiththehelpoftheUnitedNations(UNAMSIL)theRUFisgraduallymovingoutofoccupiedterritoriesandreleasingmorechildcombatants.ChildrenintheconflictThechildrenhavehadtopaythedearestprice.Bo

4、ththerebelsandthearmyrecruitedandabductedchildren.Alargeportionoftherebelarmyarechildsoldiers,whilethegovernmentsidealsohadsprinklingsofchildcombatants.Manyofthesechildrenwereforcefullyconscriptedwithouttheknowledgeandconsentoftheirparents.Drugs,threatsandintimidationsforcedchildrentofightandkill. U

5、nderpressurefromsomeNGO’sthegovernmentdecidedin1994todisbandallchildcombatantsfromthenationalarmy,followedbyagraduallyincreasingnumberofsurrenderedandreleasedrebelchildcombatants.Manyofthesechildrenhaveneverbeentoschool,whilethosewhodid,droppedoutofschoolataveryearlyage.Thefutureoftheseex-childsoldi

6、ershasbecomeanimportantsubjectontheagendaofsomeorganizations,providingandhelpingthemwithaccommodation,rehabilitationandschooling.Manyhaveproblemsadaptingtothenormalsocietyagainandnotallhavebeenabletoreturntotheirfamilies.Manyfamiliesstillliveinrebeloccupiedareas,otherfamilieshaveproblemsacceptingthe

7、crimestheirchildhascommitted.Manyformerchildcombatantsareashamedofwhattheyhavedonetoothersorfeelhumiliated. WarChildactivitiesinSierraLeoneAfteranexploratorymissioninNovember/December2000,WarChildNeth