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iEARN SL News |
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ICTs, Leadership, and Entrepreneurial
Training Organized by TakingItGlobal (TIG) with iEARN Sierra Leone
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iEARN SL is a finalist in the "up to 18 years" category of the 2007 Global Junior Challenge award, held this year in Rome, Italy. The Global Junior Challenge is a global award promoted by the Digital World Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by the Municipality of Rome and six major ICT companies. The intention of the award, dedicated to young people and to schools, is to identify and reward best practices on the use of new technologies in education and training of youngsters. iEARN SL's project, Closing The Digital Gap Amongst Children and Youth Emerging from Wars, provides internet access and ICT skills to Sierra Leone youth. The Internet access provided by iEARN's child soldier project allows many young people in Sierra Leone to come into contact with other young people across the world. They can exchange ideas about peace issues with people of the same age from all over the world. Children affected by the war can become ambassadors for peace by exchanging their ideas with other people of the same age from all over the world by means of telecommunication. This does not just promote learning, but also social justice, and it inspires a positive exchange because child victims of war can play a significant role in creating peace in their own villages and towns. |
As part of iEARN Sierra Leone activities for the week
are: See video of one of the gun viole
nce presentations by iEARN SL youth. Stay tuned for a forthcoming report by the Women of iEARN Sierra Leone and the Girls Club. |
See photos of our young and talented musicians in action! (Best read in Adobe Reader. Download the reader here.) See our video highlighting the title track "Next Next Generation." |
On the 7th September, 2006, ICT tutor Mohamed S.Dabo, students and staff of iEARN Sierra Leone, and Director Andrew B. Greene were invited to participate in the UNFPA STATE OF THE WORLD POPULATION SYMPOSIUM; ON THE THEME: “A Passage to Hope – Women and International Migration”. Various speakers from the government of Sierra Leone, Diplomatic Corps, NGO’s, Youths, the Vocational Institute for Women, members of the press, citizens and a cross section of students from different schools attended the launching of the report. Significantly, the speakers addressed topics such as “Why Do We Migrate,” “International Migration and the Millennium Goals” and “Women in Developing Countries;” these topics are particularly relevant to Sierra Leone – a postwar-weary country with issues of inequality in the distribution of natural resources. Highlighting these issues, a commissioned paper was presented at
the Youth symposium by Mr.Ibrahim Mohamed Sesay from the Ministry
of Development and Economic Planning as a domestication of the UNFPA
State of the World Population Report 2006. The views expressed were
not necesssarily those of the government of Sierra Leone. |
YOUTH PRODUCERS FROM LISTEN
UP! CAPTURE PEABODY AWARD FOR "BEYOND BORDERS: PERSONAL STORIES
FROM A SMALL PLANET"
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iEARN-SIERRA LEONE STUDENTS MAKE IT TO FINAL 20 IN BBC'S SEARCH FOR "THE BEST NEW GROUP IN THE WORLD."The BBC World Service programme 'The Beat' recently featured an
interview with Rashid Peters of iEARN Sierra Leone about his teenage
refugee band, BUMP. Rashid performed the song, "No War,"
as a delegate from iEARN-Sierra Leone at the iEARN Annual Conference
in Slovakia in 2004. Their music can be found at
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Digital
Media Project
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Africa Now: Untold StoriesThe Canada Fund for Africa, CIDA, and Carleton University's School of Journalism and Communication were host to the conference on March 11 and 12, 2005, entitled "Africa Now: Untold Stories". The conference brought together young Africans and Canadians, media practitioners and development experts working on the continent to provide their perspectives on some of the most difficult challenges facing African youth today: HIV/AIDS, the environment, war-affected youth, and childhood development in refugee camps. The conference examined the role of the media in reporting on these issues. The keynote speaker was Lt.-Gen. (retired) Roméo Dallaire, Fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Harvard University. Moderators and panellists include: Allan Thompson, Associate Professor, Carleton School of Journalism and Communication; Alexandre Trudeau, Journalist, Documentary Filmmaker and Chair of the Board of Canada World Youth; and Ken Wiwa, Globe and Mail columnist. The audience were invited to participate in question and answer sessions with speakers and panelists. Click here for photos. |
Kono Music Outreach ProgramiEARN SL musicians were in Kono to highlight through their songs the very crucial issues facing Sierra Leone youth today. They were accompanied by iEARN Sierra Leone youths from the Girls Club and Gender, who met with several other young girls in Kono to share experiences, make friends and debate on key issues. One of the major topics for the debate was 'Education is better than Early Marriage'. On the night of arrival, the team of artists was greeted by many youth from Kono who spread a welcome mat for their Freetown colleagues, treating them to great hospitality. The radio discussions at the Kono Radio Station were quite impressive and drew the attention of thousands of listeners who heard the songs, spoke in a phone conversation to the artists, and felt inspired by the messages. Youths enjoyed great camaraderie and excitement in meeting people from different locations in Sierra Leone. Debate competitions continued at Farchima Hall, where participants consisted of schools and youth groups in Kono and their counterparts from Freetown. The most exciting part of the event was during the night of the music performances, which drew the attention of hundreds of youth in the Kono community. Much fine talent was displayed and appreciated. To see photos of the event, click here. |
iEARN Sierra Leone Summer School Certification Program
iEARN Sierra Leone concluded a summer school ICT and Computer Certification ceremony held in Freetown. The ceremony marked the climax of a three-month successful completion of ICT training for youth. The event occured on Saturday the 24th of September, 2005, where iEARN Sierra Leone issued certificates to 60 youth and students in the Freetown Municipality in a grand ceremony. The youth who have successfully completed a three-month summer school training (in computer programs ranging from Introduction to Windows, Microsoft Word, MS Powerpoint and MS Excel) were happy to receive Certificates of Merit. Since 1999, iEARN Sierra Leone has helped youth in the area of ICT to gain life-skills and address social issues, and is the sole non-profit educational institution in the Sierra Leone area dealing with online interaction. Several personalities spoke at the event including longtime iEARN SL friend and board member, Mohamed Pa-Momo Fofanah. Mr. Fofanah is also a Barrister and Solicitor, the 2004 Reebok Human Rights Award Winner, and former Director of Defence for Children International Sierra Leone. Also present were: Mr. John Lahai, CEO of Sierra Leone Youth Empowerment organization (SLEO); Mr. Bockarie Enssah, President of the Common Wealth Youth organization in Sierra Leone; and Mr. Sylvanus Murray, Coordinator of Taking It Global Sierra Leone and teacher representing the Principal of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School. Click here to read the complete report of the ceremony. Click here for more pictures from the ceremoney. |
iEARN Introduction to Journalism WorkshopMade possible by a two and a half thousand dollar grant from Voluntary Services Overseas, iEARN SL was able to host its first-ever Introduction to Journalism Workshop, and it was a resounding success. Students were able to discuss the meaning of journalism, media and its importance in Sierra Leone, corruption in journalism, and the importance of balanced reporting and journalistic integrity. Local newspaper reporter and editor, John Koroma, who works at a local paper called “Wisdom,” gave a lecture on journalism in print and electronic media. Also featured was a lecture by George Caulker, a television reporter from ABC news, the first privately owned television news station in Sierra Leone. Special thanks go to the Women’s Vocational Centre, an organization which employs and teaches underprivileged young women skills in business, cooking, batik and sewing; they catered a wonderful lunch. This workshop is the first of six designed to impart journalistic skills to youth and encourage them to go into journalism as a career. Future workshops will include organization, creation, and distribution of a newsletter, current events reporting, and grammar with respect to Krio/English translation. Students who complete all six workshops will be awarded a certificate and possibly an internship. Read more about the workshop here. You can donate to help make these workshops possible! Click HERE to go to our donate page. |
iEARN Girls WorkshopiEARN SL hosted the first-ever Girls Workshop. About twenty-seven registered iEARN girls club members, dressed up in their finest African wear, gathered inside the local NGO for an informative afternoon of discussion, debate and activity. At the end of the day, they emerged with more confidence, more awareness, and more solidarity as women in Sierra Leone. Discussion and debate topics included: war-affected girls, gender roles, and empowerment for women. At the end of the workshop the girls performed a traditional Sierra Leonean dance and a short skit. Special thanks go to Miss Beatrix Kemba, President of the iEARN girls club, Lovetta Pratt, member of Sisters in Development, Women’s Vocational Centre in Freetown (an organization which employs and teaches underprivileged young women skills in business, cooking, batik and sewing), Gender Officer Joyce Johnson of UNDP and Ministry of Youth and Sport, iEARN SL's intern Heather Avery, Agnes K. Kamara, and others who participated in making this day a success. Read more about the workshop here . |
Moving to the Beats/Mobilizing YouthIn an unprecedented all-youth initiative, iEARN SL proudly launches the album "Moving to the Beats / Mobilizing Youth: Salone fo Go Befo." Salone fo Go Befo is Krio for 'Sierra Leone Must Progress,' and that is exactly what these youths are doing. Please click here to read more about all the performers and their individual contributions. Music has played a pivotal role both for talent sharing and as a therapeutic process in the lives of youth. Through the support of caring global citizens, iEARN SL have been able to put together 13 songs all done by youth. The songs are also simultaneously being featured in a video documentary done by the iEARN Sierra Leone filming crew, in collaboration with Talking Drum Studio, entitled "Search For Common Grounds in Freetown." The 13 songs address topics related to HIV/AIDS and the issue of children's rights (child soldiers) and peace. On the 3rd of December, 2005, this album will be launched to coincide with an international peace concert in which many young artists have been short-listed. iEARN SL appreciates any assistance to help further the launch of this spectacular album: please click here to see how you can donate. iEARN SL is grateful to War Child Canada, Talking Drum Studio, Ministry of Youth and Sports (for providing invitation letters for international participants), Mothers Against Military Advancement (MAMAS), Children's Music Network, Rappers United By Beating Aids (RUBBA), Act Alive, WH Day Elementary School Canada, iEARN Canada, and iEARN USA for their immeasurable assistance in this project. You may hear selected songs from the CD at the www.childsoldiers.org website (be sure to download Real Audio). |
| November 2004- International Day of Youth (in PDF) International Day of Youth (in Word) |
| September 2004- Environmental Online (ENO) Tree Planting Day Speech by Alimamy Sekou Bangura, Acting iEARN SL Coordinator Speech by Franklin Koroma, Youth Facilitator Speech by Franklin Mawendeh, Youths Project Animator Song by the iEARN SL Positive Music Project |
| Summer 2004- "New iEARN SL Centers Founded in Bo and Kono Regions" (in PDF) "New iEARN SL Centers Founded in Bo and Kono Regions" (in Word) |
| March/April 2004 – iEARN and the Plan Netherlands Rap4Rights Initiative |
| January 2004- iEARN SL Attends the Hague International Model United Nations |
| October 2003- iEARN SL Attends HIV/AIDS Workshop at US Embassy |
| July 2003 – iEARN SL Attends the Africa-Canada Youth Symposium for Leadership and Development |
| April 2003 – iEARN SL Wins ChildNet Award for Best New-to-the-Net |
As
iEARN SL bridges the digital divide in post-conflict Sierra Leone,
greatly needed training of various youth groups was organized by
TakingItGlobal (TIG) at iEARN resource center. The training, which
took place from the 4th - 14th September, 2007, engaged various
youth groups/organizations like YEDEM SL, Peace Links, Children’s
Forum Network (CFN), and a handful of iEARN youths bringing the
total of 20 youths. TakingITGlobal, an organization that deals with
youth empowerment and issues of global concern like the Millenium
Development Goals (MDGs), worked with iEARN to see the success of
this training.
iEARN
SL’s director, Andrew B. Greene, lent a hand in dealing with
ICTs and Entrepreneurialism. This training showcased ways of getting
resources through Information Technology and also highlighted ways
to manage organizations and business plans; it was followed by mini-workshops.
In
collaboration with Woodcraft Folk UK, iEARN SL will be releasing
its second album, "Next Next Generation," a collection
of songs by Sierra Leonean youth on topics relevant to youth and
today's world. More information will be forthcoming as this project
develops. Donations to help further the project are dearly appreciated
- please visit the Donate page to find out how you can help.
