How can we prevent a country from returning to civil war? When and how should external parties intervene in serious conflicts? This album looks at the decade of violence and destruction that occurred in Sierra Leone in the 1990's. Now that peace has finally come about through the efforts of the international community, it's time to debate whether the root causes of war have been adequately addressed, and what lessons can be learned. 50% of Sierra Leoneans are under 15 and unskilled. Lack of education, poverty and unemployment are still rife and it's this lack of development that gives rise to conflict. Views from all sides are presented, including those of women, disaffected youth, members of the RUF and the new peace-keeping forces, to provide an in-depth analysis of the complexities of the aftermath of a civil war. In the academic perspective, Helen Yanocopulos, Senior Lecturer in International Politics and Development at The Open University provides insight into the educational value of the Sierra Leone case study. This material is taken from The Open University course TU875 War, intervention and development.

Track 1: War, Intervention and Development

A short introduction to this album.

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Tracks in this podcast:

Track	Title	Description
1	War, Intervention and Development	A short introduction to this album. Read more War, Intervention and Development
2	The Sierra Leone Sanctions Debate	A discussion of sanctions, with specific reference to Sierra Leone, and how they have an impact on the population concerned Read more The Sierra Leone Sanctions Debate
3	Pushing too hard for elections	An appraisal of the elections in Sierra Leone and a debate on whether they were pushed through at the expense of democracy Read more Pushing too hard for elections
4	Civil war in Sierra Leone	Looking at the civil war that broke out in Sierra Leone in the nineties and the issues surrounding it. Read more Civil war in Sierra Leone
5	What sparked civil unrest in Sierra Leone?	Sierra Leonians' views that corruption and nepotism were some of the reasons for the eruption of the civil war. Read more What sparked civil unrest in Sierra Leone?
6	ECOMOG's role in Sierra Leone's civil war	How Nigerian-led ECOMOG's intervention could have been better supported and co-ordinated, and where the UN went wrong. Read more ECOMOG's role in Sierra Leone's civil war
7	The military and civilian relationship	Examines the nature of the military's role in redevelopment and its relationship to civilians. Read more The military and civilian relationship
8	Women's roles in the war	Women were involved in various ways in war, and their roles both as perpetrators and in peace-building should not be under-estimated. Read more Women's roles in the war
9	The future of the marginalised in Sierra Leone	The fate of women and youths since the war ended. The search for jobs, money and food. Read more The future of the marginalised in Sierra Leone
10	The prospects for sustainable peace	A look at the issues that the people of Sierra Leone face in developing the country post-war. Read more The prospects for sustainable peace
11	Academic perspective	Helen Yanocopulos highlights key issues in the Sierra Leone case study and explains their importance in the context of The Open University course. Read more Academic perspective

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