This important book addresses several misconceptions about war, youth, and resources in Sierra Leone. Paul Richards argues that the war in Sierra Leone and other small wars in Africa do not manifest a "new barbarism." What appears as random, anarchic violence is no such thing. The terrifying military methods of Sierra Leone's soldiers may not fit Western models of warfare, but they are rational and effective. The war must be understood partly as "performance," in which techniques of terror compensate for lack of equipment. Richards points out that Sierra Leone's war is a crisis of modernity. Sierra Leone's youth belong to a modern, trans-Atlantic culture. In remote diamond-digging camps, young people watch Rambo videos and listen to BBC news. These are part of the cultural resources with which the war is fought. The frustrations of these young people underlie the crisis. Not only the soldiers but most of the commanders are teenagers. Their aspirations are for schools and jobs. Financial stringency and the decay of the patrimonial state led directly to the government's surrender of much of the countryside. The rain forest is also central to the war. The war is fought in the rain forest and can only be understood in the context of old traditions of social and technical management of the forest. There is no evidence that a crisis of deforestation or overpopulation has contributed to the war. Rebuilding the state-and giving young Sierra Leoneans confidence in it-is essential for peace. But in the meantime, many people are learning to live with war, and building limited peace locally. Richards argues that aid agencies must learn from these initiatives to avoid becoming part of the economy of conflict.

zlib/Society, Politics & Philosophy/Anthropology/Paul Richards/Fighting for the Rain Forest: War, youth and resources in Sierra Leone_22072952.pdf

Fighting For The Rain Forest (cloth) (african Issues)

Richards, Paul

The International African Institute in association with James Currey ; Heinemann

Pearson Education Limited

Edexcel Limited

BOYE6

African issues, Oxford, Portsmouth, N.H, England, 1998

African issues, Portsmouth, N.H, New Hampshire, 1996

African issues, Oxford, Portsmouth, N.H, 1996

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

"First published 1996. Reprinted with new postscript"--T.p. verso.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 185-194) and index.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 169-178) and index.

"What appears as random, anarchic violence is no such thing. The terrifying military methods of Sierra Leone's soldiers may not fit conventional western models of warfare, but they are rational and effective nonetheless. The war must be understood partly as a 'performance', in which techniques of terror compensate for lack of equipment." "Sierra Leone's youth belong to a modern, trans-Atlantic culture. In remote diamond-digging camps, young people watch Rambo videos and have a sophisticated understanding of world affairs from the BBC. These are part of the cultural resources with which the war is fought." "The war is fought in the rain forest, and can only be understood in the context of old traditions of social and technical management of the forest. There is no evidence that a crisis of deforestation or overpopulation has contributed to the war." "Rebuilding the state - and giving young Sierra Leoneans confidence in it - is essential for peace. But in the meantime, many people are learning to live with war, and building limited peace locally. Aid agencies must learn from these initiatives if relief is to contribute to peace and not become part of the economy of conflict."--Jacket

War in Sierra Leone: new barbarism in Africa?
Insurgency in Sierra Leone: context, events & interpretations
State recession & youth: the political culture of patrimonial decline
Forest conversion: the making & re-making of forest society
Bush war & primitive accumulation: the voices of young people
Videos & violence: youth exposure to modern media
Environment & violence: Is population pressure a likely cause of war?
On the edge: state recession & social exclusion
War, resources & the future: youth attitudes to forest insurgency
War-peace transition: scope for citizen action
Afterword: recent events
Postscript: on hunters & martyrs: events, July 1996-December 1997.

Paul Richards. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 169-178) And Index.

2022-07-19