Phenomenal Documentary and Ladies Leading Change in Liberia

"The accused has been found responsible for aiding and abetting as well as planning some of the most heinous and brutal crimes recorded in human history," said Lussick [the trial's judge], who described one RUF military operation as the "indiscriminate killing of anything that moved." (1)

Richard Lussick was describing Charles Taylor who is on Africa's list of their Top 10 Dictators of all time.

Over the last 2-3 decades, he has embezzled 10s of thousands of dollars, smuggled blood diamonds and weapons, aided the Sierra Leone war, civil war in Liberia and led the maiming/murdering/raping of countless victims, among other crimes (1) (2).

I learned about some of his horrible crimes AND how a group of women removed him from power after watching the phenomenal documentary Pray the Devil Back to Hell.

The website offers this synopsis:

"Pray the Devil Back to Hell chronicles the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country.

"Thousands of women — ordinary mothers, grandmothers, aunts and daughters, both Christian and Muslim — came together to pray for peace and then staged a silent protest outside of the Presidential Palace. Armed only with white T-shirts and the courage of their convictions, they demanded a resolution to the country’s civil war. Their actions were a critical element in bringing about a agreement during the stalled peace talks.

"A story of sacrifice, unity and transcendence, Pray the Devil Back to Hell honors the strength and perseverance of the women of Liberia. Inspiring, uplifting, and most of all motivating, it is a compelling testimony of how grassroots activism can alter the history of nations."

And they did alter the history of Liberia as an instrumental force in removing Charles Taylor from power. The documentary was a beautiful story of women putting their minds to something and standing up for it through faith, unity and networking.

One of the key leaders in the peace prayer activism movement was Leymah Gbowee who later won a Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts. Further, after Gbowee's women helped remove Taylor, they helped Ellen Johnson Sirleaf win her position as the first democratically-elected female head of state in all of Africa and she too won a Nobel Peace Prize, rightfully so since

"In 2010, Newsweek magazine listed Johnson Sirleaf as one of the ten best leaders in the world; Time placed her among the top ten female leaders; and the Economist called her “the best President the country has ever had.” (3)

So, clearly Liberia is in good hands and on the rise, largely because of a group of determined women activists who were able to pray the Devil back to hell.

I highly encourage you to watch the documentary and take notes on how to make a difference in the world.

(1) CNN article - "Charles Taylor sentenced to 50 years for war crimes"
(2) PBS article - "Liberia's Uneasy Peace: A profile of Charles Taylor"  
(3) Executive Mansion - "Biographical Brief of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf"