Charles Taylor Convicted of All Charges
The Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) judges in The Hague found Charles Taylor guilty of all 11 charges of aiding war crimes and crimes against humanity including rape and the use of child soldiers. The Court did not find that Taylor had control over the rebel groups as many human rights group had hoped. Taylor denied all charges and insisted that he was simply a peacemaker. The Court obviously did not agree with Taylor’s self-assessment. This is the first time since the Nuremberg Trials that a sitting head of state has been found guilty of war crimes.
Thank you to Amnesty International and JMDF for helping us host a screening and discussion of the film Johnny Mad Dog at George Mason University on Monday March 5th. The film was followed by a Q & A with the Assistant Director of Johnny Mad Dog Sam Sherman and Managing Director of Child Soldier Relief Foundation Leslie Giamo.
Johnny Mad Dog is an award-winning Liberian feature film that follows a group of child soldiers in Liberia at the end of the second civil war.
To host your own screening please email info@childsoldierrelief.org.
‘Liking’ something on Facebook or ‘following’ on Twitter is not enough. Learn about the issues, take concrete steps. Join organizations that are working to advocate, to treat, to educate. Capturing one warlord, or bringing another to justice does not end the problem. Children in literally dozens of countries are still being brutalized, abused and forced to fight. So, for the thousands of people who access this site, and the millions that have viewed the KONY 2012 video, do not stop. Join the fight, spread the word, help to end the use of children in war.
Photo by Jane Rahman, 2009, Santa Monica ”Invisible Children, “The Rescue”
Karim Chrobog (Director of War Child with Emmanuel Jal) will be following Lenny Williams from Mandala House as she sets up Yoga Training Programs in DRC, Uganda, and Colombia for former child soldiers. Learn how to support this film project.
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