The women of Liberia played a crucial role in ending the civil war there through nonviolent protests, pressuring then Liberian president Charles Taylor to attend peace talks and forcing a resolution to the long, bloody conflict (ultimately leading to the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf). While I knew a bit about Liberian women’s contributions to the peace process, I had no idea of the extent of their courage until I watched Pray the Devil back to Hell, the outstanding 2008 documentary chronicling their heroic work.
During the height of the civil war, Christian and Muslim women banded together and held large demonstrations in Monrovia, taking their demand for peace to the ruthless Taylor. With violence raging around the country, their only weapon was their sincere conviction that they could achieve an end to the war by mobilizing thousands of women. To me, the most impressive moment in the documentary came when members of the Liberian women’s coalition traveled to Ghana to demonstrate at peace talks between Taylor and the LURD rebel forces. After the first several weeks of the talks, negotiations were going nowhere, so the women formed a human chain around the negotiating room, forcing the men to stay inside until they agreed to forge a peace agreement expeditiously. Their bold move worked!
If you’re interested in learning more about the movie, visit http://www.praythedevilbacktohell.com – and put it in your Netflix queue today – these women will inspire you!
Women Changing the World 