About Us

Peace-Links is a non-profit, non-denominational youth-led organization. The group was born out of the chaos and uncertainties of the 1990s as a direct response to the marginalization of young people and the terrible effect of the war on the country's future leaders. Comprised largely of ex-child combatants, displaced children, amputees, street children and other disadvantaged youths, the group uses the arts; including painting, drawing, music, dance and drama to not only help traumatized children recover from their debilitating experiences but also to comment on social issues such as violence, poverty, discrimination, hunger, illiteracy, joblessness, and military recruitment. The group uses creative arts to deglamorize warfare and to bridge the gap between the 'victim' and the 'perpetrator'. Through the arts, the organization creates symbols of national consciousness that reinforce patriotism, peace, love, unity and hope.

Our Aims

Empowerment

The organization aimes to raise awareness about the dangers of youth militarisation and hence to empower young people for positive change. By imparting new skills, the organization gives young people a sense of empowerment and inspired others to use their creative talents and energy for constructive rather than destructive purposes. To this effect most of the organization's projects have been carried out in communities with large concentrations of deprived and at risk children.

Monitoring youth welfare issues and Influencing policies

Peacelinks aims to draw attention to major issues affecting young people in the country and to influence policy-makers, both local and international to address these issues. In war-weary and poverty stricken Sierra Leone, the youths have to contend with poverty, joblessness, lack of proper medical care, and poor educational facilities. Not surprisingly therefore, the dropout rate is high. With little or no hope for a better future many drift into drugs, petty-thieving, prostitution, to name just a few. Peacelinks undertakes research on these social problems and proposes concrete recommendations on how they can be addressed with the full participation of the beneficiaries.

Reconciliation through arts

Peacelinks aims to brigde the gap between adversarial communities and to heal the wounds of war. The group uses performing arts that specifically carries messages of unity and non-violence aimed at restoring the trust and confidence that are so essential to closely knit societies. The group creates songs and choreograph dances that utilize symbolic gestures, costumes, and other visual devices to communicate peace and reconciliation messages. By bringing together children from all the warring factions and from all socio-economic backgrounds, Peacelinks vividly demonstrates to the adult community the possibility and benefits of reconciling with former adversaries.

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Our Principles

We value individual uniqueness as well as group cohesion. The organizational training and skills building activities emphasizes individual opinions and group decisions.  Programs are initiated, planned/ implemented collectively.

In this group process members imbibe societal values of consensus building, cooperation, patience, and respect for divergent opinions.  Especially for children who have been indoctrinated in the "Might is Right" philosophy, such give and take social values are vital to their re-adjustments into civilian life.

Youth are not only the target beneficiaries, but they are valued as vital and integral members of the organization who guide the direction of the programming.  We bring hope where there is despair, we bring laughter where there is sadness. We empower the disempowered through the teaching of life skills to the most disadvantaged of young people.

Would you like to help? Please visit our get involved page to find out about ways you can make a difference

Contact Us

info@peace-links.org
14 Williams Street
Freetown, Sierra Leone
Fax: (232) 22 224439
Phone: (232) 767 82448/ 766 36340