I have been told there has been a lot of talk about protesting going around. Having not talked to many people, I have to take the word of the few. The history of protesting is rich and appropriately controversial. And having never participated in a real protest myself, I feel I am most qualified to speak on the issue objectively. The protest in history being reviewed today is the “Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace” organization. And they did protesting right.
Distant History:
In 1816, a coalition of Americans established the American Colonization Society with the express purpose of sending freed slaves back to Africa. The thinking was that blacks would never integrate into American society, even after the inevitable (a Northern-sentiment) end of slavery, so it would just be best to kick the former slaves back to Africa. In 1822, they purchased some land in Africa and established Liberia, settled by 86 African-American-Africans. As reward for his hard work and support, they named their capital Monrovia—after President James Monroe. Go figure, these freed slaves (nearly all born/raised in America) thought of themselves as Americans and clashed with the indigenous Africans. The settlement boomed in population but the Americo-Liberians remained a demographic minority. Joseph Jenkins Roberts, born and raised in America, became Liberia's first President and helped institute a government and constitution wherein the Americo-Liberian elite easily seized political power and restricted the voting rights of the indigenous population. Yeah, Joe Roberts and his True Whig Party were pretty American.
SIDE NOTE:
They did not wear “wigs,” but rather the name can be traced back to the Scottish-Gaelic word “whiggamor.” The word translates to ‘cattle driver,’ which was a lowly profession during England’s Exclusion Bill Crisis of 1680, itself a result of good, old-fashioned Catholic-bashing—which also explains several dropped story lines in Community. Or maybe not.
You really should watch this show.
Recent History:
Anyhow! Damn near without global equal, the TWP held on to power until 1980 when a CIA and Ronald Reagan-backed Samuel Doe led a coup d'etat, killing the President and over 100 other “communist” politicians. Amazingly, this military leader stepped down from power and Liberia entered a period of peace and posterity. No wait, Doe continued to go after “communists” in the country with a hatchet. Damn, I really had a good feeling about that one. Doe loses the battle of a lifetime about 10 years later and Charles Taylor takes over, making sure to continue the nation’s civil war, directly killing over 200,000 people and displacing/starving millions of others.
Decent History:
Enter Leymah Gbowee, a female social worker who, in 2003, organized women at her church to stage a protest at the local fish market (basically a field alongside a busy road). Asatu Bah Kenneth gets wind of this idea and organizes all the women she knows from her mosque. The two groups got together and formed “Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace.”
What They Did:
More than just writing their opinions on signs, the women agreed upon their goals and sacrifices. They understood the difference between policies and principles; in that “policy” is about what you are willing to sacrifice to maintain your principles. Anybody can be for peace, but what are you willing to sacrifice for it? Lunch? A million dollars? This group sacrificed revenge---which, in the eye of the gun-holder, is usually called “justice.” And yeah, several of these women had guns. But they decided peace was needed more than anything. Especially more important than having a romantic life—their sacrifice that got more attention. Before long, the thousands of women agreed to stop having sex with their husbands and boyfriends—many of whom were out getting “justice.” And just like that, nearly the entire country stopped getting any action.
First Result:
Dictator Charles Taylor and the multiple rebel groups all agreed to meet in nearby Ghana for an international, intra-national peace conference. Several members of the “Women of Liberia” movement traveled to Ghana to continue applying pressure on all sides. When talks began to break down, the women (perhaps inspired by Bart Simpson) surrounded the conference building and barricaded the doors. Incredibly, Charles Taylor agreed to resign and be exiled to Nigeria, meaning he might be that person emailing you asking for your bank information. The rebel groups all agreed to a two-year transitional and democratic government.
Later Results:
Several of the rebel leaders—some well-known gang leaders, murderers, thieves and rapists—secured official government positions, though have the women still watching their every move. Also, in October 2005 Liberia experienced its most free, fair, and peaceful elections in history. International soccer star George Weah lost to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf—Africa’s first democratically elected female president.
Why the Secret?
Assuming we need Hollywood to popularize history, the simple answer to this story’s obscurity is found in Western pessimism. Oh, we love happy endings, no doubt. And this is a happy ending, Newsweek, Time, Forbes and The Economist rank Sirleaf as high as “the best president the country has ever had.” But if this was a movie, who would Bruce Willis play? Or Tim Robbins? Or Jennifer Connelly? White people aside, America the Country doesn’t look good at any point in this story until the epilogue. And there aren’t any 24-style Muslim terrorists. The conflicts are barely religious yet the group’s formation was principled on religious inclusion. Maybe the story is just too good for Hollywood.
For people looking to protest against the world around them, a little humility might open up new ideas. Passion is a great tool to wield and it doesn’t need to be reserved for the most egregious crimes against humanity. So lets learn, lets move on and move forward.
Because the key to winning is not letting yourself lose twice in a row.
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