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Liberal Peace and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding in Africa pp 179–190Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Youth–Traditional Authorities’ Relations in Post-War Sierra Leone

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Part of the book series: Rethinking Peace and Conflict Studies ((RCS))

Abstract

This chapter examines the power relations between traditional authorities and youths in the context of liberal peacebuilding in the post-war Sierra Leone. Youths have drawn on certain tenets of the liberal peace including human rights and good governance to create spaces for exercising ‘resisting power’ and negotiating with chiefdom authorities. This has not been very effective since traditional authorities receive support from state elites and possess material and coercive power, which they have used to control the youth. The chapter argues that it is crucial for critical peace research to move beyond examining power relations between international actors and local actors to also examine power and power relations between various local groups as this also has an influence on the nature of peace being established in a post-war situation.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The two concepts are often used interchangeably.

  2. 2.

    I appreciate Ezekiel Conteh for this idea.

  3. 3.

    For instance, the state has established programs such as the National Youth Development Program that seek to mainstream, extend, mobilize and coordinate youth-focused action as well as the country has witnessed the establishment of formal youth structures including youth-led organizations addressing a wide range of youth-related issues, the National Youth Commission, district and regional youth officers, chiefdom youth leaders, chiefdom and district youth councils, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and a Presidential Youth Aide.

  4. 4.

    The youth leaders would prefer successful candidates to come from ‘ruling houses’ which they regarded as ‘our tradition’.

  5. 5.

    Youth leaders represent youths in various local bodies including chiefdom committees as well as chair youth organizations. However, as Manning (2009) and Boersch-Supan (2012) have noted, some of them are above the age of 35 as well as connected to the ruling families with economic power to the extent that some youths become dependent on them, especially when such youth leaders pay fines for them.

  6. 6.

    A ‘shake hand’ is a gift in the form of money that a person gives to the chief when he/she meets him for the first time, before he/she informs the chief his/her purpose of visit.

  7. 7.

    One of the youth leaders I interviewed also monitors local court proceedings. Youths are also involved in various chiefdom committees.

  8. 8.

    For instance, at a community leaders workshop in Kailahun District, all 14 male participants complained about being told that ‘you do not beat pikini [a child]’ – in reference to the ban on beating children (November 2010).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mindleag Limited, St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom

    Patrick Tom

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  1. Patrick Tom
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Tom, P. (2017). Youth–Traditional Authorities’ Relations in Post-War Sierra Leone. In: Liberal Peace and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding in Africa. Rethinking Peace and Conflict Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57291-2_9

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