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{{Infobox person
⚫
#REDIRECT [[Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace]]
| name = Leymah Roberta Gbowee
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = <!-- {{Birth date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| birth_place = Central [[Liberia]]
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) -->
| death_place =
| nationality = [[African people|African]]
| other_names =
⚫
| known_for = [[Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace]] and ''[[Pray the Devil Back to Hell]]''
| occupation = [[Peace activist]]
}}

'''Leymah Roberta Gbowee''' is a [[peace activist]] in [[Africa]], responsible for organizing a [[peace movement]] that brought an end to the [[Second Liberian Civil War]] in 2003 and led to the election of [[Ellen Johnson Sirleaf]] in [[Liberia]], the first [[African]] nation with a [[female president]].

==Biography==
'''Leymah Gbowee''' was born in central [[Liberia]], and at the age of 17 moved to [[Monrovia]], when the [[Second Liberian Civil War]] erupted. She trained as a trauma counselor during the civil war in Liberia and worked with the ex-child soldiers of [[Charles Taylor (Liberia)|Charles Taylor's]] army. <ref>[http://www.peaceprizeforum.org/gbowee_biography.html Leymah Gbowee Biography]</ref> Surrounded by the images of war, she realized that “if any changes were to be made in society it had to be by the mothers.” <ref>[http://www.gruberprizes.org/GruberPrizes/WomensRights_LaureateBio.php?id=86&awardid=53
2009 Gruber Foundation Women's Rights Prize]</ref> She is a mother of five.<ref>[http://www.wipsen-africa.org/wipsen/who/founders/ Founders/Trustees]</ref>

==Peace movement==
In 2002, Leymah Gbowee was a social worker who organized the [[Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace]]. The [[peace movement]] started with local women praying and singing in a fish market.<ref>[http://www.odemagazine.com/blogs/readers_blog/9001/leymah_gbowee_peace_warrior_for_liberia 2009 Peace warrior for Liberia]</ref> She organized the [[Christian]] and [[Muslim]] women of [[Monrovia]], [[Liberia]] to pray for peace and to hold [[nonviolence]] protests. Dressed in white to symbolize peace, and numbering in the thousands, the women became a political force against violence and against their government. <ref>[http://www.guideposts.com/blog/life-faith-liberia-peace-movement-women Guideposts review]</ref>

Under Leymah Gbowee's leadership, the women managed to force a meeting with President [[Charles Taylor (Liberia)|Charles Taylor]] and extract a promise from him to attend peace talks in [[Ghana]].<ref>http://www.americanprogress.org/events/2008/11/inf/GboweeLeymah.html Bio of Gbowee Leymah</ref> Gbowee then led a delegation of Liberian women to Ghana to continue to apply pressure on the warring factions during the peace process.<ref>[http://www.americanprogress.org/events/2008/11/inf/GboweeLeymah.html Center for American Progress]</ref> They staged a silent protest outside of the [[Golden Jubilee House|Presidential Palace, Accra]], bringing about an agreement during the stalled peace talks.

Leymah Gbowee and [[Comfort Freeman]], presidents of two different [[Lutheran]] churches, organized the Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET), and issued a statement of intent to the President: "In the past we were silent, but after being killed, raped, dehumanized, and infected with diseases, and watching our children and families destroyed, war has taught us that the future lies in saying NO to violence and YES to peace! We will not relent until peace prevails." <ref>[http://www.myhero.com/go/hero.asp?hero=womens_peace_movement_liberia_08 WOMENS PEACE MOVEMENT OF LIBERIA]</ref>

Their movement brought an end to the [[Second Liberian Civil War]] in 2003 and led to the election of [[Ellen Johnson Sirleaf]] in Liberia, the first [[African]] nation with a [[female president]].

==Documentary==
Leymah Gbowee is the central character in the 2008 [[documentary film]] ''[[Pray the Devil Back to Hell]]''. The film has been used as an [[advocacy]] tool in post-conflict zones like [[Sudan]] and [[Zimbabwe]], mobilizing African women to petition for peace and security.<ref>[http://www.mediaglobal.org/article/2009-11-01/pray-the-devil-back-to-hell-documentary-serves-as-advocacy-tool-in-post-conflict-zones/ November 2009 MEDIAGLOBAL]</ref>

==Awards==
* Recipient of the 2007 Blue Ribbon for Peace from the [[John F. Kennedy School of Government]] at [[Harvard University]].
* Recipient of the 2009 John F. Kennedy [[Profile in Courage Award]].<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/06192009/profile.html Bill Moyers Journal, June 19, 2009]</ref>
* “Leaders for the 21st Century” Award from Women’s eNews

==Education and training==
* Master of Arts in Conflict Transformation from [[Eastern Mennonite University]] in [[Harrisonburg]], Virginia

Certifications: Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Training at the United Nations Institute for Training, the Healing Victims of War Trauma Center in Cameroon, and Non-Violent Peace Education in Liberia <ref>[http://womenpeacesecurity.org/programs-events/peacebuilders/leymah_roberta_gbowee/ Making Peace Work for Women]</ref>

==Professional career==
Leymah Gbowee is the executive director of the ''Women Peace and Security Network Africa'', based in [[Accra]], [[Ghana]]<ref>[http://www.huntalternatives.org/pages/7352_leymah_gbowee.cfm Hunt Alternatives Fund, Directory of Women Experts]</ref> and acts to build relationships across the West African sub-region in support of women’s capacity to prevent, avert, and end conflicts. She is a founding member and former coordinator of the Women in Peacebuilding Program/West African Network for Peacebuilding (WIPNET/WANEP). She also served as the commissioner-designate for the Liberia Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

== External links ==
* [http://www.wipsen-africa.org/wipsen/ WIPSEN-Africa]
* [http://www.gnwp.org/members/wipnet WIPNET]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:African women in war]]
[[Category:Anti-war activists]]
[[Category:Liberian women in politics]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Women in war]]
[[Category:Women in 21st century warfare]]
[[Category:Women's rights in Africa]]
[[Category:Pacifists]]
[[Category:Peace movements]]

Revision as of 18:28, 31 August 2010

Leymah Roberta Gbowee
Born
Central Liberia
NationalityAfrican
OccupationPeace activist
Known forWomen of Liberia Mass Action for Peace and Pray the Devil Back to Hell

Leymah Roberta Gbowee is a peace activist in Africa, responsible for organizing a peace movement that brought an end to the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003 and led to the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia, the first African nation with a female president.

Biography

Leymah Gbowee was born in central Liberia, and at the age of 17 moved to Monrovia, when the Second Liberian Civil War erupted. She trained as a trauma counselor during the civil war in Liberia and worked with the ex-child soldiers of Charles Taylor's army. [1] Surrounded by the images of war, she realized that “if any changes were to be made in society it had to be by the mothers.” [2] She is a mother of five.[3]

Peace movement

In 2002, Leymah Gbowee was a social worker who organized the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace. The peace movement started with local women praying and singing in a fish market.[4] She organized the Christian and Muslim women of Monrovia, Liberia to pray for peace and to hold nonviolence protests. Dressed in white to symbolize peace, and numbering in the thousands, the women became a political force against violence and against their government. [5]

Under Leymah Gbowee's leadership, the women managed to force a meeting with President Charles Taylor and extract a promise from him to attend peace talks in Ghana.[6] Gbowee then led a delegation of Liberian women to Ghana to continue to apply pressure on the warring factions during the peace process.[7] They staged a silent protest outside of the Presidential Palace, Accra, bringing about an agreement during the stalled peace talks.

Leymah Gbowee and Comfort Freeman, presidents of two different Lutheran churches, organized the Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET), and issued a statement of intent to the President: "In the past we were silent, but after being killed, raped, dehumanized, and infected with diseases, and watching our children and families destroyed, war has taught us that the future lies in saying NO to violence and YES to peace! We will not relent until peace prevails." [8]

Their movement brought an end to the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003 and led to the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia, the first African nation with a female president.

Documentary

Leymah Gbowee is the central character in the 2008 documentary film Pray the Devil Back to Hell. The film has been used as an advocacy tool in post-conflict zones like Sudan and Zimbabwe, mobilizing African women to petition for peace and security.[9]

Awards

Education and training

Certifications: Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Training at the United Nations Institute for Training, the Healing Victims of War Trauma Center in Cameroon, and Non-Violent Peace Education in Liberia [11]

Professional career

Leymah Gbowee is the executive director of the Women Peace and Security Network Africa, based in Accra, Ghana[12] and acts to build relationships across the West African sub-region in support of women’s capacity to prevent, avert, and end conflicts. She is a founding member and former coordinator of the Women in Peacebuilding Program/West African Network for Peacebuilding (WIPNET/WANEP). She also served as the commissioner-designate for the Liberia Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

References

  1. ^ Leymah Gbowee Biography
  2. ^ [http://www.gruberprizes.org/GruberPrizes/WomensRights_LaureateBio.php?id=86&awardid=53 2009 Gruber Foundation Women's Rights Prize]
  3. ^ Founders/Trustees
  4. ^ 2009 Peace warrior for Liberia
  5. ^ Guideposts review
  6. ^ http://www.americanprogress.org/events/2008/11/inf/GboweeLeymah.html Bio of Gbowee Leymah
  7. ^ Center for American Progress
  8. ^ WOMENS PEACE MOVEMENT OF LIBERIA
  9. ^ November 2009 MEDIAGLOBAL
  10. ^ Bill Moyers Journal, June 19, 2009
  11. ^ Making Peace Work for Women
  12. ^ Hunt Alternatives Fund, Directory of Women Experts
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