Pray the Devil Back to Hell is the extraordinary story of a small band of Liberian women who came together in the midst of a bloody civil war, took on the violent warlords and corrupt Charles Taylor regime, and won a long-awaited peace for their shattered country in 2003.WNL: Although this award-winning documentary deserves wide release, it is rarely shown in theaters. It is available at Netflix, and I highly recommend it. The clip above gives only the barest hint of the beauty and power of this film. It will expand your view of what it means to be a woman and a mother, and give you a vision of what we can do when we work together - just women working together for the changes they want.
As the rebel noose tightened upon Monrovia, and peace talks faced collapse, the women of Liberia – Christian and Muslims united - formed a thin but unshakable white line between the opposing forces, and successfully demanded an end to the fighting– armed only with white T-shirts and the courage of their convictions.
In one remarkable scene, the women barricaded the site of stalled peace talks in Ghana, and announced they would not move until a deal was done. Faced with eviction, they invoked the most powerful weapon in their arsenal – threatening to remove their clothes. It worked.
The women of Liberia are living proof that moral courage and non-violent resistance can succeed, even where the best efforts of traditional diplomacy have failed.
Their demonstrations culminated in the exile of Charles Taylor and the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first female head of state, and marked the vanguard of a new wave of women taking control of their political destiny around the world.
This remarkable chapter of world history was on its way to being lost forever. The Liberian war and peace movement were largely ignored as the international press focused on Iraq. Moreover, the women's own modesty helped obscure this great accomplishment.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell reconstructs the moment through interviews, archival footage and striking images of contemporary Liberia. It is compelling testimony to the potential of women worldwide to alter the history of nations.
Look here for a video interview and transcript of Bill Moyers' interview with Leymah Gbowee, one of the woman who led her fellow countrywomen to fight for and win peace in war-torn Liberia, and Abigail Disney, who produced the documentary. This page provides additional links on the subject as well.
For Americans, there is an additional wrinkle to the Liberia story: During the recent two-year trial of warlord Charles Taylor for war crimes in the Netherlands by the Special Court for Sierra Leone, an independent judicial body under the auspices of the United Nations, Taylor revealed on the stand his financial connections with American Evangelical leader Pat Robertson in a seamy gold mine deal where a corporation controlled by Robertson would split the profits with Taylor if Taylor would illegally obtain mining rights. Read about it here, in this article for ABC News, which also includes details about the trial, which happened after the women of Liberia forced him to leave the country.
Wishing all the mothers of the world not only a happy day today, but better days ahead, and a vision for women's voices being heard as never before in their homes, neighborhoods, cities, and nations.
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