Sierra Leone - Ken Ganna Conteh

Ken Ganna Conteh is a journalist with Talking Drum Studio in Sierra Leone, a radio production studio that was established in Freetown in 2000 by Search for Common Ground. The studio produces 10 hours of new programming every week that it sends out to local radio stations throughout Sierra Leone. Ken produces one of the most popular pieces, a children's program called Golden Kids News. Like so many people in Sierra Leone, Ken has lost close family members who have been killed in the decade-long civil war there.

Despite a 1999 peace accord, until recently Sierra Leone was a country still gripped by civil unrest. The Revolutionary United Front controlled large parts of the country, and fear, suspicion and mistrust between the various parties deeply divided the people. A lack of communication between the various groups and factions, combined with the destruction of civil infrastructure meant the country was unable to communicate internally. The war deeply traumatised the majority of the population. Over half had been displaced from their homes. Many experienced horrendous atrocities committed by combatants of either side. In the void caused by the lack of information, rumors ran rampant about alleged wrongdoings, which further terrorised the general public.

Ken knew that without real dialogue between all parties concerned, and without accurate and empowering information reaching the public, Sierra Leone had little hope of building a sustainable peace. As a Common Ground journalist, Ken realised he had the ability to inspire the healing process. Acting as a catalyst for peace, he made a stance against the violence in Sierra Leone.

In August 2001, working through contacts he had made with former rebels, he achieved what no other Sierra Leonean journalist had done - he entered rebel-held territory. Riding a motorbike down the bombed-out roads, armed with a tape recorder, a notepad and an intention to find common ground with the rebels, he went to meet with Colonel Bismay, the rebel leader for the region. He knew there was a good possibility that he might be perceived as a spy for the government and be killed. At one point the rebels detained him until they realised that he was from Talking Drum Studio. Some of the rebels listened to Talking Drum's radio programs, and knew that Talking Drum did not produce government propaganda, but impartial programs seeking to reveal the truth about the conflict and its origins.

Interviewing the rebels, Ken asked them about their goals-why they were fighting-and also their hopes, dreams and fears. Discovering the "villains" were men his age and younger impressed Ken, as he empathized with how their difficulties and lack of opportunities made them vulnerable to being used for such violent ends. He realised that these people, who had inflicted personal trauma, were in reality very similar to him and his friends. He walked through the market and was surprised to see it full of people trading their goods. He walked past schools full of children. The rumors through the rest of the country claimed there was only death and destruction behind rebel lines. He interviewed people throughout the town, asking them about life under the rebels. He also promised the rebels that he would arrange for other journalists from Talking Drum to come and meet with them.

When he returned to Freetown, he put together a series of radio programs about the rebels, which aired on radio stations all over the country. For the first time, civilians actually heard the rebels' voices, heard them speak about their own aspirations. Over the coming months, Talking Drum Studio continued to meet with the rebels, and expanded the dialogue to include the government. This dialogue created a forum for all stakeholders, including civilians, to air their concerns, make commitments and find common ground. Soon both sides collaborated to develop a weekly radio program called Troway Di Gun (Throw Away The Gun) hosted by two former combatants, one from each side of the conflict. This program aimed at helping ex-combatants disarm and reintegrate into Sierra Leonean society. It is a testament to the programs' success that after a year it was renamed to Let's Rebuild Sierra Leone.