Liberian journalist Agnes Fallah Kamara-Umunna visited Penn State Brandywine to share stories from the Liberian Civil War and the continued struggle to build a nation.
Kamara-Umunna, a native Liberian who currently lives in Staten Island, New York, presented about women, war and peace in Liberia. Kamara-Umunna, a journalist, radio producer and presenter, community activist and author, wrote "And Still Peace Did Not Come," a personal history intertwined with stories from child soldiers and victims of the war.
During her presentation she explained how it was necessary for her to collect stories from both the victims and the perpetrators for her journalistic writing, radio shows and book. She often put herself in dangerous situations to relate to the many people associated with the war.
"I tried to put myself in their shoes," Kamara-Umunna said. "I needed to feel what they had gone through just so they would trust me and talk to me."
The relationships Kamara-Umunna built with many individuals encouraged them to reconcile with themselves to receive forgiveness and create a different life of peace much like Kamara-Umunna.
Today, she continues to volunteer as a statement writer for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a Government of National Unity commission created to help South Africans come to terms with what happened under Apartheid. She primarily takes statements from Liberians in Staten Island. She also sends resources to Liberia and often travels to her country, however, the Ebola outbreak has delayed many resources and trips.
