Methodology:

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act, adopted by the Parliament of Sierra Leone in 2000, specifically mentions the need to give special attention to “the experiences of children within the armed conflict.” It further notes that “special procedures” may be necessary to address the needs of particular victims, such as children.

In June 2001, a technical meeting on “Children and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Sierra Leone” was convened in Freetown by UNICEF, the National Forum for Human Rights, and the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL).

Children who participated in the meeting called for “the production of a simplified version for children” of the final Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report. In June 2003, during the thematic hearings on children, the Children’s Forum Network (CFN) prepared a submission to the Commission. The CFN submission also called for a child-friendly version of the report, to be “used by teachers and children, including children’s organizations such as the CFN, to disseminate the findings and recommendations of the Commission to the young and unborn generations of Sierra Leone, as a measure to prevent recurrence of what happened.” The child-friendly version of the report is an official account of the Commission’s findings.

The preparation was jointly guided by the Commission, UNICEF and UNAMSIL, with the support of many children of Sierra Leone. The child-friendly report was not written by children and does not attempt to speak for all the children of Sierra Leone but instead tells the story of the war from the children’s point of view. The child-friendly version is based on the full report of the Commission and additional information in the official database, including hundreds of statements given by individual children to the Commission. It also includes testimony given by children in closed hearings, and presentations during the thematic hearings on children conducted on 16-17 June 2003, on the occasion of the ‘Day of the African Child’.

Formal submissions to the Commission by child protection agencies and others, in particular the submission prepared by the CFN, proved a valuable source of information. Submissions by children and others to the National Vision for Sierra Leone project, sponsored by the Commission, were also consulted, and some excerpts have been quoted. In addition, during a visit of the Special Representative to the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict to Sierra Leone in February 2003, children from the CFN and the Voice of Children Radio met and expressed their thoughts and feelings about the war in artwork. A number of those drawings by children have been included in this publication.

Children contributed throughout the process, helping to give shape to a report that would bring about positive action, for and by children. Children’s participation in the drafting process came from three children’s networks: the CFN, the Voice of Children Radio and the Children’s National Assembly.

Over 100 children were involved in the drafting, of whom 15 worked closely with the Commission. Discussions of the childfriendly report, led by children, were also aired on the Voice of Children Radio. During the first-ever Children’s National Assembly, held in Freetown in December 2003, meetings were convened to discuss the child-friendly report, which brought childrentogether from all districts around the country. Excerpts from the discussions on the child-friendly report that took place at the Children’s National Assembly were broadcast on national television and radio.
The CFN continued to assist with input into the design of the child-friendly report and the development of the dissemination strategy, working in close collaboration with the Commission, and with UNICEF and UNAMSIL.

The child-friendly version of the Commission’s report is therefore a culmination of children’s involvement and perspective throughout the process, from initial preparation to background research to the preparation of the final text. In addition, the last chapter of the child-friendly version is a menu of activities, created by the children, to outline their role in disseminating the findings and recommendations of the Commission. The reconciliation process in Sierra Leone demonstrates how children, as active partners in the process, can help break the cycle of violence and re-establish confidence in the rule of law.

Children in transfer for family tracing and reunification