Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Leymah Gbowee and Janet Johnson-Bryant at UMass-Lowell

Sunday evening I attended this remarkable event. 

Sunday, April 10 - Pray the Devil Back to Hell
7:30 - 9:00 p.m.: Film and Panel Discussion
UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center
50 Warren St, Lowell, MA.
Open to the public. Free. Refreshments will be served.

Faculty, staff, students and the community are invited to attend a screening of Pray the Devil Back to Hell and a panel discussion with two women featured in the documentary - Leymah Gbowee and Janet Johnson-Bryant.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell chronicles the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country.

Here's a very endarkened picture of the two with faculty member Paula Rayman:

I came away with a headful of new information and ideas.  I watched this documentary on the Liberian Civil War a few days after I had watched parts of Ken Burn's documentary on the American Civil War.  I am reminded of how little true chaos most Americans have experienced in their lives. 

I wanted to better understand the power of prayer--what was prayer and what was politics?  The shots of young boys leaning out of trucks, rifles in hands, reminds me so much of what has been going on in Libya and so many other unsettled places.  We feed on the youth. 

There were so many powerful ideas raised here.  I am so glad UMass-Lowell brought these women to campus.  


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