When old John Quincy Adams undertook the defense of the Sierra Leonean Amistad mutineers, he had been a diplomat, lawyer, lawmaker, and president (In other words, he knew the heck he was talking about, especially as to the international law arguments). He accused the government of discrimination against the Africans in favour of the Spanish and also what he referred to as  "Lilliputian trickery," after exposing the government’s plan to clandestinely deport the Africans to Cub...

I recently spoke to a gathering of young people determined to lead and make the world a better place. Among other things, I offered them six bullets that have governed my young life so far. There is more to life, but it begins with understanding that each of us has a meaningful role to play in the process of straightening this rough garment that is the world we live in.

1. We are young and that is our advantage in making the world a better place

2. We cannot allow cynicism to...

As the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, prepares a week-long visit to Africa, the BBC is reporting that he intends to pledge more that $14 billion in aid and trade deals. It seems Japan knows that if it is to compete with other world powers scrambling for and partitioning Africa’s resources, especially its main rival China, it has to go beyond the efforts of Yasuhiro Murotatsu, the so called bare foot diplomat who achieved some wonderful diplomatic gains by competing in t...

January 2014 marks twelve years since the end of the Sierra Leonean civil war and reparation for victims remains an unfinished business of our reconciliation process. In addition to the Special Court for Sierra Leone, which was established to try those who bear the greatest responsibilities for violations of International Humanitarian Law and Sierra Leone Law committed between 1996-2002, the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission was also setup to “to create an impa...

Another year has come to an end and a new one is beginning. Traditionally, many of us will make New Year Resolutions, setting expectations and standards for ourselves in the New Year. As the champagne pops tonight, some of us will celebrate wonderful achievements in the past year and toast to the New Year with brand new goals to work towards. Then there are those of us who will be recycling last year’s resolutions, feeling somewhat bad that a whole twelve months has come and ...