Tribalism, Conflict and Education in post-war Liberia and Sierra Leone: Perceptions from the diaspora in Australia

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Both Liberia and Sierra Leone are nations still grappling with legacies of brutal civil wars. The overall goal of this study is to ascertain the perceptions and understandings of the diaspora communities of Liberia and Sierra Leone in Australia on the relationship between tribalism, conflict, and education back in their home countries. For many critical observers, tribalism, the unfair treatment of others on grounds of tribal identity differences, is a major factor behind the internecine civil wars in Africa. This study is designed to compare how the Liberian and Sierra Leonean communities in Australia proffer educational (and other forms of) solutions to the problem of tribalism within the unique contexts of their respective national experiences, drawing from their own exposures in a peaceful multicultural Australia. There is no previous study of these two diaspora communities in Australia vis-a-vis peace-building efforts in their post-conflict home countries. Thus, this original, novel study will give participants the moral satisfaction of contributing their views and ideas towards peace, stability, and development of their home countries.