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Visual Art
Peace-Links has used the art (painting, carving, drawing) as a conflict resolution and peacebuilding tool. The young people use the art to express their feelings (fears, hope and expectations) about the future in post-conflict Sierra Leone. We use art to communicate, to educate, to sensitize,and the entertain our peers and the wider society about issues affecting young people. We also use art as a therapy, Art is participatory. We believe in the power of art to reconcile fractured communities. Our form of art tells a story in pictorial form. But it is not just any story, it is the story about how young people see the world around them and how then can change it for the better.
What they learn
Peace-Links provide individual as well as group tutoring to students interested in arts. The program lasts from a month to one year, depending on whether the student is doing it for fun or for career. But no matter the goal, the overall objective of the program is to create an avenue for young people to express themselves in a positive way. The drawings and paintings express the daily experiences of the participants. The end products are exhibited at least once a year in various places such as the National Musuem and the British Council.
'Pull Na Doe' (Child Naming) by Amadu & students
 Sierra Leone culture is a popular theme in the artistic depictions. Many young people realize the importance of the country's socio-cultural heritage to its development. In a society with a high illiteracy rate, art acts as a level playing field. Peace-Links brings art to the grassroots communities and ensures that it is used for constructive rather than destructive purposes. In this sense art becomes the voice of the people as it acts as a means of talking about everyday issues.
Hopeful man' by Amadu, Sheku and students
Check out our activities page to learn more about our other programs
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