Helen Yanocopulos highlights key issues in the Sierra Leone case study and explains their  importance in the context of The Open University course.

Academic perspective

How can we prevent a country from returning to civil war? When and how should external parties intervene in serious conflicts?  This album looks at the decade of violence and destruction that occurred in Sierra Leone in the 1990's. Now that peace has finally come about through the efforts of the international community, it's time to debate whether the root causes of war have been adequately addressed, and what lessons can be learned. 50% of Sierra Leoneans are under 15 and unskilled. Lack of education, poverty and unemployment are still rife and it's this lack of development that gives rise to conflict. Views from all sides are presented, including those of women, disaffected youth, members of the RUF and the new peace-keeping forces, to provide an in-depth analysis of the complexities of the aftermath of a civil war. In the academic perspective, Helen Yanocopulos, Senior Lecturer in International Politics and Development at The Open University provides insight into the educational value of the Sierra Leone case study. This material is taken from The Open University course TU875 War, intervention and development.