Paving the Way for Better Prospects: Understanding the Past, Marking the Challenges, and Setting the Future

 

The 1st international Kono Conference was held from the 28th to 29th July 2016 at the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), Vernon Square, London WC1.

 

The Conference was hosted by the Kono District Development Association UK (KDDAUK), which is a non-partisan UK registered charity 1160673. It was organised in partnership with several international Kono District civil society organisations and individuals in the Diaspora. Stakeholders from all over the world and especially within Kono District were invited to participate as a speakers, delegates, workshop facilitators, sponsors, exhibitors, send in presentations, interviews, videos and posters. Online registrants completed an online survey questionaire, delegates completed an in-conference survey and participated in questions and answers panel sessions, workshops and end of conference discussions. 
 
Kono District in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone, West Africa, has faced a myriad of issues over the years in the areas of sustainable development and indigenous, minority and human rights, which the Kono community wish to address. The conference aimed to raise the profile of the Kono District and indigenous ethnic group and the issues facing them, benchmark each sector of sustainable development (health, environment, social, economic) & human rights, identify stakeholders, engage and involve stakeholders to identify problems, their root causes and challenges, enable stakeholders to identify solutions to root causes, formulate a stakeholders' action plan and promote progress and development in Sierra Leone. 

 

In Sierra Leone, the Kono indigenous minority ethnic group and descendants of the Kono District suffer victimisation, discrimination, political/police suppression, severe poverty, poor access to sustainable livelihoods, healthcare or education. The Kono District suffers environmental degradation and severe underdevelopment. These phenomena are partly due to the 'resource curse', as Kono is the main source of Sierra Leone’s diamonds, suffering the greatest negative impacts while receiving little of the benefit

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