and provide a living for the community by employing youth as tour guides.
Recreation is fundamental to the appeal of AYM; the program is now being developed to
appeal to an even bigger international clientele.
In 2003-2005 AYM staged a touring art exhibition entitled: "Representations of Violence:
Art about the Sierra Leone Civil War" at the Porter Butts Gallery at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, the Art & Cultures Gallery at Alverno College in Milwaukee, and the
VSA Arts of Atlanta Georgia. The successful art display depicted the ravages of war, serving both as catharsis from trauma, and a catalyst for conflict resolution. The goal was to not
only begin reconciliation, but also to achieve violence prevention by educating African and
Western audiences of a shared responsibility to build a bridge from disinterest to involvement.
With the problems and possibilities in Sierra Leone mirroring those of many African nations, AYM aims to provide a working model of dialogue, communication, and action to
help heal Sierra Leone and other troubled countries on the continent. By the end of the decade AYM wants to expand to Liberia, Gambia and Ghana. By design, AYM responds to the
huge unemployment and inactivity facing the vast majority of youth in Sierra Leone, a reality that reflects the African youth experience.
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