Going to War for America

Nvasekie N. Konneh is one of the emerging new voices of African literature. He's from Liberia, West Africa. Before coming to the United States in 1995, Nvasekie Konneh was a prolifi c writer whose poems and future articles appeared regularly in the Eye Newspaper and the Monrovia Daily News and occasionally in the Inquirer and the New Democrat. While in New York City, Nvasekie Konneh's articles were published in the African Voices literary magazine as well as the City Sun and the Black Star News. In April 2002, he participated and won the fi rst place award in the Liberian Civil War poetry competition held in Providence, Rhode Island under the sponsorship of the Liberian Community Association. The poem that won the fi rst place, "Scene Of Sorrow II" is among those in this collection.

In August 1996, Nvasekie Konneh enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He's been on two deployments while on board the USS Detroit, a navy logistic ship based at the Navy Weapon Station, Earle, New Jersey. His last deployment was part of the Operation Desert Fox, an American-British military engagement against the regime of Saddam Hussein for the expulsion of the UN weapon inspectors and the operation for Kosovo liberation. From September 2000 to September 2003, Nvasekie Konneh was assigned with the SALTS Team at the Naval Inventory Control Point (NAVICP), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is currently on board the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) or simply called the "IKE" as the aircraft carrier is affectionately called. The IKE is home-ported in Norfolk, Virginia. While serving on active duty in the U. S. Navy, Nvasekie Konneh is also the founding chairman of the National Civil Right Movement (NCRM), a Liberian pro-democracy and human right organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Through his organization, Nvasekie Konneh has led two demonstrations in Washington DC. The fi rst one was held on September 16, 2002 at the Liberian Embassy in Washington DC for the unconditional release of the then imprisoned Liberian journalist, Hassan Bility and other illegally detained Liberians. The last demonstration was held at the U.S. Capital against the continued illegal detention of Aloysius Toe and others.

Surviving the Liberian civil war, experience in the U.S military as well as active engagement in pro-democracy activities concerning human and civil rights in Africa in general and Liberia in particular are all refl ected in this collection, "Going To War For America."