Best international reporting in a print medium dealing with human rights
In a category rich with drama around the world, this slim, powerful book stands out. It describes Bergner’s travels to Sierra Leone, a country ravaged for a decade by vicious civil war and ethnic slaughter, a country deemed “the worst on earth” by the U.N. His story is savage and depressing—both sides punish enemies with machete amputations, for example — and the situation seems hopeless. But Bergner carefully records the optimism of a few politicians who believe their country will thrive someday and the faith of missionaries that God will show the way. This vivid book reads like a novel, but every horrifying word is true.
Citation for Excellence:
Samantha Power
The New Yorker
“The AIDS Rebel”
Cam Simpson, Flynn McRoberts, Liz Sly
Chicago Tribune
“Tossed Out of America”