Politicising Polio : Disability, Civil Society and Civic Agency in Sierra Leone

This book examines disability in post-war Sierra Leone. Its protagonists are polio-disabled people living in the nation's capital of Freetown, organizing themselves as best as they can in a state without welfare. There is little concrete support for people with disabilities in a country where the government is struggling with the competing requirements of the international community, demanding - in exchange for its support - good standards of democracy and the maintenance of a free market economy. To what extent is the Human Rights framework of the disability movement effective in protecting the polio-disabled and what are the limitations of this framework? Diana Szántó's detailed ethnography reveals, through many real-life examples, the vulnerability of disabled people living in the intersections of poverty, informality and disability activism. At the same time, it also tells about the many ways the polio-disabled community is transforming vulnerability into strength.-- Provided by publisher An original contribution which develops new theoretical work in political anthropology and anthropology of disability. Effectively links polio disability with postwar peacebuilding and state reconstruction. Engaging ethnographic approach guides the reader into a rich and complex universe, which remains hidden for most external observers. Speaks to the broader political agendas of post-Cold War neoliberalism and conflict resolution, especially in Africa, but also well beyond. Provides a retrospective analysis of factors leading to the historic turn towards the emergence of global illiberalism. This book examines disability in postwar Sierra Leone. Its protagonists are polio-disabled people living in the nation's capital of Freetown, organizing themselves as best as they can in a state without welfare. There is little concrete support for people with disabilities in a country where the government is struggling with the competing requirements of the international community, demanding-in exchange for its support-good standards of democracy and the maintenance of a free market economy. To what extent is the Human Rights framework of the disability movement effective in protecting the polio-disabled and what are the limitations of this framework? Diana Szántó's detailed ethnography reveals, through many real-life examples, the vulnerability of disabled people living in the intersections of poverty, informality and disability activism. At the same time, it also tells about the many ways the polio-disabled community is transforming vulnerability into strength."