Silas Kpanan'Ayoung Siakor is a

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

environmentalist An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...

. He was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2006, for his revealing of

illegal logging Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission, or from a pro ...

in Liberia and its connection to the civil war, leading to export sanctions from the

United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...

. Silas Siakor was featured in the 2017 film ''Silas'', directed by Anjali Nayar and Hawa Essuman.

Works

Silas Siakor provided proof that

n leader Charles Taylor utilized the proceeds from uncontrolled, widespread deforestation to finance the expenses of a savage 14-year

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

that resulted in the demise of 150,000 individuals. Siakor, taking a significant personal risk, gathered highly challenging proof of fabricated deforestation documents, illicit

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...

procedures, and related human rights violations. He presented the evidence to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

Security Council, which consequently prohibited the exportation of Liberian timber. Following Taylor's removal from power in 2003, Siakor has collaborated with Liberia's current administration to establish enduring timber regulations and empower the indigenous forest communities via the inaugural Forest People's Congress, which he founded. He is also contributing to the Liberian Forest Initiative, a $4 million project helmed by the United States' State Department and National Forest Service, to bolster Liberia's forest reformation endeavors.

Awards

Siakor was awarded the Goldman Prize in 2006 for taking great personal risks to release evidence that former Liberian President Charles Taylor used profits from illegal logging to pay for a brutal civil war.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Siakor, Silas Kpananayoung Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Liberian environmentalists Goldman Environmental Prize awardees