A single cotton tree stands in the dusty schoolyard, its branches reaching towards the sky. Beneath these branches, a small group huddles, their voices mingling in the wind.i They are a group of mothers, and these Sierra Leonean women have gathered to discuss their lives in the face of the chaos of post-war reforms.ii “They call our children are rebellious children”, say the women. “[They tell me] You and your son are eating all our food. . . but sometimes I go to bed for two days without food.”iii Their life is hard, but their sense of community is strong thanks to women's groups like this, a common scene in Sierra Leone. In neighboring Liberia, women have also learned to foster a sense of community and cohesion through the Liberian Women's Mass Action for Peace at the grassroots level. As a member of the Justice and Peace Commission in Sierra Leone explains: “Women build peace among themselves. They mediate and resolve disputes at community level. Most men resolve conflicts at the highest level. -Conflict environment is not an easy task, but peace is always the desired end result. However, men and women in the same community often define peace differently. Men tend to have a more structured view of peace and focus on the absence of formalized conflicts. Women, on the other hand, define peace broadly and deeply, applying it to all levels and stages of society, not just infrastructure and the military. “Peace means different things to women and men because of their unique experiences as a result of… half of document… http://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/january-2010 /key- reform-safety-protect-women> Hayner, Priscilla. “Negotiating Peace in Liberia: Preserving the Chance for Justice.” Center for Humanitarian Dialogue. International Center for Transitional Justice, November 2007. Web. 22 December 2013.%20Peace%20in%20Liberia.pdf?1>.Pray for the Devil to return to hell. Director Gini Reticker. Perf. Leymah Gbowee, Asatu Bah Kenneth. Independent, 2008. Web. PBS. Public broadcasting service. Network. December 19, 2013..Swiss, Shana MD, et al. “Violence against women during the Liberian civil conflict.” Journal of the American Medical Association 279 (1998): 625-29. International Women's Rights Conference.2012. Network. January 10. 2014. .