It was December 1989 in Cote d'Ivoire, and a complete stranger had me locked in a bear hug.
We were both waiting at the last checkpoint before the Liberian border. I was in West Africa working for USAID, the State Department's development arm, but on that day, I was on my way to Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, where hundreds were gathering for a music festival put on by the Baha'i community to provide an inspirational example of unity among the country's many tribes and ethnic groups.
Read Full Article »