By: Abu H. Kargbo | Makeni City
ActionAid Global Platform Sierra Leone has trained 60 young people in peace education, peacebuilding, digital literacy and accountability as part of efforts to prevent disinformation and promote peaceful elections in 2028.
The training, held at the Pastoral Centre in Makeni, brought together journalists, students, bloggers and activists under the project titled “Empowering Young People for Democratic Stability Through Youth-Led Civic Action to Prevent Disinformation and Promote Peaceful Elections in 2028.” The initiative is supported by the IGNITE Fund.
Facilitated by Yayah Kargbo and Edna Amie Ngegba, the training focused on strengthening participants’ capacity to identify, verify and counter misinformation while promoting civic responsibility, accountability and peaceful coexistence in their communities.
One of the facilitators, Yayah Kargbo, commended ActionAid Global Platform for investing in young people through the initiative, describing the intervention as timely in strengthening peace and democratic stability in Sierra Leone.
He urged participants to translate the knowledge acquired into practical action, particularly as the country continues to consolidate peace following its eleven-year civil war.
“Rights come with responsibilities, and educating communities about this should now become your mission as civic champions,” he emphasised.
Haja Mariama Bangoura, Coordinator of ActionAid Global Platform Sierra Leone in Bombali, said the training was designed to prepare young people to participate meaningfully and responsibly in the 2028 electoral process.
She encouraged participants to use their influence positively in promoting national development rather than actions that could undermine peace and stability.
“We should strive to be tools for national development instead of destruction,” she stated.
Bangoura further urged the participants to serve as role models and peace ambassadors by promoting accurate information, discouraging the spread of misinformation and fostering peaceful coexistence within their respective communities.
Robinda Aminata Mansaray, a final-year Social Work student at the University of Makeni, described the training as impactful and called for more initiatives aimed at educating young people about their civic responsibilities.
She observed that previous interventions had largely emphasised young people’s rights, stressing the need to complement such efforts with education on their corresponding responsibilities.
“Let’s verify before we share, as spreading fake news can lead to chaos that affects both the sender and the entire nation,” she cautioned.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of concerns raised in the 2024 Tripartite Committee Report, which identified the proliferation of misinformation on social media as a significant contributing factor to tensions surrounding the 2023 multi-tier elections in Sierra Leone.
By equipping young people with practical knowledge of peacebuilding, digital literacy and accountability, ActionAid Global Platform seeks to strengthen youth-led civic engagement and encourage responsible information sharing ahead of the 2028 elections.