Ministry of Information and Civic Education of Sierra Leone
Ministry of Information and Civic Education of Sierra Leone
Ministry of Information and Civic Education of Sierra Leone
Ministry of Information and Civic Education of Sierra Leone
Ministry of Information and Civic Education of Sierra Leone
Ministry of Information and Civic Education of Sierra Leone
Ministry of Information and Civic Education of Sierra Leone
Ministry of Information and Civic Education of Sierra Leone
Ministry of Information and Civic Education of Sierra Leone
Ministry of Information and Civic Education of Sierra Leone
Ministry of Information and Civic Education of Sierra Leone
Ministry of Information and Civic Education of Sierra Leone
Ministry of Information and Civic Education of Sierra Leone
Ministry of Information and Civic Education of Sierra Leone
On 25 April 2026, in commemoration of the 65th anniversary of Sierra Leone's independence, the Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MoICE), in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), organized a National Civic Seminar followed by a National Symposium at the Miatta Civic Centre in Freetown under the theme: “Building a Responsive, Resilient and Cohesive Sierra Leone.”
The morning session was dedicated to the National Civic Seminar, bringing together young leaders, public officials and civil society representatives to reflect on citizenship, civic responsibility, and democratic consolidation. Following opening remarks by the Permanent Secretary of the MoICE, Andrew Kamara, partner remarks by Dr. Stefanie Brinkel, Director of the KAS Regional Programme Political Dialogue West Africa based in Abidjan, and remarks from Hawa Samai, the Executive Secretary of the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion, five panelists intervened with brief introductory presentations. After that, all participants engaged in thematic breakout sessions on youth and democracy, gender equality, media and civic awareness, artificial intelligence, and responsible citizenship.
Structured around group discussions and plenary presentations, the seminar enabled participants to formulate recommendations on strengthening civic culture, countering misinformation, promoting more inclusive participation in governance, and reinforcing national cohesion. The resulting Civic Youth Communiqué was presented to the Hon. Minister Chernor Bah, emphasizing among other priorities, the need to strengthen civic education, create more accessible spaces for youth dialogue, promote digital literacy, and foster meaningful youth participation in decision-making processes.
In the afternoon, the National Symposium set the stage for a panel discussion with prominent academics and national figures. These included: Prof. Joe A. D. Alie, Prof. Miriam Conteh-Morgan, and Dr. Cecil A. Blake, former Minister of Information and founder of the Alternative African Futures Group. The high-level panel added new perspectives to the conversation and inspired participants to reflect on their role in building a more responsive, resilient and cohesive Sierra Leone.
Through this initiative, KAS reaffirms its commitment to strengthening democratic culture, youth participation, and civic education across West Africa.