Following the 2018 general elections, Sierra Leone experienced a rather chaotic and critical political transition based on several episodes of extreme violence and rivalry.
Funded by USAID, we are part of the Consortium for Election Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), which has helped mitigate this competitive turmoil. Borne out of the consortium, our 18-month “Sierra Leone Elections Dialogue Series” project strengthens citizens’ participation, particularly women, youth, and marginalized groups, in a constructive political agenda.
Paving the way for free and peaceful elections, we encourage issue-based dialogue by strengthening the capacity of civil society, the media, and local officials to carry out their role effectively. We do this by addressing four complementary objectives:
- Increase the capacities of elected local government officials and staff;
- Strengthen civil society advocacy and oversight capacities;
- Reinforce media capacity;
- Build political consensus among key stakeholders.
Capacity building is tailored to build on each group of actors’ respective strengths and roles to promote peace and mitigate violence through, among other activities: peacebuilding and violence prevention training, town hall meetings, dialogue series on decentralization, mentorship program, and leadership, non-adversarial advocacy and networking training to civil society organizations.
Across the country, we organize debates, discussions, and workshops to promote understanding of critical public policy issues affecting democratic governance and the electoral process. These meetings have already attracted thousands of people, including parliamentarians, political candidates, women and youth representatives, group members representing people with disabilities, local civil society organizations, and media professionals.
Finally, we are leveraging our long-standing partnership with local radio stations to rebuild social cohesion and unity before the 2023 elections.
Broadcasted through our radio partners, our radio magazine “Accountability Now” dedicated to governance issues, promotes elected politicians’ liability and transparency. This 30-minute program provides an interactive platform for voters to give their views on elected officials’ performance.
