In classrooms across Africa, democracy is often discussed through constitutions, elections, institutions and political theory. Students learn how governments are supposed to function, how laws are written and how democratic systems are structured.
At the Students Assembly held on 29 April 2026 at the Tunde Cole Building of Fourah Bay College, the conversation moved much closer to everyday life.
Students were asked what democracy looks like when political tensions rise. What responsibility citizens carry when misinformation spreads online. Whether young people participate in governance only during elections or whether citizenship continues after campaign season ends.
Convened by AU-ECOSOCC and Reform Initiatives, the Assembly brought together students, lecturers, youth leaders, creatives, civil society actors, media practitioners and democracy advocates under the theme: Strengthening Active Citizens’ Voices for a Just and Resilient Democracy in Sierra Leone.
The discussions focused on political participation, constitutionalism, peacebuilding, digital responsibility, creative expression, accountability and the role young people play in protecting democratic culture in Sierra Leone.
Politics Cannot Begin and End With Elections
The opening discussions focused heavily on the relationship between young people and political parties.
Ms. Samantha Stronge, President of the Fourah Bay College Political Science Society and ECOSOCC Young Africans Writing Contest laureate, challenged students to think beyond campaign periods and voting days. She argued that democracy survives only when citizens remain engaged, informed and willing to hold political actors accountable consistently.
Students were encouraged to study the Constitution, reject political violence, engage political parties outside election cycles and push for internal democracy within political organizations themselves.
The discussion also reflected frustrations many young people already recognize.
Youth form a large part of Sierra Leone’s population, yet many still feel excluded from governance and decision-making spaces. Questions around unemployment, inequality, education, cost of living and representation surfaced repeatedly during the exchanges.
Participants discussed how political participation often becomes seasonal, with young people mobilized heavily during elections but rarely included meaningfully afterward.
The Assembly pushed students to think about participation differently. Voting was discussed as one part of democracy, not the full definition of it.
Digital Platforms Are Reshaping Public Life
The conversation later shifted toward media, communication and the growing influence of digital platforms in Sierra Leone’s democratic space.
Ms. Claudia Redwood-Sawyerr from the Faculty of Communication, Media and Information Studies began by asking participants how many had checked social media or followed the news that morning. The question exposed a wider issue: communication tools are everywhere, but civic awareness does not automatically grow alongside them.
She reflected on how dramatically communication has changed over the past two decades. Previous generations depended heavily on newspapers, radio stations and institutional gatekeepers to raise public concerns. Young people today can publish opinions, organize discussions and reach large audiences instantly through TikTok, Facebook, X, podcasts, Instagram and WhatsApp.
That access has created new opportunities for civic participation, but it has also created new risks.
The discussion focused heavily on misinformation, anonymous abuse, manipulated content and the speed at which false information spreads online. Participants reflected on how online behavior can damage democratic culture, silence voices and deepen public distrust.
Students were encouraged to ask simple but important questions before sharing information online: Where did it come from? Can it be verified? Who created it? What harm could it cause?
The discussion became especially important in the context of Sierra Leone’s ongoing constitutional review discussions, public debates around governance and preparations toward future elections.
Participants also explored how digital storytelling has allowed young Sierra Leoneans to challenge narrow global perceptions of the country. Young creators, independent commentators and civic voices are increasingly using online platforms to discuss leadership, governance, social issues and accountability outside traditional media structures.
Art Was Discussed as Part of Democratic Life
The Assembly moved beyond formal politics by examining how art, storytelling and creativity influence public understanding.
Data artist Ms. Whitney Chinonye Ernest spoke about memory, storytelling and the role creatives play in documenting social realities that statistics and policy language alone often fail to capture.
Her presentation focused on how art can preserve public memory, document social struggles and help communities process difficult political and economic realities.
Using examples from her own work, she demonstrated how visual storytelling can document youth protests, transport issues, unemployment and governance concerns while helping audiences engage more deeply with public events.
The discussion widened the idea of democratic participation itself. Democracy was not treated only as elections, legislation or state institutions. It was also discussed through storytelling, cultural memory, public imagination and the ability of societies to reflect honestly on themselves.
This continued through screenings of poems by Hafsat Abdullahi, including This Society and I Grew Up on These Streets. The poems reflected on inequality, resilience, survival, identity and social pressure, themes that resonated strongly with many participants.
Students Were Told They Are Already Part of Public Life
In his remarks, Ambassador William Carew spoke both as Head of the ECOSOCC Secretariat and as someone who grew up in Sierra Leone.
He reflected on Sierra Leone’s democratic journey since the end of the civil war, including post-war elections, peaceful transfers of power and ongoing national conversations around electoral reform and constitutional review.
At the same time, he acknowledged growing frustration among many citizens, especially young people who question whether democratic institutions are delivering opportunity, accountability and dignity.
He told students that these concerns should not be silenced or dismissed.
Ambassador Carew reminded participants that Sierra Leone does not belong to one political party, one tribe, one generation or one region. Democracy cannot become a tool for division. Citizens must be able to disagree peacefully while still protecting the country together.
Students were encouraged to see themselves not as observers waiting for leadership later in life, but as people already participating in public life through classrooms, associations, digital spaces, creative work and civic engagement.
The Assembly itself was presented as a platform for continued reflection, participation and action rather than a one-day discussion.
Democracy Depends on Whether Citizens Understand Their Rights
Another major part of the discussions focused on the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, widely known as the ACDEG.
Dr. Eyole Monono (ECOSOCC Political Affairs Cluster Chair), delivering remarks on behalf of Mr. Louis Cheick Sissoko (Presiding Officer of ECOSOCC), described the Charter as one of Africa’s key democratic instruments, protecting principles such as participation, constitutional order, accountability and human rights.
Students were encouraged to understand the Charter not as an abstract African Union (AU) document, but as a practical framework connected to their own rights and responsibilities.
The discussion repeatedly returned to a difficult reality: democratic frameworks mean little when citizens do not read them, understand them or use them.
This became visible during a practical reading exercise later in the Assembly. While some students were able to explain the relevance of the Charter clearly, many admitted they had not engaged fully with the handout distributed during the meeting.
That moment opened broader discussions around reading culture, political literacy and civic education.
Participants reflected on how citizens are often expected to demand accountability from institutions without fully understanding the constitutional and legal frameworks that shape governance itself.
Students Raised Difficult Questions About Democracy
The Q&A session moved into sharper and more direct territory.
Participants raised concerns about judicial independence, corruption, institutional accountability, political violence, misinformation, youth exclusion and whether democracy is truly functioning effectively in Sierra Leone and across Africa.
Students questioned how accountability can exist when key institutions are appointed by political leadership. Others asked how young people can move beyond online activism into real influence over governance processes.
Political violence was another major concern, particularly with Sierra Leone gradually moving closer to another election cycle.
Participants were encouraged to reject manipulation, refuse participation in violence and engage through peaceful civic action, election observation, community dialogue and organized advocacy.
Several responses focused on collective participation rather than isolated frustration. Students were encouraged to work through associations, youth platforms, civil society organizations and community networks capable of sustaining long-term engagement.
The discussion also challenged the common habit of describing young people only as “future leaders.”
Participants argued that leadership already exists in classrooms, student unions, community organizations, online spaces and local initiatives. Young people were encouraged to exercise responsibility now rather than waiting for formal titles or political office.
Democracy Was Discussed as Daily Behavior
As the Assembly closed, the discussions became less about institutions alone and more about everyday conduct.
Speakers reflected on how democratic culture is shaped through daily behavior: how citizens communicate, how they handle disagreement, how responsibly they share information, how they participate in communities and whether they remain engaged in public life beyond moments of crisis.
The Head of Department from the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies illustrated this through simple everyday examples, arguing that peace education should become a way of life rather than existing only inside classrooms or examination halls.
Students may study peacebuilding academically while still practicing harmful behavior in ordinary public spaces. Democratic values, participants were reminded, are built through habits as much as laws.
Closing remarks from Dr. Eyole Monono and Mr. Makmid Kamara of Reform Initiatives encouraged students to continue the discussions beyond the Assembly hall and apply them within universities, communities, digital spaces and civic organizations.
By the end of the event, students were pushed to think seriously about participation, responsibility and the kind of civic culture required if democratic systems are to survive periods of frustration, division and distrust.
