By Salamatu Conteh
Hon. Chernor Bah, Minister of Information and Civic Education, has engaged young people in a fireside conversation on digital democracy, artificial intelligence and civic engagement at the Sierra Leone Youth Policy Dialogue Forum in Freetown.
The event, organised by ECOSOCC, was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel under the theme “Youth Voices, Digital Democracy, AI and the Future of Civic Engagement.”
The discussion focused on how young people use digital platforms to demand accountability, influence public policy and contribute to democratic governance.
Minister Bah highlighted efforts by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education to improve communication between government and citizens through multilingual public information, toll-free telephone services and regular government press conferences.
He acknowledged the need to strengthen youth participation by meeting young people on the digital platforms they use and ensuring their concerns are considered in public policy discussions.
The Minister also encouraged young people to recognise progress in areas such as inclusive education and disability rights while continuing to demand accountability and better governance.
He highlighted the Ministry’s commitment to inclusion, including the provision of sign language interpreters at its events and collaboration with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) to train more interpreters.
Minister Bah further urged young people to believe in their leadership potential and contribute meaningfully to national development.
The interactive session, moderated by Ms. Iris Aminata Bangura, also addressed misinformation and disinformation, artificial intelligence, digital inclusion, public accountability and the need for stronger dialogue between citizens and public institutions.
