Community Solidarity to Improve Lives Sierra Leone (ComSIL) has initiated a 12-month peacebuilding project in Waterloo, targeting the Western Area Rural District. The Peace Voices Project, launched on September 26 at the Waterloo District Council Hall, focuses on amplifying youth voices for peace, trust, and responsible information sharing. This initiative is part of the European Union-co-funded INSPIRE program.
The project aims to address misinformation and disinformation by supporting peaceful engagement at the community level, with a focus on young people, women, and vulnerable groups. Dunville Greene of the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion emphasized the importance of viewing young people as partners in peacebuilding rather than threats. He also suggested that motorcycle riders, community youths, and men involved in social groups could serve as potential Peace Ambassadors.
The Peace Voices Project includes measures to protect vulnerable groups, such as women, children, and persons with disabilities, from violence and harm. ComSIL's safeguarding representative, Adama Timbo, highlighted these protective measures, while Chairperson Marie Bangura commended ComSIL for its work on youth participation, child protection, and women's rights.
ComSIL Team Lead Abu Bakarr Barrie outlined the project's thematic areas, linking it to the broader INSPIRE framework. The initiative will operate in localized grassroots communities, using awareness campaigns, community dialogue, and media outreach. The project aims to recruit and develop Peace Ambassadors to serve as community-based advocates for peacebuilding and responsible engagement.
The Peace Voices Project is expected to reach approximately 5,000 community members through its planned interventions. ComSIL previously announced a sub-grant agreement with the Agency for Integrated Development Sierra Leone to implement Peace Voices under the EU-co-funded INSPIRE Project. This 12-month project will work with young people in the Western Area Rural District to strengthen information integrity.
The wider INSPIRE program was launched in Sierra Leone in July 2026 as a 30-month initiative implemented by Action for Advocacy and Development Sierra Leone in partnership with AID-Sierra Leone. It aims to support youth participation, peacebuilding, and responsible information sharing nationwide. The program's launch aligns with ComSIL's efforts to promote inclusive peace dialogue and counter misinformation.
The Peace Voices Project launch event brought together representatives of various organizations, including the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion and local council authorities. Community representatives from Tombo, Grassfield, and other areas in Waterloo committed to supporting peacebuilding efforts and responsible information sharing. The project's success will depend on collaboration between stakeholders and community members.
Key points
- ComSIL's Peace Voices Project aims to reach 5,000 community members in the Western Area Rural District.
- The project focuses on young people, women, and vulnerable groups to promote peacebuilding and responsible information sharing.
- The initiative is part of the European Union-co-funded INSPIRE program, launched in July 2026.
