BftW-CPS Network Sierra Leone Marks International Day of Peace in Makeni, Calls for Everyone’s Role in Sustaining Peace

by Joya M.C. Erayoma

The Bread for the World (BftW) Civil Peace Service (CPS) Network — Sierra Leone, in collaboration with its partner organisations, marked this year’s International Day of Peace with a lively open panel discussion held at the Garden State in Makeni, Northern Sierra Leone, bringing together representatives of state institutions, civil society, and everyday citizens under the theme “Invest in Peace — For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.”

The event, which drew participation from a wide cross-section of Sierra Leonean society, was preceded by radio discussion sessions across the regions with panelists discussing broadly and reflecting the day’s message that peacebuilding is not the work of institutions alone, but a shared responsibility carried by every citizen.

At the centre of the discussion in Makeni was a distinguished panel featuring heads of key departments whose daily work touches on peace and security. Representatives of the military, the Sierra Leone Police, NAMATI (a grassroots legal empowerment organisation), the correctional centre (ADHSL), and a representative of a paramount chieftaincy sat alongside the network’s National Coordinator, Ms. Adenike Antonia Cole, to speak on the roles their institutions play in preserving order and harmony within communities. Each speaker outlined the duties their offices perform, and how these responsibilities extend beyond enforcement to education hence helping citizens understand why peace matters and how to protect it, both within their immediate communities and across the nation as a whole.

What distinguished this year’s commemoration was its open, participatory format. Rather than confining the conversation to officials, organisers invited ordinary Sierra Leoneans to take part as active contributors. University and secondary school students, vocational institute trainees, bike riders (okada operators), and traders were among those who stepped forward to share their perspectives on what peace means in their daily lives and how it can be nurtured from the ground up.

The exchange proved to be a genuine dialogue rather than a one-way lecture. Panelists and participants alike spoke on the value of peace within oneself, within the community, and within the nation, with many drawing connections between personal conduct and the broader social fabric. The candid, cross-generational conversation allowed people from vastly different backgrounds and occupations to learn from one another, a fitting embodiment of this year’s theme that peace must be invested in by everyone, everywhere, every day.

By the close of the day, the message was unmistakable: peace is not merely the business of soldiers, police officers, or chiefs but it is a daily investment made by traders in their dealings, by riders on the road, students in their classrooms, and every citizen in how they treat one another. As Sierra Leone continues to navigate its development journey, the BftW CPS Network’s 2026 Peace Day commemoration served as a timely reminder that lasting peace is built not from the top down, but from the ground up. One community, one conversation, and one citizen at a time.