Gardnersville, Montserrado County – The Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), Montserrado Chapter, has successfully conducted a day-long civic education workshop for more than 50 young people on Borbor Island, Gardnersville, aimed at strengthening democratic participation and electoral accountability.
By Patience Jones
The workshop, held on Saturday, June 27, was organized under the AHEAD Youth Project (Youth AHEAD: Promoting Youth-Led Actions for Democratic Participation and Civic Engagement), a program funded by ActionAid Liberia and implemented by the Federation of Liberian Youth in Bong and Montserrado counties.
The day long event, which ran from brought together young people from communities across the Gardnersville corridor. It also marked one of the first major activities undertaken by the Montserrado Chapter following the inauguration of its newly elected president, Ernest Duku Jallah.
Opening the workshop, Montserrado County Coordinator of the AHEAD Youth Project, Patrick F. Wee, outlined the project’s objectives and implementation strategy, emphasizing its focus on equipping young people with the knowledge and skills needed to participate meaningfully in governance and democratic processes.
Mr. Wee described the initiative as more than a civic education program, calling it a movement to empower young Liberians to become agents of democratic change through both digital engagement and grassroots community action.
He urged participants to view the workshop as the beginning of sustained civic engagement rather than a one-time event, while expressing appreciation to ActionAid Liberia for supporting the initiative.
The first training session, facilitated by Augustus Fahnbulleh of the FLY Montserrado Chapter, focused on Youth Involvement in Promoting Electoral Accountability.
Mr. Fahnbulleh explained that electoral accountability ensures elected officials remain answerable to citizens through free, fair, transparent, and credible elections. He warned that without accountability, democratic institutions become vulnerable to corruption, impunity, and poor governance.
He encouraged participants to play active roles in strengthening Liberia’s electoral process by monitoring elections, reporting electoral malpractice, promoting peaceful elections, educating first-time voters, encouraging voter registration and participation, and using social media responsibly to combat misinformation and promote civic awareness.
The second session was facilitated by FLY volunteer Paul Dolo, who spoke on Democracy, Civil Society, and Youth-Led Institutions in Strengthening Democracy.
Mr. Dolo highlighted the importance of citizen participation, constitutional governance, the rule of law, and democratic accountability. He emphasized that civil society organizations play a critical role in promoting transparency, protecting human rights, advocating for public interest policies, and holding government institutions accountable.
He also stressed that youth-led organizations have become an increasingly influential force in Liberia’s democratic development through their involvement in civic education, peacebuilding, policy advocacy, electoral participation, and community development.
According to Mr. Dolo, empowering young people through organized civic action is essential to strengthening Liberia’s democracy and ensuring sustainable national development.
Participants concluded the workshop by expressing their commitment to serve as civic educators and democratic ambassadors within their respective communities.
FLY Montserrado Chapter said the successful workshop demonstrates the organization’s commitment to expanding youth participation in governance and promoting democratic values across Liberia.
As implementation of the AHEAD Youth Project continues in Bong and Montserrado counties, the organization called on government institutions, civil society organizations, community leaders, and development partners to support youth-led civic engagement initiatives as a vital investment in the country’s democratic future.
