Building Accountability System Through Empowered Communities (BASE) Project,
in partnership with USAID and its implementing partner Independent Radio Network,
launched the National Peace Message Competition at the Peace Museum Hall on
7th December, 2023.
Reverend Rosie Marie Mboma-Sowa, delivering an overview of the project, stated
that the overall aim of the project is to preach peace across the country,
using this competition as a medium of disseminating coherent information
across the country. Messages are to be constructed in Krio to engage and enhance
participation in the progress of the country as they spread peace far and wide.
She furthered that the key factor in the competition is creativity in
messaging, with a cash prize of NLE40,000 for the winner and a NLE 20,000 for
the runner up.
Hassan Kallon, the delivery coordinator for the BASE project, explained that
BASE is a consortium of five local institutions (CARL, BAN, IGR, 50-50 Women
Group and IRN) with support from USAID to work in six districts (Western Rural
Districts, Moyamba, Kono, Karene, Falaba and Tonkolili Districts). Their goal is
to bring together local councils and the citizens to get them to share and
understand the roles of the councils with the roles the citizens can play right
through the daily running of their councils.
During the launching of the competition, Moses Margao, the deputy executive
Secretary for the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion,
expressed elation that Sierra Leoneans are putting every effort to ensure that
peace and serenity is maintained in the country.
He considered the competition very significant, providing a participatory opportunity to
citizens regardless of tribe, race, cultures or political
background, remarking that they have issued over 30 bikes to riders across the
country to preach peace in the hard-to-reach communities and are also using a
toll-free line 898 to reach out quickly to solve every aspect of peace in the
country.
He applauded the competition and said that the message of peace should not be
limited only to competition, but we must continue to strive in every aspect to
make all is well.
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