I bring you greetings from the members and Executives of SLAJ, and let me convey felicitations from our President who wished to be here with you but is currently out of the country.
On behalf of the consortium of three: the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), the Independent Radio Network (IRN) and the BBC Media Action, with support of UNDP and partners, let me warmly welcome you to the official launch of this project: ‘Promote the creation of an enabling environment for the conduct of peaceful elections and the strengthening of social cohesion in Sierra Leone’.
With the rise of fake news and misinformation, it has become increasingly difficult for citizens to access credible information in their everyday lives but most importantly during national elections.
As we all know, free and fair elections are the cornerstone of any democracy. They provide citizens with the opportunity to exercise their democratic rights and elect leaders who will represent their collective interests and aspirations.
However, in recent times, we have witnessed the negative impact of fake news, dis and mis-information, and hate speech on electoral processes across the world. These issues have led to widespread confusion, distrust between citizens and their Governments, and even violence.
Here in Sierra Leone, we have seen the role of disinformation and hate speech in incidents that have claimed the lives of Sierra Leoneans and many public property destroyed. For example, the Tombo, Lunsar and Makeni riots, and the infamous August 10th 2022 violent protests which claimed the lives of over 21 innocent civilians and six police officers.
We have also seen how hate speech around tribe, ethnicity, region, and religion have crept into our political conversations, thereby promoting intolerance and threatening our unity, peace, democratic credentials and the electoral process ahead of the June 2023 elections.
It is against this backdrop that SLAJ and IRN are working in collaboration with the UNDP and BBC Media Action and several other partners to introduce the ‘i-verify platform’ in Sierra Leone’s June 2023 elections. The platform is designed mainly to promote transparency and ensure that the public is well-informed during the electoral process through increase access to credible information around the elections. The ‘i-Verify platform’ is an innovative solution that leverages the power of technology to identify and flag problematic content during Sierra Leone’s upcoming public elections.
With the ‘i-Verify platform’, citizens will have access to verified content, ensuring that they can make informed decisions during the election. The platform will use a combination of machine learning and human intervention to identify and verify content posted on social media platforms, blogs, and from political activities. Once content is verified, it will be published on the platform, providing citizens and even journalists with access to credible information.
We are fully aware about the challenges of technology and the Internet, and given the fact that the bulk of our population, especially in the provincial areas, rely on radio to get information. That is why the IRN will also be packaging and broadcasting verified content from the ‘i-Verify platform’ to reach our people.
My colleague in the IRN will later on the program take you through a power-point presentation on the platform for better understanding.
Meanwhile, we believe that this partnership will help to promote transparency, accountability, and free and fair elections in Sierra Leone. We also recognize the importance of engaging with citizens, and we will be providing training and awareness programs to educate them on how to identify and report problematic content during the electoral process.
The importance of citizens getting access to credible information during the elections cannot be overstated. In a democratic society, citizens have the right to make informed decisions about their leaders and representatives. To make these informed decisions, citizens require access to accurate and credible information.
During the electoral process, there is a lot of information that is shared through various channels, including social media, news websites, and blogs, and these are transported by word of mouth and other creative local ways to communities and influencing the behavior of people. However, not all of this information is accurate, and some of it is intentionally misleading and deliberate to cause confusion and promote hate. In many cases, fake news, disinformation, misinformation and hate speech are spread to manipulate public opinion and influence the outcome of the election.
Access to credible information is critical because it allows citizens to make informed decisions based on facts, rather than opinions or propaganda. Credible information enables citizens to evaluate the policies and promises of political parties and candidates, as well as their track record and qualifications.
Moreover, access to credible information promotes transparency and accountability in the electoral process. When citizens have access to accurate information, they can participate in the electoral process by holding political parties and candidates accountable for their actions and promises. It also ensures that the electoral process is fair and transparent, as citizens can verify the accuracy of the information that is being shared.
In addition, access to credible information promotes social cohesion and national unity. When citizens have access to accurate information, they can make decisions based on common interests and values, rather than on divisive and misleading narratives.
Therefore, the availability of credible information is crucial for ensuring that elections are free, fair, democratic, and peaceful. It enables citizens to participate in the democratic process and hold their leaders accountable. Access to credible information is not only a fundamental right of citizens but also a necessary condition for a functioning democracy.
In conclusion, the i-Verify platform is a critical tool that will promote transparency and accountability during Sierra Leone’s upcoming public elections. We are excited about the possibilities that this platform presents and believe that it will have a significant impact on the electoral process in Sierra Leone. We encourage everyone to use this platform and contribute to its success by reporting any problematic content that they come across.
We have put together a fantastic team of dedicated and independent journalists who have gone through rigorous training, to deliver on this all important elections project but we also count on the cooperation and sincerity of the Election Management Bodies to ensure its successful implementation.
I thank you all.
