By: George Shadrack Kamanda
The Present
Our generation, our responsibility
There is hope for us to hold on to
There are signs of progress
but we yearn for more
There is the willingness to change
but our willingness
 must be matched with objective citizenship.
On Affiliations
My fellow countrymen and women
politically affiliated
or apolitically molded
everyday objectivity on national issues
must remain our resolve and cornerstone.
On Governance
The country we all want deserves us all
and rightly so
Our processes may change, but our principles don’t
Constructive support and criticism
of governments’ actions and inactions are part of the process
Violence and incivility of any kind are not.
On Social Change
Our generation, our responsibility
We need an eco-mind
a mind to change the way we think
to create the country we want
We must renounce utter dependency and ignorance
and embrace genuine public service
with eyes on shaping generational leaders
that can rise above the rancor of partisanship
We have ongoing challenges
but we can rise to these challenges
We need citizens that stand on values
not a citizenry that monetize their rights and responsibilities
to the highest bidder.
On the Common Good
Our generation, our responsibility
Wherever we are,
whatever we are doing, in good faith,
together, we can make Sierra Leone
a nation where merits and values matter
more than mere affiliations
and where excellence is celebrated,
 and mediocrity is frown upon.
The country we all want deserves us all:
The brave
The pessimists
The hopefuls
The optimists
The exhausted
The young
The critics
The active and passive observers
and sometimes, the naysayers.
On Responsibilities
Our responsibility is to speak truth to power
irrespective of political affiliations or kind.
Our responsibility is to speak truth to the needs of society.
On Externalities
We cannot let other peoples’ insecurities become our own
nor others bigotry to become our burden.
On Accountability
We must distinguish truth from theatre
facts from fiction
We have to know what truth feels like
and what truth sounds like
A note to my generation,
is one of hope amidst uncertainties
one of caution, despite irregularities
And one of progress, and the willingness to
press on for that progress
Our generation, our responsibility
But we have work to do
because Sierra Leone at 60 and always
deserves our best.
In Unity, Peace and Justice.
The End –
About the Author
George Shadrack Kamanda is the founder and executive director of the Necessity Firm, a nonprofit firm in Sierra Leone focused on shaping whole citizens while also serving as an institute for responsible citizenship by promoting civic education at the intersection of advocacy. George is a published author of three books, a good governance advocate and a civic educator. George’s experiences include a presentation at the United Nations in New York, a diplomatic trainee internship at the European Parliament while also being a member of the prestigious Global Ethical Leaders Society (GELS) at Case Western Reserve University. This summer, he will intern at Human Rights Watch in NY as Klatsky Human Rights Fellow. He holds a bachelor’s in Political Science from Saint Joseph’s University, a Certificate in Global Human Rights from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, and a JD candidate at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He is currently on leave from law school for the 2020/21 academic year to pursue a Master of Studies degree in Diplomatic Studies from the University of Oxford.
