George Shadrack Kamanda, author, and civic leader has successfully completed his two-year Carnegie Ethics Fellowship. Kamanda, who was a fellow from 2023 to 2025, marked the occasion with a reflective speech on February 7, 2025, highlighting the transformative impact of the program.
The Carnegie Ethics Fellowship, an initiative of the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, is a prestigious program designed to cultivate the next generation of ethical leaders across diverse sectors, including business, government, academia, and non-governmental organizations. The program aligns decision-making with reflective action by fostering ethics in leadership. It aims to create communities of experts dedicated to this goal.
In his reflection address on behalf of his cohort, Kamanda emphasized how the fellowship broadened their understanding of ethics and reshaped approaches to leadership and global engagement. “Ethics isn’t an abstract ideal. It’s a living framework that shapes decisions, guides leadership, and helps us navigate the complexities of our time—migration, climate change, artificial intelligence, economic inequality, and technology’s role in society,” Kamanda stated, encapsulating the program’s core focus.
The fellowship encourages critical thinking and engagement with diverse perspectives. Fellows delve into pressing global issues, balancing competing moral claims, and exploring ethical leadership in systems often driven by short-term gains. Kamanda noted, “we didn’t just study ethics—we practiced it, challenged it, and applied it to real-world dilemmas.”
The Carnegie Council views ethical leadership as essential in today’s interconnected world. The Fellowship offers a unique opportunity for individuals from various backgrounds to converge, share insights, and develop strategies for tackling complex ethical challenges.
Looking ahead, Kamanda expressed his commitment to applying his fellowship experience in his home country, Sierra Leone “Personally, I hope to carry forward what I’ve learned to promote responsible citizenship and ethical leadership in Sierra Leone, empowering my fellow citizens and contributing to a thriving nation.” This commitment reflects the Fellowship’s broader goal of empowering leaders to drive ethical change within their communities and beyond.
About George Shadrack Kamanda
George Shadrack Kamanda is a Sierra Leonean diplomat, author, civic leader, and politician. He currently serves as a diplomatic and legal affairs expert at the Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone to the United Nations. Kamanda is also the founder and CEO of The Necessity Firm and the Chairman of Everyday Citizen, a civics initiative promoting responsible citizenship.
Kamanda moved to the United States to pursue higher education. From 2012 to 2014, he attended Delaware County Community College, earning an Associate of Arts degree in General Studies and Politics. He later enrolled at Saint Joseph’s University, where he majored in Political Science and International Relations. Kamanda advanced his education at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, earning a Global Certificate in Human Rights Law. In May 2022, he graduated with a Juris Doctor degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where he was a Vattel International Law Scholar and a Klatsky Human Rights Fellow. In February 2023, he completed a Master of Studies in Diplomatic Studies at the University of Oxford.
Kamanda’s career spans diplomacy, law, and activism. Before attending law school, he presented research at the United Nations in New York, worked as a diplomatic trainee at the European Parliament in Brussels, and interned at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. In October 2020, Kamanda published his third book, Citizenship Reimagined: The Case for Responsible Whole Citizenry in Sierra Leone. In May 2021, he received the Wong Moss Outstanding Alumni Award and delivered the commencement address at Delaware County Community College. That same year, he was named a Law Fellow for the Fellowship at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE).
Kamanda is the founder of The Necessity Firm, a citizenship organization based in Sierra Leone that promotes civic education by integrating character development and citizenship training. A member of the Sierra Leone People’s Party, he previously served as Secretary General of the Young Generation Council North America. He is also a Carnegie Ethics Fellow.
George Shadrack Kamanda was born on October 31, 1991, on Kissy Road, Freetown, Sierra Leone. His father, Josephus Kamanda, from Moyamba, is Mende, and his mother, Georgette Shirley Smith, is a Krio. Both parents are Christians, and Kamanda identifies as a devout Christian.
In addition to his diplomatic and civic work, Kamanda remains deeply committed to his faith and community. He has authored several works, including Eventualities in Africa: Salient Challenges and A Civic Engagement Dictionary and Dictionary of Diplomatic Relations. His contributions to literature and civic engagement have been recognized in the Best Poems Encyclopedia and various academic journals
