In celebration of the International Day of Peace, the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies invited Chernor Bah, Sierra Leone’s minister of information and civic engagement, to share insights about his career and commitment to peace in Sierra Leone. The event took place on Monday, coinciding with the annual Peace Day celebration.

The Kroc Institute annually recognizes a Notre Dame graduate who has made significant contributions to peace globally through the Distinguished Alumni Award. Bah, who earned his master’s degree in international peace studies from Notre Dame in 2011, was honored this year. During the ceremony, Associate Director for Alumni Relations Anne Hayner commended Bah for his extensive background as a former refugee and war survivor, a dedicated youth activist, an NGO founder, a leader at the United Nations, and his recent appointment as minister.

In his acceptance speech, Bah reaffirmed his commitment to fostering peace throughout his life. He stated, “I pledge that for the rest of my life, I will continue to earn this award because I believe peace is something you continue to earn every day.” 

Bah attributes his dedication to peace to his experiences during the civil war in Sierra Leone. While the war is now over, he highlighted ongoing challenges related to the country’s colonial past. He noted, “Colonialism is not just the past. It is now, and it stops us from fully claiming the future... this oppression of our local culture deeply affected our ability to construct a national identity.”

Unlike some leaders who advocate for ignoring historical grievances, Bah believes that understanding Sierra Leone’s past is crucial for developing national unity and identity. His work as minister of civic education is aimed at creating connections between citizens, especially the youth, and policymakers. “I have a responsibility to define what civic education means for Sierra Leone and to establish the necessary structures and institutions for its implementation,” he explained.

Bah also reflected on how his time at Notre Dame continues to influence his work. He recalled feeling a profound sense of community and solidarity among his fellow students during a football game, particularly when they sang the Alma Mater. This experience inspires his vision for a new national anthem in Sierra Leone, which he believes should be in Creole rather than English to resonate more deeply with the people.

He expressed that “if you leave the city and go to any village, you can’t get any Sierra Leonean to get excited by the national anthem. It’s not possible to create a national consciousness if you don’t challenge these things.”

Ultimately, Bah aims for his efforts to mark the beginning of a new historical chapter for Sierra Leone. He emphasized the importance of questioning established narratives, a perspective he gained through his education at the Kroc Institute and the University of Notre Dame. “I’m hoping that I can convince the people of Sierra Leone to start asking these questions because, for too long, we were taught never to ask them,” he concluded.