In an era where a single social media post can influence public opinion within minutes, strengthening young people’s ability to distinguish facts from falsehood has become increasingly important for safeguarding democracy.

Recognizing this challenge, 18 young leaders from various political parties, universities, civil society organizations and the media institutes convened in Monrovia on 18 August 2026 for the third and final workshop on “Media and Information Literacy for Democracy - Strengthening Youth Participation through Information Literacy”. This concluded a three-part capacity-building series designed to equip young Liberians with practical skills to navigate today’s complex information environment and promote responsible digital citizenship.

This initiative is supported by the European Union, Ireland and Sweden through the Liberia Electoral Support Project (LESP) managed by UNDP and implemented in partnership with UN Women and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy. 

This workshop was held in partnership with the National Elections Commission (NEC), the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), and Local Voices Liberia (LVL). It forms part of the follow-up phase to the global MIL4Elections - Media and Information Literacy for Youth in Elections programme jointly developed by UNDP and UNESCO.

The training was inspired by the experience of Liberian youth leader Ms. Aria Deemie, who was competitively selected to participate alongside 20 young leaders from around the world during the 24th University on Youth and Development in Mollina, Spain.

Following the training, her proposal to localize the programme in Liberia was among a select number approved for implementation with support from Global Affairs Canada through the Project for Resilience and Integrity in the Management of Elections. 

The local workshop on information integrity in the digital era was well received by young participants and remains highly relevant today. As a result, three additional workshops were organized through the LESP.

Across For three consecutive workshops, participants explored how traditional and digital media influence democratic participation, examined the risks posed by misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech, and strengthened their ability to verify information, identify credible sources, and engage responsibly in civic and political discourse.

Transforming Global Learning into Local Action

Opening the final session, Katherine Green, Chief Technical Advisor of UNDP LESP, described the initiative as an example of how international learning can generate meaningful local impact. “This initiative is about investing in young people. What began as a global learning opportunity in Spain has now been transformed into a national initiative that is equipping young Liberians with practical tools to navigate today’s very complex information environment,” she said.

Reflecting on the significance of the workshop series, Green challenged participants to make sure that the impact extends well beyond the training room.

“The success of this initiative will be measured by the conversations that you influence after today, the accuracy of information that you promote, the peaceful dialogue that you promote, and the positive examples that you set within your communities,” she emphasized.

Green encouraged participants to become champions of information integrity by sharing their knowledge with peers, schools, universities, organizations and communities, helping to build a culture where facts matter and respectful dialogue strengthens democracy.

Media Literacy Is a Democratic Necessity

The PUL President, Julius Kanubah, described media and information literacy as one of the essential competencies young people need to participate meaningfully in national development. “As young people constitute the vast majority of Liberia’s population, it is important to get them involved in shaping policy, decision-making and democratic practice,” Kanubah said.

Kanubah urged the participants to become responsible users of social media and digital platforms, emphasizing that young people possess unprecedented opportunities to influence democratic discourse positively.

The NEC Communications Director Titus W. Tokpah reinforced the importance of factchecking before sharing information online. 

“Aim to verify who is sending the information and understand the intention behind it. False information can spread quickly and create unnecessary public concern when individuals fail to verify sources before sharing content,” Tokpah noted.

Young People Commit to Responsible Digital Citizenship

Participants welcomed the opportunity to strengthen their understanding of responsible online engagement and information integrity. “I want to encourage everyone to take this programme seriously,” said Septeu Koroma. “Many of us use the internet every day without fully understanding both its risks and its opportunities. I am looking forward to exercising the knowledge acquired here more responsibly.”

Blamo Toe, reflected on how easily manipulated information circulating on social media can distort perceptions and damage trust. “If we’re not careful with the information we consume and share on social media, it becomes difficult even to govern our country,” he observed. “This training is very timely.”

The participants also emphasized the importance of applying the lessons beyond the workshop by promoting responsible engagement within their own online communities and encouraging others to question and verify information before sharing it.

Building a Network of Information Integrity Champions

The three-series workshop brought together a total of 27 young women and 28 young men to strengthen critical thinking, responsible digital engagement and democratic participation.

Using the UNDP Youth Civic and Political Participation Curriculum and UNESCO’s Journey through the MILtiverse toolkit, beneficiaries developed practical skills to identify misinformation and disinformation, analyze online narratives, and promote respectful civic dialogue.

By investing in young leaders as ambassadors of information integrity, the initiative is creating a growing network of digital citizens capable of promoting peaceful elections, countering harmful online content and strengthening democratic resilience across Liberia.

The Media and Information Literacy initiative builds on the global MIL4Elections programme and is supported by Global Affairs Canada through the Project for Resilience and Integrity in the Management of Elections.

The Liberia Electoral Support Project (LESP) supports national institutions and processes to promote inclusive, transparent, and accountable governance. It is managed by UNDP and implemented in partnership with UN Women and the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) with funding from the European Union, Ireland and Sweden.

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