Notes from a Gambian citizens’ assembly

Earlier this month, DemocracyNext’s Cities Programme team James MacDonald-Nelson and Hannah Terry travelled to Kerewan, the administrative capital of North Bank Region in The Gambia, to witness something transformative: a citizens’ assembly exploring how the region can restore and protect its environment while strengthening livelihoods and local economies in the face of climate change.

Over four days, 30 people from over 20 villages across the North Bank Region - farmers, teachers, small business owners, and students, aged from 18 to 66 - gathered to share their experiences of a changing environment. Randomly selected from each of the seven districts, they came together not as representatives of parties or organisations, but as citizens entrusted with shaping recommendations for their community’s future.

The conversations were rich and grounded in local realities. Participants mapped their villages and livelihoods, discussed the roots and branches of environmental challenges through a “problem tree” exercise, and worked collectively to define key priorities. Expert commentators from ActionAid’s Global Platform and the University of The Gambia contributed perspectives on resilience, agriculture, and restoration. The discussions moved fluidly between Wolof, Mandinka, and occasionally English.

For the facilitators, this was unlike any community meeting they had organised before. The random selection process brought together people they might never have otherwise met - people whose knowledge and experience are often missing from public decision-making spaces. Across the room, young women stood to speak, elders reflected on decades of change, and the sense of shared purpose was palpable.

On the final day, the assembly presented its draft recommendations to local leaders and policymakers. The District Governor, Deputy Governor, a Member of the National Assembly, and representatives from the women’s and disabled persons’ associations, and civil society all attended. Their presence - and the seriousness with which they engaged - sent a powerful signal; that citizen voices are being heard. Several spoke about the importance of continuing such processes, particularly on an issue as urgent and complex as climate change.

One of the key recommendations calls for the inclusion of assembly members into District Climate Resilience Committees which currently function as working groups. This signals citizens’ desire for deeper participation and their commitment to continue engaging with climate governance beyond the assembly’s conclusion.

In the coming weeks, the assembly facilitators and the Great Green Wall Frontline Initiative team will finalise the written report and follow up with stakeholders to discuss how the recommendations can inform local and national action. Evaluators from Gambia-based CepRass (The Center for Policy, Research and Strategic Studies), a research partner, will also interview assembly members and decision-makers to document lessons from the process.