Kerewan, The Gambia

“It is imperative to centre Indigenous voices from the outset, recognising not only that they bear the disproportionate burdens of climate change but also that they possess invaluable ancestral knowledge and wisdom that can guide us toward effective and sustainable stewardship. By finding new ways to work together, we can unlock the power of deep collaboration, address the interconnected ecological, social and economic challenges, and co-create solutions for both people and nature. This Citizen’s Assembly will be a vital step towards innovating and scaling systemic interventions that serve frontline communities in the most holistic way.“ - Maimuna Jabbie, Executive Director, Great Green Wall Frontline, The Gambia

The collaboration with DemocracyNext is an expansion of the work Great Green Wall Frontline Initiative has already done in The Gambia over the past few years, which included engagement with communities across the seven districts of the North Bank Region. This involved deep engagement with communities and local government, leading to national engagement by Ministers at a recent National Assembly that brought leaders and insight from each of the seven assemblies together. Following this, there was a strong desire to move from ideas and intent to detailed local plans and action as part of a community inspired multi-stakeholder process.

The North Bank Region faces severe environmental challenges; soil erosion, desertification, deforestation, saltwater intrusion, and biodiversity loss, threatening agricultural livelihoods and food security. Undefined cattle tracks cause uncontrolled grazing, farm encroachment, and soil degradation, while cross-border grazing intensifies farmer-pastoralist conflicts. Deforestation for fuel and timber, weak enforcement of environmental laws (including the plastic ban), and limited climate knowledge have accelerated ecosystem decline, undermining resilience and demanding locally-informed, nationally-aligned solutions.

To address these interconnected challenges, the Great Green Wall Frontline team posed this question to assembly members:

How can we restore our lands and natural habitats, while creating better livelihoods and economic empowerment?

This question empowered citizens across the North Bank Region to determine how the Great Green Wall initiative and local government should restore ecosystems while creating tangible economic benefits and improved livelihoods for their communities.

October 2024 - January 2025: All cities in the cohort followed a nine-module citizens' assembly learning programme to build their knowledge and capacity to deliver an assembly in their context.

June 2025: DemocracyNext hosted a design workshop to support the Great Green Wall Frontline team in making key decisions about the assembly’s design and to contexualise key elements of the assembly process, like sortition. Shared Future also ran a facilitation workshop, providing training on deliberative facilitation and developing a day-by-day facilitation plan for the assembly. You can read the DemocracyNext newsletter following the design and facilitation workshops.

September 2025: Thirty assembly members are randomly selected across the North Bank Region.

October 2025: Assembly members traveled to Kerewan for a one-day onboarding session. The Kerewan citizens' assembly was held over four consecutive days of learning and deliberation, followed by a three-day break, and a final day to vote on and present recommendations to local and national decision makers.

Early 2026: An evaluation report on the assembly will be published.

Assembly member selection: The assembly followed a sortition method that was co-developed by the Great Green Wall Frontline Initiative team and Democracy Next.

First round: Six villages per district were randomly selected via raffle conducted in front of district coordinators', across seven districts.

Second round: In each village, five people were selected by knocking on every fourth door while considering factors such as age and gender. This yielded 30 people per district, totalling 210 participants.

Third round: Demographic stratification was conducted based on the collected information using the open-source software Panelot to ensure representative distribution. The demographic details that were chosen were: Gender, age, livelihood, and district.

Demographic criteria: Gender, age, district, livelihood.

Size: 30 people.

Assembly duration: 20-27 October 2025.

Facilitation: The assembly was facilitated by Satang Dumbuya and Cherno Gaye, a local facilitation team with extensive experience in facilitating deliberative processes in The Gambia.

The process was independently evaluated, led by Lamin Dampha, and assisted by Fatou Cham and Fatou Kah, from the academic institution CepRass. The evaluation uses a mixed-methods approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies including non-participant observation, member survey, population survey, expert speaker survey, interviews, large group discussion analysis and media monitoring.

This initiative aims to assess how the assembly strengthens civic participation, enhances policy development, and reinforces democratic governance. Through examining the inclusivity of the process, the quality of deliberation, and the impact of recommendations on policy, this research will identify best practices to amplify the effectiveness and influence of future citizens' assemblies.

The assessment uses a Theory of Change framework to evaluate:

• Inclusiveness and legitimacy: How the participant selection process promotes diversity and bolsters the assembly's credibility.
• Deliberative effectiveness: The success of deliberative methods in enabling substantive dialogue and discussion.
• Policy uptake: The degree to which recommendations are implemented and incorporated into governance frameworks and policymaking.
• Governance integration: The assembly's capacity to cultivate sustained civic engagement and shift community attitudes over time.

A dedicated section will detail how research findings will shape future citizens' assemblies and governance approaches, supporting the long-term viability of deliberative democracy in The Gambia.

Country: The Gambia

Regional Population: ∼225.000

Commissioning body: Great Green Wall Frontline

Collaborators: Civic, Centre for Policy, Research and Strategic Studies (CepRass)

Kerewan, located 60 km from The Gambia’s capital, Banjul, is the administrative seat of the Kerewan Local Government Area (LGA) - an area known for its rich cultural heritage and community-oriented governance. The town and surrounding areas are governed by the Kerewan Area Council, which emphasizes transparency and community participation in decision-making processes. Traditional leadership, including the Alkalo (village head) and Seyfo (district chief), plays a vital role in the community.

The Alkalos work in collaboration with the Kerewan Area Council to ensure the effective governance and development of their respective villages. They serve as the link between the local government and the village communities, representing the interests and concerns of their people. The Alkalo system is deeply rooted in Mandinka culture and tradition, and it continues to play a crucial role in the local governance of Kerewan and the North Bank Region of The Gambia. In Kerewan, the governance structure incorporates both traditional and local government elements, with Village Chiefs, known as Alkalos, playing a significant role.

Primarily the local economy is based on agriculture, with many residents engaged in farming and related activities. However, The Gambia River provides opportunities for fishing, which is another important economic activity for the region.

• Voice Gambia Article

Make sure to check back here for updates as we continue this collaboration with Kerewan.

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