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Gambia To Celebrate African Traditional Medicine Day

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:05:53 GMT

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

The National Traditional Medicine Programme at the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare, in collaboration with the Association of Traditional Healers of The Gambia, will on the 31st of August celebrate African Traditional Medicine Day.

In a press release send to Health Matters yesterday, the manager of the National Traditional Medicine Programme at DOSH, Bubakar Sillah, stated that theme of this years celebration is “The Role of Traditional Healers in Primary Healthcare”.

Mr. Sillah stated that the Association of Tradition Healers of The Gambia have the honour and pleasure to associate themselves with the President Dr Yaya Jammeh in making this a special day in the calendar of traditional medicine, noting that since the association adopted President Jammeh as the father of traditional healers of The Gambia last year, Gambian and Non Gambian healers alike have witnessed tremendous advancements in the health care delivery system of traditional medicine. He said among the catalogue of his achievements in the realm of healthcare which the healers hail are the construction of an academy of science and technology, discovery of medicines for infertility, prostate cancer, skin cancer and a host of diseases.

He further stated that the recent graduation of Gambian doctors from the school of medicine and the exemption of mothers and infants from the payment of fees in health facilities are a clear demonstration of President Jammeh’s care for the health of Gambian and Non Gambians.

He pointed out that by virtue of the presidents untiring efforts in promoting traditional medicine the healers of The Gambia will once again use the opportunity of the commemoration of the day to reaffirm their allegiance to him as the father of traditional medicine and pledge their unflinching support to him in all his endeavours in nation building and the improvement of the wellbeing of humanity.

Author: By Pa Modou Faal

Reiteration of Rights Marks Pan African Women’s Day

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:49:44 GMT

Friday, August 22, 2008

As part of the activities of the pan African Women’s Day, which was celebrated last week at the Paradise Suites Hotel, almost all women councils or representative in all the regions who cares were brought together. The programme was indeed a great achievement and it showed a sign of more empowerment and improvement in women folk’s lives, as different important topics were discussed and many interesting outlets on human and people’s rights on the right of women were discussed.

For the benefit of our esteemed readers we brought a summary of the women’s protocol. The protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa{women’s protocol}, which entered into force on 25 November 2005, provides more comprehensive and specific guarantees in relation to women’s human rights than the charter. It will be monitored by the African Commission through states submitting periodic reports under the African Charter.

The women’s protocol recognises and guarantees a wide range of women’s civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Its main provisions include the following articles: Elimination of discrimination, article 2,8 and 9: States must adopt legal, institutional and other measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women they must also initiate education, awareness raising and other programmers of action to eliminate harmful cultural, traditional and other practices based on the idea of the inferiority or superiority of either of the sexes, or on stereotyped roles of women and men.

States also must ensure that women are treated equally before the law and are given equal opportunities to participate in government and decision making.

Elimination of violence against women, article 3 to 5 : women may not be exploited or degraded. States must protect women from all forms of violence, including sexual and verbal violence, whether the abuse takes in home or in public. To achieve this, states must take steps to prevent punishment and eradicate violence against women.

Trafficking in women must be prevented and the traffickers must be prosecuted.

Equality in marriage, divorce and inheritance, article 6,7,20 and 21

With regards to marriage:

*Women and men have equal rights and are equal partners.

*No marriage must happen without the free and full consent of both parties.

With regards to widow:

*A widow must not be treated in a way that are inhuman, humiliating or degrading

*A widow has the rights to an equitable share in the inheritance of her husband’s property.

Peace and protection during conflicts. Article 10 and 11: women have the rights to participate in promotion and maintenance of peace. This means.

rape and other forms of sexual exploitation during conflicts must be considered as war crimes, genocide, or crimes against humanity.

Education. Article 12: women should have the same opportunities as men to education and training. All stereotypes discriminating against women should be eliminated from textbooks and other education materials as well as in the media.

Equal opportunities in work. Article 13: women must be given equal opportunities as men in their work and careers. This includes:

*The right to choose their occupation and not to be exploited

*The right to be paid the same as men who do the same kind of job

*The right to maternal leave.

All forms of sexual harassment in the workplace must be prohibited.

Health and reproductive rights, article 14: women’s right to health, including sexual and reproductive health, includes:

*The right to control their fertilities

*The right to any method of contraception

*The right to protection against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/Aids.

States must ensure that women have access to adequate and affordable health services, including pre and post natal health and nutritional services.

Special protection, article 22 to 24: states must provide special protection for elderly women, women with disabilities, women from marginalised communities and income families, and pregnant and nursing women.

Author: By Sarata J-Dibba

Regional Integration, a prospect for development

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 03:06:27 GMT

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Africa has tremendous potential at its disposal, if only it can marshal its riches… It follows that the only route to realizing that goal would be through integration. Integration promotes trade as it builds on confidence. This is in fact a key factor responsible for the successes of other regions.

Those of us who have been travelling frequently would attest to the fact that as an African, one finds it easier moving within European countries, with the proper documents of course, than they can within Africa. This clearly frustrates our development efforts.

Even at the international level, no one nation can be a successful bargaining power without the support of one or two other nations. That goes to say that togetherness is the sure way of attaining progress. Of course, Africans are quite aware of this and we have never stopped talking about it. However, it still remains a mystery as to why we still cannot integrate. There are the barriers to integration entrenched in our national laws, and the attitude of our respective citizens, who take inspiration from what prevails at the state level.

The recently launched ECOWAS Inter-state Road Transit Scheme (ISRT) is quite an appropriate move to stopping some of these obstacles. Road blocks, as members observed during the launching of that regime, have become points of maltreatment for our very own citizens. The system also condones corruption and theft. Therefore, if member states can honour their commitment, it will not only help to smoothen business prospects within the sub-region, but will also facilitate grassroot cooperation, which is a catalyst for ultimate unification.

As a cautionary measure, it will be prudent if implementation modalities of the protocols that bind member states of the ISRT take into account the possibility of abuse of these privileges. Even in well known federations, laws differ in different territories. In other words, there should not be any room for clandestine activities in the name of integration. Otherwise apart from it creating more discomfort, contrary to the ultimate idea behind the protocols, it will instigate displeasure and, eventually, xenophobia. That will be the last thing we would want to see.

Author: DO

African Diaspora presents Richie Spice

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 05:15:23 GMT

Friday, August 08, 2008

As part of a series of activities marking the birthday of Marcus Garvey, an erudite and outstanding pan-African human rights activist of the 20th century, Open Dream Productions is set to storm the Gambia on a massive African Diaspora artists musical tour.

This somewhat rare musical jamboree is organised by the Jamaican based Open Dream Productions in collaboration with Jambar records and ‘’Sen Ghigen’’ productions.The cross cutting multi-cultural music tour will feature the internationally renowned Jamaican reggae star, Richie Spice, alongside six other top flight artists drawn from Jamaica, USA, UK, Europe and other African renowned reggae and Hip pop artists, especially from Senegal and The Gambia.

The show will commence in Dakar, Senegal, on 15th August and switch over to the prestigious Independence Stadium in Bakau on 16th August, 2008. The accompanying top flight reggae and hip pop artists include Daddy Mory, Hakim Abdoulsamad, Mbegane Ndour, Dead Maxi, Pee Froiss, and Fla ‘’the Ripper’’, among others.

The tour will be exclusivelly hosted in Africa. The Gambia and Senegal are the two countries in Africa chosen as the venue for the event.The programme is meant to honor and pay glowing and heart rendering tribute to the life and dedication of the human rights activist, Marcus Garvey.

Marcus Garvey, undisputably served as a great inspirational figure to many Africans and people of African-descent as well as humanity at large, according to Olimata Taal, a renowned Gambian journalist based in Jamaica and a member of organising committee of the programme. Olimata Taal spoke at length on the life and untiring efforts made by Marcus Garvey towards promotion of the spirit of African unity and development throughout the world.

He served as a source of inspiration for many African leaders both past and current generation such as Kwame Kruma of Ghana, Saikou Touray of Guinea, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, President Jammeh of The Gambia, etc. Miss Olimata Taal made these remarks in a recent chat with the Arts and Culture anchorman ahead of preparations for The Gambia to host the 16th August 2008 Afrivan Diaspora musical tour.

The Jamaica-based Gambian, seized the opportunity to urge both the public and private sector to extend a generous supportive hand in sponsorship of the programme as she made conclusive and remarkable reference to the sister Republic of Senegal, where she said, the tour had received a huge amount of sponsorship. Commenting on the life and activities of the seven top flight artists about to storm The Gambia, Miss Taal described them as real pacesetters in the world of reggae and other specialised professions, especially the main artist of the event, Richie Spice, who hails from Jamaica. This rare showbiz event is a must for all music lovers to attend.

The programme is expected to be one of the best and biggest summer musical showbiz ever to be held on Gambian soil. It will concide with the famous back-to-school programme of the year.

Olimata Taal explained that, the Open Dream Promotion is a company that specialises in audio-visual production adding that Sen Ghigen Productions specialises in public relations, coordinating events, organising tours, booking artists, hosting media shows in the field of reggae music and the hip pop world. The production company according to her, has developed an international reputation for organising projects in Africa, the Caribbean, USA, UK and other European countries.

“The company’s mission is to use music to heal the world and use it as a tool for educating, informing and entertaining as well as providing an environment for learning and enjoyment,’’ she concluded.

Author: by Sanna Jawara

Exemplary leadership

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 03:35:01 GMT

Thursday, July 31, 2008

The visit to Kanilai of 41 students from Guinea Bissau reveals a great deal of the effectiveness of The Gambia’s unique diplomatic style with regards to regional integration; a diplomacy that is built on truth and mutual respect.

The level of admiration the students displayed for President Jammeh’s style of leadership denotes how appreciative the rest of the world is of this nation of ours. Apart from the president’s pan-Africanist stance which, clearly, was an inspiration for the students to have come over to The Gambia as guests of His Excellency, the visitors were ubiquitously amazed at the relationship between a typical African leader and his people.

“We have heard of your closeness to your people … and now we have seen it for ourselves,” they told the president, as he gave them audience at his home village of Kanilai.

Apparently, one of the remarkable attributes of the 2nd republic of The Gambia is this extraordinary affinity between its leader and his people. This, as it turns out to be, is among the most fancied of relationships anywhere in the world.

As a matter of fact, a disconnection between a leader and their citizens serves as an obstacle to progress, because the people do not only fear such a leadership, but are compelled to distance themselves from it. And such a leadership categorically lacks legitimacy, as it deprives its people of the opportunity to take part in the decision-making process.

If anything, the visit by these youths reiterates one thing, and that is an assurance of the continuation of the pre-colonial bond that ties the two peoples together. As the president said, it is important that the youths are united because they are the future leaders.

Besides, has it not been argued, time and again, that the prospect of unification of the continent lies greatly on the participation of those at the grassroot level? Well, if what these youths have demonstrated is anything to go by, then the people of the continent should rejoice, because The Gambia and Guinea Bissau are setting the pace.

Author: DO

Jammeh receives 41 Bissau students

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 06:00:41 GMT

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, on Monday, received 41 students from the Republic of Guinea Bissau; members of an organisation called President Yahya Jammeh Fans Club.

The students, who were the guests of the Gambian leader, had been in Kanilai for the past few days, helping the president on his farm.

Addressing his guests, President Jammeh praised the students for a move he believes was instrumental in consolidating the already existing ties between Banjul and Bissau. “If you are my fans,” the president said, “I am also your fan”; a remark that was met with rapturous applause from the visiting students.

The president informed his guests that since he assumed the mantle of leadership of the country, he has never spent his holiday outside the country, re-emphasising his believe that as a leader, he embodies the ideals of the nation, and that opting for perceived comfort outside Africa would be the wrong message to his people.

“If European leaders do not spend their holidays in Africa, why should I spend mine in their countries?” President Jammeh asked.

“Since July 1994,” he went on, “14 years today, I have not spent my holiday outside this country.” He said that all he had been doing was farming.
On Banjul-Bissau relations, the Gambian leader told his visitors that Guinea Bissau “is important to us”, reminding them about the numerous Gambians who had taken part in the liberation struggle against the Portuguese.

He noted that while the contribution of some of these Gambian liberation heroes have been noticed such as that of the late General Ansumana Manneh, “many others have died in the struggle and their names never came out”.

President Jammeh called for unity in order to develop West Africa and recover “our lost glory”. The young generation, the president said, would be crucial in this regard. He called on the students to endeavour to move forward, warning against division.

“You have the right to belong to any political party of your choice back home,” he said, “but beware of division”.

The visiting students were evidently impressed with their host, as confirmed by one of them. “Having been told of your pan-Africanist stance”, a representative of the students told the Gambian leader, “we have seen it for ourselves”. He disclosed that they had also been told about the president’s closeness to his people, the truth of which they had also been opportuned to ascertain.

In simple terms, he said: “if 50% of African leaders were like you, the African continent would have achieved the level of development it yearns for.”

Author: DO

African blood has ever been on the hands of the West

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:31:46 GMT

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Editor,

I agree with President Jammeh. I don't think his comments on Zimbabwe are to take advantage on The Gambian people, as others might have thought. There might be some differences of opinion, but in this particular case of Zimbabwe and President Mugabe, I do believe that the West is behind all the tension in that Southern African nation.

The question is how long will it take us, Africans, to learn from our own history and know what we went through, where we came from, where we are heading to, and what we really want?

Mr Mugabe is a great African like Nelson Mandela who was only just a few days ago removed from a terrorist list in the United States, after 90 years of fighting for freedom, not only for Africans but for the rest of the human race.

We Africans should be wiser and start taking our own responsibilities. The Western media will do whatever it takes to give Mugabe a negative image.

I hate seeing my people dying like flies.

Anlas Kanteh

New Jeshwang

Author: DO

Union Gov’t is the key - Says President Jammeh

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 05:49:13 GMT

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Friday, July 04, 2008

President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh has proposed for the creation of a Union Government at the AU to accelerate efforts for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), by 2015.

The Gambian leader, who was speaking in an interview with the GRTS on Africa’s march towards the attainment of MDGs, said this ‘Union Government’ should have a secretariat, which could be transformed into commissions with executive powers to implement certain “things” in the interest of the continent. The president noted that this is different from the popular dream of the United States of Africa.

Although the president was unsure about whether other African countries would achieve the MDG targets (water and sanitation), he was upbeat that The Gambia will attain the targets by 2015.

The 11th AU Summit

The Gambian leader arrived at the Egyptian Resort of Sharmel-Skeih, last Sunday morning, to attend the 11th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State Summit. He was received upon arrival by the Egyptian prime minister, Dr Ahmed Nazif.

There has been no ordinary problem, so common to the world than the need to reduce, by half, the proportion of people without access to sustainable safe-drinking water and basic sanitation.

At the summit, President Mubarak of Egypt, called on his counterparts to be frank in discussing the issues and in finding strategies for security.

The Tanzanian President, Jakaya Kikwete, who is the current chairman of the AU, said that the union is committed to its march towards economic and political integration. President Kikwete said the agenda has, however, been the most divisive of the union, with some camps favouring an immediate establishment of a union government, while others favoured a gradual approach.

But President Jammeh believed that these divergent views could be cross-fertilised and a resolute step taken to create a distinctive entity for people of African origin. His views on creating a roadmap to instituting the integration process were shared by other African leaders.

In an interview with journalists, King Swazi III of the Kingdom of Swaziland, expressed optimistism that a common ground would be found and a final resolution designed to achieve the new African dream.

In his farewell statement, as his tenure in office comes to an end, President John Kuffour of Ghana said the underlining principle for a successful Africa lies in its efforts to form a unified body, a vision nurtured by Kwame Krumah, until his death.

Zimbabwe crisis

At the end of the summit, a draft resolution was issued by the AU Commission, urging the political leaders of Zimbabwe to reconcile their differences, honour their commitment to initiate dialogue and form a government of national unity.

President Jammeh also supported the draft resolution bill for Zimbabwe, adding that it was in the best interest of the people of Zimbabwe.

“We are a new crop of African leaders who will stand up to defend African integrity and African interest. This message, especially that of Zimbabwe, showed to them [the West] that we are independent,” said President Jammeh.

Palestine’s sovereignity

Mahmond Abbas, the president of Palestine, paid tribute to the AU leaders, for their efforts and role in the quest for a free Palestinian territory. The region, he told the commission, aspires to regain its independence and put an end to its refugee status.

Amre Mussa, the secretary general of the League of Arab States, said hypocrisy and political interference have been shaping the future of Middle East.

First ladies’ meeting

As the African heads of state were deliberating in a close door session, the 6th General Assembly of the Organisation of African First Ladies Against Aids also gained progress. Fatou Lamin Faye, the secretary of state for Basic and Secondary Education, represented the First Lady Madam Zineb Yahya Jammeh at the meeting.

During his stay in Egypt, President Jammeh had several bilateral talks with his counterparts, including the Libyan leader, Muammar Ghaddafi and the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak.

Author: DO

Thank you Roots organisers

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:40:51 GMT

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Editor,

Please allow me space in your widely read newspaper to commend the organising committee of the just concluded Roots Homecoming Festival hosted by the Gambia.

To me, the programme was not only meant to reflect on the past but has also enabled those in the diaspora amongst others to come back home and share the joy with their fellow African brothers and sisters in Africa. As the saying goes, as long as you are black, you are an African no matter where one found himself in this world.

It’s of no doubt to my mind that the organisers towards these successful event must have play their role by making the programme to be all inclusive, as for the first time in the history of the festival to be moved from the urban to the interior thereby enabling mass participation by Gambians towards the programme.

Before I put my pen down, may I say again bravo to the organising committee of the Roots Homecoming Festival especially Momodou Joof, director National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and Gambia Tourism Authority (GTA).

Fatou Sarr

Banjul

Author: DO

Journalists briefed on epilepsy

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 06:18:15 GMT

Friday, June 27, 2008

The Gambia Epilepsy Association, on Tuesday, organised a press briefing at its headquarters in Serrekunda to sensitise journalists about epilepsy. Speaking at the briefing, Anthony Zimba, the executive secretary of the International Bureau of Epilepsy said that epilepsy is a condition and not a disease. He added that, most people think that epilepsy is caused by a demon, or is an African disease and has to be treated with local medicine.

“Epilepsy has many causes. Some are caused by infection in the brain and others are genetic and when one has the condition, it has to be diagnosed at the hospital and by a doctor,” he said.

Anthony Zimba also stated that their mission to The Gambia is to meet journalists, governments, health practitioners and the community at large, to see how they can come up with a campaign strategy against epilepsy in The Gambia.

For her part, Tanya Spensley, the patron of the Gambia Epilepsy Association said that her association’s objective is to help people suffering from epilepsy and bring them together so that they can have better treatment. She assured them of their continued commitment to render the services as expected.

Author: by Asanatou Bojang