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Current Feed ContentCPA trains childrenMonday, October 27, 2008 The Child Protection Alliance (CPA) last Friday began a three-day workshop for children from various organisations in the Kanifing Municipal Council. The training workshop, funded by the American Embassy, brought together over 20 students from different schools and organisations. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Yusupha Sanyang, deputy mayor, KMC who represented the mayor of KMC, said the most important pillar of any society are the children as they are to take the mantle of leadership in the future. “It is necessary for us, the elders therefore, to protect the children and also guarantee their welfare so as to ensure that they can live a better life,” he said. He added that the council will give all moral support to children and to empower them. For his part, Bakary Badjie, programme officer, CPA, said in as much as children have rights, they also have their responsibilities. “CPA is training both duty bearers and right owners. The children have responsibilities towards their parents, teachers, friends and the country at large,” he noted. According to him, CPA cannot do the work alone without the children by their side. Author: by Asanatou Bojang NAMs call for control of food products Wednesday, October 22, 2008 As the National Assembly opens its third annual meeting, parliamentarians have raised concerns over the long standing phenomenon of uncontrolled marketing of farmers products. They also stressed the need for farmers to be sensitised more to make being aware of the importance of preserving some of their products for domestic consumption. In the wake of the alarming food crisis, they argued, farmers need not sell all the food products they harvested. The NAMs comments came following a call made by the Basse parliamentarian, honourable Sellu Bah, for the National Assembly to act in order to remedy the situation. “If we don’t do something about it and allow our farmers to be only concerned with money at the moment, we might end up running into serious troubles,” the Basse NAM stressed. In a similar development, Honourable Mama Kandeh, the Jimara parliamentarian, agreed that sensitising farmers on how to market their products is a necessity, she urged farmers not to sell all their products harvested, in the local market. He further stated that despite the promising bumper harvest for this year, the expected benefits might not be realised.” If a farmer is faced with the option of paying the school fees of his child and opt for selling all the products harvested, where will we end up?’’ Hon. Sanyang questioned. The Foni Kansala NAM, however, suggested that the National Assembly select committee should develop strategies and means which would help the parliamentarians to guide the farmers. In a separate development, the parliamentarians unanimously adopted the minutes of the National Assembly meeting held on August 21st 2008, the report of the 54th Common-wealth Parliamentarian Association (CPA) conference, held in Malaysia, as well as the report of the 118th inter-parliamentary Union General Assembly. Author: by Hatab Fadera Focus on gender based violence Wednesday, September 17, 2008 The Gambia Family Planning Association (GFPA) in collaboration with strategic partners (Police, CPA, Social Welfare, RVTH and Gamcotrap), on Tuesday, held a meeting on developing a referral protocol on the management of gender based violence. According to Haddy Mboge Barrow, programme officer, GFPA, the GFPA approach to gender is cognisant of the importance of addressing and responding to the potential constraining factors with respect to men and women accessing Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) services. She added that its linkage with the advocacy and IEC/BCC seeks to influence and transform the socio-cultural and legal environment. “By undertaking a gender analysis, we would be asking critical questions about the systematic similarities and differences in conditions and positions of women/girls versus men/boy in order to access SRH services, so as to determine the appropriate interventions to address gender imbalances,” she said. Madam Barrow noted that the gender right services (GRS) integration model seeks to move women from previous positions, where they were regarded as ‘instruments’ for population control, to being regarded as full persons who can make decisions and changes on their own as the new approach considers both women and men as decision makers for their choices in SRH. According to Madam Barrow, most reproductive health clinics do not visualise men as potential clients and thus design their services focusing on women only, resulting to low male utilisation of the services. For her part, Amie Bojang Sissoho of Gamcotrap said most of the complaints received from victims are women. According to her, most of the gender violence cases have no legal assistance. “[In] issues like violence cases, we need statistics before advocacy. That is, we find out where the violence occur mostly, what causes it and who are the victims and we also need public debates and dialogue on these issues,” she concluded. Author: by Asanatou Bojang Policy Framework for Special Needs Education Review UnderwayFriday, September 05, 2008 A two-day validation exercise of the draft policy framework
for special needs education in The Gambia is underway at the St.John’s School
for the Deaf in Kanifing.
In her welcoming remarks at the opening ceremony yesterday, Mrs. Nancy Mendy, head of the Special Needs Education Unit at the Department of State for Basic and Secondary Education, stated, “special needs education as outlined in the 2004-2015 Education Policy is not an issue for schools or the Department of State for Education only. It is a whole system approach to ensuring that children with special needs get their share of the national cake,” she noted. She said that the aim of the validation is to build consensus on the document, to move the process forward and to advocate for the inclusion of special needs children in other national documents. She commended Save the Children- Sweden for their financial support. In declaring the forum officially opened, Mr. Modou Sanneh, director of Basic and Secondary Education, said, “special needs education is not something additional to or separate from the mainstream education provision but an alternative way of looking into educational development and responding to the delivery of learners’ needs. A concerted effort is therefore required in this framework to teach literacy, numeracy, skills and livelihood skills to adults with disabilities through existing adult and non formal education programmes,” he said. In The Gambia, he said, education has been at the core of a wider reform, which has been directed at enhancing the system’s effectiveness. Mr. Matarr Baldeh, national co-ordinator of Education for All (EFA) Networks gave a brief overview of the policy framework. According to him, a situational analysis was made in 2006 in the country on special needs and girls education, which was followed by another analysis this time in advocacy. He revealed that after the first study, FAWEGAM, CPA, EFA and the Special Needs Unit were identified to carry out the mandate. The ceremony was chaired by Mr.Demba Ceesay, register at Author: By Nfamara Jawneh Interior SoS urges partnership against child abuse Monday, September 01, 2008 Ousman Sonko, the secretary of state for Interior, has said The Gambia, like many other countries, is faced with challenges in its attempts to combat child abuse in all its forms and therefore called for partnership to combat it. Delivering his keynote statement at the opening of a day-long 2008 Children’s Bantaba organised by the Voice of the Young, a child wing of the Child Protection Alliance (CPA), at the KMC Chambers, SoS Sonko expressed the need for strenuous efforts by all stakeholders in making The Gambia safe for all children. “The creation of a protective and child-friendly environment for children will have to start from home which is the primary sanctuary and heaven for any child. Parents, guardians and care givers in general should bear in mind that their action or inaction will contribute greatly towards what happens to their children when they go out to a community,” he told the children gathering on the theme Creating a protective environment for children in The Gambia: Strength and challenges. Sonko pointed to the evidence of The Gambia government’s commitment under the dynamic leadership of President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, to the fulfillment of the rights of children and ensuring that they are protected from abuse and exploitation. He stated that at the Gambia Police Force (GPF), the government has created a Child Welfare Unit to deal with cases relating to children and had identified police child welfare officers in all major police stations country-wide. However, he expressed his department’s concern with the surge in child abuse cases recently. “My department of state has noted with concern the increasing number of reported cases of child abuse in the newspapers, in particular rape and defilement of children by adults in position of power, trust and responsibility over the children,” he noted, while advising children to always bear in mind that rights come with responsibilities. “The responsibilities you owe to your parents, adults in authority, community, country and the international community must be fulfilled,” the Interior SoS emphasised. Lt Abdoulie Manneh of the CPA Board, challenged parents to discipline children in order to acquire skills and to behave well in society. Lt Manneh assured stakeholders that they will ensure that child exploiters are brought before the law. For his part, Modou Secka, the president of the Voice of the Young, said the forum will no doubt create a platform for children to discuss key issues confronting them in their daily lives. The 2008 Bantaba attracted a least 150 participants from various parts of the country. Author: by Sheriff Janko & Alieu Ceesay Friday is CPA’s 2nd BantabaThursday, August 28, 2008 The Voice of the Young, a child advocacy group under the Child Protection Alliance (CPA), will on Friday August 28th hold its 2nd Children’s Bantaba for the year 2008. The Children’s Bantaba is a one-day gathering that aims to bring children and adults together to discuss issues relating to child rights and child protection. The theme of the August Bantaba is “ Strengthening the Protective Environment for Children in The Gambia: “Systems and Challenges” with the slogan “Stand Up, Speak Out against all forms of Child Abuse”. The event will bring together 120 young people and adults to participate in different sessions. Highlights of the Bantaba include a march passed, presentations and a drama performanceAuthor: By Nfamara Jawneh Justice Secy Assures Children of Protection Tuesday, August 26, 2008 Justice Firduas gave this assurance yesterday at the Baobab Lodge in Bijilo during the opening ceremony of a four-day summer camp on life skills for children. The camp, which is being organised by the Child Protection Alliance (CPA), brought together 30 participants from different parts of the country. “As a government, we will do everything in our powers to ensure that children are protected from these child perverts and exploiters. We will stringently apply the provisions of the Children’s Act 2005 and other laws that protect children,” Secy Fridaus said. She added that they would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that perpetrators of heinous crimes against children are brought to justice. “Our children remain our priority and their future is the focus of our development efforts. Anyone who wants to derail our goal for our children will have to face the full force of the law,” she said. Secy Firduas lamented that hardly a day passes without one reading in the newspapers about one form of abuse, exploitation or violence perpetrated against a child in one part of the country or the other. According to her, this situation needs to be reversed. She said that what happens in one’s childhood whether for good or ill, shapes how boys and girls live out their lives as women and men. “Our children are not only a reflection of what The Gambia would look like in the future, they are the future itself and posterity would judge us by the behaviour and life styles we inculcate in them today.” Secy Firduas, who also doubles as vice chairperson of CPA board, said that CPA wants to equip the children with the skills needed for life such as decision making, communication, critical thinking, assertiveness, among others. “For my
part, I solemnly reaffirm the unalloyed and unwavering commitment of the
government of the The Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Lang Tombong Tamba also reaffirmed the commitment of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) towards promoting the welfare of children. This, he said, is manifested in the creation of a child right unit under the GAF, which is meant to protect and promote the welfare of children in the country. Adama Bah, a board member of CPA, advised the participants to take the camp seriously by making the best use of their stay at Baobab Lodge. Modou Secka new president of the Voice of the Young commended the CPA and all those who made the camp a reality. Njundu Drammeh, CPA National Coordinator, chaired the ceremony. Author: By Nfamara Jawneh Source: Picture: Marie Saine Firduas Speaker receives PRAG executive Tuesday, August 26, 2008 The speaker of the National Assembly, Hon Fatoumatta Jahumpa-Ceesay, on Thursday, received the executive members of the Public Relations Association of The Gambia (PRAG), in her office at the National Assembly building in Banjul. Speaking at the meeting, Alex DaCosta, the senior communication officer of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (Pura), who is also the secretary general of PRAG, said the purpose of the meeting was to officially inform the speaker of the association’s decision to adopt her as their honorary president and adviser, and President Jammeh as their chief patron for their annual continental association conference to be held in The Gambia in 2009. For his part, Raymond AK Njai, the president of PRAG, congratulated the speaker on her new appointment as the president of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Africa Region and told her of their desire to revitalise the association. “PRAG is a member of the Africa Public Relations Association (APRA), a continental association which is composed of national associations or individual practitioners. Every year, APRA organises conferences on topical public relations issues. The paper presentations and exchanges at these conferences provide a learning platform and an opportunity for networking among public relations groups. APRA is currently studying the South African model of accreditation with a view to adopt it for its members,” Mr Njai explained. The PRAG boss also informed the speaker that the annual continental association conference will be held in The Gambia in 2009, precisely around 25th May 2009, which would coincide with President Jammeh’s birthday. Mr Njai also highlighted some of the objectives of his association, saying that PRAG has a lot of ideas to share with the tourism sector to ensure vibrant tourism, among other issues. He called on the government, NGOs, the media and the general public to support the association in order to successfully host the 2009 annual continental association conference. In her response, Hon Jahumpa-Ceesay expressed delight to receive the executive and assured them of her full support at all times. “I will support you morally and financially. I will tell all the National Assembly members to contribute towards the success of the 2009 annual continental conference scheduled to take place in this country,” Speaker Jahumpa-Ceesay told the PRAG executive members. As a pioneer member of PRAG, the speaker advised the PRAG executive to network among themselves and also cooperate with the press, adding that the National Assembly is press-friendly. Hon Fabakary Tombong Jatta, the majority leader and NAM for Serrekunda East and Hon Netty Baldeh, NAM for Tumana, told the PRAG executive that they have done the right thing by choosing the speaker as their honorary president and adviser, considering her leadership qualities, among other issues. They also assured the PRAG executive of the National Assembly’s support at all times. Author: by Assan Sallah & Asanatou Bojang Justice SoS firm on child protection Tuesday, August 26, 2008 The attorney general and secretary of state for Justice, Marie Saine-Firdaus, has reaffirmed government’s commitment to exhaust all possibilities within the ambit of its powers to ensure that children are protected from sex perverts and exploiters. Delivering a statement during the official opening ceremony of a four-day children’s summer camp on life skills at the Baobab Lodge in Bijilo, the Justice SoS point out that the government will stringently apply the provisions of the Children’s Act 2005 and other laws that protect children. "We will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that perpetrators are brought to justice and be punished accordingly. Our children remain our priority and their future, the focus of our development efforts. Anyone who wants to derail our goal for our children will have to face the full force of the law. Hardly, a day passes by without one reading in the newspapers about one form of abuse, exploitation or violence perpetrated against a child in one part of the country or the other," the Justice SoS Firdaus stated, with deep concern. She also expressed concerns about juveniles in conflict with the law, saying that this trend is disturbing. "Sometimes betrayal of children’s trust even goes deeper as it is often the adults entrusted with the case and the protection of children who perpetrate and permit this intolerable abuse or exploitation; that is adults who use their positions, power, prestige and authority to sexually abuse and exploit children. Children who are abused or exploited find their world upside down as it makes enemies out of the very people children look up to for protection. Their self esteem, confidence and trust are undermined and dented," said the attorney general. SoS Firdaus, however, urged children to be responsible and law-abiding citizens, as the future of the country depends on their attitude. She used the opportunity to praise President Alhaji Yahya Jammeh for his dynamic and inspiring leadership to the fulfillment of the rights of children and their protection from abuse, exploitation and violence. For his part, the chief of Defence Staff, Major General Lang Tombong Tamba, expressed delight to be associated with the camping. Major Gen Tamba informed the gathering that they have created a new unit in the Gambia Armed Forces called the Child Protection Unit, which deals with the protection and safeguarding of children from all forms of abuse. "You as children have an important role to play in national development, as you have rights which go along with responsibilities," he said. CDS Tamba expressed his institution’s continued readiness to work closely with the Child Protection Alliance (CPA) for the realisation of its objectives in the service of children. Adama Bah, treasurer and board member of CPA, expressed similar sentiments. He urged children to be respectful, noting that through partnership much can be achieved. He called on the 30 participants in the camping to share their experiences with their colleagues and thanked the CPA for organising the camping. Modou Secka, the newly elected president of the Voice of the Young, the child wing of CPA, delivered the welcome remarks. Author: by Sheriff Janko FJC elected to high position Monday, August 18, 2008 The speaker of the National Assembly, Hon Fatoumata Jahumpa-Ceesay, has been unanimously elected as the president of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Africa Region, at the recent 54th CPA Plenary Conference held in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, for 2008- 2010. Speaker Jahumpa-Ceesay’s candidature was proposed by the speaker of Zambia and seconded by the speaker of Lesotho. With no other opposing candidate, the Gambian speaker got elected with acclamation as the spokesperson of the biggest group in the 57-member CPA, thus, making her the 1st African woman speaker to hold such a position for over 40 years. This position has always been held by male speakers from Africa in the CPAs 100 years of existence. Amongst her immediate assignments are to bring back the Zimbabwe Parliament to the CPA family; lead the campaign of the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) Presidency to be held in Geneva in October, 2008, at the 119th IPU Conference, where Africa is putting up the speaker of Namibia as its candidate. The CPA Executive Committee, which Hon Jahumpa-Ceesay is a member of by virtue of her role as the regional representative for Africa and the current president of the CPA Africa Region, held two committee meetings before the official opening to consider the activities and budget of the CPA Secretariat for 2009 and the Audited Accounts for 2008, among others. Under her leadership for the Africa Region, Hon Fatoumata Jahumpa-Ceesay led the campaign team of the Malaysia Minister of Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage, Datuk Seri Abdul Shafie Apdal who defeated Lord Paul of Marlebone, United Kingdom for the position of chairperson of the CPA. The Kuala Lumpur conference which brought together over 800 parliamentarians, legislators, observers, clerks, secretaries-general/ secretaries of legislatures, invitees, spouses and accompanying persons from the Commonwealth of nations, included delegates representing regional and state branches. Presently, the CPA branches exist in 169 national states, provincial and territorial parliaments, with a total membership of approximately 17,000 parliamentarians. The main theme of the 54th CPA Plenary Conference was “Expanding the Role of Parliament in Global Society, Environment, Development and Security”. The conference saw three plenaries and seven workshops, with Speaker Jahumpa-Ceesay moderating the seventh group on the theme: “Parliamentary and Civil Society Engagement for Better Policy Making”. The Malaysian deputy prime minister, Hon Dato Sri Mohol Bajib Tun Razak, addressed the guests and delegates during the opening of the conference, on behalf of the prime minister of Malaysia. The Gambian delegation also participated during the session and highlighted that parliamentary democracy in The Gambia is not only sustained but is expanding by the day as evident by the vibrant participation of members in the International Parliamentary Forum and increased manner of the National Assembly in pursuance of its parliamentary oversight function. “This accordingly, was re-enforced by our open, popular, transparent and accountable system of governance to its citizenry through regular holding of free and fair elections that are second to none and The Gambia’s successful hosting of the 2006 AU Summit,” the delegation remarked. In a press release sent to the Daily Observer, Hon Jahumpa-Ceesay thanked President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh for the trust and confidence bestowed on her by appointing her as the speaker. She also thanked the president for his unwavering support to the National Assembly and noted that her election to this high office is a credit to President Jammeh and a landmark achievement, which is very laudable because of his adopted policies of gender and women empowerment. The speaker was accompanied to the conference by Hon Ousman Bah, Hon Ebrima Jammeh and the acting clerk of the National Assembly, Momodou A Sise. Author: by Hatab Fadera |
