Mrs Julia Dolly Joiner, the commissioner for Political Affairs at the African Union (AU) Commission, has urged “strong partnership” in order to eradicate the plagues of slavery and discrimination in their varied “incarnations”. Mrs Joiner stressed that such partnership should be established between AU member states, the diaspora, international and regional organisations, as well as the civil society.

Mrs Joiner made these remarks during the closing ceremony of the four-day Experts meeting on Slavery, which ended on Friday at the Karaiba Beach Hotel, Kololi. The meeting was a follow-up to World Conference Against Racism and it precedes the Durban Review Conference in 2009.

The Banjul meeting was meant to review the historical and contemporary experiences on slavery and racism, alongside identifying concrete activities for the bicentennial events on slavery and make recommendations for consideration in the post-Durban and the African Diaspora Summit scheduled for 2009.

In her statement, Mrs Joiner acknowledged that participants had debated extensively on the agenda of the meeting. “If each person here invests his or her unique aptitude and resources in one or more of these activities, we cannot and surely will not fail to make significant progress towards our collective goals of eliminating discriminatory practices and ensuring that justice is delivered to the victims of slavery and various forms of racism,” she added.

However, she maintained that this would require great courage and conviction for “us to make a difference”. In this struggle, she continued, the actors will encounter dissent and resistance from those who fear being called to account for their wrongs. But she was upbeat that “the strength of a collective and consensual platform on the part of Africa and its diaspora based on verifiable research and justifiable moral ground, will be impossible to deny”. Together, she added: “I am confident that we can rise to this challenge, if we commit to build on what we have begun here”.

She told the gathering that there is a “lingering evidence” of the dehumanising slave trade that decimated the socio-cultural and socio-economic fabric of the entire African society and he noted that this legacy has continued to be felt up to the present day in Africa. “The diaspora had robbed us of not only our valuable human resource, but also significantly stifled our socioeconomic development”.

The Gambian-born AU political commissioner described the four-day meeting as fruitful, adding that the debates and discussions during each session have “incrementally added to our collective awareness of various issues and the myriad of initiatives that are occurring in different parts of the continent and in the diaspora”. This, she said, “Will hopefully lead to greater collaboration and coordination and the formulation of consensus platforms on key issues”.

She further expressed hope that each participant has left the meeting with a renewed determination to actively  and continuously contribute to the eradication of discrimination and intolerance.

Over fifty Traditional Birth Attendants and Circumcisers from the five districts of Foni, participated at a three day workshop held in Sibanor, Foni Bintang Karanai. In his welcoming remark, the Governor of Western Region, Mr. Abdou Badgie welcomed GAMCOTRAP in Foni and said that they are happy that the organization is also engaging the Foni area towards the eradication of female genital mutilation - FGM. He reminded the Traditional birth Attendants the important role they play in promoting maternal and child health in particular. Speaking to the circumcisers, the governor noted that despite the fact that FGM is a deep rooted tradition, health is a basic human right to be protected by all. Making reference to the content of the programme, Governor Badjie noted the importance of the issues for discussion based on facts and reiterated the need to stop harmful traditional practices. He appealed to participants to reflect on the economic dimension of celebration of initiation ceremonies in the midst of increased poverty. Governor Badgie added that, eradication of poverty will be difficult while there are extravagance in lifestyles. He posited that with good health, there can be good economic productivity and appreciated the solidarity among women. Mr. Abdou Badgie commended GAMCOTRAP as an important organization on women and children’s health rights in the Gambia.

Chairing the opening ceremony. the Executive Director of GAMCOTRAP Dr. Isatou Touray, informed the gathering that this is the first project specifically for Foni and was developed with women’s participation and with support from Forum Syd through NIYO, a Swedish based organization. Dr. Touray noted that if the pilot year of the project is successful, there is possibility to extend it for multiple years.

Speaking at the opening, the Chief of the Bintang Karanai district, Chief Mustapha Camara expressed delight to witness the opening and was aware that the initiative is to establish women’s health. He reminded participants that the focus of the meeting is on culture and that research has revealed FGM as harmful and should be stopped. He said the President of the republic relies on the women for development and that they should use the opportunity to discuss the issues during the three days. Alkalo Sarjo  ,Ceesay of Sibanor also welcomed GAMCOTRAP and called on the participants to act on the knowledge gathered during the training.

At the end of the training, participants expressed their commitment to stop FGM, and called on GAMCOTRAP to advocate for FGM to be included in the school curriculum. They appealed to government to put in place laws against FGM and promised to report back to their Alkalolu and conduct meetings with young mothers of the child bearing age.

The Community Health Nurse in Sibanor, Yaya Jallow appreciated the training and pledged to give support to the Community Based Facilitators to organized village based meetings to share the information they gathered during the workshop. He reminded the Traditional Birth Attendants that they should play their role to stop FGM by talking to mothers at delivery.

Women’s leader, Nano Touray of Sibanor, thanked the participants for the good turnout, and called on Foni to be part of the campaign and take the lead in the fight against FGM.

Meanwhile, over three hundred participants from Kulari, Garawol and Tinkinjo villages in the Upper River Region participated in a series of training workshops on sexual and reproductive health organized by GAMCOTRAP and supported by FOKUS through the NKFT in Norway.

One of the resource persons, Oustass Muhamadou Sanuwo, focused on making clarifications on the misconception that FGM is not a religious injunction. The Imam of Kulari, Musa Touray also blessed the gathering and said it was through discussions and educating people that Islam was spread and that everyone is seeking to have good health and was happy that the workshop took place to enlighten them.

At Garawol in URR, Imam Alhajie Abdoulie Conteh welcomed GAMCOTRAP and noted that it takes time to eradicate deep-rooted practices like FGM, however, he prayed that the truth be established. He used the occasion to call on parents to take up their responsibility to address causes of teenage pregnancy.

Having been exposed to the various issues around FGM, from the point of view of tradition, religion, health and the rights of women and children, the participants reached consensus that FGM should stop and their village circumcisers, Sarjo Damba of Kulari, Hatou Kanteh and Bai Kanteh of Garawol and Haja Mabintou Bahaga of Tinkinjo publicly declared to their communities that they would never practice FGM again. They all believed they were doing it to get blessing but did not realised how much harm it caused women and girls. They were supported by mothers, fathers and some of their community leaders at their various gatherings to protect girls from FGM and to promote the reproductive health of women in adult life. The Chief of Kantora Alhajie Bachu Ceesay and Basori Orammeh hosted the Garawol and Tinkinjo workshops respectively.

In commemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Children for Children Organization (CFCO) last Saturday organized a symposium at the Girls Guide conference hall in Kanifing.

The symposium was part of CFCO’s sustained efforts in intensifying world campaign for in-depth reform of the systems of international institutions.

Speaking on the theme “The Need and Importance of In-depth Reform of the System of International Institutions in Order to Advance Towards Global Democratic Governance and Take Part in the Resolutions of World’s Problems and Challenges”, Mr. Alieu Darboe, Governance Manager, ActionAid-The Gambia, said the end of World War II had ushered in new international organisations which have created international systems that are oppressive and lopsided.

He pointed out that this international systems have engendered semblance of injustice and imbalance between the developed and the Third World.

To Mr. Darboe, there is an urgent need for reform for the facts that US ‘had hijacked’ the UN and that the trade inequalities between the rich and poor nations are widening. The entire concerned citizens of the world, added he, are out for this struggle.

According to him, fundamental questions such as which urgent proposals required changes, how can a sensible hierarchy of international organisations be changed, how can the global majority co-operate in this crusade and how can the interest of the future generation influence these changes need urgent answers.

“This is required because humanity is facing serious problems. We have not still achieved peace and security in the world and huge number of planet inhabitants continue to live in poverty,” Mr. Darboe lamented.

He asserted that another world is possible where democracy will reign, poverty eradicated and social imbalances things of the past.

The Chairperson of CFCO, Mr. Madi Jobarteh, expressed dismay over ‘the incapability’ of international institutions to execute their duties, ruing the lack of opportunity for less developed countries to have a say in decision-making process of the UN.    

A two-day Sphere Project Training workshop on Tuesday commenced at Baobab Holiday Resort in Bijilo. The aim of the project is to improve the quality of assistance provided to people affected by disasters, and to enhance the accountability and coordination of humanitarian systems in disaster response. The project was launched internationally in 1997, to develop a set of universal minimum standard in core areas of humanitarian assistance in health, nutrition, shelter, among others.

Concern Universal has over the years been engaged in supporting rural communities to improve their incomes and livelihoods, as well as in emergency preparedness, prevention and response interventions to consolidate the gains achieved.

Niall O’ Connor, Country Director of Concern Universal, said their mission is to work with partners and to challenge poverty and inequality. “We do this by supporting practical actions that enable people to improve their lives and shape their own future,” he noted, adding that Concern Universal’s core values centred on human dignity.

“Sustainable development is the ultimate goal of all development organisation and Concern Universal has pursued this strategic goal. Since its inception in The Gambia,” said Mr O’ Connor. He maintained that “we must set and follow specific Codes of Conduct, while providing humanitarian assistance.

According to Mr O’ Cannor, the project seeks to instill in all humanitarian actors, reaffirm commitment to humanitarian charter, and set minimum standards to guarantee the Code of Conduct.

“If we do this, he said, “we will in turn restore hope in the victims of disaster that they live in a world that cares”.

Dilating on their functions, Paul O’ Hagan, International Director for Concern Universal, West Africa, said his organisation identifies three major international problems, which are their main focal points, including, civil conflicts as seen in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast in the past decades.

At the beginning of this year, there is a stage of high contention in the Republic of Guinea Conakry, in which seventy people were killed during the national strikes and damages.

The second major focus is the natural disaster, flooding and security recurrent in Niger and in the Northern part of the countries like Ghana, Nigeria, Bukina Faso, Mali and also in Senegal. “The other type of disaster has been public infrastructure-building, among others,” he said.

In declaring the workshop open, Fatou Jassey-Kuyateh, Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Vice- President, who deputised for the Vice- President, Ajaratou Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, gave a brief explanation of the genesis of National Disaster Management Committee.

According to her, it was established after 1994, in order to coordinate and manage disaster preparedness and relief efforts in the country.

 Madam Jassey Kuyateh, further stated that, this realisation has prompted government to design a policy that would outline the development of standard of instrument for disaster prevention and preparedness, as well as organisational mechanisms for planning implementation.

“It is an established fact that one of the major obstacles to effective disaster management policies in the past has been a dominant approach that justifies disaster response,” she added.

Other speakers at the ceremony included Juan Codnerque, ICTC International representative and Essa Khan, National Disaster Officer, who delivered the vote of thanks.

The ceremony was chaired by Ebrima Sonko of Concern Universal.