Mr Lamin Suso, the coordinator for the ICT domain of Global Unification The Gambia, recently left for the US, for a five year studies in ICT.

Mr Suso had served in that capacity for two years. Shortly before leaving, he told Youth Matters that he was looking forward to returning home  at the end of his studies. Meanwhile, Mr Sutura Sowe is stepping in the shoe of Mr Suso, as acting cordinator.

In a separate development, Global Unification, which is on the verge of increasing its scope in support of more local communities in rural areas of the Gambia, is looking for interested volunteers, both local and international, to work with it.

If you are interested in community development, poverty alleviation, supporting people at the grassroots, or simply wanting to get the experience of working with local people in Africa, this is an opportunity for you. As a development and research oriented organization, GU deals mainly on

1. Children welfare issues
2. Information Communication technology
3. Gender or Women welfare issues
4. Lobbying and Campaigning in various fields,
5. Education or youth activities, among others
To participates, simply send your curriculum Vitae and cover letter on why you want to volunteer with us to them gambia@globalunification.com

The United States Embassy in The Gambia, on Monday, organised a one-day training for over 30 Gambian journalists from both the print and electronic media including The Gambia Press Union (GPU) and Media Agenda, at the Embassy’s Conference hall, located at its offices along Kairaba Avenue.

The participants, who were drawn from various media houses such as the Daily Observer, The Point, GRTS (Radio and Television), Today newspaper, Gambia News and Report Weekly, The Gambia Daily, Foroyaa, Daily Express, GPU and Media Agenda, were trained on internet research. The presentation was done by Stephen M Mallinger, information resource officer at the embassy of the United States of America in Dakar, Senegal.

During the course of the training, the US ambassador to The Gambia, Barry L Wells, made a surprise visit to the participants. Ambassador Wells thanked the participants for honouring the invitation to this training opportunity. He advised them to take the training seriously and do their research work to enhance their capacities.

Ambassador Wells finally expressed their desire to further collaborate with the media fraternity, for more training opportunities.
At the end of the training, Mohamadou M. Njie, public diplomacy and cultural affairs assistant at the US Embassy, thanked the US Embassy for organising such an important training for Gambian journalists. He also advised the journalists to make the best use of the knowledge gained during the internet research training course.

For his part, Sheriff Barry, a reporter with the Daily Observer, said such a training will add value to his profession as a journalist. He thanked the US Embassy for capacitising Gambian journalists.

Asanatou Bojang, also a reporter with the Daily Observer, expressed delight at receiving such an important training. She expressed optimism that the training will help to improve her strength in the field of journalism. She thanked the US Embassy for the training opportunity.

Nyimasata Marong, a layout editor at the Daily Observer; Nfamara Drammeh, a photographer at the Daily Observer; Amie Sanneh, a reporter at Foroyaa newspaper; Mamadou Edrissa Njie, a reporter at Gambia News and Report Weekly; and Fatou Touray, a reporter at the Gambia Daily newspaper, who spoke on behalf of their colleagues, all expressed similar sentiments.

The SBEC International School in Bijilo, is currently organising its first summer camp, since its establishment 7 years ago.

This year’s summer camp, which is scheduled from the 4th-28th August, 2008, will give the students the opportunity to practice indoor and outdoor games, academic activities, sports, adventure tours, research and presentations, among other issues.

Speaking to theYoung Observer Columnist, Mr. Stephen Wright, English teacher at SBEC International School, said the summer camp is open to all students even to those who are not attending Sbec.

“The students visited Makasutu Nature Reserve, hotels, beachsides for fishing, they practiced number games, anagrams, did a computer research project, quiet reading in the library, snakes and ladder evaluation games, puzzles, dancing and martial arts,” Mr Wright disclosed.

He revealed that at SBEC International school, they believe that children can best learn through fun and that was one reason for the establishment of the summer camp.

“Initially, they had summer school, which was boring because the children were not given the opportunity to choose the activities they are interested in. This was another major reason for the summer camp.

I therefore advise the children to take the summer camp seriously, to enable them to learn a lot of new things”, Mr Wright concluded.

Global Unification, a Research and Development Association in The Gambia, recently marked its 2nd year of operation in the country.

The commemoration was aimed at reflecting on their role in the promotion of unity as a perquisite for the development of Africa.

The commemoration was observed in the form of a symposium held at the Kanifing Municipal Council Hall on the theme “Humanity Begins with Me”.

Speaking at the occasion, Ebrima S. Dem, National Representative of GU, recalled what he described as “the most successful campaign carried out by the chapter in some time”. He said the campaign, known as one voice one Africa and run last year, was meant to create awareness on the activities of the African Union in its aims and objectives and the need to support the African leaders in their quest to effect positive change on the continent. Dr. Sarja, a lecturer at the University of The Gambia, spoke on the significance of peace building and resolution.

Sheikh Omar Faye, a gender activist, spoke at length on the importance of gender mainstreaming.

Other speakers included Mr. Mustapha Kebbeh, Chairperson National Youth Council.

Global Unification, a Research and Development Association in The Gambia, will on Saturday August 2nd mark its 2nd year of operation in the country.

A media release from the association, signed by its Publicity and Public Relations Officer Mr. Kemo Cham, says the event is aimed at reflecting on their role in the promotion of unity as a prequesite for the development of Africa.

The commemoration will be in the form of a symposium to be held at the Kanifing Municipal Council Hall on the theme “Humanity Begins with Me” and will start at 3pm.

The program is expected to be graced by students, intellectuals and the general public and the media is invited to attend.

The Education Research for West and Central Africa recently ended a café to validate and disseminate the following studies. A study of the extent to which social

policy development in The Gambia is informed by research evidence on three sectors namely education, agriculture and health.

There was presentation of finding on a study of small research entitled: “A study of the orientation of the university education in The Gambia”. This research was funded and commissioned by UNESCO.

In an extract captured from his opening remarks, the national co-ordinator, Mr Makaireh A Njie, indicated that the idea for this café is getting researchers, policy makers and the press to share information pertaining to research projects that the network undertakes periodically. Mr Njie added that findings on these two studies would last for the next two weeks.

However, the activities of the day’s café included a review of all relevant policy documents in education, agriculture and health. Participants also reviewed other related and chosen sub sectors. That is, TVRT + basic education, food security and poverty alleviation and hospitals and primary health care.  Along the day’s research findings, participants made some responses on an evidential basis for social policy development in The Gambia. The ERNWACA national co-ordinator elucidated that the objectives of the study, thus, were to determine the ways in which research contributes to social policy development in The Gambia.   

Mrs. Maimuna Sidibeh Jah emphasised the importance of research and policy issues in establishing the management of social transformations. Mrs. Sidibeh appreciated the research work undertaken ERNWACA which she said will provide reliable relevant knowledge for policy makers.

Celebrating 60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was proclaimed in 1948, at a time when most of the world was under colonial rule, stands even today as one the most eloquent statements about the dignity of man. Following this historic Declaration, the Assembly of the United Nations called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and “to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories.”

It is in recognition of this duty and the importance of the respect for Human Rights and freedoms as indispensable requirements for the maintenance of not only peace and security but also the socio-economic and political development of all human beings that that Foundation Legal Aid Research Empowerment [FLARE] wishes to take up the challenge to disseminate the Declaration in the Gambia.  We wish to embark on a wide range of activities for the purpose of promoting the Declaration so that as many Gambians and Africans as possible have access to the ideals and principles expounded in the Declaration of 1948!

 The promotion and protection of human rights is in the interest of every human being regardless of your position in life. On the one hand, the violation of the Human Rights and freedoms is not in the interest of any individual regardless of your position in life. Not only does the violation and disregard of rights and freedoms give rise to conflicts and entrench poverty among other social ills, but also those who violate or disregard rights, even remotely, are complicit in limiting their own rights and freedoms. Promoting rights triggers and engenders the socio-economic development of both the individual and society as a whole. Protecting rights and freedoms ensures peace and stability, and opens up a world of opportunities for individuals and societies to explore their potentials as they find ways and means to develop and advance. It is half the solution in national development for any nation in which human rights and freedoms are promoted and protected. This goes to say that rights and freedoms are not merely a political issue, but are also integral to the socio-economic life of the individual and society. In other words, human rights and freedoms are development issues.

Ultimately FLARE wishes to use this 60TH Anniversary celebration as a campaign to enable ordinary individuals, intellectuals and the elites and the institutions that they run realize the developmental nature of Human Rights and freedoms, which come first before bread and butter, and in fact, it  lays the foundation on which bread and butter are secured in an environment of peace and stability.

Therefore, in consideration of the above, FLARE looks at Human Rights and freedoms as a matter of capacity building and empowerment in which rights and freedoms are seen as a pedestal on which a human being stands to dare and to explore every vista of his or her vast potentialities and make mistakes in the enduring quest for self-actualization, acquisition of knowledge, development of the  personal and the commonwealth and the perfection of the spirit.

As a human rights civil society organization, FLARE holds the view that human rights lies at the core of peace and development. Without the respect for rights and freedoms not only is peace unattainable, but the path to socio-economic growth and political independence are also compromised. This is because rights and freedoms enable a human being to seek and acquire the means and tools willingly to direct his or her own development either individually or collectively. Where this opportunity is lacking human beings fail to reach their full potentials and become the victims of domination, exploitation, oppression, ignorance and poverty. From this perspective, it is clear that anywhere you have enslaved or colonized people; the end result is widespread and excruciating poverty, diseases and general underdevelopment as that which characterized Africa during the periods of the Atlantic Slave Trade, Colonialism and Apartheid over the past 400 years. The current underdevelopment of Africa can still be largely explained in the light of the limited respect for Human Rights and freedoms in the course of the current post-Independence era.

For these and other reasons FLARE wishes to embark on the promotion of Human rights and freedoms with specific reference  to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which in many ways contributed to the decolonization process in Africa and other parts of the world, and have since then influenced numerous constitutions around the world. The campaign for the promotion of Human Rights will focus mainly on sensitization activities carried out in the media through articles, essay and quiz competitions and engagement with the general public through lectures and discussions. Particular attention will be placed on schools because of the fact that children, among all sectors of the population, need to be nurtured in a culture  that resonates with the ideals and concepts of Human Rights and freedoms so that they will internalize them as a way of life and a philosophy to direct their behaviour.

 By targeting children we are sowing the seeds for a democratized society in future given that young people will become the leaders eventually. It is envisaged that the challenges that Africans face today will be surmounted if we produce children who grow into adulthood armed with the ideals of Human Rights and freedoms. It is safe to say that with this strategy we will definitely usher in a more democratic future for our people and consequently speed up our development process by many folds.

The campaign will round up by 10th December 2008,  during which time we hope many stakeholders, institutions, and organizations in the public and private sectors as well as in the civil society community will be engaged to partner with FLARE in promoting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The aim of this campaign is to publicize the Declaration as widely as possible so that many more people in the Gambia and beyond can have access to the ideals and principles of the Declaration. In this regard, we envisage that if the Declaration is well promoted it will lead to or contribute to the following:

i.          To promote and protect issues of rights and freedoms in the country and beyond;

ii.          To promote a culture of rights and democratic behavior among members of society;

iii.         To ensure the protection of rights by duty bearers and the demand for rights by rights holders;

iv.         To promote and ensure sustainable peace and development and restore the dignity of human beings free from ignorance, exploitation and oppression in all forms;

Thank you for reading through and FLARE expects to see you actively participate in any of its future events to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

- Secy Grey-Johnson

Mr. Crispin Grey-Johnson, Secretary of State for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, has asserted that Africans are the victims of the trans-Atlantic slave trade that lasted for some four hundred years. He reiterated that the slave trade did not only cause untold misery, suffering and damage to Africans, but that it also led to the colonisation of the continent and the institutionalisation of racism, especially in the Americas and certain parts of the African continent itself.

He added that there is no gainsaying the fact that slavery and racism have taken their toll on the Africans who have remained the only victims of these crimes and have not received as much as an official word of apology, not to mention reparations.

According to him, even after the formal abolition of slavery, the practice of slavery has endured in different forms through the many acts of racism. This, he said, has affected the lives, and caused the deaths of millions of Africans on the continent and beyond, as well as through the emerging growing phenomena of human trafficking, sexual slavery, child prostitution among others.

He explained that the effects of slavery and racism on African social, economic and political fabric have been debilitating and enduring to this day.

Secretary of State Grey-Johnson was speaking on Tuesday at the opening session of the four- day African Union Expert Group meeting on slavery and follow-up to World Conference against Racism underway at the Kairaba Beach Hotel in Kololi.

“It is therefore fitting, albeit long overdue, that as a people, we should come together to craft a common position on the subject and racism and their continued drag on the self-actualisation of Africans wherever they may be,” he said.

Secy. Grey-Johnson revealed that “the racist trans-Atlantic slave trade has been classified in international law as a crime against humanity,” adding that it is in the same league as the holocaust, apartheid, genocide and ethnic cleansing.

“It is no secret that the Jews, the Japanese, the native Australians, the native Americas and every other group against whom such crimes were perpetrated have all received some form of restitution or an apology or both.

“Why have Africans and people of African descent remained the only victims of these crimes, that have not as much as received an official word of apology, not to mention reparations, for the death and destruction caused by this crime committed against them?” he queried.

“As we prepare for the forthcoming review of the implementation of the Durban Declaration in 2009, let us refresh our memories on some of the salient points agreed in that declaration.

“The declaration calls, among other things, for the provision of effective remedies, recourse, redress and compensatory and other measures at national, regional and international levels.

“As Americans observe the bi-centennial of the abolition of slave trade in the United States this year, and as the United Nations prepares for mid-term review of the United Nations Durban conference on racism, let us rise up together and for once make it known to the whole world that we have not forgotten our history, and that we shall never forgive those who have wronged us for as long as they refuse to ask that forgiveness and offer to make amends” Mr Grey-Johnson averred.

Experts from member states and the Diaspora are attending the meeting. According to Mrs. Julia Dolly Joiner, Commissioner for Political Affairs, African Union Commission, the meeting has been convened in pursuance of the 10th African Union Summit, which was held in January/February 2008 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At that time the Executive Council requested the African Commission to convene an expert group meeting on the subject matter and to submit a report thereon at the next ordinary session of council in July 2008. Central to such a report, she noted, is the formulation of strategies to deal with the historical and continuing realities of slavery and racism.