By: Sulayman Waan
The National Youth Council (NYC) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) trained youth of West Coast Region (WCR) on reforms process on 7th September, 2019 at St Edward Junior School in Bwiam village, Foni Kansala District.
The training on reforms process includes the Truth Reconciliation and Repatriation Commission, Constitutional Review Commission, National Security Sector Reform and Human Right Commission. It aims to mobilize feedback from citizens, especially youth on various reforms mechanism and development issues in the Gambia for necessary improvements.
However, the activity also helps in increasing peoples understanding, participation and ownership of various reforms mechanism in the country. It’s part of the Youth Connekt Gambia Initiative Programme.
In his opening statement, Musa Mbaye, Director of Programme and Planning at Ministry of Youth and Sports said the role of youth in shaping democracy in The Gambia requires a deep historical reflection stretching from the struggles of the country’s forefathers against colonialism and the youth’s struggle in defeating a 22-year-old dictatorship in 2016.
“Therefore, the role of young in shaping democracy should not be seen as isolated efforts to ensure accountability and resistance to abuse of power, rather it should be seen as a continuity of struggles long conceived even well before the birth of our independence.
“The role of youth in shaping democracy in the Gambia was crystallized in the 2016 Presidential Elections when they rallied to elect a new leader,” he said.
Lamin Darboe, executive director for NYC said the forum is an initiative to create a platform for stakeholders to directly interface with the young so as to provide the much needed feedback on the viability of the reforms mechanisms, sustainability as well share challenges and recommendation with the stakeholders.
“It’s our hope that this feedback mechanisms will not only contribute to citizenship ownership of these reforms mechanism and the outcome of the mechanism. But it will long a long way in helping our young people to have proper understanding of how the mechanisms operate,” he said.
He added that the youth council brought young people with clear understanding on the reforms process to directly interface with the participants to discuss them on the reforms process, noting facilitators would clear any doubts that the participants could have concerning the reform process.
Darboe urged the participants to make a critical contribution in the session, saying the Gambian youth rely on the partakers to have a proper feedback to stakeholders. He appealed the participants to disseminate the knowledge gained rightfully.
Sulayman Marena, finance officer from UNDP described the activity as historic, saying young people have been highly engage in the transformation of conflict, countering violence and peace building.
Marena said youth’s efforts are largely invisible, unrecognized and even undermined owing to youths’ lack of inadequate participation, inclusion in these mechanism as well the opportunity to partner with decision-making bodies.
He called on authorities to develop meaningful measures for youth participation in decision making process.