By Sulayman Waan
The National Youth Council (NYC) in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has organized the 3rd ordinary session of national youth dialogue on reform process in Lower River Region (LRR); held on Saturday September 14 at Rural Development Institute (RID) conference hall, Mansakonko.
The dialogue forum on reforms process includes the Truth Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC), Constitutional Review Commission (CRC), National Security Sector Reform (NSSR) and National Human Right Commission (NHRC).
It aims to mobilize feedback from citizens, especially youth on various reforms mechanism and development issues in the Gambia for necessary improvements, also help to increasing peoples’ understanding, participation and ownership of various reforms mechanism.
In his opening statement, Lamin Camara, deputy permanent secretary for the Ministry of Youth and Sports described the dialogue forum as significant, saying the Gambia Government is making effort to create enabling policy environment for youth to take their rightful position toward national development.
“This is significant because Government of the Gambia through my ministry had made youth development as national priority and to actively participate in any meaningful socio economic development of this country,” he added.
However, he called on all young people to work with NYC through the MOYS to make, use-up and maximize numerous opportunities that government and development partners continue bring for youth.
, a youth and sports bureaucrat noted that the reforms institutions embedded by an act of parliament are anticipate to find-out the past Camara wrongs and establish strongly institutions, progressive laws and responsive security sector that would contribute to peace and support strengthening democracy and rule of law.
DPS Camara expressed gratitude to all and sundry, especially the youth council for making the national youth dialogue in LRR successful.
Dembo Kambia, NYC chairperson said the youth ruling body deems it essential to dialogue with stakeholders so as to look into the reforms mechanisms to know a thing that needs to be improved, adding this initiative was made to ensure the youth take ownership of the country’s reforms process.
“These reforms processes are not happening for the presidency, executive, legislators or anybody but they (reforms) are happening because of us (youth). So we must take ownership,” he said.
The NYC chair however, said there must be inclusive participation of young people in the current reforms processes. He called reforms stakeholders to sensitize the masses on the reforms processes, saying people may not understand the function and operational procedure certain reforms citing NHRC.
Landing Sanneh, chairperson of Mansakonko Area Council stated that the forum is timely, adding the dialogue conference would enable the young to express their views concerning nation building.
He said this event signify the NYC and Ministry of Youth and Sports working towards the realization of the national development plan. “I’m very much sure, this activity is as well in line with the national youth policy and its programme of action,” he added.
