By Mariama Jallow
The Gambia Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) on Wednesday, 9 December, 2020 concluded a two-day Youth, Peace and Security Conference on the theme: Civic Responsibility and Participation.
The forum was part of YMCA’s objectives to develop the potential of the youth, so that they would be empowered with the necessary skills. Held at YMCA office in Kanifing, along the MDI Road, the programme, forming part of YMCA’s 4-year “Work 4 Peace” Project, brought together young people to, among other things, discuss and chart a way forward in promoting peace, youth participation and livelihood creation. YMCA seeks to address youth, peace and security issues, while also combating irregular migration through civic responsibility and participation.
Addressing the gathering, the Guest Speaker Mr. Emmanuel D. Joof, Chairman National Human Right Commission, said civic participation is very important, and he underscored the importance of youth’s responsibility and participation in any society, saying they are a generation that would bring changes. He challenged the participants to make best use of the forum and share ideas.
The Programme Director of YMCA, Mrs. Priscilla HD Dunn, charged that as youth they are never too young to hold people accountable; and by doing so, they would become “tomorrow’s responsible citizens who are willing and ready to be part of the change that we wish to see”.
Madam Dunn added, ‘Work for Peace Project’, through the Gambia YMCA and their funding partners-Finland YMCA, continues to empower youths to be contributors to peace and security through civic education and participation.
Meanwhile, the YMCA Programme Director said they continue to carry out research in their three targeted regions, namely the Greater Banjul Area, West Coast Region, and Lower River Region, with the aim of positively impacting the lives of youth in the Gambia-by improving their social economic status. Programme Director Dunn said they have reached out to 200 youths comprising migrant returnees, people leaving with disability, as well as vulnerable youth and women, among others.
Mr. John Charles Njie, National YMCA General Secretary, disclosed to the audience that the conference is the last activity of the year that YMCA would hold under this project. Njie decried that young people of Africa had been used as subjects of political parties and political players, noting they are the ones dancing in the city, beating the drums, and are at times used to instigate violence. They end up being victims, Njie added, telling youth the politicians used them and “when they get into power they forget you”.
He continued: “What we aim to do at YMCA is to move young people from being subject to become active citizens that are going to contribute towards the welfare of their communities and welfare of their nation. We want to give you a voice; we want you to be empowered with skills; we want you to be empowered economically, and we want to have space to speak so that when you speak, the people around will listen and the only way this can happen is when we empower you with knowledge”.
During the two days forum, said General Secretary Njie, the young would learn peace building, how they could be peace ambassadors, reminding they are getting into electioneering in 2021, and the political parties will get aggressive.
“Are you going to be part of the problem, or are you going to be the solution to the problem? In this forum, we are going to challenge you not to be part of problem but to the solution to problem,” the YMCA enjoined the youth folk.
