(JollofNews)- This statement can be a threat to the Gambia’s newly born democracy, if mathematically calculated wrongly?
You can send a person to the highest prison as far beyond Pluto but you cannot imprison his/her mind. Therefore Jail is not the end solution to maintain peace and stability in the smiling coast of Africa.
“There is a higher court than courts of justice, and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts.” – Mahatma Gandhi
The Gambia belongs to Gambians both those home and abroad. Therefore in rebuilding a new Gambia we dream all stakeholders should be involved and place the countries interest first beyond everything.
The authorities have pressing issues to fix as this is not the Gambia we dream neither The Gambia we want to see, where the police are fought as a result of arresting the drug dealers, where teenagers are raped, where crime rate and arm robbery increases, where view of political differences end at fighting, where people go to bead without peaceful mind as a result of thieves.
Crime is a man made phenomena, and it can be prevented. There for as a concern Gambian citizen I think it is quiet necessary and important to contribute my quota in insuring the Gambia the last place of hope and peace on earth.
In maintaining peace and order we might not need to invite Socrates or Aristotle to help us the way out. The Gambia is blessed with a youth full population who are great thinkers whom I believe can make a change too. Let’s engage them, despite the fact that The Gambia is small in size but we have youth with big brains.
Crime also occurs as a result of reminding the incident after the abiding element disappears; therefore the minds of the people need to be fight through dialogue and counseling.
To combat these local conflicts, I will recommend the authorities to work with the civic societies to introduced Village Peace Committees, as a grassroots peacemaking program, that will invited Imam’s and Pastors to join the program. To discussed love, forgiveness and reconciliation. Eventually, after the end of the program the pastors and Imams will go back to preach peace and love at their various churches, mosques and communities.
In which people will be ready to forgive each other despite of their grievances and everything will start to come together. In addition to this training, the Pastors and Imams in the program will preach at one another’s congregations. As such will enable the pastors and imams to be like, light which will be shining in the community as such will enable The Gambians to be like friends.
School should be encouraged to form peace clubs whose ultimate objective shall be to preach peace, love and the effect of conflict, war and tribalism in a nation.
To set up community forums, teach-ins and panels, to educate the public, to air out differing opinions and to force politicians to go on the record with their beliefs. Table at community events. Write and circulate flyers, with information on the issue, lobbying and contact information, publicizing events or putting out powerful graphic images.
Circulate petitions that can then be used both to notify people of future events (and to recruit volunteers to help organize them!) and to lobby elected officials or other prominent community figures. Also take out ads in both radios and newspapers.
To be continued……
By: Saidina Alieu Jarjou
Activist/ Blogger