'Global Day of Citizen Action’ seeks to engage citizens around the world

An upcoming global event will seek to engage citizens around the world on a set of human rights we don’t often hear much about: “civic space”. The ‘Global Day of Citizen Action’, to be held on Saturday 16 May 2015, will ask citizens whether they feel free to speak out, organise and take action, a group of rights that collectively may be called “civic space”.

“In many parts of the world, freedom of expression, association and assembly, or more simply - the rights to speak out, organise and take action - are under threat,” said Zubair Sayed, Head of Communication at CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance. “The Global Day of Citizen Action therefore seeks to ask ordinary citizens what they think about their rights in their country and, in so doing, to help create awareness about the idea of `civic space’,” Sayed said.

During the last few years, many countries have passed laws that restrict citizen freedoms or make operations or financing for civil society groups difficult; in some cases they’ve increased the surveillance of ordinary citizens, activists and civil society organisations; and in others there’s been direct repression and arrests. Civil society also faces threats from non-state actors, including powerful corporate entities, extremist right-wing and fundamentalist groups.

Saving migrant lives is imperative but what next? – UN human rights expert ask EU leaders

UN independent human rights experts on migrants, Francois Crépeau, and on trafficking in persons, Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, react to the announcement made at the end of the emergency European Union summit on migrants yesterday. GENEVA (24 April 2015) – “The decision made yesterday by EU leaders overwhelmingly continues to focus on the securitization of borders. Increasing repression of survival migration has not worked in the past and will not work now. Destroying boats is only a very short-sighted solution to combating smuggling. Smugglers continue to skillfully adapt, as long as there is a market to exploit.

Mr. WARM and Mr. CLEVER Part 2:

Emil Touray led GPU Executive

Mr. Warm, you need an advice on how to become a good leader. Mr. Warm who is going to tell you how to become a good, is Mr. Clever and he would like to have a session with you together with your lieutenants to tell your team that leadership today is very different from leadership in our parents' generation. The old "top down" style of management just doesn't work anymore. 

Gambian Journalists generally want to be fully engaged, and committed to what they're doing. They want to feel that their work matters in the media-reporting and broadcasting. And they want to believe in the people who are in charge unfortunately, Mr. Warm you fail!

Mr. Warm, you fail to build your career when you were young and now at old age what next!!! Mr. Warm resigns from your position and allows others to continue running the affairs of the union, you served under the past Presidents; Mr. Madi MK Ceesay, Ms. Ndey Tapha Sossesh and your own term- “enough is enough”

What happen to the Board of Advisers of the GPU are they not aware of what is happening at the union for three years not more that five general meetings?  

Mr. Warm, you show signs of impatience with colleagues in the GPU executive as well as the general membership.

Open Letter to President-Elect Muhammadu Buhari to #BringBackOurGirls

https://www.facebook.com/femnetsecretariat

Dear President-Elect Muhammadu Buhari,As feminist, women and girl’s rights, gender and social justice institutions and organizations, we wish to congratulate you on your election to the highest office in Nigeria.

Your election is a testament that your vision was shared by much of the electorate and their hope for a new beginning in Nigeria.

We acknowledge that your priorities include ensuring safety and security for your citizens, recalling your words; “I pledge myself and the government to the rule of law, in which none shall be so above the law that they are not subject to its dictates, and none shall be so below it that they are not availed of its protection.”

We appeal to you today to show your leadership to the world and most importantly to your Nigerian citizens by ensuring that the hundreds of Chibok girls who are still at the mercy of Boko Haram are immediately rescued and reunited with their families. 

Teaching Awards Trust - The Gambia launched

Teaching Award Trust- The Gambia was established as a means of appreciating, recognising and celebrating the work of teachers and also excellence in education. The Charity will honour outstanding teachers and teaching and highlight just how vital success in education is to the health and wealth of Gambian society. 

A charitable foundation that seeks to support teachers and recognise teaching as an enterprising profession has recently been established in The Gambia.

The charity known as 'Teaching Award Trust-The Gambia' will annually award extraordinary teachers who have made an indelible mark in the teaching profession in the country and as well establish a trust fund to support teachers financially in times of emergencies and to meet pressing social needs like good housing and improved standard of living.

Are Some Really Qualified To Tell Youths To Stay And Develop The Country? Ask Bakary Badgie

Bakary Badgie Programme Officer CPA and Voice of the Young

Are Some Really Qualified To Tell Youths To Stay And Develop The Country When All Or Most Of Their Children Are In The Diaspora? Or it’s an issue of ‘Do as I Say but Not as I Do’?

So we say ‘Rome was not built in a day’. Very factual as no nation was developed in a short period! Most young people and their parents argue the grass is greener at the other side. To counter that, we are told ‘we should endeavor and make our grass green too’; I agreed for indeed it’s possible!

Then we are told ‘Young people are the backbone of any country and so should stay and work for their country’. We can’t dispute; even the statistics indicates we are the majority everywhere.
AND NELSON MANDELA said “My dear young people: I see the light in your eyes, the energies in your bodies and the hope that is your spirit. I know it is you, not I, who will make the future. It is you, not I, who will fix our wrongs and carry forward all that is right in the world.”

GPU set congress date for the third time

Author: Madi Njie Human Rights Defender

According to information from the Gambia Press Union (GPU), the journalists' national union will hold congress on the 18 April 2015, at unknown venue. 

However, venue for the triannual congress is not mentioned in an email message sent to 22 members on 19 March. 

This is the second in time congress date is set without venue mentioned on time. GPU first slated congress on 20 December 2014 and was deferred to 21 March, which was postponed again to 18 April. 

Gibairu Janneh, executive director of GPU state in his two paragraph email message, dated 19 March that reasons for postponing the congress is due to limited compliance of members to pay their membership dues. The 20 December congress was called-off because members protested that they were informed about the congress, but the venue was disclosed a day before the congress. 

FEMNET In Solidarity with Victims of Garissa Attack, Kenya

African Women's Development and Communication Network, FEMNET would like to express solidarity with the people of Kenya in the wake of the terror attack at Garissa University College. Like the rest of the world, we are horrified by the events that took place in Garissa and recognize its impact not only on Kenya but also on the global community.

As a pan African women's rights organization with over 400 members across Africa and the Diaspora, we join regional and global voices in condemning this heinous act of terrorism that has left 148 innocent civilians, promising young leaders dead. This act of violence has no justification and like all other forms of violence must be condemned. Even sadder is that this attack comes just days before the world commemorates the one year anniversary of the abduction of hundreds of girls in Chibok, Nigeria, whom we have not forgotten and continue to call for their immediate release and rescue. Both events took place at institutions of learning and were a result of fundamentalisms and extremisms that have no place in our world.

Mr. WARM and Mr. CLEVER

Mr. Warm and Mr. Clever in the GPU 9 Executive picture

I have observed a case of leadership choice closely. I should emphasize that both are top-class professionals. I also had the chance to observe the reputations that they left after the choice was made.

To mask the identity of the persons involved and to make the anecdote meaningful, I use the terms “Warm person” and “Clever person” in the narrative that follows. The terms should be interpreted as a tendency. Both were clever and warm. The only difference was that one was perceived as scoring a sort of 8, 5 and the other, a sort of 5, 8 on the Warmth/Intelligence matrix.

Mr. Clever joined the media as a young trainee after a brilliant academic records; gold medal, first class, distinctions, highly spoken of and all else that goes with highly intelligent people. In the media house he first started practicing journalism; Clever impressed the seniors and rose rapidly. Mr. Clever is well known for standing against injustice, impunity and defend human rights violations thus won the heart of many journalists and human rights defenders locally and internationally.