The Catholic Development office in partnership with International Republican Institute (IRI) over the weekend concluded a two-day consultative meeting held at the Gambia Pastoral Institute, along Kairaba Avenue.
The consultative meeting funded by the IRI was held in form of message development workshop to kick start project on raising awareness on citizenship, respect for human rights, democracy and rule of law. And also, issues that have been contentious in the constitutional review process among youth, women, persons with disability and marginalized groups.
Speaking at the official opening of the meeting, Mr. Francize Dominic Mendy Head of the CARITAS noted that the message development workshop is the beginning of involving local authorities, women and youth groups, traditional and religious leaders in the implementation of the project with support from IRI.
He said the above identified areas which the meeting will cover is how the communities will take ownership of these messages and ensure their contnuous presence and sustainability in the public discourse and space.
According to him, the objective is to air these messages on FM radios in the Greater Banjul Area and community radios in the regions once in a month.
He disclosed that the strategy is to contribute to the increase of the awareness of communities by dispelling misinformation and enhance the understanding of the voters to make an informed decision in the political processes.
These strategies, he went on, will be realized through several radio programs in the form of panel discussions, dissemination of songs and jingle messages in local languages. This will be done through using traditional communicators to educate the electorates on the CRC and referendum process.
In addition, the project will conduct dialogue sessions between marginalized groups (Youth, women and PWDs) and legislators through several constituency sessions and town hall dialogue meetings. And it is expected to facilitate dialogue between National Assembly Members and marginalized groups (Youth, women and PWDs) on the electoral processes.
Mr. Francis Mendy, director of the Catholic Development Office (Caritas) made it cleared that the messages will be translated into the local languages for dissemination.
Among other topics of discussion for the talk show will include citizenship, political and religious tolerance, multiparty democracy, social cohesion and peaceful co-existence. It will bring together different opinion leaders; promote ideas sharing, diversity and inclusion among all regarding the constitution.
