Kartong based environmental rights activist, Mustapha Manneh has been named the winner of 2020 National Human Rights Hero award.
Manneh who travelled all the way to Basse, the administrative capital of Upper River Region on international Human Rights Day to received his prestigious award is the 2nd Gambian to win such an award.
The rights activist has brought to public attention the devastating impact of sand mining and the fishmeal factories on the environment and livelihoods of the affected communities of Sanyang, Gunjur and Kartong.
He leads a community-based group which is involved in environmental rights activities, especially against environmental pollution, sand mining and activities of Chinese fishmeal factories in these communities.
He has been able to alert the communities of Sanyang and Gunjur to the devastating effects of sand mining and fish meal factories on the environment and works with a group of environmental activists to fight against environmental pollution and degradation.
The award ceremony was organized by Beakanyang organisation, one of the leading human rights organisations in the county.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Nfamara Jawneh, the Executive Director of Beakanyang Organisation, thanked all the nominees for their participation in this year’s award.
According to him, the annual awards was conceived by his organisation some time last year to honor and publicly recognize the magnificent work and efforts of human rights defenders and advocates in The Gambia.
Mr Jawneh further stated that human rights defenders play an important role in national development by educating citizens about their rights, monitoring and documenting human rights violations as well as reminding government of her human rights obligations.
“At this juncture, please allow me to recognise and thank the impartial and technocratic Award Committee under the chairmanship of Mr Madi Jobarteh who have dedicated their precious time, and energy to rigorously process the nominations of all nominees and have selected the most-deserving two individuals to be crowned here today. We know it has not been an easy process for you, but with determination, tact and open-fairness, you have been able to do justice to the task given to you. Therefore, on behalf of Beakanyang, partners, all everyone present here today, we are saying a big thank to you all for a job well done,” he noted.
He thanked the transitional Justice and Human Rights Project through UNDP, UN Peacebuilding Fund, the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights, National Human Rights Commission, Youth for Human Rights International; and Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) through the regional education office in Basse for their partnership in making the awards a huge success and historic.
“To end, I wish to reaffirm Beakanyang’s commitment, through the support of our esteem partners, donors and everyone, to making sure we continue to expand our efforts in building an inclusive, progressive, safe, fair and just society underpinned by the values of human rights. To our winners, once again congratulations and for being crown on this special day. There cannot be a better day to recognize HRDs than today-IHRD. We hope this award will encourage you to do more in advancing him rights while inspiring others to also serve as champions of human rights in their communities,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Amadou Ceesay was also declared Young Human Rights Defender of The Year 2020.
He is a founder member of Rise of the Young and also member of many other youth-led groups in the country. He was once arrested for his community activism and spent 48 hours in police detention. Ceesay’s has been actively involved in community work, human rights education, election monitoring and observation and grassroots activism, especially with regards to social service provisions by the Local Government Authority of West Coast Region. Created a platform called Banjul Post which he uses to advance the cause of human rights. Many young people seem to have benefited from his human rights work.
The respective winners received each received a certificate and a plaque to epitomize their exemplary and admirable characters in the cause of fighting for humanity.
The human rights hero further received D10,000.00 while the young human rights defender of the year also received D5,000.00 as a token from Beakanyang.
