MSJ Executive Director
By Lamin Fatty
Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) Regional Executive Director, Mamudou Baldeh, said authorities’ silence over bad things for political and other personal interests leads to something unstoppable.
MSJ’s Executive Director made this and other statements at a training workshop for victims of caste discrimination. This activity on media advocacy was held on Saturday, 20th April, 2024, at the Regional Health Directorate in Basse.
Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) Executive Director explained that their mission is to defend the marginalized people within the country such as people affected by caste system and other inhumane acts within society.
He said their efforts are to make sure that this discrimination based on caste is eliminated for people to have mutual respect among themselves.
“Through these trainings, the participants, especially the victims, will know their responsibilities as citizens when their rights are violated. They would also know what to do in the fight to eradicate caste system within their communities,” Baldeh said.
According to him, way back MSJ did their activities through volunterism due to lack of funding and they went round to those affected communities to advocate for the end of what he called the barbaric act (Caste).
Mr. Baldeh revealed that this project is funded by Freedom House through the Centre for Research and Policy Development (CRPD) and while in the region, they are partnering with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for the implementation of the project.
He called on other donors and partners to come forward and support them in the battle to end this inhuman act in URR.
He called on the authorities in URR to come together to make sure that this issue of caste ends as it is high time to end it before it is too late, because if the authorities continue to look at their political positions and other interests then this thing will not end.
Mr. Gundo Damba, a participant from Garawol who is also a female victim of the caste scuffle in Garawol, said even though the grievances of the caste dispute still exist in their community, lots of progress has been made in addressing the barbaric system.
“After lots of human right violations against us including banning us from attending their social gatherings, water facilities, mosque, they also denied us access to public transports and community milling machines within the community but we never relent and we will never relent until this barbaric system ends,” Gundo said.
The victims, who participated in this training workshop were drawn from communities in URR where caste scuffle occurred, mainly from the Sarahuleh tribe.
