Peace Network-The Gambia has commended President Adama Barrow and other political leaders for attending the national dialogue that sought to promote the preservation of the country’s resources, a press release says.
Below is the full statement of the network:
“The Peace Network Management expresses their profound appreciation to The Government of The Gambia under stewardship of HE. President Adama Barrow and all the political leaders in The Gambia for converging at The State House on the 12th day of February, 2024 for a national dialogue on the theme: “Our Collective Responsibility in Preserving the Nation, Safeguarding the State, and Securing Our Resources”.
Without doubt, this convergence is a clear demonstration of political maturity, nationalism and profound patriotism. At Peace Network, we cherish dialogue and it is part of our core mandate. We have the conviction that constructive dialogue is important and effective means of resolving conflicts and promote peace and development. Gambia deserves Peace, security, reconciliation and national unity for development. Today, as a country, we are faced with some deep seated social and political issues which if not resolve can put our nation at serious risk. We can collectively avert such an unsavoury fate through collaborative and complimentary efforts in the spirit of nation building.
Furthermore, today, migration, unemployment, climate change, land conflicts so on and so forth pose more threats to our national development than anything else. Therefore, it is high time that we use this opportunity to address these confronting issues. Also, we should use this moment to discourage and combat hate speeches, bullying and personal attacks in our political spaces, especially on social media platforms. We should embrace unity and tolerance even in the presence of our different political, religious and cultural orientation and believe. Difference in political opinion is the very beauty of democracy itself.
To address our national concerns requires collective efforts from government, the private sector and CSO Community. It is time to diagnose our profound national challenges and explore the most appropriate solutions for the common good of all Gambians and People living in The Gambia.
Meanwhile, this dialogue is also a lesson for other countries in the Sub region to draw from. That is to say, when national interest arises, it becomes incumbent upon all to put aside their partisan and personal differences thus combine resources to address the issue(s). We call on countries in the sub region to emulate Gambia’s path to addressing pressing national concerns through national dialogue.
Finally, we call on all Gambians and People living in the Gambia to embrace, promote and support peace processes. The cultural, religious, political, CSOs leaders should ensure national dialogue is a periodic thing and made inclusive and well decentralized. We encourage all parties to uphold and implement the agreed action points to the best interest of The Gambia.”
