A one-day Constituency Engagement was organized by the Africa Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA) on the 29th of September, 2023 in collaboration with The Gambia Parliamentary Caucus on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) with the objective to campaign for the promotion and protection of FoRB in The Gambia in Latrikunda Sabiji Constituency. The engagement between members of The Gambian Parliamentary caucus on FoRB and community members was moderated by Ms. Fanta Secka ACEPA- FoRBLN Consultant in the Gambia.
The meeting which brought together members of the Community of Latrikunda Sabiji in West Coast Region and Parliamentarians was funded by the Magna Carta fund (British High Commission in Banjul); the meeting was held at the community event centre hall. A total of 30 people who are community leaders, youths and CSO’s participated as stakeholders in this meeting. The meeting was opened with prayers from both the Muslim and Christian participants.
The purpose of the engagement was to sensitize members of the Community of Latrikunda Sabiji on the concept of FoRB and the misconceptions surrounding it as well as address the legislative barriers to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and the social mores that support societal hostility towards minority groups on account of their religion or belief. Hon. Ceesay thanked members of his community for honouring his invitation. He further thanked ACEPA for facilitating such an engagement. He says that the engagement is organised to engage participants on the concept of FoRB and human rights including discrimination, marginalisation, exclusion and stereotyping in the context of FoRB where everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change one’s religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with other and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance as contain in most international human rights doctrines.
Mr. Issifu Lampo, standing in for the Executive Director of the African Centre of Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Dr. Rasheed Draman thanked the participants for their commitment and hoped that they will find the engagement useful and encouraged them to participate fully and maximise the opportunity to learn and share their perspectives. He stated that the engagement was a follow-up on series of engagements held in different constituencies through the Freedom of Religion or Belief Leadership Network (FORBLN) project this year and buttressed the point that ACEPA needed to continue discussions and engaging communities on issues of FoRB. He used the opportunity to remind participants that The Gambia is one of four (4) countries across Africa and South Asia where the FoRBLN program is being implemented.