Bravo to the initiators of Nyuni Neen La (Wollof saying) "We are all one," a weekly programme on GRTS television, which celebrates its first year anniversary tomorrow, Saturday.
Anchored by veteran journalists: Alhagie Serign Faye, Director of Programmes at GRTS, Mrs. Ida Jobe also of GRTS and Babacar Cham of City Limits Radio, Nyuni Neen La, the programme is on air every Friday evening at 8.30 pm, after the GRTS prime time television news.
Among others, Nyuni Neen La is geared towards concretising the bonds of kinship and good neighbourliness among Gambians, irrespective of one's religion or tribe, as was the case with the older generation.
The programme, is no doubt a good initiative, as it would go a long way towards fostering the peaceful co-existence Gambians have been enjoying, irrespective of religious and ethnical barriers.
Indeed, with Nyuni Neen La, people can learn to be generous in their assessment of others. Rather than looking for places of disconnect, we can now look for places of connection.
It is widely believed that the keys to ensuring oneness and unity are truth, justice and the understanding that all of us belong to one creation - humanity, created by the one God (Allah).
To work for unity does not make one lose distinctiveness, rather it implies being secured enough in our convictions to engage and interact confidently with others, even when we do not share the same religious belief, language or ethnical background.
Actually, the popular GRTS programme encourages all to keep an openness and generosity of spirit within an extended family set up, with people we have journeyed with in the past, and those who cross our path.
How we talk about other people reveals the relative generosity or prejudice we exercise in our assessment of others. We should do everything we can to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace, even with people who are clear with us about their disagreements and disapproval, as peace is the lasting solutions to all problems in society.
We can look for common ground with people who see things quite differently from us. While there may be differences, for instance, about perspectives, these must not be painful, ugly and to grieve the heart of all peace-loving people.
Seeking unity and oneness does not equate to lacking in personal convictions. We must be true to the path that Allah has revealed to us, while recognising that other people also have a right to their spiritual leanings.
Let us celebrate the fact that Allah is at work in many places, and among many different peoples and nations.
That being the case, it is imperative that we all love and tolerate each other, as the saying goes, as "One People and One Nation."
