Young
Change for a Change-Team Gambia recently marked its 6-year anniversary at the
American Corner.
Momodou
Malcolm Jallow, speaking on the role of young people in developing the new
Gambia, said to see the new Gambia, young people especially need to work hard.
He
said young people are important elements of effecting change.
Mr
Jallow is a human rights expert with over 20-year experience working with
advocacy and training in Europe and Africa, including working with both EU and
UN institutions.
He
is also a city council member in the city of Malmö, Sweden, and a former vice
chair of the European Network against Racism (ENAR). He is the founder and
chair of the Pan-African Movement for Justice (Afrosvenskarnas forum
förrättvisa) in Sweden.
He
said society has to provide the condition for young people to reach their
potentials, adding that women could do the same as men, or even better, provided
they are given the necessary conditions.
According
to him, tradition of respect for elders has to be maintained but also speaking
about facts should also be entertained.
He
advised young people to mobilise and work together to progress and develop
themselves.
He
pointed out that they need powerful institutions and not powerful men or women,
saying it was easier to build strong young people than repair broken men and
women.
Also
speaking on the occasion was Dr Lamin Ceesay, who said young people should always
think of what they could do for their country and not what their country could
do for them.
Bintou
Ceesay, in her remarks on the occasion,
said the youth need to be involved at all levels to influence
development, adding that people need to break barriers to contribute to
national development.
