Peace, according to many, is not merely the absence of war, but the presence of human dignity, dialogue, reconciliation, compassion, opportunity, justice and respect for human rights.”
That single sentence should be printed and pasted on the walls of every office, every police station, every political party bureau, and every pulpit in this country.
For too long, we have congratulated ourselves for being a peaceful country simply because we are not at war. But Mendy challenges us to ask a harder question: Do Gambians live with dignity? Do they have opportunity? Do they enjoy justice and respect for their rights?
If the answer is no, then we do not have peace. We only have quiet.
Rev. Fr. James J. Jatta, Chairperson of the Justice and Peace Commission, was right to link peace to our political transition. He said reconciliation must be the foundation of our democratic journey, and that “every act of kindness, forgiveness and cooperation is a seed of peace that future generations will harvest.”
He is correct. But seeds do not grow without soil. And the soil of peace is justice. You cannot preach reconciliation to a victim who has never received justice. You cannot preach tolerance to a youth who has no opportunity. You cannot preach dialogue while hate speech, tribal bigotry, and political insults dominate our social media and airwaves.
Mendy’s call for The Gambia to invest in peace as a daily practice — through dialogue, forgiveness, tolerance and rejecting hate speech — is timely. Peace is not an event held once a year at a hotel. It is what we do in the traffic when someone insults us. It is what we post on Facebook. It is how we treat the opposition supporter in our compound.
We were equally encouraged by the words of Sheikh Essa Darboe, President of The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council. His reminder that Islam is a religion of peace, and his celebration of our unique inter-faith coexistence — where Muslims and Christians share neighbourhoods, schools and families — touches the core of Gambian exceptionalism.
That relationship, as he called it, is indeed a “precious national strength.”
But precious things must be protected. His call for religious leaders to guard it through dialogue and collaboration must be heeded before merchants of division exploit our faiths for votes.
The Gambia Inter-Religious Committee established by the Supreme Islamic Council and the Christian Council is one of the best-kept secrets of our peace architecture. It must be supported, funded and listened to.
As we mark this Peace Day under the theme “Bringing together key stakeholders committed to the promotion of peace and social cohesion,” let us be honest with ourselves:
Peace will not come from conferences alone. It will come when a young Gambian can get a job without a godfather, when a citizen can criticize government without fear, when justice is not for sale, and when a Muslim and a Christian see each other first as Gambians.
Peace is not the silence of guns. It is the presence of dignity. The Gambia has been silent. Now it must be dignified.