The tour which began in Jambur in Kombo South, West Coast Region ended in Barra, Lower Niumi District of North Bank Region.
Other communities visited includes Essau also in North Bank and Makumbaya, Bafuloto, and Sintet in the West Coast Region.
The activity formed part of the ‘Badinbung Project’ of the organization that seeks to promote justice, reconciliation, peace and social cohesion.
Badingbung, is a term that means family house in the local Mandingo language. Historically, it was a widely recognized method for resolving disputes at the community level, allowing conflicting parties to meet, discuss, and find peaceful resolutions. Before the dictatorship, ‘Badingbung’ played a vital role in promoting harmony and fostering local justice.
However, as time goes by this valuable traditional mechanism suffered, leaving unresolved grievances within communities. The ‘Badinbung’ project seeks to revive this tradition and provide local solutions to local problems, ensuring that reconciliation remains a community-driven effort.
A key part of the caravan, Beakanyang involved is its recently trained traditional communicators, known as Kanyallengs, who played a crucial role in engaging local communities. Through cultural resonate songs aligned with AUTJP’s themes, they spread messages of peace, accountability, and reconciliation, making these complex justice concepts more accessible to the public.
Lead by facilitators from Beakanyang, the community engagements also witnessed sticker and t-shirts distribution with positive messages promoting peaceful coexistence, spot meetings, and a mobile caravan, which broadened visibility and engagement.
This initiative is part of the ongoing ‘Badinbung project’, funded by the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund, with support from the European Union and the African Union.
During the meetings, communities were also updated about the overall transitional justice processes and developments in the country.
Meanwhile, community members in the intervention villages including village heads, women, youth as well as chief of Lower Niumi applauded the local NGO for its efforts in the overall transitional justice process of the country.
