The resounding strategic support was given by the US embassy in The Gambia to help MAJaC roll out a project to support media outlets and CSO members in the country.
The 9-month project seeks to strengthen the capacity of 20 community radio journalists and 20 CSO members on interactive radio programming and proactive advocacy.
Sang Mendy, MAJaC’s Managing Director, said the initiative reflects a commitment to active citizenship and accountability and its success depends on promoting participation and amplifying the voice of the most vulnerable members of society.
“Early this year, CepRass and Afro Barometer studies show that Gambian citizens are uninterested in politics and governance of the country. They do not proactively demand their rights, insist on transparency or hold the Government accountable for its acts of commission or omission,” he said. “The CSOs and media, especially community radios, are effectively weak and lack the requisite capacity to engage in proactive advocacy and journalism.”
Mr Mendy conveyed that the project would improve the capacities of the media and CSOs to be influential representatives and caretakers for its people through interactive radio programming and proactive advocacy to kindle citizens’ interest in governance and demand for better lives for themselves.
Moreover, Amadou O. Bah, Secretary General of the Network of Community Radios Gambia (NCRG), stated that the project would equip its members with investigative journalism skills, tools for effective advocacy, and a forum for informed, unbiased and inclusive debates.
Mr Bah urged the beneficiaries to take hold of the opportunity to sufficiently attend to their communities with a remarkable commitment and dominance and also keep in mind that the stability of their network depends not only on the information but also on the transparency and verity of the content they provide.
Similarly, Susan Solomon, Public Affairs Officer of the U.S embassy, said they are honoured to launch the initiative with MAJaC who have produced leaders in journalism and media.
Ms Solomon further stated that despite the challenges Gambia journalists have faced in the past, they have shown resilience and carry a great responsibility to build the media in the country.
Going further, she said, the US and The Gambia share important values, including freedom of the press, which is a fundamental right enshrined by the US Constitution and a core principle of democracy, which is why the project focuses on community radio as it is a platform for freedom of speech and the exchange of ideas. She added that journalists should be free to investigate, publish, and disseminate news information and opinions.
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