The GP was founded by ActionAid Denmark as a youth network to deliver participatory and action-oriented capacity building for young people, organisations and movements to fight social justice, with a specific focus on campaigning, rights and leadership.
The launch was graced by participants from AAITG’s Local Rights Programmes (LRPs), Apexes, Eco-zones and Activista The Gambia.
At the launch of the Platform via teams, Mrs Ndella Faye Colley, new Executive Director for ActionAid International The Gambia, reiterated ActionAid’s commitment to poverty eradication, social justice, youth empowerment, and gender equality in The Gambia, as enshrined in the organisation’s current country strategy paper (CSP V) – Building Resilience for Social Justice (BReS).
She noted that youth are valuable resources and for any country to succeed, it must invest in its young people.
Madam Faye-Colley also challenged policymakers and development partners to prioritise youth welfare and agenda for meaningful development and economic growth.
She expressed optimism that the launch of the Global Platforms would produce committed youth, who would advocate for good governance, climate, and social justice to enable the world to be a better place.
For his part, Moussa Sarr, a focal person for Global Platform Senegal, who joined the event via virtual, applauded AAITG for the initiative.
The launch of GP Gambia, he believes, would help make meaningful change to take effect, citing that youth must be at the centre of it.
The launch was followed by orientation and presentation from the Global Platforms – Gambia Country Coordinator, Saidina Alieu Jarjou, who delved into the importance of youth participation and involvement in any development agenda.
He encouraged youth to support one another for their own development. “We must desist from undermining each other’s efforts, and break all ethnic, political and other artificial barriers that keep us divided as a youth.” He added.
