ANEKED Gambia Students Essay Competition

In this regard, we are pleased to announce the first winner of the essay competition who is Ndey Jatta of Grade 10 Science, St. Joseph's Senior Secondary School.

Ndey’s winning essay, reproduced below, was on the topic “Democracy vs Dictatorship: Which System is Better for The Gambia”. Her essay was selected out of six submissions by students from Nusrat Senior Secondary School, Daddy Jobe Comprehensive School, and Charles Jow Memorial Academy. She won an award certificate and a Memory House canvas bag for herself and two copies of the book, The Dictator is Us: My Truth Commission Journey by Alagie Saidy Barrow for her school library. The books are courtesy of a donation of 10 sets donated to ANEKED by Pa Baboucarr Gaye (Pa Babou), a Gambian American living in Massachusetts, USA. Pa Babou’s goal for sharing the book is to shed light on the “…dark history of injustice and brutality [in The Gambia] where most victims could have been forgotten…”

The competition is ongoing and is open to any school or youth group that has visited/visits Memory House or been part of our regional outreach activities.

The African Network against Extrajudicial Killings and Enforced Disappearances, ANEKED Gambia Chapter is a civil society organization that campaigns against enforced disappearances and summary executions. The organization officially launched a permanent memorialization center/museum called Memory House, the first of its kind in The Gambia in October 2021.

Democracy vs Dictatorship: Which System is Better for The Gambia 

Democracy is the government by the people for the people and of the people, while Dictatorship Is a government by a dictator. A dictator is a ruler with absolute power over a country. A dictator typically obtains or remains in power through force or fear. Democracy has been identified as the best and the most practiced system of governance in the world. This is because democracy has many advantages and most developed countries practiced it so why not us, why not The Gambia? 

In my opinion, democracy is better than dictatorship because of the following reasons:

• Democracy promotes equality among citizens. 
• It ensures of individuals live in dignity. 
• It also cultivates respect for human rights.
• Democracy encourages a free press.
• It gives freedom to the people to express their opinion for or against the government 

Some might even say that democracy affects human rights because democratically governed nations are more likely to secure peace, deter aggression, expand open markets, promote economic development, protect American citizens, and avoid humanitarian crises and refugee flows.

The solution to this problem is the three merits of democratic governments over dictatorship.  In a democracy, regular, free, and fair elections are conducted to promote equality among citizens and allow room to correct mistakes. Unlike dictatorship which is a system of governance with total power without constitutional basis or limitations. Dictatorship is the opposite of democracy, it seized all rights of equality, press freedom, freedom of the people, and it also lacks respect for the rule of law.

Dictatorship is a very corrupt and harsh system of governance with a lot of abuse of power. I stand firmly that democracy is far better than dictatorship for The Gambia because democracy promotes peace and unity in the sense that it provides room for representation and expression of one’s view without fear. To me, everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country directly or through freely chosen representatives. 

After twenty-two (22) years of fragmented leadership and dictatorship, Gambia voted for democracy in 2016. Since the Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC) was established in January 2019, it began public hearings, Gambians were transfixed by perpetrators, confessions and shocked by the revelations of gross human rights abuses committed during the former regime, a well-learned lesson which should teach Gambians to embrace democracy.

In conclusion, a democratic system of governance is enjoyed by the people. It gives a great sense of liberty to the people and puts power in the hands of the masses.

By: Ndey Jatta

Grade 10 Science

St. Joseph’s Senior Secondary School