Caritas-Gambia engages religious leaders, youth on peace building ahead of presidential election

The aim of the 4 days training was to build the capacity of religious leaders and youth on early warning, conflict prevention and peace building.

The first three days of thetraining was for 40 youth selected from different election violence hot spots in the different regions across the country while the fourth day was for18 Imams, Priests and Pastors Alliance.

Francise Mendy, Director of Caritas-Gambia, said the objective of the project is to hold 7 advocacy meetings with identified communities in the 8 selected hot spot areas and to create forums for religious leaders to brainstorm and identify contending issues surrounding the forthcoming election and the possible role they could play in maintainingpotential election violence before, during and after elections.

According to him, Civil Society Organisations(CSO) especially faith-based organisations, hold key spaces for the promotion of peace and development, with the proximity to communities.“Mosquesand Churches have immeasurable capacities for leading positive change in The Gambia,” he stated.

He said the goal for the intervention is for participants to serve as ambassadors for peace and society cohesion to encourage civic education and peaceful participation in the elections.

The Caritas Director further said that, Gambia political system is one based on patronage and is more likely to experience election violence. He stated that as a post dictatorship society and a fractured nation in transition, formal political institutions are superseded by informal relationships based on the exchange of resource and political loyalty, political supporters seem willing to perpetrate election violence in support of their preferred candidates.

Thus he urged Gambians to maintain peace and stability before, during and after election, noting that elections will come and go but the people are here to stay.