Officials said religious leaders (both Muslim and Christian) serve as agents of change and have a lot of influence on people’s behaviors through their sermons and preaching, hence the need for the convergence.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Dawda Badjie, Executive Director of NEA, said: “The objective of the sensitisation forum was to strengthen knowledge on environmental issues and highlight the role of the NEA, as mandated by law with a view to protect humans, plants, and animals in the country and globally.”
The NEA boss urged imams and pastors to play a leading role towards the protection of our environment, saying: “As respected people in the society, it’s important that you play a proactive role in helping us to achieve our desired goals towards environmental preservation in order to save ourselves and the future generations.”
He added: “You owe a lot to the people you represent. In fact, it’s not only the people you represent, but also to other living and non-living things within your communities.”
Pastor Paul T. Mendy, spoke at length on the importance of the gathering, added: “Everyone has to play a role in ensuring that our environment is protected. We need to take responsibility to partake in nation building as it is only us that can develop this country.”
Pastor Mendy suggested for the Ministry of Education to incorporate environmental issues into their curricula, saying: “Environmental issues should be incorporated into the education curricula starting from nursery to higher institutions.”
This, he went on, will ensure that every Gambian is aware on the importance of a sustainable environment.
