Peace Network lauds national dialogue

The national dialogue was held on the theme: "Our Collective Responsibility in Preserving the Nation, Safeguarding the State, and Securing Our Resources”.

In a press release, the advocacy group said the convergence is a clear demonstration of political maturity, nationalism and profound patriotism.

“At Peace Network, we cherish dialogue and it is part of our core mandate. We have the conviction that constructive dialogue is important and effective means of resolving conflicts and promote peace and development. Gambia deserves peace, security, reconciliation and national unity for development. Today, as a country, we are faced with some deep seated social and political issues which if not resolved can put our nation at serious risk.We can collectively avert such an unsavoury fate through collaborative and complementary efforts in the spirit of nation building.”

Furthermore, the release added that today, migration, unemployment, climate change, land conflicts, so on and so forth, pose serious threats to ‘our national development than anything else.’

“Therefore, it is high time that we use this opportunity to address these confronting issues. Also, we should use this moment to discourage and combat hate speeches, bullying and personal attacks in our political spaces, especially on social media platforms. We should embrace unity and tolerance even in the presence of our different political, religious and cultural orientation and belief. Difference in political opinion is the very beauty of democracy itself.” it added.

The release maintained that to address ‘our national concerns requires collective efforts from government, the private sector and CSO Community’, adding that it is time to diagnose our profound national challenges and explore the most appropriate solutions for the common good of all Gambians and People living in The Gambia.

The dialogue, the release went on, is also a lesson for other countries in the sub region to draw from, saying that, when national interest arises, it becomes incumbent upon all to put aside their partisan and personal differences, thus combine resources to address the issue(s).

“We call on countries in the sub region to emulate Gambia's path to addressing pressing national concerns through national dialogue. We also call on all Gambians and people living in The Gambia to embrace, promote and support Peace processes. The cultural, religious, political, CSOs leaders should ensure national dialogue is a periodic thing and made inclusive and well decentralised. We encourage all parties to uphold and implement the agreed action points to the best interest of The Gambia.”