#National News

Rotary Clubs in Gambia celebrate Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Beacons

Jun 10, 2022, 11:42 AM | Article By: Cherno Omar Bobb

In line with Britain’s long tradition of lighting Beacons to celebrate Royal Weddings, Jubilees and Coronations and as part of the celebrations for the 70th year of H.M. the Queen’s accession, Rotary Clubs in The Gambia on 2nd June 2022 joined all the capital cities of the Commonwealth to light the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Beacons at 9:15 local time as a unique tribute to the Queen.

The lighting of the Beacons is also being used to Promote Positive Peace. The lighting of the Beacons was held at Tamala Beach Hotel.

As Beacons were lit from the Eastern most countries (Samoa and Tonga) all the way to the Western most city–Honolulu, a Peace Wave was formed.

Fatou Bah, Past Assistant Governor for Rotary District 9101 said as Rotarians they envision a global surge in local efforts to Promote Positive Peace with the involvement of Rotarians throughout the world.

“We are People of Action and today, we hope to strengthen our commitment to peace by Communicating, Collaborating and Celebrating with the World, within our Communities and amongst ourselves,” she said.

She added that Rotarians can derive immense satisfaction for having brought Communities together to become involved in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Beacons and in the process Promote and Strengthen Positive Peace.

Adel Sock, Assistant Governor Region 13 under District 9101 overseeing Bijilo, Brusubi and Banjul Rotary Clubs in The Gambia, said Rotarians provide service to others and promote integrity, advance world understanding, goodwill and peace to their fellowship of business profession and community leaders.

She added that Rotarians are practitioners for peaceful societies through their efforts in fighting diseases, providing clean water, supporting education, and growing local communities.

She described Rotarians as mediators, and advocates, noting that they see peace as a living dynamic expression of human development.

She also said that Rotary programs, grants and fellowships focus on creating environments where peace can be built and maintained, adding that they believe that if concerned citizens work together to create peace locally lasting change can happen globally.

HE David Belgrove, British High Commissioner to the Republic of The Gambia applauded the Rotary Club of Banjul for leading the initiative as part of their programs for positive peace and building better relations between people and nations.

He wished the people of The Gambia, the Commonwealth and all Rotarians good health and success in their endeavors.

Meanwhile, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, acceded the throne on 6th February 1952 aged 25 years thus becoming the Queen of the United Kingdom and several other realms. H.M. the Queen completed seventy years of service as Queen of the realms and as Head of the Commonwealth on 6th February 2022. She is the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee which denotes the completion of 70 years of service.