Ahead of its mass community popularisation of the African Union Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP), Beakanyang over the weekend concluded a 2-day training workshop for 15 traditional communicators, known as Kanyellengs.
The participants were drawn from the Badinbung project intervention communities of the organisation namely, Sintet, Jambur, Bafuloto, and Makumbaya.
The goal was to equip participants with requisite skills and knowledge to translate the African Union Transitional Justice Policy (AUTJP) into culturally resonant songs.
Badinbung is a traditional African Justice Mechanism being implemented by the local NGO in West Coast Region and North Bank Region respectively.
Speaking on the occasion, Imam Omar Bojang of Jambur who also doubles as the Chairman of the Badinbung facilitators for the two regions underscored the importance of the training.
Imam Bojang encouraged participants to take the workshop seriously, acknowledging their vital roles as traditional communicators in their communities in promoting peace and social cohesion.
He reaffirmed their commitment to the promotion of the ideals of Badinbung concept in which people resolve their disputes and misunderstandings at community levels without taking each other to courts especially on civil matters.
On her part, Aja Adama Tuti Bojang, a trained facilitator of Badinbung also from Jambur, stressed the importance of the Badinbung initiative, which she noted resonates deeply with them as Africans. She urged the participants to share the training’s messages with their respective communities once they return to their villages.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Nfamara Jawneh, Executive Director of Beakanyang thanked the African Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF), along with the African Union (AU), and the European Union (EU) for their support to the overall Badinbung project of the organisation.
He applauded the participants for dedicating their time to this important initiative, emphasising their critical role in spreading messages through their melodious songs, theatre, and dance.
According to him, later this month, the trained Kanyallengs will help the organisation in its community sensitisation activities aimed at further popularising the AU Transitional Justice Policy amongst Gambians.
“As part of our AUTJP popularisation efforts, we just concluded series of community radio sensitisation programmes and after this training we will be going back to our project intervention communities with the Kanyallengs for mass popularisation of the policy,” he said.
Meanwhile, during the training Lawyer Lamin Sanyang, a trainer, delivered an impactful presentation on the African Union Transitional Justice Policy and Framework, focusing on indicative elements such as reconciliation, reparation, and memorialisation. This provided participants with valuable insights to inspire their artistic expressions.
Mr. Nfamara Jawneh, Executive Director of Beakanyang, guided the Kanyellengs through the process of creating, composing, and finalising songs and also dramatised some of the conflict resolutions mechanisms based on the AUTJP. His practical exercises enabled participants to turn policy elements into engaging and memorable melodies, reinforcing their role as cultural advocates.
At the conclusion of the training, Executive Director Nfamara Jawneh and Imam Omar Bojang urged participants to put the knowledge and skills they had acquired into good use. They emphasised the importance of leveraging this training to promote social harmony and justice.
In her vote of thanks on behalf of the participants, Mrs. Sira Sowe of Foni Sintet, expressed their gratitude to Beakanyang for empowering them with new knowledge and skills.
She promised their commitment to popularising the AU Transitional Justice Policy in their respective communities in the coming days and weeks.
