SGAISD is a bilateral grassroots organisation with chapters focused on creating awareness among the two people on the great historical and cultural ties that bind the people of the two countries.
Saikou Jarjue the president of SGAISD Gambia, told The Standard that some 70 Senegalese intellectuals, students, journalists, unionists, professors and members of the Senegal chapter of SGAISD are expected to converge in Banjul to join their counterparts in the two-day meeting dubbed, ‘The Great Sene-Gambian Symposium and Conference’ to be held at ‘Penchami Hall’ in Paradise Suites Hotel, Kololi.
”The objective of this conference is in line with our vision that the unique oneness and integration of the people in these two nations should survive any misunderstanding between their governments. Our mantra is ‘one people in two countries’,” he said.
The meeting, he said is split into two sections. The first day, Friday 25th April 2014 there will be a symposium featuring four university students from each country. “They will be drawn in two groups of four for which two Gambian and two Senegalese students will stand for the motion and the other two Gambians and two Senegalese against the motion, ”Is Senegambia integration a necessary tool for the socio-economic advancement of its two people?”. The debate will be done in the usual Senegambian spirit of one people two countries,” Mr Jarjue said.
The following day, the floor will be opened for erudite professors from both countries to deliver lectures on the theme, “The Historical Perspective of Senegambia: The Prospects and The way forward”.
Among the professors to take the platform in the morning will be Professor Iba Der Thiam of Senegal, a renowned politician and a visiting lecturer at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar and Dr Pierre Gomez, Dean of the School of Social Science and Humanities at The University of The Gambia.
The afternoon platform will be taken by Professor Ibrahima Thioub, history professor at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, and Dr Saja Taal, political science professor at The University of The Gambia.
At the end of the symposium and conference, the president of the association’s Gambian chapter, Mr Saikou Jarju and the president of the association’s Senegal chapter, Mr Ebou Ngum will sign “The Banjul Declaration of The Senegambia Integration 01st edition 2014” for onward transmission to the presidents of both countries through their respective foreign ministers. The event will be covered extensively in Gambian and Senegalese media with all major channels (RDV, RTS, 2STV, & TFM) in Senegal and GRTS expected to provide coverage in addition to newspapers and other FM radios from both countries.
Author:Lamin Cham
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