The second edition of the National Human Rights Festival organised by the Women Association for Victims Empowerment opened in Janjanbureh between 27-29 June 2024 under the theme; “strengthened partnerships for collaborative action.”
It featured a series of activities including a regional stakeholder convergence, accountability awareness and capacity building program and a cultural festival which brings together people and groups from different backgrounds fostering diversity, cultural heritage and a sense of unity and belonging.
These activities are organised to mark the commemoration of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture celebrated each year on June 26.
The regional stakeholder convergence which preceded the festival received financial and technical support from the International Development Law Organisation.
It brought together law enforcement personnel, policy makers, religious and traditional leaders and human rights advocates to discuss and build capacity about the various accountability mechanisms that are currently underway in the country. The engagements focused on topics related to torture, accountability mechanisms, universal jurisdiction, Gambia’s Torture and Prohibition law, victim participation in accountability and the role of civil society, women and youths.
The opening ceremony was attended by CRR Governor Musa Mbye, National Assembly Member for Janjanbureh Omar Jammeh as well as distinguished personalities from various fields. In his welcoming remarks, Governor Mbaye said; “My office is happy to be collaborate with WAVE and other stakeholders including the Ministry of Justice, the National Human Rights Commission and The Center for Legal Research and Training for the 2nd Edition of the Human Rights Festival.
“I want to use this opportunity to give our utmost thanks to WAVE for this collaborative partnership taking the initiative to ensure that both national and international stakeholders share a platform to seek sustainable remedies to ensure that the prohibition and protection against acts of torture is addressed and measures are put in place to ensure that for nationals and non-nationals- their fundamental human rights are respected, fulfilled and protected.”
Governor Mbye described accountability for human rights abuses as a crucial element in any state’s “development and governance,” adding that the government is taking measures to ensure that perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses are held to account for their actions thereby guaranteeing the mantra of non- recurrence.
Janjanbureh lawmaker, Omar Jammeh said WAVE ongoing activities is a testament of its commitment and efforts towards enhancing human rights in the Gambia and as well as support to victims who suffered various forms of abuses under the former regime.
WAVE co-founder Priscilla Yagu Ciesay stated that these activities are part of the organisation’s broader efforts to engage with communities impacted by various human rights violations under the former Gambian president Yahya Jammeh as well as engage with local authorities.
The convergence witnessed presentations by experts from various backgrounds including Elizabeth Sturley legal fellow with WAVE from the Columbia Law School who presented on the definition of torture, the absolute nature of the prohibition, various judicial and non-judicial accountability mechanisms, and the role of victims, CSOs, women, and youth in the accountability process.
