The celebration of International Human Rights Day (10th December) is another main event for the Alliance Française de Banjul. It is an opportunity for us to reaffirm the values of the Alliances Françaises and their commitment to the respect of human rights.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). For Human Rights Day, The European Union, The United Nations and Alliance Française de Banjul are coming together to amplify awareness of the universality and indivisibility of human rights, with a special focus on engaging young minds.
Join us for a round-table discussion with : Hussein Thomasi, Solicitor General, Ministry of Justice, Corrado Pampaloni, Ambassador, European Union, Emmanuel Daniel Joof. Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Modou Lamin Mbye, Program Officer, TANGO, Yvonne-Tawanda Masarakufa, Human Rights Advisor, United Nations and Raphaël Brigandi, Political Officer, European Union (Moderator).
Along with the University of The Gambia/Law Students Association, these representatives will exchange ideas on applying the 2023 theme to The Gambia.
Round-Table Discussion:
Theme: “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All” – Applied to The Gambia
Let’s collectively explore ways to uphold the principles of dignity, freedom, and justice for all. Together, let’s contribute to a world where human rights are respected, protected, and celebrated.
In 2022, the Alliance organised several events in partnership with Amnesty International in The Gambia and the European Union Delegation to The Gambia.
Firstly, the European Union funded the creation of a fresco on one of the outside walls of the Alliance by six classes from six different schools, with the support of the painter Moulaye. For six half-days, the schools took turns on the Alliance wall to create a work celebrating human rights and displaying several of their symbols on Kairaba Avenue. The following schools took part in creating the mural: SOS Children’s Village, Ecole Française de Banjul, Latrikunda Upper Basic School, SBEC International School, Diana Mariam International School and Cardinal Academy.
On December 9th 2022, International Human Rights Day was officially celebrated at the Alliance Française de Banjul. First, Amnesty International gave a lecture on the state of respect for human rights in the Gambia. Their presentation was followed by a round table discussion with the European Union on “Myanmar and the Rohingya population: The International Court of Justice case of the Gambia vs Myanmar”. Finally, the fresco was inaugurated by the EU ambassador to The Gambia.
WAVE, the Women’s Association for Victims’ Empowerment, is a major partner of the Alliance. In 2023, from June 19th to June 26th, the Alliance Française de Banjul hosted some of the activities of the Human Rights Festival organised by WAVE:
During the week of the festival, a photographic exhibition dedicated to the defence of human rights in Gambia, and in particular the fight against Yahya Jammeh’s regime, was displayed in the entrance of the Alliance Française de Banjul. It allowed all our visitors to take the time to learn more about this subject.
As part of the festival, on Saturday 24th June the Alliance also hosted an event exclusively for women, enabling them to discuss the abuses they have suffered. This dialogue had the effect of freeing up the women’s voices and giving them a platform to confide in each other and share their problems.
In 2023, the Alliance Française de Banjul partnered with the National Center for Arts and Culture to celebrate International Women’s Rights Day (8th March) through a series of events held on our premises from March 8th to March 11th. The first event, on March 8th, was the opening of a temporary craft market showcasing the work of creative women. The market, which lasted for 4 days, gave them an opportunity to showcase their work, raise their profile and sell their products. Through this event, the Alliance supported creative Gambians women.
On March 8th, the Gambia Tech Project, the incubator for young Gambian entrepreneurs based at the Alliance, organised the “Women in Tech: Discovering women’s contribution to innovation and digital transformation” event. The event consisted of presentations, networking and discussions on this important issue.
This event, which brought together Gambian entrepreneurs and digital players, was an excellent opportunity to discuss a major topic linked to the current digital transformation of Gambian society and the place of women in this ecosystem.
On March 9th 2023, the film Papicha (Mounia Meddour, 2019) was screened, featuring the struggle of a young Algerian woman who dreams of becoming a fashion designer in a country plagued by civil war and the oppression of women.
The Alliance Française is committed to freedom of expression as a pillar of a healthy and democratic society. It enables the free flow of ideas, which is necessary for innovation, and strengthens accountability and transparency within society.
Various training courses and events are being organised to support freedom of expression.
For example, in January 2023, the Alliance hosted a training course for investigative journalists on freedom of expression. Organised in partnership with OCWAR-M (a European project to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism implemented by Expertise France) and PPLAAF (Platform for the Protection of Whistleblowers in Africa – PPLAAF), this event enabled several Gambian journalists to be trained in investigating financial crime and working with whistleblowers. The trainers were from Radio France Internationale and Médiapart.
The Alliance also regularly organises exhibitions on this subject, such as the “Justice through African Eyes” exhibition organised in collaboration with Journalists for justice and WAVE, bringing together a series of cartoons and comic strips from across the continent on various justice-related themes.
To raise awareness of violence against women, in February 2022 the Alliance Française de Banjul hosted the premiere screening of the documentary Justifying Survival, directed by Toufah Jallow. This powerful documentary shows rare footage captured across The Gambia. Over the course of a year, a survivor follows and documents stories of gender-based violence in The Gambia that too often go unnoticed or unrecognised. The film follows the lives of many victims of sexual and gender-based violence. Toufah Jallow, the director, is a Gambian activist, author and feminist. In 2019, she accused Yahya Jammeh of raping her in 2014. She is recognised throughout West Africa for her courage, and for having publicly fought against the sexual assaults that the former president subjected her to.