News

News from the Field: Capacity Building of Mass Media and Civil Society in Gambia

In the few past years, Gambia’s civil society has expanded both in numbers and scope of work. Today, the country offers a good illustration of the role of civil society organizations in a society where the public sector has limited ability to deliver basic services and capacity building.

The UNDEF-backed project “Capacity Building of Mass Media and Civil Society in The Gambia” works to improve public participation in the economic and political governance at decentralized levels, through strengthening the ability of civil society institutions and the media to perform oversight roles as guardians of the public interest. The project also aims to foster greater participation of marginalized and vulnerable groups in economic and political decision-making processes, using a rights-based approach to improve the delivery of basic services to the poor.

The project is implemented by Action Aid The Gambia and the African Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies. In May 2009, they conducted a three-week capacity building workshop for 30 journalists, facilitated by the Gambia Press Union, to equip the develop skills to engage with local and state government in a constructive dialogue. The training focused on media ethics, code of conduct, media laws, and business management skills, and built awareness and understanding of basic legislation such as the Constitution and Local Government Act. Other community-based organizations benefited from the project by participating in the capacity building exercises.

 

^ Back to top

Return to homepage