Forming Informed Community Voices

The establishment of five community radio stations in Brikamaba, Kombo Brikama, Kerewan and Farafenni in The Gambia and Canchungu in Guinea Bissau brought a lot oof opportunities for mobilizing peoples for their rights. These were used for human rights awareness creation and related development issues affecting people in these areas and their environments. The main aim of the Community Radio programming was to address the information bottlenecks and to have a forum for dialogue on Rights.  Audio tapes of the same were also produced. Community Action Plans are now incorporated into the National Budget, depicting a bottom-up participatory budgetary process facilitated by Pro-PAG with support from AATG. Members of the National Assembly were also trained and now participate in monitoring sector budgets to ensure that community priorities are implemented as reflected in the plans and budget. The Public Accounts Committee of the same National Assembly has been revived with all government departments accounting for their annual spending and plans to them.