Gambia Press Union (GPU)
We are particularly concerned with the anti-press legislation programme currently in place in The Gambia and advocate for a change in media laws as well as creating awareness in the press freedom arena. • The Gambia Press Union through mass sensitisation campaigns and court action succeeded in having the government repeal the Media Commission Act. • The GPU has organised and co-organised conferences, workshops and trainings on press freedom, freedom of expression, democracy and development. • The GPU has set up a Media Monitoring Unit with a media researcher who uses newspaper reports to monitor the state of freedom of expression in The Gambia. GPU intends to publish a comprehensive report on the state of freedom of expression for The Gambia 2011. This will be made available to the public on the GPU and Article 19 websites. We look after our funds by using the Excel accounting system and producing quarterly financial reports. We are organised by having an active board of five volunteers who are elected every three years at the annual congress at GPU. We communicate by holding monthly general meetings and an Annual General Meeting to encourage the sharing of information. GPU has a quarterly newsletter and an email list to communicate with members. GPU connects with the public through various forms of media; radio and television sensitisations and via our website. We engage with government through our sensitisations, campaigning and press releases. We have held meetings with the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Information, Communication and Infrastructure. We have also held debates with government officials at a one off forum organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat in August 2011 in The Gambia. The five day forum was focused on media and freedom. Our donors are the United Nations Development Programme, European Union, Danish Foreign Ministry, and the State Department of the USA. |
Gambia Press Union champions press freedom and the right of journalists to practice their profession in The Gambia. Gambia Press Union was established in 1979 by a group of private journalists under the leadership of the veteran Gambian journalist and publisher the late Mr. William Dixon Colley to defend freedom of expression. We have more than 200 registered members and are ourselves a member of TANGO, the International Federation of Journalists, the Commonwealth Journalists Association and the Federation of African Journalists Association. Strengthening Freedom of Expression in The Gambia “In the past few years Gambia Press Union has impacted greatly on the media fraternity, mainly in two areas; training and the defence of freedom of expression” Sam Sarr, (Member of Gambia Press Union) Sam Sarr, a member and beneficiary of the Gambia Press Union understands more than most the impact the organisation has had on journalists whose right to freedom of expression has been challenged and infringed upon. In 2009 Sam Sarr the founder of Foroyaa newspaper was arrested with 6 other journalists. Sam Sarr and 5 of the other 6 journalists were sentenced to 2 years in jail for sedition and libel. The journalists served 1 year of their sentence and were released early by presidential pardon following intense local and international pressure. What role did the Gambia Press Union play in the journalist’s acquittal? The GPU campaigned for the imprisoned journalists, contacting regional organisations such as ECOWAS and mobilised international institutions. They found lawyers for the journalists, excluding Sam Sarr who decided to represent himself and secured funding for the legal fees through media rights organisations. The GPU also raised $1000 as a one off payment for each of the journalist’s families to help financially support them. This year so far Gambia Press Union and Article 19 have been working in partnership to strengthen freedom of expression in The Gambia on the European Union funded Non State Actors Strengthening Programme. The project focuses on training journalists on key freedom of expression standards; conducting safety and security trainings as well as producing customised training manuals on freedom of expression standards and safety norms for journalists. This training is intended to enable journalists in The Gambia to protect themselves from the experience Sam Sarr and the other journalists endured. Journalists who are informed about their rights and safety protocols can work effectively on sensitive issues whilst maintaining their safety. |
CONTACT US
Gambia Press Union
No. 5 Garba Jahumpa Road,
Bakau Newtown, P.O. Box 1440,
Banjul, The Gambia
Tel: (+220) 980 9259/ 627 3856 384 7222/ 778 7479
E-mail: [email protected]
www.gambiapressunion.org