Give peace a chance - Isatou

ISATOU SEY, KAUR SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, THE GAMBIA

Many see peace as the absence of war and violence, however, peace is beyond this notion. According to the United Nations (September, 2014) peace is more than just the absence of war. It also requires the need for concerted efforts to achieve the common vision of a life of dignity and wellbeing for all. Peace is key to the development and social wellbeing for all.


We should endeavour to give peace a chance in order to see a swift change. If this is not done, it can lead to negative issues, even in our schools. For example, it can cause loss of confidence and interest in learning, which lead to poor performance in students. A student without peace of mind at home, finds it difficult to stay in school and contribute in class discussions. Such students would be aggressive to both teachers and peers.


Peace needs the highest chance because it’s absence can cause family disintegration and other social vices that retard progress. If families fall apart, triggered by the absence of peace, it can replicate at a national level. A disintegrated country cannot achieve any meaningful development. This can result in political unrest. As enshrined in our National Anthem, “that all may live in unity, freedom, and peace, each day”, these lines should be read and echoed by everyone, to preach peace on a daily basis. One of the reasons why Africans remain poor is the frequent outbursts of wars. In fact, Africa is not poor. We only fail to give peace a chance. We tend to solve every misunderstanding with confrontation.


We can give peace a chance using different platforms. First, The Gambia being a religious country, it is prudent for our religious leaders to preach peace in their congregations. If they do this, peace will forever reign. In addition, the school as an agent of socialisation can talk about peace during assemblies to change the mindsets of students in embracing peace. Furthermore, our politicians and tribal heads must show a high level of comradeship and tolerance in their activities so that their followers will follow suit to give peace a chance.


In conclusion, it is evident that without peace, nothing is possible in life. As a result, we should all endeavour to give peace a chance by making sure that all deterrents to peace are eliminated for meaningful development.

ISATOU SEY • September 11, 2023

An Education Revolution

By Ann Beatty • April 6, 2025
This week while out and about in Hertfordshire and we visited the British Schools Museum. We discovered the first school opened by Joseph Lancaster, was known as the ‘Poor Childs Friend”, was in 1810. It was his lifelong mission that all children regardless of their circumstances, should benefit from an education. Apparently, Joseph heard a small girl say, “Oh that I could read!” and this inspired him to create a simple education system that eventually would benefit children across the world. Joseph was the tenth son of a poor man himself from South London. His aim was to offer free education for everyone. However, it would be 93 years before the U.K. government finally made education free for all. There are still many countries today where education is still not free to access and it is certainly not compulsory for primary and secondary age pupils. Joseph’s mission really resonates with that of the Foundation, to support access to education for all. We enjoyed our visit and appreciated the tour given by two of the Museum’s volunteers, Angela and Clare. They described some of the challenges faced in the early years of formal education and shared some of the rules that teachers and students had to abide by with us. 

Sparks Bristol

By Ann Beatty • April 4, 2025
Sparks Bristol is a collaborative community project initially envisioned by The Global Goals Centre, (GGC) more of which below. A few years ago, GGC took over an empty Marks and Spencer store and that’s how Sparks was born. Sparks is a department store with a difference, co-created by Global Goals Centre and Artspace Lifespace. On the ground floor is a huge range of shops, installations, events and more. Upstairs is a hub for local artists, it offers affordable studios as well as rehearsal and performance space. The Global Goals Centre is a Bristol-based educational charity inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals. (SDGs). GGC believe the SDG’s or Global Goals as they are sometimes known, can be reached, with imaginative solutions and widespread education and engagement. They work with partners to promote creative solutions and deliver ground breaking projects that work towards these ambitious goals. The Steve Sinnott Foundation supported the Global Goals Centre with seed funding when it first started over 5 years ago. This month we went to visit them to see how they are getting on and we were taken aback by the volume of work they have achieved since they started. It is amazing to see how though working together with other local community groups it has grown into the vibrant centre it is today. All of the creative projects they host are linked to the SDGs. They cover topics that tackle poverty, education, climate change, fashion recycling and upcycling, to name a few.

Spring is Here! Looking Ahead!

By Ann Beatty • March 28, 2025
Spring is definitely here, daffodils, blossom and crocuses are all basking in the bright sunshine. There is still a chill in the air in the shade but it's happening and all the seeds that were sown over the last few months are coming to fruition. At the Foundation, we have been planning the year ahead and our Positive Periods and Prevention of Gender Based Violence programmes got underway this weekend in Haiti and Ghana. These projects will have a long-lasting effect on the lives of the women and girls who take part: tackling the root causes of gender-based violence and enabling girls to attend school every day when they have their period, to feel safe at school and know how to take action when they are faced with violence. These are the first of many projects planned for the year ahead as we continue to work towards Education for All children everywhere.