THE GAMBIA: DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS FUND FY2006

UNCLAS BANJUL 000777

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W, AF/EX, AND AF/RA
DEPT ALSO FOR USAID - AFR/SD/DG AND J. MARINDA HARPOLE
ACCRA FOR USAID - DEBORAH GRIESER, JAMES GULTRY, AND SYLVIA
QUAYE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID KDEM PGOV GA
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS FUND FY2006
ANNUAL STATUS REPORT



1. Embassy Banjul is pleased to submit below its Annual
Status Report on DHRFII for FY2006.

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A. PRIOR FISCAL YEAR
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2. All prior years' project activities have been completed
and closed out following the DHRF/SSH Specialist review visit
to Post in October.

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B. CURRENT FISCAL (FY2006)
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3. Embassy Banjul received $31,000 to fund Democracy and
Human Rights projects. Post obligated the entire amount to
fund two projects.

Amount Unliquidated
DHRF Number Obligated Balance
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IAA DHRF-635-06-001 $25,000 $25,000

Status: Activity has begun. The West African Network for
Peace Building (WANEP) set up a Civil Society Coalition on
election observation. 50 observers were trained and deployed
on Election Day (September 22, 2006) for the presidential
polls. WANEP, the coordinating body for the coalition,
organized a press conference, wrote a press release, and
submitted a report on behalf of the Coalition. WANEP has
received the final advance to train 50 additional observers
to reach its target of establishing a pool of 100 domestic
observers to be deployed on election day for the
parliamentary polls scheduled to take place on January 27,

2007.


Amount Unliquidated
DHRF Number Obligated Balance
-------------- -------------- --------------

IAA DHRF-635-06-002 $6,000 $6,000

Status: Preparations are well underway for the Gambia Press
Union's January training to prepare journalists to report on
elections. The three-day workshop will be held for 30
participants from both the print and electronic media working
for public, private, and community publications. Led by a
subject expert to be flown in from Ghana, the issues covered
will include professional good practice, election modalities
and technicalities, planning election coverage, and ethics in
reporting elections. It is expected that the training will
enable the participants to conduct effective election-related
journalism to promote good governance and democracy.
Awaiting final advance request.

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FY2005 SUCCESS STORY
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4. The Gambia Press Union (GPU) is an association of
practicing journalists that came together to defend their
interest and promote freedom of the press in The Gambia. The
GPU currently has about 200 members, predominantly from the
independent media. The independent press in The Gambia is
faced with a number of challenges, which include the lack of
access to adequate printing facilities. This issue was
brought to the Ambassador's attention at a meeting with
members of the independent media. The Ambassador responded
to the GPU plea by providing a Kord 64 printing machine
through the Ambassador's DHRF. The printing press was handed
over to the GPU at a widely-publicized ceremony attended by a
large group of media practitioners as well as a
representative of the Gambian Department of State for
Communications. The printing press is now running and
providing services to journalists who used to pay high prices
to publish on A4 paper. Currently, the printing press has
had a direct impact in terms of facilitating the work of the
independent media by reducing the cost of printing and
allowing one newspaper, formerly a weekly publication, to
publish on a biweekly basis. In addition to providing
printing services to GPU members, the printing press has
proven to be a good source of income for the GPU, which was
formerly plagued by financial constraints.
STAFFORD