NATIONAL SECURITY AND GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT
NATIONAL SECURITY AND GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT
Peace and security are essential prerequisites for everything else in this manifesto. Without stability, our plans for prosperity and social progress cannot take root. PROGRESS is committed to ensuring that Gambians live in a safe and secure environment under the protection of disciplined, professional security forces. We will reform our security sector, including the military, police, and intelligence services to uphold professionalism, patriotism, and respect for human rights. Recruitment into the armed forces and police will be strictly merit-based and reflective of the nation’s diversity, eliminating favoritism or political influence in the ranks. We will improve training at all levels, from basic instruction to advanced tactical and leadership courses, so that our soldiers and officers are well-prepared to handle modern security challenges. Better pay and living conditions for service members will also be a priority, because those who risk their lives for the nation deserve decent living standards and should not be driven to corruption or side jobs to make ends meet.
A NEW ETHOS FOR OUR SECURITY FORCES
We will instill a new ethos in our security forces one that defines their role as servants and protectors of the people. Instances of misconduct or abuse of power by security personnel will not be tolerated; instead, accountability mechanisms (such as independent police complaints commissions and military ombudsmen) will be strengthened to investigate and address any violations of public trust. Our approach to public safety will emphasize community policing and grassroots intelligence. Police officers will be trained to work with local communities as partners, building trust so that citizens feel comfortable cooperating with law enforcement. When the police are seen as allies rather than adversaries, crime prevention becomes a shared responsibility and our neighborhoods become safer 27 28 for all. Meanwhile, our justice system will be reoriented towards rehabilitation and the reintegration of offenders into society. We will modernize prisons and expand community service and vocational training for minor offenders, to reduce recidivism and give people a second chance to be productive citizens. For young Gambians who do not proceed to higher education, national service will also be compulsory, to be completed over two years between the ages of 18 and 20. After the initial training phase, the program will open multiple pathways for personal and professional growth. Participants will be able to pursue advanced instruction in areas such as engineering, health services, public administration, agriculture or technology. Others will be deployed to national development projects—building and maintaining infrastructure, supporting schools, or A central pillar of our strategy for national unity and security is the introduction of a structured national service for young Gambians. PROGRESS will establish a compulsory national service program built around disciplined training and community service. Every Gambian enrolled in university will be required to complete one year of national service after the third year and before graduation. This year will begin with a period of physical conditioning, placements, basic drills, survival skills, constitution, citizenship and leadership. After this training phase, participants will be deployed for six months to serve in different parts of the country in roles that support communities and public institutions. In doing so, they will discover that a nation is not only lines on a map but a shared home whose people deserve loyalty and service. Through well-designed activities, these young men and women will develop confidence, teamwork and a spirit that says, “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. ”
NATIONAL SERVICE AS PATHWAY TO PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
For young Gambians who do not proceed to higher education, national service will also be compulsory, to be completed over two years between the ages of 18 and 20. After the initial training phase, the program will open multiple pathways for personal and professional growth. Participants will be able to pursue advanced instruction in areas such as engineering, health services, public administration, agriculture or technology. Others will be deployed to national development projects—building and maintaining infrastructure, supporting schools, or A central pillar of our strategy for national unity and security is the introduction of a structured national service for young Gambians. PROGRESS will establish a compulsory national service program built around disciplined training and community service. Every Gambian enrolled in university will be required to complete one year of national service after the third year and before graduation. This year will begin with a period of physical conditioning, placements, basic drills, survival skills, constitution, citizenship and leadership. After this training phase, participants will be deployed for six months to serve in different parts of the country in roles that support communities and public institutions. In doing so, they will discover that a nation is not only lines on a map but a shared home whose people deserve loyalty and service. Through well-designed activities, these young men and women will develop confidence, teamwork and a spirit that says, “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. ” NATIONAL SERVICE DEVELOPMENT AS A COMPULSORY NATIONAL SERVICE PATHWAY TO PERSONAL assisting agricultural programs so that they contribute real labour to national progress while learning marketable skills. On completion, these youths will receive credentials that improve their employability. Even more important, they will emerge physically fit, skilled, patriotic and community-minded, a generation prepared to safeguard our sovereignty and drive The Gambia’s development.
A CLEAR FOREIGN POLICY
The Gambia’s security also depends on wise engagement in international relations. PROGRESS will pursue a foreign policy that safeguards our sovereignty and promotes our development interests. We will maintain friendly relations with all nations but will always put The Gambia’s interests first in any international agreement or partnership. Our diplomatic missions abroad will be overhauled to reflect professionalism and purpose. We will appoint qualified diplomats and trade representatives who can actively seek opportunities for investment, trade, and technical cooperation that benefit our country. Each embassy will have clear targets for example, securing scholarships for Gambian students, attracting a certain amount of investment, or opening new markets for Gambian products and ambassadors will be held accountable for results. By making our foreign service more results-oriented, we ensure that our presence on the global stage directly translates into gains for our people at home. RETAKING
OUR PLACE ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE
Under PROGRESS, The Gambia will stand proudly in the international community as a voice for democracy, human rights, and African unity. We will strengthen ties with our ECOWAS neighbors and the African Union to work on common challenges like regional security, trade integration, and climate change. The Gambia will also support initiatives to reform international institutions to be fairer to small nations. We will lend our voice to global calls for climate justice, knowing that environmental threats like rising sea levels directly imperil our 29 country. And, as mentioned earlier, we will champion the cause of debt relief and economic fairness for developing nations. Our foreign policy will leverage the goodwill The Gambia has earned (for example, as host of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other international bodies) to gain support for our development priorities.
It is time for real PROGRESS.
Join the call to action and the promise to secure our nation’s future. It is time to move forward as one nation with one goal.