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  By Pa Louis Sambou   F or most people, the Israel - Palestine question is probably the one conflict whose ugly scenes of horror has regularly appeared before their screens for a period of time spanning their entire lifetime. Although not the only unresolved historic territorial question, it is certainly the only none-frozen one, which fact probably explains why it evokes strenuous opinion from even folks afar, with Gambians not an exception.  Whether pro Israel or pro Palestine, far too many well-meaning people the world over, find themselves holding very strong views on this subject matter, but which position is in most cases predominantly driven and sustained by subjective factors and considerations. A particular news article which I recently came across on a Gambian newspaper, exhibited a spectacular example and presentation of this phenomenon.    Without offering a line by line review of the news article in question, which is definitely not the objective of this article, I will d

By  Pa Louis Sambou    The premise of thought of most fair-minded people is no doubt that, dialogue is always preferable to anything else to the contrary. So, in principle, the concept of a National Dialogue is commendable. However, ‘a “ National Dialogue Meeting ” to what end?’, is also an equally rational question for any citizen to ask. Well, it is the question for me anyway.    With the exception of one or two whose opening statements touched on public policy subject matters, one would notice that the issues raised by all other opposition party leaders or representatives who spoke during the opening of this National Dialogue Meeting (NDM) are matters which are already within the remit and competence of the Inter Party Committee to address. As the sponsor, President Barrow’s opening remarks and speech was so unhelpfully vague as to the objective, it offered no comforting opening to the enigma at hand. So, with an unclear and undefined objective, one wonders upon what basis and again

By Philip Saine On Saturday  9  December  2023,  The Diocese of Banjul celebrated the 35 th  Ann ual  pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace  at Kunkujang .  On the eve  of the  pilgrimage,   the Catholic Diocesan Youth Committee held a ‘Walk’ that extended from Tanji  Bridge to Kunkujang Mariama   a distance of 8.1 km .  The theme for the walk was  ‘Journeying with Mary towards a  S y n o da l  Church’ . It was a worthy activity   because Mary  deserve d  every walk to the Shrine      T he 35 th  Ann ual  pilgrimage  was a prayerful all-day celebration  that attracted  an  unmatched   large  crowd  and was  unique  in many ways  because   of the following:  1.  Fr John  (Jackie)  Sharpe CSSp,  a renowned  apostle of The Gambia,  a giant evangelist and  a  principal Co-founder of the Shrine, appeared in person . He first arrived in The Gambia in the year  1965 and  after completion of his missionary  service returned home  to   Ireland  in 2009 .  Some remembered him as a Priest