Some Gambians in Italy have formed an association that aims to assist Gambia students in Italian educational institutions with their studies, research and reintegration matters; migration management and social assistance. This information has been received in a form of press release. Bellow is the full text of the release:
The Gambian-Italian Association of Students and Researchers (GIASR) is a non-profit organisation registered in Italy on 22 November 2022. It is the first time an association composed of Gambian-Italian students, researchers and other professionals from various works of life is created in Italy. This milestone has been reached through years of collective and systemic consultations, mapping and research on the challenges faced by Gambians in Italy and more generally in The Gambia and Europe.
The main goal of GIASR is to improve existing migration management challenges through active participation in both Italy and The Gambia. GIASR believes its establishment highlights the possibility to co-create together a bright and sustainable future. Accordingly, any such future can only be achieved through discussion, systemic co-designing, evaluation, and implementation of project-programmes aimed at common interests of all relevant stakeholders within the migration ecology.
The spirit and practice of the Association is to respect the principles of the rule of law which is based on full respect for the rights, freedom, dignity, moral, cultural and political convictions of the members and the recipients of the activities.
GIASR therefore aimed at carrying out the following voluntary activities for the benefit of the associates and recipients of the activities, independently, or in collaboration with other associations, public bodies and private entities that share similar purposes, aims and objectives: Give assistance and orientation to foreign students who wish to enroll in a course of study activated by an Italian university, high schools as well as vocational training institutions; promote discussion tables on the rights of migrant students by involving relevant actors; co-develop, promote, coordinate and implement project-programmes, studies, research, internships, conferences, workshops and public seminars on the socio-economic, legal, political and cultural conditions of Gambian migrants and GIASR members, in collaboration with other agencies and associations, in Italy and abroad; promote intercultural activities of social interest and provide basic languages courses in indigenous Gambian and African languages as well as in Italian and European languages in collaboration with Italian schools, universities and actors of the third-sector at European level; give support to the beneficiaries (destitute, sick people, prisoners, detainers, asylum seekers, and those in similar needy situations in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders within local bodies and institutions, for the improvement of the individual’s conditions; give guidance and support on social housing, cultural and job orientation in accordance with Italian law, as well as any other activities aimed at meeting social, health, training and labor needs of migrant student, researchers and essential workers; develop information-awareness action plans through co-designing, implementation, dissemination and evaluation for instance via printed periodicals, radio and television broadcasts, videotapes etc in coordination with national and international bodies;
promote research, collection, preservation of documentation and materials pertaining to its activities; cooperate with Italian-Gambian governments and third parties in order to promote and realize the purposes of the association.
The founding members are: Sulayman Bah (President), Lamin Camara (Vice-president), Alagie Jinkang (Secretary), Ebrima Jaw (Assistant Secretary) Mohammed Janneh (PRO), Omar Marong (Assistant PRO), Alpha Sallah (Treasurer), Mbye Jobe, Mama Ceesay.
