The word refugee means someone who has been forced to leave their country, especially during war or for political or religious reasons. To be a refugee does not meant one is without  a roof over his or her head or without hope for living a meaningful life or future.

There are many circumstances through which a person may a refugee. A  special reference is made  to the real cause  or causes of refugee problems in the  Horn of Africa, and in the West African sub-region. We are all living witnesses to the somewhat horrible and untold wars or internal conflicts  in some of our sister countries such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, and Casamance in the southern region of our sister republic of Senegal.

It is noteworthy that most of these wars or internal conflicts cause and continue to cause an untold number of deaths, uprooted and continue to uproot  thousands of people from their dwelling places and countries. In most instances they cause permanent disconnection between families and loved ones. The Gambia, fondly called the Smiling Coast of West Africa, continues to be a  host to  thousands of refugees drawn from different war torn  and  conflict stricken countries within the sub-region.

As hosts, the government, in collaboration with the United Nations High Commision for Refugees (UNHCR), the Gambia Red Cross Society and other humanitarian agencies, contributed and continue to contribute significantly towards the welfare of these  huge number of refugees hosted in the country.

 It was in this  vein that the United Nations High Commission for Refugee (UNHCR) in  collaboration with the Gambia Red Cross Society on 27th July, 2008, organised a mass refugee cultural jamboree in Bullock Village, Western Region ((WR).The cultural  event brought together refugees from Casamance, in the Southern Region of Senegal. The traditional cultural jamboree accorded the refugees and their host communities the golden opportunity to interact and share expriences in a spirit of love and harmony. It was characterised by extensive, educative  and heart touching  drama, all bordering on the untold  consequences of war.

Lamin Cassama, dessemination coordinator and site manager ofthe Gambia Red Cross-UNHCR  Cooperation agreement on Casamance Refugees, in a recent chat with the Arts and Culture deskman, described the cultural show as a positive step in the right direction considering the current situation in the Casamance region, where almost the entire population was displaced by the war and many others lost their lives.

This day, he said was observed in order to diminish the trauma most of these refugees were subjected to in one way or the other. The day has significant bearings towards instilling and nurturing the culture of peace and unity amongst them and their host communities, he added.

The Red Cross man revealed that the event will now be organised twice in every year.
“We are thinking of having another one some time in December but no specific date has been set yet,”  he said. He extended sincere and profound appreciation to those who made the event a success, especially UNHCR and the government of the Gambia as well as the host communities of the refugees.