Celebrating Edward Francis Small: The Voice of Conscience
Statement from Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice
We are glad to share this biographical documentary about Edward Francis Small, produced by Prof. Pierre Gomez, currently the minister responsible for higher education.
We hope Gambians, especially our youths and schoolchildren, will keenly watch this documentary to learn from it.
We request our public and independent media also relay this documentary on their screens for greater public consumption.
The life and work of EF Small is an inspiration that highlights that each generation must discover its mission, to fulfil or betray. Indeed, Small had discovered his mission to the Gambia, and he fulfilled it immensely to the best of his abilities within the limitations of his time and circumstances.
The life of EF Small is about conscience, character, and courage. He was an intellectual and from a well-privileged background, given the Gambia of his time. But despite the risks to his privilege, position, and comfortable life, EF Small chose to stand up for justice and truth and for people he did not even know. He stood up for poor farmers in rural Gambia, where his activism kicked off in Balanghar.
We hold that until citizens uphold the values of conscience, character, and courage, the demand for and the establishment of a free, open, and just society will be unattainable. Without freedom, openness, and justice in society, the attainment of prosperity for all will also become challenging. What can the intellectuals and officials and the privileged class of today learn from the life of EF Small?
EFSCRJ therefore calls on all Gambians to recognise that the attainment of the national creed, peace, progress, and prosperity will remain empty dreams until our citizens become women and men of conscience, character, and courage.
Long live the ideals and vision of EF Small. May his gentle, kind, and brave soul continue to rest in perfect peace.
Edward Francis Small (29 Jan 1891 - Jan 1958)
For the Gambia, Our Homeland
