Congratulations to the authors.

Mr.Conteh,
I agree with you that Gambians need to write about Female circumcission, I
would refer to as FGM.  For your information women activists in the Gambia
are working hard on that.  GAMCOTRAP has documentation on the it.  The
problem I think is beyond who the author is but who approves the information
for various reasons, one of them is resistance to change.  As part of the
women advocates for the eradication of the practice, we have been accussed
of being influenced by the west.  I wonder if such people stop to think that
we have gone through the practice and know exactly what we are talking
about. When the woman voices out her opinion all sorts of theings are said
including betrayal of our culture.  Culture as we all know is not static,
and it is suppose to serve people for survival and development. Who is to be
believed the man or the woman who remembers every stage of it and not just
imagining what had happened?

On the issue of publishing, the opportunities for publishing books are no
readily available to Gambian women campaigning to stop all harmful
traditional practices affecting the health of women and children, we have
written reports on what the situation is at the GAMCOTRAP library which is
being accessed by members of the public.  Once again, the author's cultural
perception is important but as intelligent people reading, we can deduce
what is the essence from the text.  The problem I will emphasise is
attitudinal and the desire for continuity of such practices under changing
circumstances.

Thanks for reading.
Amie.

 >From: Lamine Conteh <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Authors in Our Midst
>Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 06:43:42 -0500
>
>Dr. Saine:
>
>I am happy to join you in congratulating
>Dr. Tejan Sallah and Mr. Ylva Hernlund.
>
>Though I believe that western ideology
>should not be used to stop female
>circumcision, I am impressed that
>a Gambian would bring it to print.  My
>concern is that Mr. Hernlund's western
>ideas might be of concern to our cultural
>beliefs.  This sensitive issue should
>be dealt with from a religious perspective.
>
>Naphiyo,
>
>Comrade ML Jassey-Conteh
>
>------Original Message------
>From: Abdoulaye Saine <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Sent: March 26, 2001 4:30:11 PM GMT
>Subject: Authors in Our Midst
>
>
>G-L Community:
>I wish to bring your attention to two recently published volumes in
>African Studies by two of our own as co-editors.  They are:
>
>THE NEW AFRICAN POETRY: AN ANTHOLOGY, Edited by TANURE OJAIDE and TIJAN
>M. SALLAH, June 2000/ 233 pages, pb $17.95.
>
>FEMALE "CIRCUMCISION" IN AFRICA: CULTURE, CONTROVERSY, AND CHANGE,
>Edited by BETTINA SHELL-DUNCAN and YLVA HERNLUND, February 2001/ 352
>Pages, pb $22.50.
>
>Both volumes are published by and can be purchased from: LYNNE RIENNER
>PUBLISHERS, 1800 30th STREET, SUITE 314(101-2), BOULDER, CO 80301.
>
>Both volumes come highly recommended.  For example, THE NEW AFRICAN
>POETRY "reverberates with a diversity of styles, themes, and ideologies
>that have made a conscious break with Africa's stagnant colonial
>literary heritage."
>
>And FEMALE CIRCUMCISION IN AFRICA is "a remarkably coherent
>collection... Definitely the most exhaustive, well-refrenced, and
>thoughtful book-length work produced on the subject."
>
>To Ylva and Tijan, congratulations for an excellent job and for your
>contributions to the African Studies discipline. Tijan and Ylva deserve
>our support.  Buy both copies.
>
>Cheers!
>Abdoulaye
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
>Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
>You may also send subscription requests to
>[log in to unmask]
>if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your
>full name and e-mail address.
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
>Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
>You may also send subscription requests to
>[log in to unmask]
>if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your
>full name and e-mail address.
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------