Latjor:
Brilliant Response!
Abdoulaye
latjor ndow wrote:
>
> Greetings Haruna:
>
> I think there are many ways one could respond to your rhetorical questions,
> bearing in mind that these issues have been rehashed many times on this
> forum over the years. So I will be very economical in my humble response to
> you, noting that I do not speak for any of "these intellectual" as you put
> it.
>
> A simple answer could be that you assume there is such a class called
> "intellectuals" among Gambians who act in a concerted manner, and therefore
> could have impacted the "politico-socio-economic development of the country
> and its citizenry during the past thirty years". This is not so. But it is
> still an interesting possibility for the future.
>
> There are hundreds of Gambian "intellectuals" scattered all over the world,
> some in Gambia and others on Gambia-L.
> They, like you are working to earn a living while at the same time, like
> you, seek to contribute in a meaningful manner towards the progress of The
> Gambia. How? Well I can only speak for those whom I have come in contact
> with during my sojourn in the U.S. and those back home whom I know of and in
> cyber-space, but I think I can generalize a bit and include most of "these
> intellectuals".
> Let me give a few demonstrative examples to respond to your question:
> "To what extent would this conference have an impact to the ordinary
> Gambian living in the rural areas like Demba Kunda or Basse?"
>
> Hmm... I find humor in how so many of us always use the "rural" people as a
> backdrop for our arguments. Anyway, I digress.
>
> One of the outcomes from the first GLC conference was the collecting of
> close to 10 000 (ten thousand books) from various universities, libraries
> and high schools in the U.S. These were shipped and received by the Ministry
> of Education. One hopes that the people of "Demba Kunda or Basse" will
> benefit intellectually from those books. I hear folks in Seattle are
> involved in a similar project. I salute them! Knowledge is Power!
>
> Two of "these intellectuals" a year or so ago, decided to spend their summer
> vacations back home to teach at the University Extension Program. I
> personally read the many messages of gratitude their students sent them back
> upon their return to the U.S. for inspiring them.
>
> Another one of "these intellectuals", a former collegue of mine at Spelman
> College returned home and is now the Director of Women's Affairs (or
> bureau?). I would assume she is contributing to the development of the women
> of "Demba Kunda and Basse".
>
> Another one of "these intellectuals" initiated the project which culminated
> in you and I having this conversation on Gambia-L. Perhaps someone in "Demba
> Kunda and Basse" has a pc connected to the net and is a member of the "L"
> where she gets news and commentaries on affairs in The Gambia which were not
> readily available to her through the media houses in Bjl. Perhaps she shares
> this info with her people who then engage in discourse having obtained a
> wider pool of opinions and perspectives on the "politico-socio-economic"
> landscape which they are party to. The cumulative effect being their
> greater empowerment. (Even if this is mere speculation on my part, there are
> enough Gambians on the "L" living in Gambia for this scenario to be
> plausible).
>
> Another one of "these intellectuals" recently (Nov. '99) co-edited a major
> work on the new African Poets, that is, post-colonial voices. This major
> work puts together for the first time poets from every part of the
> continent! The work has received rave reviews from African "intellectuals"
> such as Soyinka and Achebe. Perhaps you may think that the people of "Demba
> Kunda and Basse" may not be interested in matters of this nature, but rest
> assured that this is far from the reality. Some of the relatives of the
> people of "Demba Kunda and Basse" who are interested in the Arts as a medium
> for probing deeply into the symptoms and possible remedies and so on of
> Gambia/Africa may find this a gemstone. Perhaps having these discourses will
> attract the poets among us who wish to be published and heard yet do not
> know how to go about it, meet and get advice on those with the experience.
>
> Several of "these intellectuals" have guided many young Gambian minds
> through the years ensuring that they aim high, opening doors for them to go
> to university, to be their mentors, to put them in contact with individuals
> who could assist them as they pursue their respective academic and
> professional dreams. Many are the Gambian graduates who were aided by "these
> intellectuals". You may not know this, but I happen to know some.
>
> On a more mundane and personal level, I believe it is important to organize
> such conferences so we can meet and dialogue with each other in an
> environment conducive to such. I have so many experiences (perhaps you do
> too) of going to parties (that is one of the places where we congregate in
> large numbers) and ending up shivering outside in the wintry cold,
> discussing with folks matters requiring profound thinking (the alternative
> is usually a shouting match indoors against the booming sound of
> mega-speakers), and leaving with only a 'feeling good' sensation. One
> usually cannot derive any other outcomes.
>
> I probably have said enough and lest I drive some folks into boredom with my
> babbling, I shall quickly come to a halt with the following: Is it wrong to
> be an intellectual? I think not. An intellectual is just someone who has
> trained herself or himself in one or more disciplines and utilizes her/his
> skills to addressing the myriad of "politico-socio-economic" issues
> attendant to humanity, be it in The Gambia or elsewhere. So let us stop this
> bashing of our intellectuals and allow each of us and them to contribute our
> quota to the progress of "Demba Kunda and Basse" the best way we can.
> So come let us dialogue.
>
> Regards,
> Latjor
>
> ______________________________________________________
> Get Your Private, Free Email 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
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
