Modou

A good quote from one time arm general;

"If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking." - George S
Patton, 1885 - 1945

Lots of capacity exist amongst us but many choose rather reason to conform.

Just thought provoking!


Burama



Read more at
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/g/georgespa130444.html#saFYcMsdhws1apDc.99

On Sunday, July 6, 2014, Burama Jammeh <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Modou
>
> Keep it up!
>
> Conformity has been and continued to be our destructive enemy.
>
> Someone has to shoot under the tent to awaken  others.
>
> As you have allured to.....the diaspora has has overplayed our appropriate
> role. We seem to posture that we're to dictate the solution.
>
> I also like the idea.....leave the inter/intra party alliances to the
> concern parties.
>
> .....restoring democracy........ as you put it..... never existed in the
> first place.
>
> ......development.....can be defined in many ways.......it's a role for
> government and NGOS more than for those seeking a functional institutional
> democracy. I don't want to be part of any discussing about roads,
> electricity, agriculture, education, economics, etc. for the purpose of
> this struggle.  This is purely getting the politics and governance right.
>
> I can't help but repeat myself....... my suspicion that some/many want
> return of Jawara's Gambia is not a good fight is always compounded by some
> of our actions/inactions....out fight should be pure.......a functioning
> institutional democracy. The how can be agree or disagree but I can't
> settle for any lesser goal.
>
> ....... Our (diaspora$ role advocacy, influencing, fund raising, advisory,
> lobbying, etc. on fact diaspora and our struggle is a misnomer - the 2 are
> loosely used but we're not a unit as that suggest. And am not sure we
> should find a separate formula.....but A National Face - membership can be
> a cross section of citizens regardless of geography. Qualification of
> membership will be defined by expertise, purpose, wisdom.......not because
> I organized the meeting.
>
> Let's hope we come to the real issues than the we or they or him/her
> arguments sooner.
>
> Besides elections as the 1st order of business am in sync with you.
>
> Thanks again!
>
> Burama
>
>
>
> On Sunday, July 6, 2014, Modou Nyang <[log in to unmask]
> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml',[log in to unmask]);>> wrote:
>
>> Burama, maybe it is due to communication problems but down the road
>> somewhere there are commonalities on which we can converge to sort out our
>> problems. Some of these are out there gaping at us waiting to be tackled
>> and on track. I hope true sons and daughters of our country will seize the
>> moment and help chart a new beginning for our country.
>>
>> Regards.
>>
>>
>>   On Sunday, July 6, 2014 2:00 AM, Burama Jammeh <[log in to unmask]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> Modou
>>
>> You sound like Bursma.........Surely not taken away any credit.
>>
>> Burama
>>
>> On Sunday, July 6, 2014, Modou Nyang <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>>  *Gambian Diaspora: A Return to the Drawing Board or a Plunge into the
>> Abyss *
>> Modou Nyang
>> We may be far from the end to the accusations and counter accusations of
>> what led to the split within CORDEG. What is not yet heard from the feuding
>> parties is the underlying reasons or motives that informed their decision
>> to call it quits. The brouhaha is sickening, no doubt, and it sure carry’s
>> the venom capable of killing this body that has the promise to serve as the
>> rallying point for Diaspora Gambia democracy forces. However, there are
>> more important questions to be asked and issues to be straightened if the
>> survival and relevance of the Diaspora pro-democracy group is to be
>> ensured.
>> That GDAG, a leading proponent among the trio of the pro-democracy groups
>> that ushered in the Committee for the Restoration of Democracy in the
>> Gambia (CORDEG) into the consciousness of Diaspora Gambian politics, could
>> walk away from what they helped to build and still could not clearly
>> articulate its reasons for doing so, is rather intriguing.
>> But for a moment let us forget about the freeness or the lack of it in
>> the election of CORDEG’s executive. I wish the process was not based on
>> competitive elections rather, on a consultative nature focused on the
>> geographic representation of the politically active Diaspora Gambians. This
>> would have given it a true civil society representative nature that could
>> legitimately talk and act on behalf of the Diaspora Gambian people. The
>> other things like the opening of a bank account, registration of the
>> organization and the internal politicking or frictions among the players
>> could have been easily handled by the mature minds among the grouping.
>> However, what is of significance and this is where the fundamental issues
>> that underpin the relevance and or effectiveness of CORDEG, is its outlined
>> mode of operation in the quest for political change and democracy in the
>> Gambia. To this end CORDEG’s outline of strategy and tactic is as blurred
>> as Lamin J. Darboe put it and at worst unrealistic. And this is what needs
>> to be addressed if Diaspora Gambians are to become useful and effective
>> players in the Gambia’s political evolution to a democracy.
>> Detestable as the reference to the term “restoration” in the name of
>> CORDEG is, - for there existed no democracy in the Gambia that needs
>> restoring in the first place, nonetheless, what is worth fighting for are
>> the crunchy nuts that are to help in the erection of a viable foundation
>> for CORDEG laid on clear terms and purpose; A durable foundation that is to
>> play a vital role in the bridge building process of a grand coalition of
>> the democratic forces both within the Gambia and its Diaspora.
>> When the clamor for a pro-democracy conference in Dakar, Senegal
>> subsided, Raleigh, North Carolina several months later, turned out to be
>> the rallying point for the politically active Diaspora Gambians. Speeches
>> were delivered and passionate debates ensued. At the end a communiqué was
>> issued calling for a steering committee and promising to craft a policy
>> that would help coordinate a unity of purpose among Gambia’s pro-democracy
>> forces. To their credit a steering committee came into being leading to the
>> election of an executive committee a few months later and the birth of
>> CORDEG.
>> But to the keen political observer the flaws and contradictions in the
>> setup to the establishment of CORDEG’s executive were clear and imminent.
>> Alarm bells were ringed and people contacted to highlight the problems but
>> business continued as usual. Those that made their concerns public were
>> dismissed or at best ignored.
>> Fundamental to the flaws and contradictions within the setup that gave
>> birth to CORDEG were its insistence on co-opting the opposition parties
>> into its fold and followed by the erection of a gigantic superstructure
>> that aimed to encompass even the main players when it comes to effecting
>> political change in the Gambia. Consciously or unconsciously, the
>> architects of CORDEG pursued this formula that is only expected of
>> political novices. It was certain that the project was headed for failure
>> unless its course was redirected. And to cap it all, a vision and mission
>> of CORDEG was propounded clearly mimicking a government or opposition party
>> white paper with clear emphasis of governance, economic and even
>> agricultural policies.
>> For starters, CORDEG can only be a civil society organization unless and
>> until it chooses to follow the process and register as a political party in
>> the Gambia. As a civil society organization CORDEG’s mandate could not be
>> more than articulating and championing the aspirations of Diaspora
>> Gambians. It cannot and should never venture into the business of
>> formulating financial or agricultural policies for the Gambia not so when
>> it is even absent on the ground.
>> The Raleigh Accord that spelled out the objectives of CORDEG despite
>> being ambiguous itself, chose to side with the political players on the
>> ground in the pursuit of reforms vital to the predictability of political
>> change and the nurturing of democracy. This is what is reasonable and
>> attainable between citizen groups and political parties who plan to work
>> together for the betterment of their country. But as it appeared there were
>> other motives in play, all sorts of posturing and positioning became the
>> order of the day albeit being hundreds of miles away from the battleground.
>> However, and introspectively, it is still not too late to chart a new
>> course and refocus CORDEG. It may be a harder task trying to walk the
>> opposition parties into an alliance, but it is easier championing the
>> desire of Diaspora Gambians for enfranchisement. Furthermore, a partnership
>> with the opposition and other interest groups both national and
>> international on a pro-democracy agenda captured on the urgent need for
>> electoral reform, will not only ease the internal squabbles and render
>> desolate the intense positioning, but will earn CORDEG the respect and
>> trust of its partners as well as influence and leverage among both ruling
>> and opposition parties.
>> An agenda for the enfranchisement of Diaspora Gambians will not trigger
>> any lobbying for positions of secretary generals or chairmanships rather;
>> it will engender tremendous interest and impact among the growing Gambian
>> populations outside of the Gambia for the cause of democratization and
>> development. Demands for the respect of the civil liberties and freedom of
>> the citizenry would only add to its political clout and respectability.
>> For the politics of alliance building among political parties, it is
>> better leaving that in the hands of the parties themselves. Politics is not
>> as simple a formula as the common sense one-plus-one. The most that civil
>> society groups like CORDEG can ask as bonafide partners is to insist on a
>> seat at the negotiating table to act as an arbiter and or mediator to
>> resolve misunderstandings and bridge differences. Attaining that status or
>> position becomes easier when especially a body like CORDEG becomes the
>> initiator of such mediations. The choice is out in the open and waiting to
>> be made. Cut to size the overzealous ambitions and focus attention to clear
>> and reasonable goals that are within our bounds.
>>
>>
>>
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>


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