Fellows,
Elline Dalland and Knut Erik Knudsen wrote a "Gambia-No problem" article in a Norwegian newspaper "VG" some couple of weeks ago, and the story was accompanied by a picture of an overweight white lady in bikini and sitting by her side a skinny Gambian brother. I contacted Elline as to the message she was trying to send, though I`ve already made my own conclusion as to what the picture symbolised. This is her reaction.
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Hello Omar,
For a Norwegian traveller in Gambia there are many wonderful experiences, views and impressions. Warm climate, foreign smells and tastes, beautiful colors and a very friendly population impresses the visitor, me included, as I wrote in the article, and as you perhaps saw on the other, but smaller pictures. But thereis one thing you must be tatally ignorant not to feel almost every hour of the day, as a Norwegian or European travelling in your country; the economical differences between the tourists and most Gambians. It is sriking, and it makes you think whether tourism as it is today does any good for most Gambians. From what I learned while travelling there, most hotels are owned by Europeans and the money tourists leave are being sent right back to our part of the world. I only stayed in Gambia for a short time. The story is supposed to show what a visitor can experience during a short visit, a week or two. I tried to discuss, at least mention, the dilemma I saw so obvious in Gambia, the fact that Europeans come to your country and live like kings and queens compared to the rest of the population. That is a problem, for your country, and should be so for the rest of the world whether there were tourism in Gambia or not. The picture were chosen because it should symbolise the contrasts between the wealth and the poverty. That was the original thought. We did`nt want to use just another ordinary beach-picture that you can find in any brochure. That would not tell our story.
A few of my colleagues told me after they saw the story on print, that they felt that the picture showed a white woman having an affair with a Gambian man. That could, of course, also be a way of interpretingit. And it is not out of the way either, because we saw a lot of that going on also. We met many European women in all ageswho came to Gambia to find a man, i spoke to many of them and to the the men. I see no reason to be careful about that part of the story either, it is as much a part of the picture that a tourist gets of Gambia as anything else. But, to have that interpretation of the picture, you must already be aware that these kinds of holiday relationships is common in Gambia. I guess most of my readers are not, because it was mentioned in the article. And thats why I think the picture gave the message it was supposed to , to show the unjustice difference between the rich and the poor.
You did`nt tell me why you reacted on the picture. Maybe you think it is degrading. If so what is the biggest problem? The picture itself or the part of reality that it represents? It is more degrading for the rich visitor, as I see it.
I would also like to mention the other story that we made during our stay in Gambia. We visited a village out of the beaten tourist track. The place was run as an eco-tourism camp, and the inhabitants in the village were the ones who earned the money we left in Tumani Tenda. That was a quite different story and the article was printed in October, November.
Yours sincerely, Elline Dalland.
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I`ve replied to Elline and I`m yet to hear from her.
Good Night
Omar.
----Opprinnelig melding-----
Fra: Omar Drammeh <[log in to unmask]>
Til: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Dato: 14. februar 2000 12:56
Emne: SV: Re: No problem in The Gambia
Lamin B Jammeh,
You wrote"It is about time Gambians and Africans change their attiude towards White people because they`re enemies and betrayers". This is your opinion. Mine is that there`re many others with good intentions for The Gambia and Africa at large. Last saturday "African Youth in Norway" celeberated its five year anniversary and those of us who were present would give credit to some of the white folks gathered there for the success of this organization. And whenever I travel home the white folks who travel with me are`nt "enemies or betrayers". These are people who among other things go out their to give kids a better future-Education. Anytime you ask them they`ll give you an account of The Gambia contrary to that of Birgit & Joel Samuel. I`m reacting to your generalization, because I dont feel it is right to go that far.
Birgit & Samuel`s article is sure sprinkled with some bold assertions, that in a way shows their ignorance of The Gambia and her culture. A couple of weeks ago a Norwegian paper "VG" wrote an article about The Gambia with a similar title "Gambia-no problem", and there`re some remarks here too which some might not like though it does`nt come any closer to Birgit and Samuel`s. The picture that accompanied the article was that of an overweight white lady in bikini at the beach side and sitting by her a skiny Gambian brother. I got the message being portrayed here.
Albeit, Birgit and Samuel`s article contain some truth although exaggerated, and the truth hurts.
Regards,
Omar.
-----Opprinnelig melding-----
Fra: Lamin B Jammeh <[log in to unmask]>
Til: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Dato: 13. februar 2000 10:55
Emne: Re: No problem in The Gambia
>Dear members,
>I read with deepest regret and anger, the unscrupulous piece allegedly
>written by a GERMAN who was in The Gambia. This is another of the biggest
>insult that the Gambia and Gambians have experience as far as our
>relationships with the Europeans are concerned.
>
>Readers might recall a similar thing involving a British visitor to the
>Gambia who wrote a book called "Our Grandmother's Drum" The author's name is
>Mark HUdson.
>That book and this article by this stupid German are a betrayal to the trust
>of the people who they have befriended in their intentions to spy and lie
>about the traditions and values of the people for their vested interests.
>Most of these people do these things to get rich by selling the materials in
>the West.
>
>The contents of that book (Our Grandmother's Drum) and the article in
>question contain bunch of lies and bullocks. It is about time Gambians and
>Africans change their attitude towards the Write people because they are
>enemies and betrayers.
>
>Finally, as most list members suggested, every effort should be made to get
>the mailing address of Birgit & Joel Samuel so their mailboxes could be
>filled with protests to let them know that what they wrote about the Gambia
>was a bunch of lies, and nothing but lies!
>
>Good day everyone!
>Lamin
>Bedford, UK
>
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