Ylva,
     Last year, I did an intensive research about FGM at my school,
University of Maryland.  I found a lost of material about it. Including is
the info about Molly Melching's contribution to abolish FGH. If you noticed,
I have cited where I got the source from (Vivienne Walt, Washington Post,
1995). I don't have the month it was posted on the Washington post, but If
this source is wrong please find out and rectify me.

Best regards,
Ramatoulie

>From: Ylva Hernlund <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Female Circumcision - What Should Be The Approach To
>    Faciliating Positive Change
>Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2000 12:03:36 -0700
>
>Greetings all,
>With all due respect it seems that it is better to check first with all
>the Gambian groups that have been carrying out such education efforts
>since the early 1980's and to build on what they have already done (there
>have been a LOT of educational programs in the high schools for
>example).  Also I am wondering if the information about Molly Melching is
>entirely correct as the Tostan project is taking place in Senegal, not
>Somalia.  Best, Ylva Hernlund
>
>On Fri, 13 Oct 2000, Isatou Njie wrote:
>
> > Ramatoulie:
> > I think this is definitely a good starting point. I
> > mentioned in a posting last week that we need to get
> > motivated and take on the task of educating our
> > people. One might think that it could be difficult
> > with us being in the States, but as you mentioned,
> > some of us do have the privilege to visit Gambia once
> > in a while. My suggestion is that we as concerned
> > citizens should form a task force and get some
> > materials together which can be distributed to friends
> > and families. The few of us who might be fortunate to
> > make the trip can use the materials to educate and
> > empower the people to change. Personally, I think this
> > can be done if we can get some people to believe in
> > the need to change. Contacting The World Health
> > Organization, and Ms. Melching could be a good
> > referencing source.I just hope that this vision that
> > we have for change can be share by all......
> > --- Ramatoulie Gillen <[log in to unmask]>
> > wrote:
> > > Jamila,
> > >        I also have been reading the postings on the
> > > L. Some of the arguments
> > > were good. However, some were saying that we can't
> > > stop the immoral act?
> > > others saying that it will be slow and so on.
> > > something must be done
> > > immediately.  The UNICEF reports that 6,000 girls
> > > around the world are
> > > subjected to FGM every day....And so as I write now,
> > > my heart hurts so
> > > painfully that my fingers tremble and I
> > > traumatically flinch to the
> > > knowledge that there is a child screaming for our
> > > help right at this
> > > moment....help from us, the unknown because her
> > > mother, the known, is
> > > outside dancing and chanting to the occasion with
> > > family and friends.
> > >
> > > As I reflect back to some of these responses, I feel
> > > as helpless as that
> > > little girl currently under the razor blade.  Right
> > > now I could not help but
> > > join her creams...as tears fell down our cheeks, we
> > > are screaming for your
> > > help Gambia Lers. Let us stop the pessimisms and
> > > arguments, and start doing
> > > something. The already cut off clitoris cannot be
> > > restored, but we must not
> > > allow anymore mutilation. Like most stated,
> > > education is the weapon that can
> > > abolish FGM.
> > >
> > >                 EDUCATION  EDUCATION  EDUCATION
> > > I'm planning to go to Gambia next year.  My plans,
> > > if successful is to
> > > create a program that allows me to go to high
> > > schools and teach future
> > > mothers and fathers the deadly health problems
> > > caused by FGM. Most of the
> > > time we go to Gambia just to have fun and show off.
> > > How about everyone who
> > > goes for holidays target few families and discuss
> > > all the facts he/she
> > > learns about FGM on the L.  You guys it works! We
> > > can do it.  Non-African
> > > and non-muslims are doing it. In Somalia, Molly
> > > Melching, an American
> > > exchange from the University of Illinois, designed
> > > an intensive literacy
> > > program. This program, sponsored by Hillary Clinton,
> > > teaches Africans the
> > > consequences of FGM. as a result, 700 villages have
> > > stopped the
> > > practice(Vivienne Walt, Washington Post, 1995). The
> > > World Health
> > > Organization is willing to send anyone who
> > > volunteers to teach the dangers
> > > of FGM. In April 1998, Hillary Clinton herself was
> > > one of these volunteers
> > > send to Senegal. I could go on. If these people can
> > > do it, Why can't we?
> > >
> > > All it takes is talking. The mutilators are not our
> > > enemies, they are just
> > > so acculturated to such barbaric practice beyond
> > > their recognition of harm.
> > > Ramatoulie
> > >
> > > >From: Jamila Allston <[log in to unmask]>
> > > >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing
> > > list
> > > ><[log in to unmask]>
> > > >To: [log in to unmask]
> > > >Subject: Female Circumcision - What Should Be The
> > > Approach To Faciliating
> > > >            Positive Change
> > > >Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2000 11:35:21 -0700
> > > >
> > > >Dear Sisters and Brothers,
> > > >
> > > >     I have been following the debate regarding FGM
> > > and I believe that
> > > >the interchange is very good.  FGM is an issue that
> > > arouses many
> > > >emotions (anger, pain, etc.)  The array of
> > > vocalizations is indeed
> > > >needed to come to a consensus that life is a
> > > continuum and that
> > > >cultural practices that have been instituted at one
> > > point can be
> > > >modified/changed for the betterment of a people.
> > > >
> > > >     As an African Woman born in America, not only
> > > am I concern about
> > > >the conditions of my people where ever we are...I
> > > have a special
> > > >concern regarding the mental, emotional,
> > > psychological and physical
> > > >oppression and abuse of African Women throughout
> > > the diaspora and at
> > > >home in Africa.
> > > >
> > > >    While I have been a long time believer that FGM
> > > must be eradicated,
> > > >I also recognize that issues of culture and
> > > tradition must be handled
> > > >delicately.  It is not enough to demand a change of
> > > a people' s
> > > >practices of culture and tradition (however we
> > > disagree or how sincere
> > > >we may be) through the rantings of disgust and
> > > condemnation.
> > > >
> > > >    As the debate proceeds, the next logical step
> > > may be to look at how
> > > >this forum can be used to developed proactive
> > > strategies for
> > > >facilitating educational activism to assist these
> > > communities,
> > > >villages, etc. to re think a cultural/traditional
> > > practice that is
> > > >indeed harmful to the well being of the African
> > > Woman...thus ultimately
> > > >harmful to the well being of the African family and
> > > community.
> > > >
> > > >   Part of the strategy should be to also examine
> > > the genesis of some of
> > > >our questionable practices.  Are these practices
> > > truly African in
> > > >nature, or have we taken on practices/behaviors
> > > that are now viewed as
> > > >African practices that were originally instituted
> > > by external cultural
> > > >and religious forces throughout the centuries.
> > > Irregardless of the
> > > >genesis, the practice needs to be eliminated.  Yet
> > > we must understand
> > > >the dynamics of our history in order to make
> > > appropriate constructive
> > > >change.
> > > >
> > > >    Just as we have come together to fight those
> > > oppressive forces that
> > > >are destroying The Gambia, let us use our
> > > collective capabilities to
> > > >develop strategies and programs that can indeed
> > > play a major role in
> > > >eradicating FGM forever.
> > > >
> > > >    Yours in the struggle.
> > > >
> > > >                              Jamila
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >__________________________________________________
> > > >Do You Yahoo!?
> > > >Get Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from
> > > anywhere!
> > > >http://mail.yahoo.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.
> > >
> >
> >----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > >
> >
>_________________________________________________________________________
> > > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at
> > > http://www.hotmail.com.
> > >
> > > Share information about yourself, create your own
> > > public profile at
> > > http://profiles.msn.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
> > === message truncated ===
> >
> >
> > __________________________________________________
> > Do You Yahoo!?
> > Get Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere!
> > http://mail.yahoo.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.
> >
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>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.

Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at
http://profiles.msn.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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------