Assan, thank you for your response, (I apologise if I address you
incorrectly)
You may have met many racist people in England, I am not one of them.
Despite what you think I do care very passionately about justice and
injustice both in your country and my own. I do speak out for the poor and
against injustice and I work constantly to do practical things to help.
People are falsely arrested here, and convicted with lies and concocted
evidence, some spend years in jail, innocents in the past have been hanged,
unjustly, even now people in the UK die in police custody.
Politics can be an ugly brutal business in any country, ask any Irishman
about British politics and the same wrath of indignation will emerge. It
will emerge if the government is Labour or Tory.
I think we both know that all governments tell the events as they wish they
were, admitting mistakes is not what governments do.
You are right that many tourists visit your country, lie on the beaches and
say life in Gambia is good, but there are others who see the problems and
try to do something however small to help. My interest in the Gambia is
most certainly not to just 'go there and have fun'
But, what are you telling me - "Please send no more tourists to the Gambia
until this administration is replaced" - and what of the previous one ? -
similar accusations were made against them - and will the next
administration be immune from this.
Someone knows the truth - but I don't, all I can see is very poor people
struggling to be fed and asking to be educated and tourism does provide some
income towards those immediate needs; needs which will exist who ever is in
power.
Since joining the list I have contributed on a number of occasions - the
student riots, female circumcision, the decline of tourism. It was certainly
not my intention to insult your intelligence and I fail to see how seeking
increased revenue for ordinary Gambians can be seen as that, but if I have
missed the point I do apologise immediately and sincerely.
I might be mistaken in my support for the ordinary Gambian people, but you
are mistaken to suggest that I do not care, if I did not care we would not
be having this discussion and I would not devote so much of my time to
promoting the Gambia and helping its people.
Francis
----- Original essage -----
From: "Suma kadu" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, February 11, 2001 10:47 PM
Subject: Re: Abusive language is becoming a G-List trend
> Francis,
> When I was in the Gambia, I heard nothing but good things from friends
> about England. Well, I was culture shocked to found about the word
> "Racism" for the first time. Not all but most whites didn't treat me
> the way I anticipated. I was misinformed in so many ways that I never
> thought there were homeless and mean people in England, thanks to those
> beautiful brochure showing Trafalgar Square. Most people are speaking
> out for the poor and against the injustices which a third-party like
> you care less to notice. You just want to go and have fun and enjoy
> the sun. People are dying because of this governement but what do you
> know. That same government is telling your government everything is ok.
> Give anyone a bottle of Budweiser, sunglasses and day in the beach and
> they will say life is good in the Gambia. Abusive language are more
> befitting for racists than members of the Gambia-L. As much as I
> dislike people engaging in such acts, I do detest someone telling me my
> problems when they have a bigger problem. What have you contributed to
> this list and to the Gambia since you became a member, or do you just
> wait and wish for a moment like this to insult our intelligence. Your
> likes are becoming a trend. When there are members on this list risking
> their lives every day to keep the masses informed people like show a
> deaf ear, but they atleast warn you ahead of time and it's then up to
> you take their advice or leave it. In my case, I'd wished someone told
> me what England was like. This governement will never tell you that in
> the Gambia today, people are being abducted for no apparent reason and are
> languishing in the jail cells. What do you care Francis Glenn?
>
> Prof
> Assan Jagne
>
>
> >From: Francis Glynn <[log in to unmask]>
> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> ><[log in to unmask]>
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Abusive language is becoming a G-List trend
> >Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2001 21:47:36 -0000
> >
> >It's good to have this reminder,
> >
> >I do a lot of reading from the list and have observed that there is a
> >tendancy to paint The Gambia as a place that no one would want to visit
> >because of the politics there.
> >
> >That is not the feedback that I get from GTS members who visit - of
course
> >they don't go for the politics they go because The Gambia is a beautiful
> >country with a rich cultural heritage and a manificent diversity of
tribal
> >traditions and the unfailing warmth and friendship of the people. More
and
> >more of our members now go out into the local community and gain
> >experiences
> >of West Africa that they never dreamed of and will never forget.
> >
> >I know the list's contributors love their country passionately and so
feel
> >they have the right to say what they like about it & of course they do -
> >but
> >what they say puts some visitors off, so if this is what's intended then
> >the
> >list is being successful.
> >
> >I live in the hope that one day those same people may feel that they can
> >trumpet all the virtues of their country irrespective of their political
> >feelings about it.
> >
> >Francis
> >GTS UK
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Momodou Camara" <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sent: Sunday, February 11, 2001 8:06 PM
> >Subject: Message from Gambia-l List managers
> >
> >
> > > Dear List members,
> > >
> > > On behalf of the List Managers, I would like to welcome all new
members
> >to
> > > Gambia-L.
> > >
> > > As you may be already aware, Gambia-L is a mailing list where Gambians
> >and
> > > friends of The Gambia meet, on a daily basis, to discuss Gambia
related
> >issues.
> > > The list is a free forum for discussion, debate and the sharing of
> >information
> > > on and about The Gambia.
> > >
> > > GAMBIA-L is aimed providing Gambians and those interested in Gambia
and
> >related
> > > issues, a means to communicate with each other, and exchange ideas and
> > > information of common interest. In the process, it is hoped that a
> >spirit
> >of
> > > cooperation, of exchange of ideas, of healthy debate and dialogue for
> >the
> > > National good will be cultivated. True, ours might not be one of the
> >biggest
> > > lists, but we certainly can make it one of the very best in
cyberspace.
> > >
> > > Subscribers are expected to maintain a mature and responsible tone in
> >the
> > > contributions they send to the list. It is hoped that our individual
> >sense of
> > > responsibility, fairness, and decency, coupled with the community
> >policing
> >of
> > > the list will help prevent, and contain outbreaks of poor taste in our
> >debates.
> > >
> > >
> > > The usefulness of Gambia-L depends on the individual and collective
> >efforts of
> > > its subscribers. Toward this end, a set of rules were developed to
> >ensure
> >the
> > > existence of a healthy atmosphere for the exchange of ideas, and
> >dialogue
> >on
> > > Gambia-L. The rules will also provide a basis for enforcing
acceptable
> > > standards of behaviour on the list. Subscribers violating any of the
> >Gambia-L
> > > rules risk being expelled from the list.
> > >
> > > Although there are some very enlightening discussions and information
> >once
> >a
> > > while, we have observed that abusive language is also becoming a
trend.
> >We
> > > cannot correct the wrongs happening at the moment in Gambia or build
our
> >very
> > > dear motherland with hatred. Therefore, we should make good use of
this
> >great
> > > "Cyber Bantaba" and agree to disagree; enlighten each other; and share
> > > information. One should not feel that you would be respected by
sending
> > > insults.
> > >
> > > Searching through the archives of Gambia-L, one would notice that
there
> >used to
> > > be diverse discussions on Gambia affairs (Gambian History, Female
> >Genital
> > > Mutilation -- FGM, The African Rainessance, The Gambianet Observer
> >Online
> > > Project, GESO, Book Drives, The issue of Mbindaans, The Role of Women
in
> > > Gambian Society, etc., etc.). We would like to see that diversity
return
> >to our
> > > forum.
> > > As we've said many times earlier, this forum is not an Anti-Jammeh
> >forum,
> >but a
> > > place where all Gambians and friends of our nation can gather, to
> >discuss
> > > topics of interest (both political and non-political). I hope we give
> > > ourselves the opportunity to enjoy those privileges.
> > >
> > > Thank you for your time, and we wish everyone the best.
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > > Momodou Camara
> > >
> > >
>
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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> > > 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.
> > >
>
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> >
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> >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
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